ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A potential roadmap to overcome the current eastern DRC Ebola virus disease outbreak: From a computational perspective

he ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is raising unprecedented health concerns, with potential to wipe out large propor- tions of the population in this part of the world. Established control strategies to con- tain the outbreak are failing due to several reasons, including lack of a data/information repository and ongoing violence and armed conﬂict. In this paper, we propose a poten- tial roadmap from a computational perspective, which may provide solutions to contain the current outbreak, predict future outbreaks and facilitate development of novel solu- tions and therapeutics. This roadmap includes the implementation of an integrated infor- mation system through a centralized data coordinating center unifying existing and future EVD data and information to enhance innovative EVD translational research. This work will leverage off tools, guidelines and protocols developed by established data coordinating centers based in Africa or centers that address infectious disease outbreaks. The proposed EVD computational strategy is expected to inform optimal strategies at the national or global level towards strengthened responses to future EVD outbreaks and potential emer-gency of therapy resistant.

Source: UCC
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF TRANSMISSION OF HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS IN THE VOLTA REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN GHANA

Background: The study was undertaken to assess po- tential sources that might transmit Hospital Acquired Infections in the Volta Regional Hospital of Ghana. Method: A total of 218 swabs were taken over a six month study period of two weeks sampling bi-monthly from 33 different door handles, taps, desk surfaces and lavatories and 15 different surfaces in the theatre be- fore and after cleaning on each sampling day. The swabs were cultured on Blood, Chocolate and Mac- Conkey agars and incubated for 24hrs at 35±2ºC after which isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically. Results: A total of 187 (88.8%) bacterial isolates were obtained from the swabs (P<0.0017) made up of 55.5% non-pathogenic isolates, 33.3% pathogenic isolates and 14.2% no bacteria growth. There was significant dif- ference between pathogenic isolates and no bacterial growth (P=0.0244). The largest pathogenic isolates were S. aureus (57.6%) and E. coli (39.4%) whilst Ba- cillus spp. was the only non-pathogenic isolate. Door handles of the various wards and theatre had the high- est total bacterial isolates (25.7%), followed by the lavatories (24.6%); whereas the lavatories recorded the most pathogenic isolate (21), followed by taps. There was no change in S. aureus isolate numbers after clean- ing whereas E. coli decreased by (26.7%) and Bacillus spp. increase by (32.7%). Conclusion: The high percentage of pathogenic iso- lates of S. aureus and E. coli as well as Bacillus spp. on fomites at the Volta Regional Hospital indicates a high potential risk of HAI in the hospital.

Source: UCC
Potential trade, welfare and revenue implications of the African continental free trade area (AFCFTA) for Ghana: an application of partial equilibrium model

This study estimates the potential implications of the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Agreement for Ghana in terms of trade, welfare and revenue effects. By applying the WITS-SMART simulation model on 2018 disaggregated international trade data, the paper finds that total trade effects in Ghana are likely to surge by US$ 148.3 million while promoting consumers' welfare by US$ 8.597 million. However, revenue losses are imminent as the country might experience a drop in tariff revenue of US$ 8.604 million. Overall, the free trade area is expected to improve on the country's trade balance as exports are envisaged to outweigh imports. In order to mitigate the revenue losses, the paper recommends that the country keep substantial portion of tariff lines for sensitive and excluded products over a longer period during the liberalization

Source: UCC
Potentials of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera) extract as a coagulant to substitute Alum in soy cheese production in Ghana

This study was conducted to determine the potentials of Sodom apple (Calotropis procera) extract as a sole coagulant of soymilk during soy cheese production. Four alum concentrations were prepared and used as control treatments: A5 (0.5 % conc.), A10 (1.0 % conc.), A15 (1.5 % conc.) and A20 (2.0 % conc.). Four strengths of Calotropis procera extracts (CPE) (C15, C20, C25 and C30) were obtained from 15 g, 20 g, 25 g and 30 g respectively of the fresh plant. Each of the concentrations of alum and CPE was used as a sole coagulating agent of soy milk and the effects on clotting time, product yield, whey volume and organoleptic properties of the curd were assessed. The average milk clotting time, curd yield, and whey volume were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the type and concentration of coagulant used to achieve curdling. The average clotting time, curd yield, and whey volume were in the ranges of (6.0 - 31 minutes), (120.2 – 207.8 g/l), and (495.0 – 785.0 ml/l) respectively. Treatments A20 and C30 recorded the shortest clotting times of 6.0 and 9.0 minutes respectively whereas treatment A5 had the longest clotting time (31.0 min). The curd yields were high in treatments A10 (207.8 g/l), C30 (191.2 g/l) and C25 (183.9 g/l) whereas A20 recorded the least curd yield (120.2 g/l). In the alum treatments, positive correlation (r = 0.585) was observed between soy milk clotting time and soy curd yield. On the contrary, there was strong negative correlation (r = - 0.803) between clotting time and curd yield when CPE were used as coagulants. The different concentrations of alum and C. procera added to soy milk had significant (P < 0.05) effects on the organoleptic properties (taste, colour, texture and overall acceptability) of the soy cheese produced. The soy cheese flavour did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among the treatments. Generally, it was observed that the 25g CPE can be used to substitute for alum in soy curd formulation

