ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Acute toxicity studies of aqueous leaf extract of phyllanthus niruri

The Clinical Pathology Department conducts research that contributes to intervention strategies and safeguards of public health in Ghana. In view of this the Department carries out research into plant medicine development, drug interactions and regulation, bio-monitoring and prevention of poisoning from environmental toxicants (e.g. mycotoxins specifically aflatoxins and toxic heavy metals). The Department also provides specialized laboratory services in support of public health programmes.

Source: UG
Acute toxicity studies of croton membranaceus root extract

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
Adaptability and yield performance of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) cultivars in three agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Low yields of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) reported in Ghana are due to inadequate agricultural tech niques and research. To explain the reported yields under these conditions, it is necessary to understand how various soils and climatic factors affect the growth and development of these new varieties when selecting appropriate genotypes for diverse agro-ecological environments. Four cultivars of taro namely; Huogbelor, Asempa, Agyenkwa and Y’anyawoa were, evaluated for their adaptability and yield performance in the rain forest, semi-deciduous forest and forest-savannah transition zones in Ghana in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance showed significant (P < 0.05) differences among the agro-ecological zones in terms of the vegetative growth, number of suckers/stand and inflorescence numbers of taro but not for corm yield. Taro cultivars also differed significantly (P < 0.05) in terms of the number of leaves/ stand but were statistically similar (P > 0.05) for number of suckers. Number of inflorescences differed signif icantly (P < 0.05) among the agro-ecological zones, cultivars as well as their interactions. The results also revealed significant (P < 0.05) agro-ecological zone and cultivar interactions for taro growth and yield. The Coastal-savannah translated the high vegetative growth of Hougbelor into corm yield of 25.67 tons/ha while the Agyenkwa cultivar produced higher numbers of suckers (25.0) and inflorescences (2.43) in the same agro ecological zone.

Source: UG
Adaptation Experiences of Family Caregivers of Children with Congenital Birth Defects in the Accra Metropolis

Literature evidence indicate that, taking care of children with congenital birth defects can be a difficult task to the caregivers, who most of the time are mothers, fathers or dedicated family relations of the children. The caregiver role is seen to be associated with a lot of hassles, which may predispose the prospective caregivers to psychological as well as physical ill-health situations. However, only few works have been done on the experiences of caregivers of children with condition-specific defects in Ghana. This work therefore explored the adaptation experiences of family caregivers of children with congenital birth defects in the Accra Metropolis, using the transactional stress model by Lazarus (1991), as the guiding framework and adopting five objectives suggested by its constructs. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive approach. Data was collected through in-depth face to face interview sessions with thirteen (13) purposively selected participants, using the Dzorwulu special school as the setting. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. In all, seven themes were identified as follows; Life events of family caregivers, appraisals of these events, resources and support available to them, health consequences they face, their coping strategies, adaptation measures and their religiosity. In conclusion the study found out that; family caregivers consider having a child with congenital birth defects as a major life event, face a lot of challenges in caring for them with less resources and support. But the effect on their health was minimal as they adopted a number of coping and adaptation strategies. Meanwhile, religiosity appeared to have given them respite on issues that went beyond their imagination. Specific policies are therefore required to support caregivers of children with congenital defects to enhance their role.

Source: UG
Adaptation to climate change or non-climatic stressors in semi-arid regions? Evidence of gender differentiation in three agrarian districts of Ghana

With the increasing impacts of climate change in Africa, a relationship between rainfall and yields in semi-arid Ghana has been observed. Drawing insights from three agrarian societies in the semi-arid region of Ghana using qualitative research methods, the study reports how people currently deal with climate variability as insight on how they will deal with climate change in the future. The findings indicate wide gender inequality in decision making processes and land access resulting from patriarchal local customs and institutions that shape adaptation responses of different vulnerable social groups to climatic or non-climatic stressors. Different adaptation practices of groups indicate that both climatic and non-climatic stressors shape the kind of responses that groups adopt. From the current adaptation practices, efforts to improve adaptation to future climate change at local levels must give attention to the nexus of both climatic and non-climatic stressors, gender, differential vulnerabilities and other subjectivities that produce a particular adaptation practice in a given place.

