ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Managing Pandemics in West Africa: The Challenge of Vaccine Apathy in Ghana

The study explores the management of pandemics with a focus on the challenge of COVID 19 vaccine apathy with Ghana as the case in point. The theory of securitization served as the framework. The objectives of the study were to determine how the COVID 19 pandemic was managed in Ghana and other parts of the world, as well as the factors dissuading Ghanaians from taking the vaccines. It also looked at the other remedies proffered other than the COVID 19 vaccines. The research employed the use of qualitative method using interviews and questionnaire. The questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS and the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that social, cultural, political factors as well as structural weaknesses inherent in African societies creates difficulties in managing pandemics. Lack of trust in political leadership, religion, preference for traditional remedies, misinformation and misconceptions are the major barriers to vaccine uptake in Ghana. It also revealed that there is a general awareness of the vaccine but more information about them was lacking creating conditions for vaccine rejection. It was recommended that there should be regular vaccine campaigns targeted to address the fears, concerns and mistrust using text messaging, radio and tv adverts, door to door campaigns and the use of public address systems. The campaigns should also factor the different socio-cultural set up present in different localities in order to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy. In addition, there is the need to involve religious leaders and their institutions, doctors and influential people within society to serve as vaccine ambassadors to advocate for the benefits of vaccinations and instill trust in the public.

Source: UG
Managing risk, changing aspirations and household dynamics: Implications for wellbeing and adaptation in semi-arid Africa and India

Semi-arid regions across Africa and Asia are characterized by rapidly changing biophysical regimes, structural vulnerabilities, and increasing livelihood precarity. Gender, class, and caste/ethnic identities and relationships, and the specific social, economic and political power, roles and responsibilities they entail, shape the choices and decisions open to individuals and households in managing the risks they face. Unpacking the multiple, intersecting inequalities confronting rural populations in these climate hotspots is therefore vital to understand how risk can be managed in a way that supports effective, inclusive, and sustainable local adaptation. Drawing on empirical evidence from six countries, generated through a mixed methods approach, we examine how changes in household dynamics, structure, and aspirations, shape risk management with implications for household well-being, adaptive capacity, and ultimately sustainable development. The ability of individuals within households, differentiated by age, marital status, or education, to manipulate the very structure of the household and the material and social resources it offers, differentiates risk management strategies such as livelihood diversification, migration, changing agricultural practices and leveraging social support. Our evidence suggests that while greater risks can drive conflictive behaviour within households, with women often reporting lower subjective wellbeing, new forms of cooperative behaviour are also emerging, especially in peri-urban spaces. Through this study, we identify entry points into enabling sustainable and inclusive adaptation behaviour, emphasizing that interventions should work for both women and men by challenging inequitable social and gender norms and renegotiating the domains of work and cooperation to maintain overall household wellbeing.achieve the WHO roadmap target for schistosomiasis control by 2020.

Source: UG
Managing Shoreline Change Under Increasing Sea-Level Rise in Ghana

Relative sea-level rise will affect vulnerable coastal communities globally. Quantifying this effect on the coastal environment and infrastructure provides critical information that enables coastal managers to develop sustainable mitigation and adaptation measures. Modeling applications have enabled the past, present, and future trends in shoreline morphology to be investigated in detail. Predictive numerical models depend largely on the reliability of the input data. This article reports on using the Soft Cliff and Platform Erosion (SCAPE) numerical model to simulate future shoreline evolution trend in the central Accra coast in Ghana. The model input parameters include historic shoreline recession rates, wave data, tidal data, bathymetry, beach volume, beach topography, historic relative sea-level rise rates, and the shoreline orientation. The data fed the SCAPE numerical model which simulated the emergence of soft rock shore profiles over timescale of decades to centuries, to project future positions of the central Accra shoreline for the next 100 years under different scenarios of climate change. Simulated future shoreline positions overlaid on a 2005 orthophoto map of Accra enabled vulnerable areas and infrastructure at risk to be identified. It emerged that a highly populated community in central Accra will be inundated by 2065, while the Rivera beach resort will be eroded from 2035. A natural fish landing site in Osu (suburb in Accra) will be lost from 2045. The study has demonstrated that considerable ecological, economic, social, and national losses should be expected within the next century. Shoreline change management options should be explored to help mitigate the expected impact of the sea-level rise. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
Managing stress among library staff in public university libraries in Ghana