Source: UCC
Potentials of teachers as support intervention for reducing obesity among primary schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis

The prevalence rate of child obesity has increased globally, including developing countries such as Ghana. The use of teachers as implements of change to combat child obesity seem to be a useful idea since teachers have direct interaction with children for substantial amounts of time each day. Yet, there is no study that has evaluated the use of teachers in managing child obesity in Ghana. This study sought to investigate the intervention strategies that can be adapted by teachers in reducing childhood obesity among primary school pupils in Cape Coast. Survey research design was used to collect data using a multistage sampling technique from teachers (n=133) and students (n=317) in the Cape Coast Metropolis in Ghana. Content validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics with bootstrapping. The results of the study revealed that about 5% of school children were obese and 9% of them were at risk of obesity or overweight. Additionally, teachers had ‘good’ perception (mean=3.01; SD=0.76) about child obesity, and identified dietary behaviour of children as the key determinant of obesity among the pupils. Although teachers were aware of some intervention strategies they could use in helping children with obesity, they identified some challenges that could hinder their progress such as; financial constraints, lack of time, and also lack of support from parents and pupils. It is recommended that stakeholders interested in preventing childhood obesity should support teachers to be involved in implementing strategic interventions toward the reduction of childhood obesity.

Source: UCC
Potentials of tourism to poverty reduction in the Upper West region of Ghana

The study reviewed two models namely the mainstream and pro-poor tourism models including the three pathways of benefits from tourism to the poor model and some elements of these two were used to adapt the Sustainable Livelihood Framework. Eight hotels which had restaurant facilities were purposively chosen for the study whilst three communities with attractions in the study area were also selected. A sample size of 192 respondents was obtained for the communities. Other respondents surveyed were officials of the regional office of Ghana Tourist Board and Planning Officers of Wa Municipality, Wa East and Wa West Districts. Analyses of data were descriptive, using frequency tables and cross-tabulations whilst the chi-square statistic was also employed to test three hypotheses of the study. The study revealed that accommodation facilities promoted some attraction sites in the study area and mostly employed people from the locality thereby giving them a source of livelihood. Majority of the hotels also sourced a greater quantum of their food and furnishing locally. The communities earned income from visits; the local people were into handicraft work, narration of village history including cultural performance to visitors for a fee and small scale petty trading at attraction sites. In one of the communities (Wechiau), the proceeds from tourism were used to provide some basic amenities whilst. some tourists also provided a school bl()ck and gave teaching and learning materials to boost academic work. Making tourism rural-based could therefore be a way out to poverty alleviation in these areas.

Source: UCC
Poultry Husbandry Competencies of Farmers and Challenges Faced by Agricultural Extension Agents in Selected Districts in the Central Region, Ghana

Many poultry farmers lack the skills and knowledge needed to effectively scale up their production, which limits their ability to meet growing demand and improve productivity. Essential competencies such as proper feeding, disease prevention, housing management, breeding techniques, and biosecurity measures are often missing, leading to challenges like disease outbreaks, poor waste management, and low profitability. These gaps stem from a lack of sufficient poultry husbandry competencies. The study examined farmers' poultry husbandry management competencies and the challenges of agricultural extension agents in selected districts in the Central region of Ghana. The study used a descriptive survey design and a census procedure to select respondents. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 130 farmers and 10 extension agents. Kerndall’s concordance of coefficient, stepwise regression, correlation coefficients, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the farmers have a deeper understanding of determining appropriate sources of healthy birds, maintaining sanitation, identifying various poultry diseases, and selecting appropriate structure types for birds. However, significant gaps in knowledge were found in the periods of vaccination and disinfestation. Finally, agricultural extension agents faced significant challenges such as disease management. The study recommends a collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to develop comprehensive training modules and effective methods for poultry husbandry management, aimed at training both extension agents and farmers. Further, MoFA should focus and improve on disease surveillance

Source: UCC
Poverty alleviation strategies employed by fisher Folks in Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality.

