ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
“We know it is not good, but we are constrained”: A study on quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care in Northern Ghana

Objective: To explore the quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care provided to newly delivered women in rural Ghana. Methods: A multiple case study design, involving in-depth face to face interviews, was deployed to draw evidence from essential health providers, clients and caretakers. Data were further derived from non-participant observation by means of an observation guide and analysis of physical ar tifacts using the room-by-room walk-through tool. Data analysis followed Yin’s five phase process to case study analysis. Results: Quality of care was compromised by non-adherence to standard practices, inadequate monitoring, crude treatment procedures, lack of basic care needs and poor health providers’ relational behaviours. Limited supplies of drugs, equipment and essential care providers further weakened the provision of quality emergency obstetric and newborn care. Conclusion: Inadequate supply of essential logistics and skill gaps on the part of health providers in some maternal and newborn care components adversely produced poor maternal and neonatal outcomes in rural Ghana. Elements of disrespectful care for women suggest violations of their rights in the maternal and newborn care encounter.

Source: UG
We never plan to return home: Voices of pre-migrant Ghanaian youth.

This qualitative study aimed to explore return migration intentions among pre-migrant youth in Ghana. The study applied the neoclassical economics, new economics of labor migration, and structuralist theories. Thirty-four students (16 females and 18 males) were purposively recruited as participants for the study. Each student participated in one out of four digitally recorded focus group discussions. The data were analyzed to identify emerging themes that addressed objectives of the study. Participants were final year undergraduate and graduate university students and their ages ranged from 22 to 34 years. Analysis of the data revealed that participants had plans to migrate to the diaspora to seek income-generating and educational opportunities. Furthermore, evidence showed that the youth included in this study had no intentions of returning to their country of origin due to three major reasons (economic, family pressure, and stigma). For many pre-migrants, returning to their country of origin is not an option, especially if they are able achieve their goals in the diaspora. Given that return migration usually involves labor migrants who did not reap the benefits of higher earnings abroad and were therefore regarded as failed migrants, there is the need for government and other stakeholders to initiate policies that address the socioeconomic and psychological challenges faced by return migrants.

Source: UG
“We Now Have a Patient and Not a Criminal”: An Exploratory Study of Judges and Lawyers’ Views on Suicide Attempters and the Law in Ghana

This study explored the views of judges and lawyers of the superior courts of Ghana on the law criminalizing attempted suicide. Qualitative data were collected from 12 experienced legal practitioners of the superior courts (five judges and seven lawyers) using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis of the data yielded three main perspectives: In defence of the Law, Advocating a Repeal, and Pro-Health Orientation. Although exploratory, the findings of this study offer cues for stepping up suicide literacy and advocacy programmes toward either a repeal of the law or a reform.

Source: UG
“We Now Have a Patient and Not a Criminal”: An Exploratory Study of Judges and Lawyers’ Views on Suicide Attempters and the Law in Ghana

This study explored the views of judges and lawyers of the superior courts of Ghana on the law criminalizing attempted suicide. Qualitative data were collected from 12 experienced legal practitioners of the superior courts (five judges and seven lawyers) using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis of the data yielded three main perspectives: In defence of the Law, Advocating a Repeal, and Pro-Health Orientation. Although exploratory, the findings of this study offer cues for stepping up suicide literacy and advocacy programmes toward either a repeal of the law or a reform. © 2017, © The Author(s) 2017.

Source: UG
“We now have a patient and not a criminal”: An Exploratory Study of Judges and Lawyers’ Views on Suicide Attempters and the Law in Ghana.

This study explored the views of judges and lawyers of the superior courts of Ghana on the law criminalizing attempted suicide. Qualitative data were collected from 12 experienced legal practitioners of the superior courts (five judges and seven lawyers) using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis of the data yielded three main perspectives: In defence of the Law, Advocating a Repeal, and Pro-Health Orientation. Although exploratory, the findings of this study offer cues for stepping up suicide literacy and advocacy programmes toward either a repeal of the law or a reform.

Source: UG
&quot;We'll check vital signs only till we finish the school&quot;: Experiences of student nurses regarding intra-semester clinical placement in Ghana

Background: Clinical practicum is an integral part of nursing education because it provides students with opportunities to perform nursing care and practice specific nursing tasks. In Ghana, little is known about the experiences of baccalaureate student nurses with regard to intra-semester clinical practicum. This study therefore, explored perceptions, challenges, and how the intra-semester clinical practicum affects the learning process of student nurses in a private university in Ghana. Methods: Exploratory descriptive phenomenological design was used. Nine in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted for baccalaureate student nurses in their second, third and fourth years of study. Only those who have attended intra-semester clinical practicum for at least two semesters in the course of their study were recruited. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. The sample size was based on data saturation, however, a total of 33 participants were recruited. Data was analysed using content analysis technique. Results: The findings show that baccalaureate student nurses perceive the intra-semester clinical practicum as beneficial. It affords the opportunity to translate theoretical knowledge into practice concurrently. However, students recounted their stressful experiences during the clinical period which negatively affected their academic work. Additionally, staff nurses assigned the students to do menial jobs instead of appropriate nursing tasks. Conclusions: A review of the "block" method in which students will go to clinicals for a stipulated number of consecutive days in a month and then resume lectures, is worth considering. © 2018 The Author(s).

