ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Tracking health system performance in times of crisis using routine health data: lessons learned from a multicountry consortium

COVID-19 has prompted the use of readily available administrative data to track health system performance in times of crisis and to monitor disruptions in essential healthcare services. In this commentary we describe our experience working with these data and lessons learned across countries. Since April 2020, the Quality Evidence for Health Sys‑ tem Transformation (QuEST) network has used administrative data and routine health information systems (RHIS) to assess health system performance during COVID-19 in Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Republic of Korea and Thailand. We compiled a large set of indicators related to common health conditions for the purpose of multicountry comparisons. The study compiled 73 indicators. A total of 43% of the indicators compiled pertained to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). Only 12% of the indicators were related to hypertension, diabetes or cancer care. We also found few indicators related to mental health services and outcomes within these data systems. Moreover, 72% of the indicators compiled were related to volume of services delivered, 18% to health outcomes and only 10% to the quality of processes of care. While several datasets were complete or near-complete censuses of all health facilities in the country, others excluded some facility types or population groups. In some countries, RHIS did not capture services delivered through non-visit or nonconventional care during COVID-19, such as telemedicine. We propose the following recommendations to improve the analysis of administrative and RHIS data to track health system performance in times of crisis: ensure the scope of health condi‑ tions covered is aligned with the burden of disease, increase the number of indicators related to quality of care and health outcomes; incorporate data on nonconventional care such as telehealth; continue improving data quality and expand reporting from private sector facilities; move towards collecting patient-level data through electronic health records to facilitate quality-of-care assessment and equity analyses; implement more resilient and standardized health information technologies; reduce delays and loosen restrictions for researchers to access the data; complement routine data with patient-reported data; and employ mixed methods to better understand the underlying causes of service disruptions.

Source: UG
Tracking progress of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation methods.

Purpose - This paper proposes a new assessment methodology for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the Delphi technique. The proposed approach by its design simplifies the review processes and also quantifies the outcome of the assessment result for easier interpretation and benchmarking among member countries. The proposed hybrid method demonstrates how the subjective APRM thematic areas and their objectives can be efficiently tracked country by country while addressing the key identified challenges.Design/methodology/approach - Using a numerical example, a demonstration of how the APRM assessment could be carried is shown using the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method (FCEM) and the Delphi Method. The APRM’s own thematic areas are used as the evaluation factors and the weights are assigned using Delphi technique. A novel remark set is constructed to linguistically describe the performance of a country against each or all of the thematic areas. Then in line with the maximum membership degree principle, the position of the maximum number would correspond to its respective remark element to indicate the level of performance. Findings - The result shows a hybrid method of FCEM and Delphi used to determine whether a member country has "Achieved, "On Track", "Very likely to be achieved", "Possible if some changes are made" or "Off-Track" on the four focus areas of the APRM. The method provides a well-organized way of tracking progress of member countries. It is also an ideal method of tracking progress of individual thematic areas and objectives. Moreover, the simplicity of the proposed method, the preciseness of the final result it generates and the clear interpretation of the result makes it a stronger alternative to the current approach for assessing member countries. Practical implications - The African Peer Review mechanism (APRM) is a respected body with the backing of the heads of state in Africa. As most African countries become conscious of the pressure to meet international standards as far as governance performance is concerned, this proposed assessment methodology if adopted would go a long way in improving performance evaluation on the continent. Originality/value - The proposed methodology is unique in its simplicity and its ability to evaluate any of the APRM thematic areas independent of the others. This means an overall performance can be tracked as well as that of individual evaluation factors.

Source: UG
Tractors, states, markets and agrarian change in Africa

Mechanisation has made a comeback to agricultural policy in Africa, encouraging scholars to revisit seminal literature on induced innovation. Recent studies emphasise the role for markets in addressing Africa’s mechanisation gaps and warn about past government failures to be avoided. The trust in the ability of markets to offer optimal solutions is debatable. Markets are shaped, as states are, by the interests of their most powerful players. A history-informed analysis of mechanisation and agrarian change in Africa sheds light onto how states and markets are co-constituted. The much-hyped rise in demand of tractors by medium-scale farmers can be linked back to earlier government intervention. And today’s public-private partnerships for mechanisation services illustrate how private interests shape public policy. Top-down tractor programmes continue to largely bypass smallholder farmers, though some are able to benefit. Though tractors are only one element of a complex story of agrarian change in Africa, they illustrate the enduring process of commodification of land, farming and agrarian relations that benefits the few and subjugates the many.

Source: UG
Trade in wildlife for traditional medicine in Ghana: therapeutic values, zoonoses considerations, and implications for biodiversity conservation

Overexploitation of wild animals, increasing recognition of pharmacological value of animals and the growing need to protect traditional knowledge and cultural environmental resources, have recently exacerbated the world’s interest in zootherapy. In this paper, we provided information on the wild animal species traded for traditional medicine in markets across Accra, the capital of Ghana, their therapeutic values, conservation implications, and zoonoses risk. A total of 43 species of animals were recorded with 47% associated with the treatment of medical afflictions while 70% were connected to spiritual connotations in the form of charms meant for money rituals, protection, spiritual eyesight for prophesying and decoration of shrines. Approximately 15% of the traded species were of conservation concern including the Critically Endangered hooded vulture. The sale and use of the Straw-colored fruit bat, mice, and rats for traditional medicine raised concerns of zoonotic disease transmissions.