The study investigated the management of stress by public university library staff in Ghana. The major purpose was to identify strategies that are employed by public university library staff to manage the stress they experience. One hundred and forty-four (144) respondents were sampled for the quantitative phase using the Fisher et al. (1998) formula for determining sample size, but for the qualitative phase nine (9) management staff were chosen. Purposive, simple random and convenience sampling techniques were employed. Questionnaires and interview guides were used as research instruments to gather relevant data for the study. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and thematic analysis were used as statistical tools to analyse the data. The study showed that indeed the library staff in public university libraries has a lot of stressful job events. However, it was indicated that library staff also adopt numerous coping strategies such as taking time off work and leave, positive thinking, building a strong human relationship and going for counselling in an attempt to manage their stress.

Source: UG
Managing the challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in Ghana

Ghana’s economy is climate sensitive as more than 80% of its agricultural production is rainfall dependent, with only 2% of irrigation potential used. This has consequences under changing climate, with the impact projected to intensify if things go in a business-as-usual scenario. The manifestation of climate change impact is evident in other sectors of the economy, which requires proactiveness to adapt and mitigate through the development and execution of national adap tation strategies. This research reviews the impact of climate change and some interventions made toward its management. The study explored peer-reviewed journals, policy documents, and technical reports for relevant materials that chronicle programmes and measures to address the challenges of climate change. The research revealed that Ghana had experienced about 1 ◦C rise in temperature over the past four decades and sea level rise with socioeconomic consequences including decreased agricultural productivity and inundation of coastal communities. Policy in terventions have resulted in the introduction of several mitigative and adaptation programmes, such as building resilience in various economic sectors. The study highlighted the progress and challenges to climate change implementation programmes and future policy implementation plans. Inadequate funding of programmes and projects was identified as a critical challenge to achieving climate change policy goals and objectives. We recommend more political will from the government and stakeholders towards policy implementation and greater commitment to providing adequate funding for programmes and project implementation to ensure the success of local climate action for adaptation and mitigation, as well as for sustainable development.

Source: UG
Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods: The case of Accra and Johannesburg

Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra and Greater Johannesburg, early in the pandemic, during lockdowns of public life. We find that many of the urban poor already engage in the appropriate hygienic behavior and follow social distancing rules. However, despite citywide lockdowns, about 25–40% of people still report attend ing large gatherings, 10–20% report receiving guests at home, and 30–35% report leaving the house more than once per week. Lack of cooperation with governmental regulations seems to be more related to a lack of infrastructure or poverty rather than unwillingness to engage in behavioral change. Interestingly, even with the stricter lockdown in South Africa, people are at least equally likely to deviate from social distancing rules. Our results indicate that more South African respondents perceive their gov ernment’s actions as too extreme and underestimate COVID-19 cases in their country. About half of the sample in both countries report knowing (mainly through TV) about current COVID-19 case numbers. Most participants know that coughing is a symptom, but only half mention fever and difficulty breathing, and very few people mention tiredness. Ghanaians seem to be somewhat better informed. While lack of information is an issue, misinformation appears to be limited. We conclude that a costly shutdown of public life is only effective—and might even be prevented—with a well-informed population, who per ceives their government’s actions as appropriate and who has access to the infrastructure required to fol low WHO safety regulations.

