ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Implications of low-density microfilariae carriers in Anopheles transmission areas: molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus populations in perspective

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
The Importance And Determinants Of Purchases In Rural Food Consumption In Africa: Implications For Food Security Strategies

We analyze rural households’ purchases of food (cereals and non-cereals) in Sub-Saharan Africa using nationally representative data with 65,000 observations covering 7 countries over a decade. We distinguish between three strata of countries: lower stratum in income and urbanization, middle stratum, and upper stratum. The paper breaks ground by the breadth and time length of the sample. We find that purchases form the majority of rural food consumption, whether in favorable or unfavorable agroecological zones and over country and income strata and for most food products. Rural nonfarm employment (as a cash source) plays an important role in household food purchases across all study countries and food products. Policy implications include the importance of food purchase markets and supply chains to and in rural areas as well as nonfarm employment.

Source: UG
The importance and limitations of social networks and social identities for labour market integration: The case of Ghanaian immigrants in Bergen, Norwa

Whereas refugees and larger immigrant groups’ integration in the Norwegian labour market has received considerable research attention, less is known about the labour market integration of small, non-refugee immigrant groups from West African countries such as Ghana. The purpose of the article is to examine the role of social networks and social identities for the differentiated labour market integration outcomes among Ghanaian immigrants in the city of Bergen. Based on data produced through in-depth interviews, participant observation and informal conversations, the authors argue that Ghanaian immigrants’ ability to obtain jobs is determined by more than simply having the appropriate educational and language qualifications, and largely depends on having favourable social identities and being embedded in social networks beyond the Ghanaian immigrant community. They find that those who mainly relied on Ghanaian networks found it difficult to circumvent labour market hindrances and they predominantly obtained menial jobs. The authors conclude that Norwegian job-seekers networks played a crucial role in the immigrants’ opportunities and for potential Norwegian employers’ perception of their employability, especially in professional and semi-professional jobs.

Source: UG
The importance and limitations of social networks and social identities for labour market integration: The case of Ghanaian immigrants in Bergen, Norway

Whereas refugees and larger immigrant groups’ integration in the Norwegian labour market has received considerable research attention, less is known about the labour market integration of small, non-refugee immigrant groups from West African countries such as Ghana. The purpose of the article is to examine the role of social networks and social identities for the differentiated labour market integration outcomes among Ghanaian immigrants in the city of Bergen. Based on data produced through in-depth interviews, participant observation and informal conversations, the authors argue that Ghanaian immigrants’ ability to obtain jobs is determined by more than simply having the appropriate educational and language qualifications, and largely depends on having favourable social identities and being embedded in social networks beyond the Ghanaian immigrant community. They find that those who mainly relied on Ghanaian networks found it difficult to circumvent labour market hindrances and they predominantly obtained menial jobs. The authors conclude that Norwegian job-seekers networks played a crucial role in the immigrants’ opportunities and for potential Norwegian employers’ perception of their employability, especially in professional and semi-professional jobs.

Source: UG
Importance of Bulinus Globosus Snails in the Transmission of Urinary Schistosomiasis in Eight Villages in Southern Ghana.

Snail survey was carried OUI al water contact siles (WCSs) of 8 villages in southern Ghana 10 establish freshwater snails responsible for schistosomiasis transmission in the area. Bulinus globosus, one of the intermediate host snails of Schistosoma haematobium was found at the WCSs in all 8 villages although those infected were identified at sites in 5 of the villages. The snails were confined to the Densu river itself, its tributaries (streams) and ponds. These snails were found during the minor rainy season. at the beginning of and during the dry season. They were found to be focal in distribution. Also found in the Densu river and the ponds were uninfected Biomphalaria pfeifferi snails. In addition to those indicated above, non·schistosome transmitting snails were also found.