Source: UG
Adaptation to climatic hazards in the savannah ecosystem: improving adaptation policy and action

People in the savannah ecosystem of Ghana have historically experienced a range of climatic hazards that have affected their livelihoods. In view of current climate variability and change and the projected increase in extreme events, adaptation to climate risks is vital. Policies have been put in place across sub-Saharan Africa in accordance with international agreements to enhance adaptation. At the same time, local people, through experience, have learned to adapt. This paper examines current policy actions and their implementation alongside an assessment of barriers to local adaptation. Policy documents on agriculture, water, roads, housing and health- sectors that support key livelihoods and which were identified as highly climate sensitive- were analysed, while questionnaire interviews and focus group discussions were held with key stakeholders in the Upper East Region of Ghana. We find that although policies and actions complement each other, their integration is weak. This is largely due to barriers (financial, institutional, social, and technological) that hinder successful local implementation of some policy actions, as well as a lack of local involvement in policy formulation. Integration of local perspectives into policy needs to be strengthened in order to enhance adaptation. Coupled with this is a need to consider adaptation to climate change in development policies and to pursue efforts to reduce or remove the key barriers to implementation at the local level.

Source: UG
Adaptation to climatic hazards in the savannah ecosystem: Improving adaptation policy and action

People in Ghana’s savannah ecosystem have historically experienced a range of climatic hazards that have affected their livelihoods. In view of current climate variability and change, and projected increases in extreme events, adaptation to climate risks is vital. Policies have been put in place to enhance adaptation across sub-Saharan Africa in accordance with international agreements. At the same time, local people, through experience, have learned to adapt. This paper examines current policy actions and their implementation alongside an assessment of barriers to local adaptation. In doing so it links adaptation policy and practice. Policy documents were analysed that covered key livelihood sectors, which were identified as climate sensitive. These included agriculture, water, housing and health policies, as well as the National Climate Change Policy. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were also held with key stakeholders in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Analyses were carried using thematic content analysis. Although policies and actions complement each other, their integration is weak. Financial, institutional, social, and technological barriers hinder successful local implementation of some policy actions, while lack of local involvement in policy formulation also hinders adaptation practice. Integration of local perspectives into policy needs to be strengthened in order to enhance adaptation. Coupled with this is a need to consider adaptation to climate change in development policies and to pursue efforts to reduce or remove the key barriers to implementation at the local level

Source: UG
Adaptation to compound climate risks: A systematic global stocktake

This article provides a stocktake of the adaptation literature between 2013 and 2019 to better understand how adaptation responses affect risk under the particularly challenging conditions of compound climate events. Across 39 countries, 45 response types to compound hazards display anticipatory (9%), reactive (33%), and maladaptive (41%) characteristics, as well as hard (18%) and soft (68%) limits to adaptation. Low income, food insecurity, and access to institu tional resources and finance are the most prominent of 23 vulnerabilities observed to negatively affect responses. Risk for food security, health, livelihoods, and economic outputs are commonly associated risks driving responses. Narrow geographical and sectoral foci of the literature highlight important conceptual, sectoral, and geographic areas for future research to better understand the way responses shape risk. When responses are integrated within climate risk assessment and management, there is greater potential to advance the urgency of response and safeguards for the most vulnerable.

Source: UG
Adapted tool for the assessment of domestic violence against women in a low-income country setting: a reliability analysis

Background: One-in-three women has experienced domestic violence, which is a serious public health problem and a human right violation. Domestic violence is a common life experience among women in Ethiopia. The tool used to assess violence against women (VAW) has not been validated to assess its consistency. Cronbach’s alpha (α, or coefficient alpha) is a measure of internal consistency, or reliability, that is, how closely a set of items are related as a group. Reliability is how well a test measures what it should. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the inter-item correlation (reliability) of the tool adapted from literature. Methods: A community-based study was conducted in Northwestern Ethiopia between November 15, 2017 and December 31, 2017. A total of 1,269 women at their permanent place of residence (specifically at their households) were recruited using the multistage stratified systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was adapted from literature. Also, 12 trained female data collectors collected the data using the face-to-face interview method. Data were entered into EpiData 3.1.0 and exported to SPSS 23.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out to estimate the reliability of the response(s). Results: Overall, Cronbach’s alpha was higher than the minimum recommended value of 0.70. Cronbach’s alpha for specific sections were 0.764 for women’s decision-making autonomy (13 items); women’s accepting attitude toward justified wife-beating (five items, 0.894); physical violence (seven items, 0.876); psychological violence (15 items, 0.925); sexual violence (five items, 0.812); and inequitable gender-norms (seven items, 0.867). Conclusion: The tool used to assess domestic VAW in Northwestern Ethiopia had a high reliability. Therefore, researchers can adapt the tool and further assess its reliability in other settings to have a common and validated tool to study VAW in a low-income countries.