Poverty can be described as the lack of common things like food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water all of which determine the quality of life. Elmina, which is an ancient fishing community in the Central Region of Ghana, has fishing as a major occupation in the area. It was realized that in as much as fisher folks were doing everything possible to have good standard of living, they still found themselves in poverty. Although some were able to take care of their family’s basic needs. This study therefore sought to find out the strategies that the fisher folks of Elmina employed in alleviating themselves from poverty. With a household population of 6353, a sample size of 100 was selected using the systematic sampling technique. Interview guide was used for the data collection. The Cronbach’s coefficient alpha for the interview guide was 0.72. The data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The results from the study showed that, family resources that were available for reducing poverty included; canoe, house, car, shops and so on. It was shown that fisher folks faced challenges in alleviating themselves from poverty which included improper financial records with the use of their available resources. It is recommended that more education should be done to enlighten fisher folks on poverty and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, governments, stakeholders, cooperate bodies and non-governmental organizations should assist the fisher folks to overcome challenges such as improper records keeping with their sales in order to fully alleviate themselves from extreme poverty.

Source: UCC
Poverty among fisher-folk and crop - based farmer households in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem district in the central region Ghana

This study was conducted to examine poverty levels among fisher-folk and crop- based farmer households in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District (KEEA) in the Central Region of Ghana using cross-sectional survey. The study was significant as the result could help identify factors that influenced poverty among the fisher-folk and crop-based farmer households. The population of the study was fisher-folk and crop-based farmer households in the District. The sample was chosen using simple random sampling technique. Documentary analysis was used to estimate the poverty line and participatory appraisal was used to determine the poverty levels. Descriptive methods, cross tabulations, chi-square and regression were used in data analysis. Collectively; income, education, health and number of people in various occupations accounted for about 46.80 percent of the variances in poverty line. Significant statistical associations were also found between poverty levels and the socio-economic characteristics of poor fisher-folks and poor crop based farmer households. Poverty was also found to be more intense among fisher-folk than among crop-based farmer households in the target communities. To design a good poverty alleviation programme, it is recommended that attention be paid to the socio-economic characteristics of the poor. Further studies to identify some other factors (besides income, education, health and number of people in various occupations) that could influence poverty line in the target community are recommended.

Source: UCC
Poverty and risk attitudes: the case of cassava farmers in Awutu-Senya district of the central region of Ghana

Ghana’s agriculture is characterized by low productivity, low farm incomes and low levels of technological adoption and use of inefficient production techniques. This poor state of Ghana’s agriculture is related to farmers’ attitudes towards risk in the adoption of new production techniques, as well as risk in the production and socioeconomic environment. Having realized that poverty is a major constraining factor in the farmer’s production and socio-economic environment, the study therefore sought specifically to: measure the poverty situation among cassava farmers in the study area; analyze the risk attitudes of cassava farmers and determine the effect of poverty on risk attitudes of the farmers. The study area is Awutu Senya District. A random sampling technique was used for the selection of respondents. Data were generated using structured interviews and field visits. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Foster Greer Thorbecke poverty measures, Equal Certainty Equivalent Risk Model and regression analysis to determine the effects of poverty on the risk attitude of farmers. The result showed that 58% of farmers in the study area were poor and 31% measured the depth or extent of poverty as indicated by the FGT poverty measure. Furthermore, using the equal certainty equivalent risk model of assessing farmers’ risk attitudes the study revealed that, as many as 82% of the farmers was risk averse. The result of regression analysis also suggested that age, household size, educational level, land size and degree of poverty were significant determinants of farmers’ attitude towards risks. Poverty situation was found to be positively related farmers attitude towards risk. It is therefore, recommended that the government and private sector should initiate policy that strengthens existing programmes on alternative income generating activities within the broad framework of its poverty alleviation strategy to improve farmers’ income. With improved income farmers should be able to improve on their risk management skill to mitigate the effect of perceived risky situation they find themselves

