ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Population aging and future course of Ghana's age structure

Although Ghana can still be classified as a youthful population (Ghana Statistical Service, 2005; United Nations, 2005), reductions in fertility and mortality have resulted in increase in both the proportion and absolute number of elderly population (persons aged 60 years and over) as evidenced by 1960-2000 census results and estimates from other sources. With the proportion of the elderly population currently at 7.2%, Ghana has one of the highest proportion of persons aged 60+ years in sub-Saharan Africa. This article attempts to make a modest contribution toward raising awareness regarding the phenomenon of population aging and the future course of the age structure in the Ghanaian context. Although Ghana's age-sex structure has not changed much during 1960-2000 period, both the number and proportion of persons aged 60 years and over have been increasing. The proportion of the elderly to the total population increased from 4.9% in 1960 to 7.2% in 2000, while the number rose from 0.3 million to 1.4 million over the same period (an increase of 367%). With continued campaigns to reduce fertility and mortality, it is expected that this proportion will rise in the coming decades. Projection results indicate that by 2050, the proportion of children under 15 years will reduce to 22.3% while the aged population will account for 14.1% of the total population. In absolute numbers, persons aged 60 years and over will increase from 1.5 million in 2010 to 2.8 million in 2030, and then to 5.7 million. The results of indicators of population aging suggest that Ghana's median age is envisaged to rise to 23.5 years in 2020, representing an intermediate population, and to 31.7 years by 2050, representing an old population. It is projected that the overall dependency ratio will decline to 57.2% by 2050, while the aged dependency ratio will rise to 22.2% by 2050. Thus the coming decades will witness a remarkable shifts in Ghana's population age structure toward older ages as a result of decline in the proportion of children under 15 years. The envisaged shifts in Ghana's age structure toward the elderly will be concentrated especially among the young old, that is, those aged 60-69 years because the extreme aged dependency ratio has changed only minutely during the projection period, while the family support ratio declined. Population aging, therefore, should not be something that Ghana should try to avoid, but rather should be viewed as an outcome of desirable demographic progress that nevertheless requires adjustment from social institutions. © 2007, Institute of Aging Studies.

Source: UG
Population and food crop production in male- and female-headed households in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the population-food crop production nexus, and within it assesses the differences between male- and female-headed households. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the demographic pressure, market price incentives theories and other mediating conditions, namely: environmental, techno-managerial, political economic and institutional. In addition, information from a household survey undertaken in 2002 among 196 and 56 male- and female-headed households, respectively, in 12 randomly selected localities. A multiple regression model is used to examine the role of population and other determinants in food crop production. Findings – Population predicts food crop production in male-headed households. In addition, contrary to some research findings that agricultural output remains low as a result of access to land, labour, farm equipment and information in female-headed households, this paper shows otherwise. Research limitations/implications – Female-headed households in the transitional agro-ecological zone produced more maize, owned more land, earned more from sale of maize, allowed for more years of land to fallow, used more inorganic fertiliser on their farms, cropped more agricultural land and cropped maize on soils with better water absorption capacity, compared to male-headed households. Future research is needed in the savannah and forest zones of Ghana, to ascertain whether these scenarios also pertain to those agro-ecological zones. Practical implications – Female subsistence farmers should be supported, since that could go a long way in helping Ghana achieve its goal of attaining a middle-income status in the shortest possible time. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the debate on the increasing role of women in agriculture.

Source: UG
Population awareness and attitudes toward waste-related health risks in Accra, Ghana

Despite significant knowledge about the potential health hazards of waste, there are few studies in African cities that investigate awareness of health issues related to waste management, although such research is needed to lower population exposure. This paper examines the case study of Accra in Ghana, a city dealing with serious health and pollution problems. Three focus groups and 157 households in Accra were surveyed on household waste disposal and awareness of waste-related health hazards. Surveyed households had limited knowledge of waste-related health hazards in their neighbourhoods. Although the households reported diseases that could be associated with environmental factors linked to waste management, 87% of all surveyed households did not think that someone in their household could have fallen ill of a disease that can be related to waste. In middle- and high-income neighbourhoods, waste burning increases substantially when waste is not collected.