Source: UG
Adapting Disability Research Methods and Practices During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Experiences from the Field

People with disabilities are often excluded from research, which may be exacerbated during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This article provides an overview of key challenges, opportunities, and strategies for conducting disability-inclusive research during the pandemic, drawing on the experience of research teams working across ten countries on disability-focused studies. It covers adaptations that are relevant across the project lifecycle, including maintaining ethical standards and safeguarding; enabling active participation of people with disabilities; adapting remote research data collection tools and methods to meet accessibility, feasibility, and acceptability requirements; and promoting inclusive and effective analysis and dissemination. While this article is focused on adaptations during the pandemic, it is highly likely that the issues and strategies highlighted here will be relevant going forward, either in similar crises or as the world continues to move towards greater digital communication and connectedness.

Source: UG
Adapting to changing climate through improving adaptive capacity at the local level – The case of smallholder horticultural producers in Ghana

The consequences of changing climate are often negatively impacting agricultural production, particularly vulnerable smallholder farmers. Smallholder systems heterogeneity requires local specific climate adaptation for reducing the negative impacts of changing climate in regions heavily relying on small farms agriculture. This study examined the trend in climate in Ghana, how smallholder horticultural farmers perceive this changing climate and how they are responding to its perceived effects. A survey of 480 resource-constrained horticultural producers was conducted in two municipalities of Ghana. Descriptive analysis and Weighted Average Index were employed to rank identified adaptation strategies and challenges. The results showed that farmers are already experiencing increasing temperature and declining rainfall patterns consistent with trends of observed climate changing in the last two decades. To reduce vulnerability and improve resilience of smallholders’ production activities, a range of farmer driven soil, water and crop conservation measures and farm management practices are being adopted. The most important adaptation practices identified include fertilization, supplementary irrigation, crop rotation, intercropping and mixed farming. Enhancing households’ climate adaptive capacity is dependent on factors such as improved access to financial resources, climate and production information, market accessibility, farm equipment, storage facilities and other institutional support. To facilitate effective and successful adaptation at the local level, government and institutional support are recommended to complement households’ autonomous strategies for improved decision-making, adaptation plans and actions.

Source: UG
Adapting to Changing Climate: Understanding Coastal Rural Residents’ Relocation Intention in Response to Sea Level Rise

Ex situ adaptation in the form of relocation has become inevitable in some low-lying coastal zones where other adaptation strategies become impractical or uneconomical. Although relocation of coastal low-lying communities is anticipated globally, little is still known about the factors that influence household-level adoption. This study draws on an extended version of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to assess the factors influencing the relocation intention of three highly vulnerable coastal rural communities in Ghana. A total of 359 household heads were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The study employed binary logistic regression to identify key factors that influence residents’ readiness to relocate. The results indicated that cognitive and compositional factors were more important than contextual factors in explaining the intention to relocate among coastal rural communities in Ghana. However, contextual factors mediated or attenuated the influence of cognitive and compositional factors on relocation intention. Based on the findings, this study advocates for intensive education on the effects of future sea-level rise impacts on communities as well as structural and non-structural measures to improve the socio-economic capacity of rural communities.

Source: UG
Adaptive capacity and coping strategies in the face of climate change: A comparative study of communities around two protected areas in the coastal savanna and transitional zones of Ghana