Source: UG
Wealth of Colonies

THESE LECTURES are printed as they were delivered except that some figures have been brought up to date. The title also has been changed; but even so, it does not completely fit the subject matter, which includes some discussion of President Truman's Fourth Point and the problems of 'under-developed countries' in general. Not all these countries are 'colonial' in the political sense. Some of the poorest of them possess the trappings of sovereignty: conversely, some non-sovereign territories have developed their resources with great rapidity. The experience of the British Commonwealth suggests that economic and political dependence are matters of degree and that advancement or stagnation is to be explained by the interaction of economic, social and political influences. The first lecture attempts to bring this complicated process into focus. The second lecture reviews current problems of development and welfare within the British Commonwealth.

Source: UG
Wealth of Colonies

THESELECTURES are printed as they were delivered except that some figures have been brought up to date. The title also has been changed; but even so, it does not completely fit the subject matter, which includes some discussion of President Truman's Fourth Point and the problems of 'under-developed countries' in general. Not all these countries are 'colonial' in the political sense. Some of the poorest of them possess the trappings of sovereignty: conversely, some non-sovereign territories have developed their resources with great rapidity. The experience of the British Commonwealth suggests that economic and political dependence are matters of degree and that advancement or stagnation is to be explained by the interaction of economic, social and political influences. The first lecture attempts to bring this complicated process into focus. The second lecture reviews current problems of development and welfare within the British Commonwealth.

Source: UG
Wealth, Consumption and Migration in a West African Society New Lifestyles and New Social Obligations among the Kasena, Northern Ghana

Mobility and global entanglements in consumption are among the key concepts of globalisation. However, in social sciences there is an ongoing dispute about the consequences of human mobility, i.e., migration. Whereas many scholars assume that it has a beneficial effect on wealth in both, the sending and the receiving community, others relativise the economic effects and highlight the cultural patterns as motives for migration. This article sheds more light on these issues in a West African context. As shown through linguistic analyses and ethnographic evidence, migration leads to changing notions of wealth as such, thereby redefining in the sending community what is required to have a good life. The change of these concepts contributes to the increasing reconnaissance of consumption and to the expression of wealth through the possession of consumer goods. As a consequence, the acceptance of the consumerist concept of wealth engenders the desire to migrate: only through migration is it possible to acquire the financial means to participate actively in prestigious consumption. "Owning things" and "owning money" increasingly equals social reputation. This is also expressed through funeral arrangements, which become more and more costly. A proper funeral requires the financial means typically provided by migrants, thereby giving evidence for the deep cultural embedding of the new consumerist notion of wealth.

Source: UG
Wear rate of animal-drawn ploughshares in selected Ghanaian soils

Rapid ploughshare wear was identified as a major constraint facing animal traction farmers in Ghana. The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify the types of animal-drawn ploughshare used by farmers and their production methods, (ii) develop and test a new cast steel share and compare its performance with existing ploughshares, and (iii) determine the factors responsible for the rapid wear and durability of ploughshares in selected soils in the country. To address this problem, new and used ploughshares were collected from farmers, blacksmiths and foundries and their microstructure, chemical composition and hardness were studied. Based on the above studies, new cast steel ploughshares were developed. On-farm tests were conducted on the new shares for wear and durability in the major animal traction soils in the country. On-station field trials with tractor-drawn shares were carried out to compare the performance of the new ploughshares with the imported and local blacksmith versions. Multivariate statistical methods were used to analyse the similarities among the shares with respect to producers, chemical composition, share hardness, soil physical factors (moisture content, bulk density, cone index and soil texture) and their relationship to wear rate. When pulled by tractor, the average wear rates of the imported, improved and blacksmith shares in soils containing 50%, 64% and 74% sand were 297, 362 and 562 g/ha, respectively. The average wear rates of the new share when pulled by animals in the major soil classifications were: Eutric Plinthosols, 146 g/ha; Plinthic Lixisols, 164 g/ha and Haplic Lixisols, 176 g/ha, respectively. This gave an average durability of 3-8 ha/share before the farmer declares the new ploughshare completely worn. This compares with 1-2 ha and 2-5 ha per share wear rates for the blacksmith-forged and the imported shares, respectively. The study concluded the new cast steel ploughshares have qualities of enhanced durability and toughness similar to the imported versions and more durable than the local blacksmith shares and have prospects for mass production. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Weaver Ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) activity reduces fruit fly damage in citrus orchards