Source: UG
Population based reference intervals for common blood haematological and biochemical parameters in the Akuapem North District

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
Population Biology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in West Africa: Multilocus Sequence Typing of Serotypes That Exhibit Different Predisposition to Invasive Disease and Carriage

Background: Little is known about the population biology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in developing countries, although the majority of pneumococcal infections occur in this setting. The aim of the study was to apply MLST to investigate the population biology of S. pneumoniae in West Africa. Methods: Seventy three invasive and carriage S. pneumoniae isolates from three West African countries including The Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana were investigated. The isolates covered seven serotypes (1, 3, 5, 6A, 11, 14, 23F) and were subjected to multilocus sequence typing and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Results: Overall, 50 different sequence types (STs) were identified, of which 38% (29) were novel. The most common ST was a novel clone-ST 4012 (6.5%), and some clones including STs 913, 925, 1737, 2160 and 3310 appeared to be specific to the study region. Two STs including ST 63 and ST 4012 were associated with multiple serotypes indicating a history of serotype switching. ST 63 was associated with serotypes 3 and 23F, while ST 4012 was associated with serotypes 6A and 23. eBURST analyses using the stringent 6/7 identical loci definition grouped the 50 STs into 5 clonal complexes and 65 singletons, expressing a high level of genetic diversity among the isolates. Compared to the other serotypes, serotypes 1 and 5 isolates appeared to be more clonal. Internationally recognized antibiotic resistant clones of S. pneumoniae were generally absent in the population investigated and the only multidrug resistant isolate identified (1/66) belong to the Pneumocococcal Epidemiology Network clone ST 63. Conclusions: The pneumococcal population in West Africa is quite divergent, and serotypes that are common in invasive disease (such as serotypes 1 and 5) are more likely to be clonal than serotypes that are common in carriage. © 2013 Donkor et al.

Source: UG
Population data of 23 Y chromosome STR loci for the five major human subpopulations of 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
Population dataset for 21 simple tandem repeat loci in the Akan population of 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
Population Density and Fertility in Farm Households: A Study of the Millennium Development Authority Zones in Ghana

Agriculture is mainly a rural preoccupation, and about three quarters of the population growth in developing countries emanate from agricultural households. Some demographers posit that the agricultural system affects birth rates; in addition, population pressures might put stress on agricultural land in farming communities. This paper focuses on the population to land ratio in the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) Enumeration Areas (EAs) in Ghana and tackles the important question: Do households adjust to an increasing population/land ratio by having fewer children? The authors explore this theme in the context of rural population density and fertility in the three MiDA zones, drawing on data collected in 23 EAs in Ghana in 2008. The results suggest that fertility in the MiDA zones can be affected by density if nothing is done to regulate population density. The regression estimates for the pooled data show that all the coefficients are negative and statistically significant at the 0.05 level or better. Thus, children ever born is inversely correlated with density, agricultural production, female literacy and the trend variable (year). The estimates from the cross-sectional data as well as the spatial coefficient were consistent with those of the pooled data. The results under various model specifications are stable. We find from the Cox model that areas with higher education levels and a lower share of individuals working in agriculture, both correlated with land use. Agricultural production has at most a modest independent effect on fertility. Our findings suggest that population density has a reasonable inhibiting effect on fertility in the MiDA Zones. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Source: UG
Population Differences in the Frequency of the Agouti Signaling Protein g.8818A &gt; G Polymorphism

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
Population dynamic of Arastromateus Niger in Kuwaiti waters as assessed using length-frequency analysis

The population dynamics of the black pomfret, Parastromateus niger, sampled from commercial gill-net catches from Kuwaiti waters of the Arabian Gulf, were investigated from October, 2003 to September, 2005. Length-based stock assessment using the FISAT software package showed an asymptotic length of 65 cm TL and growth curvature of 0.34 year-1. Raw data as well as that corrected for probability of capture indicated a recruitment from February to September. The total mortality coefficient was estimated to be 1.20, a natural mortality of 0.58 and fishing mortality of 0.52. The selectivity model based on the running average showed that 25% of 14.0 cm TL fish, 50% of specimens reaching 15.3 cm TL, and 75% of all specimens of 20.2 cm. TL encountering the gear were retained. Relative yield-per-recruit analyses revealed a current exploitation rate of 0.43%; this is below the maximum sustainable yield index, indicating for sustainable fishery of P. niger that the exploitation rate could be increased 0.6, provided size of fish at the first capture, i.e., the legal size, is also increased to 32.5 cm TL. These results suggest that P. niger stocks in Kuwaiti waters, contrary to existing views, are moderately exploited. These conclusions, however, is critically dependent on the estimate of natural morality, which requires further confirmation.