Source: UCC
Poverty Implications of Trade Liberalisation Financing in Ghana

Balancing government budget in the midst of trade liberalisation requires reducing expenditure levels or increasing existing taxes and or introducing new taxes. This study investigated the impact of the option of increasing existing domestic taxes, value added tax, corporate tax and income tax, to compensate for lost tariff revenue from trade liberalisation on poverty at the national and household levels in Ghana. A recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium and a microsimulation model were used for the study for the period 2005 to 2015. The main source of data was the 2005 Social Accounting Matrix. The policy simulations implemented were trade liberalisation; trade liberalisation with lost tariff revenue replaced by 31% upward adjustment in value added tax; trade liberalisation combined with 50% increase in corporate tax; and finally, trade liberalisation accompanied by 40% rise in income tax. The simulation rates were enough to keep government revenue neutral. The study concludes that trade liberalisation combined with value added tax, corporate tax, and income tax, separately, reduce the incidence, depth and severity of poverty. It is recommended that government uses all three tax instruments with special emphasis on income tax to compensate for shortfall in tariff revenue resulting from trade liberalisation.

Source: UCC
Poverty measures, social protection and deprivations of households and children in Ghana and Kenya

This thesis addresses three themes: (1) assess household poverty in Ghana and Kenya; (2) compare poverty methods and examine the poverty-reducing role of social protection in Ghana; and (3) examine rural-urban catch-up in child poverty in Ghana. The last five rounds of the Demographic and Health Surveys of Ghana and Kenya and the sixth round of Ghana Living Standards Survey were used. The First Order Dominance, Multidimensional Poverty Index, Multiple Overlapping Deprivation and Foster Greer and Thorbecke approaches were used to measure poverty. The Endogenous Treatment Effect model of Heckman sample selection, the Propensity Score Matching and Mixed Logistic techniques were used for the econometric analyses. The results indicate a broad-based probability of progress in household welfare in Ghana of 1.00, whereas Kenya recorded muted probability of advance of only 0.01. Consumption expenditure poverty in Ghana is sensitive to disaggregation, income and the Lower-Middle Income Countries poverty line of $3.20. The incidence of multidimensional poverty is higher than consumption expenditure poverty by 6.8 percentage points. Beneficiary households of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana reduce their poverty levels by 0.151 units compared to non-beneficiaries. The risks of child deprivation poverty for urban poor children are at least 196% higher than their rural poor counterparts in Ghana. The National Health Insurance Scheme should prioritise coverage of poor and rural households in Ghana. In Kenya, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources should focus on the provision of improved sanitation to the Western and North Eastern regions.

Source: UCC
Poverty reduction efforts in Ghana: A study of the social investment fund microfinance programme in the Mfantseman municipality

The Mfantseman Community Bank is one of the participating financial institutions through which the Social Investment Fund microfinance was channeled to the poor. Low recovery rate of loans had rather been a great challenge to the bank. However, while the bank complained of the non-payment of loans by beneficiaries, beneficiaries in turn criticised the bank of poor service delivery. Consequent to this, the study sought to examine the role of the Social Investment Fund’s microfinance programme in poverty reduction in the Mfantseman Municipality. Purposive and accidental sampling methods were used in the study and a descriptive study design was adopted. The study covered the SIF, the Mfantseman Community Bank, the Municipal Assembly and 39 beneficiary groups. The study established that some best practices were undertaken in the operationalisation of the scheme thereby yielding benefits for the beneficiaries. This notwithstanding, there were several challenges that were encountered. The study found that microfinance is able to reduce poverty when well designed and implemented. A well designed scheme has a mix of components of training of beneficiaries, disbursing loans in a suitable season of production, and the use of a functional group among other things. It was recommended that beneficiaries needed to diligently apply the loans to their businesses in order to generate the expected income and be able to manage the incomes prudently to improve upon their livelihoods and therefore reduce poverty.

Source: UCC
Poverty reduction through tourism: residents’ perspectives

increasing search for strategies to address the situation, and tourism has been identified as one of the relevant tools for reducing poverty. The paper assesses the role that tourism can play in addressing the needs of the residents of the Lake Bosomtwe Basin. A study conducted in a traditional area in Ghana placed “the poor” in the centre of the search for appropriate strategies to tackle poverty. A resident’s survey undertaken in January 2006 reveals that the residents are fully aware of the problems of the area, and also, have an adequate knowledge of how tourism tied in to their needs. The paper confirmed the essential role tourism can play in reducing poverty and realizing other developmental goals. Based on the nature of the needs of the residents (hospital, potable water, good roads and security), it was concluded that their needs were compatible with the goals of sustainable tourism development as these are elements required from any good tourist destination. It was also concluded that “the poor” could be valuable partners in the search for solutions to reduce poverty in the world

Source: UCC