Fruit flies are causing extensive socio-economic losses in citrus orchards in Ghana. The flies as quarantine pests have detrimental effects on the export market due to international trade regulations. Oecophylla species have been tested as biological control agents on other crops, and have shown great potential in reducing the effects of pests. The effectiveness of Oecophylla as a biocontrol agent of fruit flies was compared with insecticide, Cypermethrin + Dimethoate (Cydim super®) at Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre, Kade, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The results have shown that trees colonized by Oecophylla had between 6%-10% fly infestation and Cypermethrin + Dimethoate (1614 mg a.i. mL-1 tree-1) recorded 3.0% infestation. Cypermethrin + Dimethoate treatment recorded 3.50 ± 0.87 dropped fruits, and Oecophylla colonized-trees recorded 15 to 19.20 ± 3.61. Oecophylla colonized-trees recorded yield values from 12.90 to 15.20 tons ha-1 whilst Cypermethrin + Dimethoate treatment recorded 27.90 tons ha-1 fruit yield. Total number of fly landings in the presence of Oecophylla (72.00) was significantly lower than the absence of Oecophylla (114.20). Set-up with no Oecophylla recorded the highest infestation index (71.17) while the presence recorded 45.83. These results suggest that Oecophylla longinoda can be used as a biocontrol agent for IPM programs in citrus orchards.

Source: UG
Weaver Ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Activity Reduces Fruit Fly Damage in Citrus Orchards

Fruit flies are causing extensive socio-economic losses in citrus orchards in Ghana. The flies as quarantine pests have detrimental effects on the export market due to international trade regulations. Oecophylla species have been tested as biological control agents on other crops, and have shown great potential in reducing the effects of pests. The effectiveness of Oecophylla as a biocontrol agent of fruit flies was compared with insecticide, Cypermethrin + Dimethoate (Cydim super®) at Forest and Horticultural Crops Research Centre, Kade, in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The results have shown that trees colonized by Oecophylla had between 6%-10% fly infestation and Cypermethrin + Dimethoate (1614 mg a.i. mL-1 tree-1) recorded 3.0% infestation. Cypermethrin + Dimethoate treatment recorded 3.50 ± 0.87 dropped fruits, and Oecophylla colonized-trees recorded 15 to 19.20 ± 3.61. Oecophylla colonized-trees recorded yield values from 12.90 to 15.20 tons ha-1 whilst Cypermethrin + Dimethoate treatment recorded 27.90 tons ha-1 fruit yield. Total number of fly landings in the presence of Oecophylla (72.00) was significantly lower than the absence of Oecophylla (114.20). Set-up with no Oecophylla recorded the highest infestation index (71.17) while the presence recorded 45.83.These results suggest that Oecophylla longinoda can be used as a biocontrol agent for IPM programs in citrus orchards.

Source: UG
A web-based communication module design of a real-time multi-sensor fire detection and notification system

This paper presents the design and implementation of a web-based communication module of a multi-sensor fire detection system and notification system. A SIM900 Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) module is used to send fire alerts to building owners and the web-based fire notification subsystem in real-time. The web-based notification system is intended for remote notification of fire alerts, allows fire and rescue crew to receive notifications of a fire outbreak in real time. Also implemented was a map based navigation system to guide the fire and rescue crew to the location of a fire outbreak. This component is crucial in areas and situations with less than ideal planning to improve the response times during a fire outbreak. A comparison between the efficiency of the notification system employed by standard fire detectors and the multi-sensor remote based notification approach adopted in this paper showed significant improvements in the form of timely detection, alerting and response. © 2014 IEEE.

Source: UG
Weed hosts of the root-lesion nematode pratylenchus speijeri in replanting sites cleared from nematode-infested plantain cv. apantu-pa (musa spp., aab-group) fields in Ghana

Twenty five weed species were collected from six fields after the removal of plantain (Musa spp., AAB-group) cv Apantu-pa plants severely damaged by plant-parasitic nematodes in Ghana. Weed roots were processed and analyzed for presence of plant-parasitic nematodes. Three nematode species, Helicotylenchus multicinctus, Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus speijeri were detected in the roots of ten of the weed species growing in the fields. Six weed species including Rottboellia cochinchinensis, Panicum maximum, Acalypha ciliata, Sida acuta, Brachiaria deflexa and Fleurya aestuans were found to harbour P. speijeri. Rottboellia cochincinensis had the highest population density of P. speijeri with a mean nematode population density of about 19 vermiforms/g fresh root. Lower root densities of 1.5 and 1/g fresh root were observed on Sida acuta and Fleurya aestuans, respectively. The remaining four weeds were colonized by P. speijeri at population levels < 1 nematode/g fresh root. Three weed species (Ageratum conyzoides, Chromolaena odorata and Synedrella nodiflora) harboured only H. multicinctus. These results emphasize the importance of proper weed management in fallow land that is destined for plantain production.