Source: UG
Population dynamics of the African river prawn, Macrobrachium vollenhovenii, in Dawhenya Impoundment

Studies were conducted on the growth and mortality parameters, recruitment pattern, probability of capture, yield-per recruit, and present rate of exploitation of the African river prawn, Macrobrachium vollenhovenii from Dawhenya impoundment, Ghana. Estimation of the von Bertalanffy growth parameters gave; L∞ = 14.2 cm, K = 1.0 yr-1, and to = -0.195 yr-1 with the growth performance index, F{cyrillic}' of 2.303. From the linearised length-converted catch curve, total mortality, Z was 5.36 yr-1. Natural mortality, M calculated from Pauly's empirical formula was 2.20 yr-1 and fishing mortality, F calculated from Z - M was 3.16 yr-1. From the mortality estimations, the present rate of exploitation, E calculated from F/Z was 0.59 indicating that, the species is on the verge of being over-exploited in the impoundment. Using the estimated value of the growth coefficient, K, the longevity was found to be about 3 yrs. Estimations from the probability of capture routines gave the length-at-first capture, Lc as 3.07 cm while the size distribution of the catches suggest two recruitment pulses in a year. It is therefore recommended that, the property right-based system for fisheries management should be implemented so that fishermen can cooperate in the management of the Macrobrachium fishery. © Published by Central Fisheries Research Institute (CFRI) Trabzon, Turkey in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan.

Source: UG
Population growth and agricultural land use in two agro-ecological zones of Ghana, 1960-2010

Multiplicative and mediating variables are combined with a demographic variable, in non-linear multiple regression models to assess the effect of population growth on agricultural land use in two agro-ecological zones of Ghana. The paper uses data from a retrospective household survey (conducted among 1568 farmers in 504 households in 24 communities), population census reports of Ghana, for 1960, 1970, 1984 and 2000, agricultural census data for 1992 and 2000 and a land suitability map. Predictions of cropped area required to meet anticipated population growth are computed for 2010, based on multiple regression models and projected populations. Required cropped area is matched with actual arable area that would be available, based on a land suitability analysis. Predictions show that three and two districts in the dry and derived savannah zones, would, respectively, experience agricultural land shortfall. The rest of the districts in the two agro-ecological zones would have agricultural land available to support future population growth. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.

Source: UG
Population growth, water/sanitation and health

Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.

Source: UG
Population increases in non-breeding sanderlings in ghana indicate site preference

To be able to set priorities in species conservation planning, we need to know how these species prioritize the environment themselves, i.e. what they consider to be better and worse sites. We present a unique and relevant case from tropical West-Africa based on 20 years of monthly counts of wetland sites spread along the 550 km long coast of Ghana. The Ghanaian Sanderling Calidris alba population increased almost fourfold from average monthly total counts of c. 1350 Sanderlings to 4850 during the study period. Interestingly, with this considerable increase, the sites with the larger numbers at the start of the survey showed the smallest relative increases during 20 years of monitoring. This pattern is consistent with a buffer effect and suggests that with an increasing overall population the best quality sites are filled up, so that additional birds will be forced to use lower quality sites. The preferred site in Ghana, a stretch of beach near the village of Esiama between the Amansuri-Ankobra estuaries, is now entirely unprotected. We argue that the site should be placed higher on the conservation agenda given the fact that up to 3.5% of the Sanderling population connecting Greenland with West-And southern Africa rely on this site.

Source: UG
Population parameter estimates for Chrysichthys auratus and C. nigrodigitatus (Pisces: Claroteidae) in lake Volta, Ghana

Estimation of population parameters of two commercially important claroteids (Chrysichthys auratus and C. nigrodigitatus) in lake Volta were obtained from length composition data compiled in 1995 and 1996. The von Bertalanffy growth constants for C. auratus were computed as L∞ = 31.0 cm SL, K = 0.60 yr-1 and t0 = -0.12 yr with derived growth performance index (ψ′ = 2.76). Corresponding estimation for C. nigrodigitatus were L∞ = 44.5 cm, K = 0.65 yr-1, t0 = -0.22 yr and ψ′ = 3.12. The two species live for about 5 years and attain at least 50% of the asymptotic length at the first age class. The growth patterns determined by the growth performance index (ψ′) were higher for C. nigrodigitatus than for C. auratus of similar sizes. Total mortality rate, Z, for the fish ranging 6.0-30.0 cm SL was estimated as 2.63 yr-1 and the natural mortality rate, M, estimated as 1.30 yr-1 with average fishing mortality, F, calculated as 1.33 yr-1. From the mortality estimation the exploitation ratio (E = F/Z) for C. auratus was 0.51. Mortality rate estimates for C. nigrodigitatus were Z = 3.77 yr-1, M = 1.24 yr-1 and F = 2.53 yr-1 and exploitation ratio, E, calculated as 0.67 which is indicative of over-fishing. The management implications of the results to the fishery are discussed and suggestions made for sustainable exploitation of the stocks. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Population Pharmacokinetic Characteristics of Amikacinin Suspected Cases of Neonatal Sepsisina Low-Resource African Setting: A Prospective Nonrandomized Single-SiteStudy