Source: UG
The importance of determining the aggressiveness of prostate cancer using serum and tissue molecular markers

Incidental prostate cancer (PCa) has been demonstrated at autopsy in about 80% of men aged 80 years and above and also in 10%-15% of younger men aged 30-50 years in the United States. These data imply a wide variation in aggressiveness of prostate cancer, from indolent tumors to aggressive cancers that kill the patients. The use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in screening for PCa may detect even indolent disease for which radical prostatectomy may not be necessary. Currently available criteria such as histological grade, PSA level, stage of the disease do not always predict outcome. Furthermore, only about 80% of men with metastatic PCa will respond to first line hormone manipulation and once the patient develops hormone resistant prostate cancer (HRPCa), survival remains poor. Recent genomic and proteomic studies have provided many novel molecular markers that may help to redefine prognostic parameters. This paper is a review of studies using these novel markers in order to determine whether prostate cancer patients with the following characteristics have more aggressive cancer than those without: a) high serum levels of cathepsin B, survivin, Her - 2 / neu, IGFBP-2; b) low serum stefin A, IGFBP-3, c) positive immuno-staining of primary tumors for Her-2/neu, survivin and cathepsin B / stefin A ratio > 1 and d) gene expression of AMACR, HER-2/neu, high Bcl-2: Bax ratio and EZH2 in cancer cells. These markers have been chosen for review because they are among the most promising markers emerging currently.

Source: UG
The Importance of Effectually Supporting the Royal African Company of England

Being the Sense of the royal African Company of England, in Conformity to That of the Nation in general, that the Trade. to the Coast of Africa ought always to continue free and open, for the Benefit of all his Majesty’s Subjects trading to those Parts; and also, that· the Trade and Navigation to Africa in general should never be charged with any tax, duty, burthens or other incumbrancers whatever for the maintenance and preservation of the forts and settlements.

Source: UG
Importance of employer-employee relationship towards the growth of a business

Most often, employer-employee relationships may contribute to the achievement of organizational goals or otherwise. The type of relationship built in an organization may affect productivity negatively or positively. Though the objective of every organization is to maximize profit, employer-employee relationship can be a hindrance to the achievement of those objectives. The objective of this research is to present evidence-based information to readers on the importance of the employer-employee relationship towards the growth of a business. The paper also highlights the role of job satisfaction towards inspiring good relationships between these two parties and recommends guidelines on how the relationship can be managed. To extend the qualitative data, a relationship survey was designed to assess Ghanaian business owners and employees’ opinions about relationships, and its significant role towards the success of their businesses. Also, the survey measured job satisfaction of the employees. From the results, job satisfaction was identified as the accurate indicator of good relationships between employers and employees. The study found that business owners shared a positive notion that relationships play an important role towards their business as these contribute to the growth of their business. © 2018, SRAC - Romanian Society for Quality. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Importance of fisheries for food security across three climate change vulnerable deltas

Deltas are home to a large and growing proportion of the world's population, often living in conditions of extreme poverty. Deltaic ecosystems are ecologically significant as they support high biodiversity and a variety of fisheries, however these coastal environments are extremely vulnerable to climate change. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (Bangladesh/India), the Mahanadi (India), and the Volta (Ghana) are among the most important and populous delta regions in the world and they are all considered at risk of food insecurity and climate change. The fisheries sector is vital for populations that live in the three deltas, as a source of animal protein (in Bangladesh and Ghana around 50–60% of animal protein is supplied by fish while in India this is about 12%) through subsistence fishing, as a source of employment and for the wider economy. The aquaculture sector shows a rapid growth in Bangladesh and India while in Ghana this is just starting to expand. The main exported species differ across countries with Ghana and India dominated by marine fish species, whereas Bangladesh exports shrimps and prawns. Fisheries play a more important part in the economy of Bangladesh and Ghana than for India, both men and women work in fisheries, with a higher proportion of women in the Volta then in the Asian deltas. Economic and integrated modelling using future scenarios suggest that changes in temperature and primary production could reduce fish productivity and fisheries income especially in the Volta and Bangladesh deltas, however these losses could be mitigated by reducing overfishing and improving management. The analysis provided in this paper highlights the importance of applying plans for fisheries management at regional level. Minimizing the impacts of climate change while increasing marine ecosystems resilience must be a priority for scientists and governments before these have dramatic impacts on millions of people's lives. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Source: UG
The importance of getting the ethics right in a pandemic treaty

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed numerous weaknesses in pandemic preparedness and response, including underfunding,COVID-19, and inequitable distribution of countermeasures. To overcome these weaknesses for future pandemics, WHO released a zero draft of a pandemic treaty in February, 2023, and subsequently a revised bureau’s text in May, 2023. COVID-19 made clear that pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reflect choices and value judgements. These decisions are therefore not a purely scientific or technical exercise, but are fundamentally grounded in ethics. The latest treaty draft reflects these ethical considerations by including a section entitled Guiding Principles and Approaches. Most of these principles are ethical—they establish core values that undergird the treaty. Unfortunately, the treaty draft’s set of principles are numerous, overlapping, and show inadequate coherence and consistency. We propose two improvements to this section of the draft pandemic treaty. First, key guiding ethical principles should be clearer and more precise than they currently are. Second, the link between ethical principles and policy implementation should be clearly established and define boundaries on acceptable interpretation, ensuring that signatories abide by these principles.