Source: UG
Weight loss practices among newly enrolling clients in a commercial weight loss program in Ghana

Background: In Ghana, obesity is showing a rising trend and there are weight loss initiatives being practised by individuals. However, the levels of commitment to such programs and the reasons for discontinuing have not been assessed. The objectives of this study were to investigate the weight loss practices of participants and reasons for quitting chosen weight loss programs. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 50 subjects conveniently selected from people who were enrolling into a commercial weight loss program. A questionnaire was used to collect data on past weight loss practices and reasons for abandoning chosen programs. Data analysis was conducted using simple frequency and descriptive tests of the Excel software. Results: More than half of the subjects (66%) had undertaken a weight loss practice before enrolment in study. Of these, 88.5% abandoned the strategy before the achievement of their desired weight goal. The three common programs that were practised were internet based diets (67.9%), commercial weight loss shakes (42.9%) and exercises (28.6%). Reasons given for abandoning programs included lack of sustainability (50%), lack of determination on the part of the client (15%), boredom with program (10%), not achieving desired results (10%), safety concerns (10%), and getting pregnant (5%). Conclusions: The findings suggest that future weight loss programs can be effective and have reduced attrition rates if they are designed to achieve sustainable dietary and other lifestyle changes, as well as boost motivation for weight loss.

Source: UG
Weight losses caused by Prostephanus truncatus (Horn.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Araecerus fasciculatus Degeer (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) to dried yam chips

The weight loss caused by P. truncatus and A. fasciculatus to dried yam chips following artificial infestation with the above-named insects was studied in the laboratory under ambient temperature and relative humidity conditions. Three varieties of yams – “Asaana”, “Pona” (Discorea rotundata Poir) and “Afasie” (D. alata L.) were used. The yam chips were produced following four treatments– Parboiled Oven dried (PO), Non- parboiled Oven dried (NO), Parboiled Sun dried (PS), and Non- parboiled Sun dried (NS) chips. The PS and NS yam chips showed significantly more weight losses than PO and NO yam chips after infestation by the two experimental insects. P. truncatus caused less weight loss to PO and NO yam chips. A. fasciculatus was unable to breed and survive on these treatments. Mixed populations of both insects studied caused significantly less weight losses to dried yam chips compared to the single species insect population. Based on variety differences, “Afasie” dried yam chips showed more significant weight loss than that suffered by “Asaana” and “Pona”. No significant difference was however observed in the weight losses between “Asaana” and “Pona” varieties. The highest numbers of adult emergence were recorded on the parboiled sun dried and non-parboiledl sun dried yam chips for all varieties of yam used for both P. truncatus and A. fasciculatus.

Source: UG
Weighted Boundedness of Maximal Functions and Fractional Bergman Operators

The aim of this paper is to study two-weight norm inequalities for fractional maximal functions and fractional Bergman operator defined on the upper-half space. Namely, we characterize those pairs of weights for which these maximal operators satisfy strong and weak type inequalities. Our characterizations are in terms of Sawyer and B\'ekoll\'e-Bonami type conditions. We also obtain a $\Phi$-bump characterization for these maximal functions, where $\Phi$ is a Orlicz function. As a consequence, we obtain two-weight norm inequalities for fractional Bergman operators. Finally, we provide some sharp weighted inequalities for the fractional maximal functions.

Source: UG
Weiss Mitchell G. Children, pregnant women and the culture of malaria in two rural communities of Ghana

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Welders’ Knowledge of Personal Protective Equipment Usage and Occupational Hazards Awareness in the Ghanaian Informal Auto-mechanic Industrial Sector

This study explored the knowledge of informal auto-mechanics welders on personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and their levels of occupational hazards awareness associated with the welding activity. Guided by OSHA’s 2014 Hazards Assessment Checklist, and interviews, data was collected from three auto-mechanic shops engaged in welding activities in Volta Region of Ghana. Based on the analysis, it is established that the informal auto-mechanic welders generally lack knowledge on significant PPE requirement associated with the welding activities. they also lack awareness of occupational hazards associated with physical elements of the welding activities, even though they showed semblance of awareness in relation to others that are chemical-oriented. It is concluded that though the informal auto-mechanics engaged in welding activities have the requisite expertise and skills to perform their tasks, their knowledge of PPE usage and their awareness levels of occupational hazards associated with the welding activities seemed to be generally constrained.

Source: UG