Modern productivity-enhancing strategies (MPES) are considered to be some of the best adaptation options available to communities in the face of changing climatic conditions. The adaptive capacity of communities living around two protected areas (Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve and Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site) in Ghana were assessed in relation to MPES by investigating household accessibility to human, social, natural, financial and physical capital. Information was collected from 249 and 250 respondents in Kogyae and Muni respectively. A logit model was used to find out whether adaptive capacity affected adoption of MPES. In both study areas, indigenous coping strategies such as use of simple farm tools, processing of root/tubers and grains and social grouping were practiced. The MPES practiced included application of fertilizers and other agrochemicals, use of high technology machinery and bunding in rice fields. The mean level of adaptive capacity of farm households was low in both areas; 0.30 and 0.27 in Kogyae and Muni respectively. The adoption of MPES was influenced positively by the level of human and physical capacities and farm size and location of protected area, and negatively by farmers' participation in off-farm activities. Farmers located in Kogyae were more likely to adopt productivity-enhancing strategies than their counterparts in Muni. Considering that access to the resources within the protected areas is restricted and not legally available to support livelihoods of the fringe communities, we conclude that enhancing access to both human and physical capitals is the way forward for climate change adaptation for these two communities. © 2015 by the authors.

Source: UG
Adaptive Capacity of Farmers to Climate Change in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of Ghana: Implications for climate adaptation strategies

This study analyzed factors that contribute to the adaptive capacity of farmers based on their settlement types and use/access to five forms of capital assets (natural, social, financial, physical and human). The use/access to assets were estimated and categorized into high, moderate and low adaptive capacities. The data was based on a survey of 155 farmers from three communities in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. From the findings, Manyoro, the urban community, recorded the highest adaptive score although their illiteracy level was highest. Low adaptive farmers had low access to credits and alternative livelihoods compared to farmers with high adaptive capacity. Access to irrigation had a positive significant influence on adaptive capacity. In general, the more accessible a resource was to a farmer, the more adaptable that farmer was to climate change. Following the findings of this study, it is important that policy interventions in the area prioritize creation and encouragement in alternative livelihoods sources as a means of increasing the adaptive capacity of famers in the rural and semi-urban areas. Also, private and government institutions should invest in irrigation and credits facilities as measures for economic growth and adaptation to the effects of climate change on agriculture. Farmers should be empowered through better extension and agroclimatic information and other affordable modern technologies.

Source: UG
Adaptive divergence between incipient species of Anopheles: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A.

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
“Adding Value to the Lecture in Ghanaian Tertiary Educational Institutions”

The importance of the lecture in Ghana’s tertiary education cannot be over-emphasized. The paper discusses perceptions of the lecture and the various strategies to be deployed by various key players in order to make the lecture more productive. The result will be a lecture driven by neo-liberal democratic principles, sustained by national objectives and congruent with traditional African values of partnership and participation.

Source: UG
Additions and corrections to the bryophyte flora of Ghana, including a new species of Cololejeunea (Spruce) Schiffn. (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta)

Introduction. The bryophytes of Ghana are under-recorded, but the country has several important and relatively extensive examples of West African forest likely to support an interesting flora. Of these, Atewa Forest was targeted for survey in 2014, resulting in many records, including 58 taxa new to Ghana. This paper reports the results of further fieldwork, both in Atewa and elsewhere, in 2017, and makes some necessary additions and amendments to previously published data. Methods. Bryophyte fieldwork was carried out in key forest sites in southern Ghana during November 2017, and was followed by targeted herbarium studies. Key results. A new species, Cololejeunea ankasica, is described, and a new site for the rare Ghanaian endemic C. calcarata reported; a further 27 taxa new to Ghana are recorded, and amendments made to previously published information. Conclusions. This study shows that even lowland areas of remaining forest in Ghana are bryologically interesting and that bryophytes are an important but still under-recorded part of Ghana’s biodiversity. It also strengthens the case for National Park status for Atewa Forest, which remains the only known site in Ghana for many species characteristic of higher altitude forest.

Source: UG
Addressing ethical issues in suicide research in Ghana

Suicide is a sensitive issue around the globe and research in the area in Ghana has exuded certain ethical challenges confronting researchers on the topic. These ethical issues bother on the moral dilemmas faced by the researchers while conducting qualitative interviews among suicide attempters and lay persons as well as the beneficial effects of conducting such interviews. We argue that researchers doing suicide studies in developing countries should continue to emphasize to informants their role as 'researchers' and not therapists. However, perhaps in LAMIC countries with limited mental health resources, researchers can reasonably double as a helper and researcher. Such dualistic role should not be viewed as a breach of standard ethical protocol, but rather, perhaps as a dynamic artifact of doing 'culturally sensitive' research.

Source: UG