Source: UG
Managing the environment in a decade of administrative reforms in Ghana

Since Ghana gained political independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the country has had a number of administrative reforms that covered varied subjects, including ministerial restructuring, decentralisation, revision of schemes of service and pay and grading systems, motivation and civil service legislation. The past decade (1990-2000), especially, has witnessed sustained efforts at reforms to improve the public sector's policy-making, service delivery, and oversight and accountability roles. For Ghana to achieve the objectives of these reform initiatives, the country needs to effectively manage all the constitutive elements that contribute to the goals of sustainable development. This study set out to examine the efforts being made to reform the system of environmental management in Ghana, since the costs imposed on Ghanaians and the economy from environmental degradation are enormous and can greatly impede the growth towards sustainable development. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UG
Managing trade liberalization: Legal system deficiencies and the political economy of contingency protection in Ghana

This article proposes to critically examine how effectively Ghana has managed pressures by domestic import-competing industries and unionized labour for protection since the country engaged in radical and far-reaching trade liberalization under World Bank and IMF auspices. It argues that the heavy influence of public choice theory on the conception of regulatory role of government in the economy held by these principal architects of Ghana's trade reforms has resulted in the omission to provide for contingency protection measures for domestic industries adversely impacted by imports as a consequence of liberalization. Though these measures pose a counternormative threat to free trade, the article takes the position that they are necessary tools for the effective management of protectionist pressures and therefore for sustaining free trade itself. Finally, it concludes that the uncritical application of choice theoretic analyses to Ghana's trade reforms may be mistaken and that there is no rational alternative to dealing with the problem of protectionist pressure other than a resort to the legitimate mechanism provided under international law.

Source: UG
Managing Vibrio cholerae with a local beverage: preparation of an affordable ethanol based hand sanitizer

Research indicates an increased use of hand sanitizers globally, and in particular developing countries where bacterial epidemics such as cholera are common. While there is evidence of availability, high demand and use of hand sanitizers, the incidence of cholera in developing countries remains unabated. Several reasons have been put forward, and cost of hand sanitizers remains dominant. It is in response to this contradictory situation of availability but limited access, that this study was conducted to present an alternative option of formulating a high quality and cost effective ethanol-based sanitizer from a Ghanaian local beverage (akpeteshie). The concentration of ethanol in akpeteshie was determined using gas chromatography. An Ethanol based hand sanitizer (Sample C) was formulated with akpeteshie and tested against Vibrio cholerae using the microbial time -kill kinetics assay. Commercially available ethanol based Equi-Clean hand sanitizer (62%) (Sample D) was used as the standard. Results show that the akpeteshie contained 73.08% ethanol and formulated product (Sample C) contained 63.70% ethanol. Viscosity and pH of Sample C were; 89 rpm (1.48 cps) and 7.30 respectively whiles that of Sample D were; 80 rpm (1.33 cps) and 7.50 respectively. The formulated product (Sample C) was effective against Vibrio cholerae with a gradual reduction in microbial count upon exposure to the organisms at time intervals of 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min.

Source: UG
Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (Mcpdp) in Kaduna State, Nigeria: Perspectives of Nurses

This study was carried out in Kaduna State, Nigeria to explore the perspectives of nurses about the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP). The study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design to explore and describe the perceptions of registered nurses and midwives in Kaduna State about mandatory continuing professional development programme. Since not much research has been done in Nigeria to elucidate the perspectives of nurses about the various dimensions of MCPDP, the qualitative design was best suited to delve into the phenomenon and throw more light on it. The target population was all nurses who had attended MCPDP in Kaduna State. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants in this study. Ten (10) nurses and midwives were interviewed to reach data saturation. Data were collected using face to face interviews and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed using content analysis. The major finding of the study indicated that nurses generally held good perspectives about the MCPDP and the rationale for its introduction. The major challenges confronting participants was identified as poor programme accessibility, funding, administrative barriers and shortage of nurses. Findings also revealed that, there are shortcomings in the practicum and some aspects of content and delivery of the programme. Further evaluation of the MCPDP programme with a view to addressing the identified pitfalls is necessary. It is recommended that the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the Ministry of Health, Kaduna State and the State Implementation committee must collaborate to resolve the challenges within their mandates and capacities at each level

Source: UG
Maneuvering the labelling status: Life stories of juvenile delinquents in adulthood transitions