Source: UG
The importance of getting the ethics right in a pandemic treaty

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed numerous weaknesses in pandemic preparedness and response, including underfunding, inadequate surveillance, and inequitable distribution of countermeasures. To overcome these weaknesses for future pandemics, WHO released a zero draft of a pandemic treaty in February, 2023, and subsequently a revised bureau’s text in May, 2023. COVID-19 made clear that pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reflect choices and value judgements. These decisions are therefore not a purely scientific or technical exercise, but are fundamentally grounded in ethics. The latest treaty draft reflects these ethical considerations by including a section entitled Guiding Principles and Approaches. Most of these principles are ethical—they establish core values that undergird the treaty. Unfortunately, the treaty draft’s set of principles are numerous, overlapping, and show inadequate coherence and consistency. We propose two improvements to this section of the draft pandemic treaty. First, key guiding ethical principles should be clearer and more precise than they currently are. Second, the link between ethical principles and policy implementation should be clearly established and define boundaries on acceptable interpretation, ensuring that signatories abide by these principles.

Source: UG
The importance of SDG 17 and equitable partnerships in maximising participation of persons with communication disabilities and their families

Background: Equitable partnerships across borders, sectors and communities are integral in creating shared understanding, novel solutions and sustainable development. Sustainable development goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for goals, focuses on strengthening global partnerships. This highlights the importance of partnership as a tool to support the achievement of all SDGs. Partnerships are particularly vital to creating sustainable and appropriate services to support people who experience communication or swallowing disability and their families, in under-served communities, where services and expert personnel may be limited and where innovative strategies are required for working with families and communities to improve service accessibility. Purpose: To reflect on key principles underpinning the creation of a speech–language pathologists’ (SLPs’) community of practice, designed to support SLPs from high-, low- and middle-income countries to develop equitable partnerships, aimed at supporting people who experience communication or swallowing disability their families. Result: We draw on the authors’ experiences of building partnerships to enhance participation for people who experience communication or swallowing disability. We discuss the need for global partnerships and challenges with current funding mechanisms. Conclusion: We use the principles of the speech–language pathology community of practice and concepts from the Partnership Accelerator 2030 Agenda to frame reflections and recommendations. This commentary paper focuses on partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

Source: UG
The importance of strict patient definitions in studies of malaria pathogenesis [1]

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
The Importance of the African Companys Forts and Settlements

Being the Sense of the Royal African Company of England, in Conformity to That of the Nation in general, that the Trade to the Coast: of Africa ought always to continue free and open, for the Benefit of all his Majesty’s Subjects trading to those Parts; and also, that the Trade and Navigation to Africa in general should never be charged with any Tax, Duty, Burthen or other Incumbrance whatever for the Maintenance and Preservation of the Forts and Settlements

Source: UG
The importance of theoretical underpinning for a school mathematics curriculum: The Ghanaian experience

The teaching and learning methods used in mathematics classrooms are increasingly being questioned for their effectiveness. In view of this, the mathematics curriculum in Ghana like in most other countries has undergone a number of restructuring with the aim of improving the teaching and learning of the subject. This paper aims to discuss issues related to mathematics education in Ghana. The paper begins with a historical overview of the Ghanaian Junior High School (JHS) mathematics curriculum. It provides an analysis of the restructuring JHS curriculum under the two broad theoretical backgrounds in mathematics education: behaviourism and constructivism. Analysis of the JHS curriculum and other research work suggest that the role of the teacher in mathematics classroom goes beyond acting as a facilitator in the teaching and learning process and students still rely on the teacher as their main source of knowledge acquisition. The authors take the position that mathematics education at the JHS level and in Ghana as a whole must redefine its goals and theoretical background; where the teacher and the student play an active role in the teaching and learning process. In view of this, the authors propose the enactivist theory, which advocates for partnership between teachers and students in the classroom, as the new paradigm for teaching and learning that must be considered within the Ghanaian context.