Background: Amikacin exhibits marked pharmacokinetic (PK) variability and is commonly used in Combination with other drugs in the treatment of neonatal sepsis. There is a paucity of amikacin PK Information in neonates from low-resource settings. Objectives: To determine the PK parameters of amikacin, and explore the influence of selected covariates, including coadministration with aminophylline, on amikacin disposition in neonates of African origin. Methods: Neonates with suspected sepsis admitted to an intensive care unit in Accra, Ghana, and treated with amikacin (15mg/kg loading followed by 7.5mg/kg every 12 hours), were recruited. Serum amikacin Concentration was measured at specified times after treatment initiation and analysed using a population PK modelling approach. Results: A total of 419 serum concentrations were available for 247 neonates. Mean (SD) trough amikacin concentration (from samples collected 30 minutes before the fourth dose) among term (n ¼ 25), and preterm (< 37weeks’ gestation n ¼ 36) neonates were 6.2 (3.4) and 9.2 (5.7) mg/mL, respectively (P ¼ 0.02). A 1-compartment model best fitted amikacin disposition, and birth weight was the most important predictor of amikacin clearance (CL) and distribution (V). The population CL and V of amikacin were related as CL (L/h) ¼ 0.153 (birthweight/2.5) 1.31, V(L) ¼ 2.94 (birthweight/2.5)1.18. There was a high between-subject variability (58.9% and 50.7% ) in CL and V, respectively. CL and V were 0.058L/h/kg and 1.15L/kg, respectively, for a mean birth weight of 2.1kg, and the mean half-life (based on 1-compartmentmodel), was 13.7hours. Conclusions: The V and half-life of amikacin in this cohort varied from that reported in non-African populations, and the high trough and low peak amikacin concentrations in both term and preterm neonates suggest strategies to optimize amikacin dosing are required in this population.

Source: UG
Population Pharmacokinetic Estimates Suggest Elevated Clearance and Distribution Volume of Desethylamodiaquine in Paediatric Sickle Cell Disease Patients Treated with Artesunate-Amodiaquine

Background There is limited information on the safety or efficacy of currently recommended antimalarial drugs in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), a population predisposed to worse outcomes if affected by acute malaria. Artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) is the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria (UM) in many malaria-endemic countries and is also used for treatment of UM in SCD patients. There is, however, no information to date, on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of amodiaquine or artesunate or the metabolites of these drugs in SCD patients. Objectives This study sought to determine the PK of desethylamodiaquine (DEAQ), the main active metabolite of amodiaquine, among paediatric SCD patients with UM treated with artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ). Methods Plasma concentration-time data (median DEAQ levels) of SCD children (n = 16) was initially compared with those of concurrently recruited non-SCD paediatric patients with acute UM (n = 13). A population PK modelling approach was then used to analyze plasma DEAQ concentrations obtained between 64 and 169 hours after oral administration of ASAQ in paediatric SCD patients with acute UM (n = 16). To improve PK modeling, DEAQ concentration-time data (n = 21) from SCD was merged with DEAQ concentration-time data (n = 169) of a historical paediatric population treated with ASAQ (n = 103) from the same study setting. Results The median DEAQ concentrations on days 3 and 7 were comparatively lower in the SCD patients compared to the non-SCD patients. A two-compartment model best described the plasma DEAQ concentration-time data of the merged data (current SCD data and historical data). The estimated population clearance of DEAQ was higher in the SCD patients (67 L/h, 21% relative standard error (RSE) compared with the non-SCD population (15.5 L/h, 32% RSE). The central volume of distribution was larger in the SCD patients compared with the non-SCD patients (4400 L, 43% RSE vs. 368 L, 34% RSE). Conclusions The data shows a tendency towards lower DEAQ concentration in SCD patients and the exploratory population PK estimates suggest altered DEAQ disposition in SCD patients with acute UM. These findings, which if confirmed, may reflect pathophysiological changes associated with SCD on DEAQ disposition, have implications for therapeutic response to amodiaquine in SCD patients. The limited number of recruited SCD patients and sparse sampling approach however, limits extrapolation of the data, and calls for further studies in a larger population.

Source: UG