Traditional labelling theorists contend that acquisition of a delinquent status can be problematic for some group of individuals who aged out of the criminal justice system as they progressed through adulthood. Using a qualitative research design, this paper addresses the question of how labeling explains persistence of crime over an individual's life course by tracking and exploring the lived experiences of 23 juvenile delinquents who have persisted and desisted from crime and were once committed to the Senior Boys Correctional Centre (SBCC) in Accra. The participants shared their life stories on how their acquisition of a delinquent status (labelling) impacted on their transformation. The narratives generated from their pattern of responses depart from the theoretical underlying assumptions of traditional labelling scholars, Lemert (1957), Becker (1963) and Goffman (1963). The findings suggest that labelling per se does not necessarily explain persistence of crime over all individual's life course as the narratives frequently project voices of juvenile delinquents who manage their delinquent status in the face negative societal reactions. The study therefore emphasized the need for criminal justice experts, correctional service providers and other private institutions to incorporate social support systems and cognitive behavourial treatment into their broader policy frameworks and agenda towards the reformation of criminals.

Source: UG
Mango anthracnose disease: the current situation and direction for future research

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Mannose-binding lectin is a disease modifier in clinical malaria and may function as opsonin for Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Mansonia africana and Mansonia uniformis are Vectors in the transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti lymphatic filariasis in Ghana

Background: Recent data from Ghana indicates that after seven rounds of annual mass drug administration (MDA) there is still sustained transmission albeit at low levels in certain areas where Anopheles melas, An. gambiae s.s., Mansonia and Culex species are the main biting mosquitoes. Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus are the known vectors in Ghana and a recent report indicated that An. melas could transmit at low level microfilaraemia. However, because An. melas is not found everywhere there was the need to determine whether any of the other culicine species could also be playing a role in the transmission of LF. Methods: Indoor mosquitoes collected once a month for three months using pyrethrum spray catches in six communities within the Kommenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) District, Central Region of Ghana were morphologically identified, dissected and examined for the presence of W. bancrofti. Additionally, stored mosquito samples collected during previous years in 8 communities from the Gomoa District also in the Central Region were similarly processed. The identities of all W. bancrofti parasites found were confirmed using an established PCR method. Results: A total of 825 indoor resting mosquitoes comprising of 501 Anopheles species, 239 Mansonia species, 84 Culex species and 1 Aedes species were dissected and examined for the presence of W. bancrofti. Mansonia africana had infection and infectivity rates of 2.5%. and 2.1% respectively. Anopheles gambiae s.l. had an infection rate of 0.4% and a similar infectivity rate. None of the Culex sp. and Aedes sp were found with infection. From the stored mosquitoes the infection and infectivity rates for M. africana were 7.6% (N = 144) and 2.8% respectively whilst the corresponding rates for M. uniformis were 2.9% (N = 244) and 0.8%. Conclusions: This is the first report of Mansonia species as vectors of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Ghana and in West Africa since that of 1958 in Guinea. The revelation of a hitherto unrecognised vector which is possibly more efficient in transmission than the recognised ones has a profound implication for elimination of lymphatic filariasis programmes in the sub-region. © 2012 Ughasi et al.

Source: UG
Mansonia africana and Mansonia uniformis are Vectors in the transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti lymphatic filariasis in Ghana

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Mapping Civil Society in the Digital Age: Critical Reflections From a Project Based in the Global South

Initiatives to map nonprofit organizations encompass efforts to define the boundaries of the sector and understand its scope and scale. As new technologies make it possible to digitize and analyze information in new ways, further questions about mapping civil society emerges. We integrate nonprofit scholarship and critical work on computational methods, and reflection on our experiences using machine learning to map nongovernmental organizations in Ghana and develop a critical framework for mapping civil society in the digital age. The issues we raise about computational methods are embedded within greater concerns about the taken-for-granted assumptions in mapping civil society, and mapping as a tool to control, manage, and manipulate civil society. We are particularly attentive to the power within mapping as a mode of knowledge production.

Source: UG