Source: UG
The importance of unmanaged coastal wetlands to waterbirds at coastal Ghana

Ghana's 550 km coastline has about 100 wetlands out of which five large ones are managed as Ramsar sites, the rest being unmanaged. Recent pollution and misuse of unmanaged wetlands have necessitated a study into their roles in the support of waterbirds. Waterbird survey on four wetlands between September 2005 and April 2006 revealed that 51 waterbird species make use of the managed compared to 44 in the unmanaged wetlands. Average numbers of waterbirds were higher on the managed wetlands (10,510 ± 4862) than on the unmanaged wetlands (1348 ± 602) (P < 0.05) but mean population density of waterbirds (n/ha) was the same for both the managed (1860 ± 310) and unmanaged (1400 ± 220) (P > 0.05) wetlands. The population densities of waterbirds belonging to guilds 1, 5 and 7 were significantly higher on the managed wetlands (P < 0.05). In contrast, guilds 2 and 4 have significantly higher population densities on the unmanaged wetlands while the population density of guild 3 was the same (P > 0.05). There was an indication that during mid and late periods of the nonbreeding season, the unmanaged wetlands altogether may support a larger number of waterbirds belonging to guilds 2, 3 and 4 than the five managed wetlands. © 2007 The Author.

Source: UG
Importance, etiology and management of the tear stain disease symptoms of mango fruits in Ghana

The tear stain symptom refers to slightly raised blisters which reduce the aesthetic value of mango fruits in Ghana. The dis ease incidence, severity and percentage of exportable mango fruits on infected mango trees were determined in the coastal savannah zone of Ghana in 2019. Samples of disease fruits were collected and the causative agent isolated and identified using phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Selected copper based fungicides, namely, Cuprous oxide (750 g/kg), Copper oxychloride (500 g/kg) and Mancozeb (800 g/kg) either solely or in combination with Acibenzolar-S-methyl were applied in the field to determine their effect on the disease incidence and severity and on the percentage of exportable fruits. The disease incidence ranged from 9.4% to 11.0% in the major season and 37.3% to 45.0% in the minor season. Severity ranged from 0.08 to 0.1 in the major season and 1.4 to 2.1 in the minor season. The fungus isolated showed the characteristic short conical spores with rounded edges, an indication that it was C. gloeosporioides. The combination of gene sequences of the ITS region and the partial actin gene identified the fungus as C. siamense. All fungicides evaluated were able to reduce the disease incidence and severity on treated trees and resulted in a higher percentage of exportable fruits compared to non treatment control trees.

Source: UG
Important Bacterial Contaminants of Public Payphones on the Campus of the University of Ghana

Over the years, the telephone has become a very important gadget; with public payphones and private cell phones becoming more common as the years go by. Since public payphones are used by so many people, it is necessary to investigate the possibility of the transmission of infectious agents through the use of this popular means of communication. The study investigated for Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Salmonella typhi and Shigella species. Sixty (60) Swab samples were taken from the handles, ear and mouth pieces of public payphones around the campus of the University of Ghana. These were grown on appropriate media and identified. Eleven (11) different types of microbes were observed, with only Staphylococcus aureus obtained from the ear and mouth pieces of telephones. The microbes isolated from the telephones included gram-positive rods (35%), S. epidermidis (23%), gram-negatives rods (11%), gram-positive cocci (10.7%), and gram-negative cocci (4.7%). Only 2.3% of the telephones had S. aureus. No S. typhi, Shigella sp. and Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated. It is concluded that public payphones too can play a significant role in the transmission of microbial infections.

Source: UG
Imported knowledge in indigenous structures: The challenges of Ghanaian youth education

Educating youths of a particular nation involves knowledge transmission. Bearing in mind that every geo-physical area is unique in terms of its principles, mechanisms and peculiarities, it is imperative that any process of education that is geared towards resolving human and environmental problems be based on the native cultural values of the people of that particular geo-physical environment. Interestingly, fifty-seven years after Ghana gained independence from British colonisation, this West African nation continues to propagate an educational system whose curriculum is strictly bas ed on British/European values and civilisation. This paper presents empirical observations a rising from the use of imported socio-cultural system in delivering education in Ghana thereby alienating children and youths from the knowledge, values and virtues that define them as a people. The paper draws heavily on ethnographic data in a multidisciplinary mode involving anthropology, political science, postcolonial theories, dance studies, history, philosophy and cultural studies to explore the dichotomy between African indigenous structures and Western cosmopolitan knowledge. The aim is to identify indigenous tools and mate rials that may be used in educating African children and youths to ensure that their future is guaranteed with the

Source: UG