Source: UG
Trade liberalisation and poverty: Empirical evidence from household surveys in Ghana

Purpose - Drawing first on stylised facts, the purpose of this paper is to isolate the impact of trade liberalisation policies pursued for the past two decades on poverty in agricultural households in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - Two samples of agricultural households are drawn from the most recently published Ghana Living Standards Survey. Using terms of trade as a channel of the reforms, an econometric estimate of the impact of terms of trade on per-capita expenditure, of these agricultural households, is run on both samples using two cross-sectional models. Findings - The results suggest that trade liberalisation had an adverse welfare impact on agricultural households immediately after the reforms-1992; however, trade positively influenced welfare much later-1999. Even though agricultural producers' terms of trade have improved they still constitute the largest segment of the poor in Ghana. Research limitations/implications - Targeted trade policy instruments are required to positively impact mainstream agricultural households in poverty alleviation efforts. The absence of repeated cross-sections in the Living Standards Survey limits the possibility of exploring dynamic effects. Originality/value - This paper isolates welfare effects of trade on agriculture households in Ghana - a departure from previous studies which examine the effect of trade on all households. This distinction is important since welfare effects of trade in Ghana are more likely to impact households whose livelihoods depend on agriculture than on other households. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UG
Trade-induced environmental quality: the role of factor endowment and environmental regulation in Africa

This paper investigates whether trade liberalization affects environmental quality (proxied by CO2 emissions) and, if so, whether the trade-induced emissions originate from differences in countries’ economic growth, factor endowment or environmental regulations. We used panel data on 30 African countries and the Generalized Method of Moment estimation techniques. Though we found that trade openness is associated with elevated levels of CO2 emissions due to comparative advantage originating from factor endowment (i.e. composition effect), the overall effects of trade are seen to have some beneficial effects on environmental quality. Also, relative economic growth lowers emissions (scale effect) perhaps due to technology transfer. Furthermore, the differences in environmental regulations do not directly affect CO2 emissions while past levels of CO2 emissions significantly increase the current level due to the cumulative effect of CO2 emissions. To achieve a significant reduction in emissions, environmental regulations must be enforced in tandem with growth enhancing and production technology choice policies.

Source: UG
Traders on the Run: Activities of Street Vendors in the Accra Metropolitan Area. Special Issue

In recent years the activities of street vendors have become a topical issue within the urban spaces of the developing world. Still, research that explores the geographical dimensions of street vending activities in Ghana is limited. Based on field interviews with street vendors, consumers, shop owners, and metropolitan authorities, a number of findings emerged. First, there were no noticeable socio-economic differences amongst street vendors operating within the study areas. However, noticeable differences in the areas of origin of vendors were observed, with most of them originating from the Eastern, Ashanti and Central Regions of the country. The study also shows a progression amongst trades over time, in terms of the types of goods which the vendors trade in. As may be expected, a shift to higher value items takes place as traders build up capital. Another important finding is that most of the vendors were continuously on the run due to constant harassment, assault and seizure of goods by metropolitan authorities and other users of the city space. To be able to address some of the problems identified, it is suggested that city authorities should adopt consultation rather than confrontational approaches in dealing with street vendors.

Source: UG
Trading greens for heated surfaces: Land surface temperature and perceived health risk in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

The unsustainable expansion of cities is generating urban heat islands (UHIs) by exchanging (trading) vegetation cover (green) for built impervious surfaces which is associated with heat-related health risks, globally. This phenomenon is exacerbated by climate change and anthropogenic activities like urban population growth, particularly in African cities. This study explores the spatio-temporal trends of land surface temperature (LST), land use land cover (LULC) and their economic and health risks in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) of Ghana, from 1991 to 2021. We extracted LST/LULC information from Landsat datasets to perform change analysis, alongside an online survey across 56 communities on how LST relates to economic and human health risks perceptions of residents. The results show urbanization of GAMA is trading greens for heated surfaces, impacting communities’ health risks. While the built environment grew (8.6%), the vegetation cover declined (2.5%) and the mean LST rose (0.8⁰C) in 25 years. A 30⁰C LST corresponds to the point of inflexion of exchanging green vegetative cover for heated built surfaces. The forest community of Kisseman, the populous community of Dansoman and the harbour city of Tema corresponded to the first, fourth and fifth LST quintiles, changing at − 0.05⁰C, 0.06⁰C and 0.164⁰C per year. The common health risks include discomfort from heavy sweating, headaches, dehydration, thirst and skin rashes. These results call for climate action and green spatial planning through urban forestry and environmentalism in GAMA. For urban resilience and sustainable cities, we advocate green-cooling multi-purpose housing, roads, and industrial infrastructure.

Source: UG
Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflections on the African Experience

This book offers philosophical interpretation and critical analysis of the African cultural experience in modern times. In their attempt to evolve ways of life appropriate to our modern world culture, African people and their society face a number of challenges; some stem from the values and practices of their traditions, while others rise from the legacy of European colonialism. Defending the cross-cultural applicability of philosophical concepts developed in Western culture, the book attempts to show the usefulness of such concepts in addressing a wide range of African problems. Among the issues are as follows: economic development, nation-building, evolution of viable and appropriate democratic political institutions, growth of appropriate and credible ideologies, political corruption, and crumbling of traditional moral standards in the wake of rapid social change. Throughout, the notion that modernity must be equated with Western values and institutions is challenged, arguing that modernity must be forged creatively within the furnace of Africa's multifaceted cultural experience. © 1997 by Kwame Gyekye. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Tradition versus modernity: Perspectives on economic transformation of Akan funerals

This article examines the economic aspect of contemporary Akan funeral celebrations in Ghana. Akan lineage members, from birth through puberty, marriage, maturity, old age, go through various rites of passage that bond them culturally, socially and spiritually to others in society. One such rite is funeral celebration, which has been at the heart of public social events of the people. Akan funerals, wherever they are celebrated, be it in Ghana or the diaspora, form a context for people to come together. However, the changes in Ghanaian Akan funerals over the years, and their impact on the people, make this a crucial topic to study. The authors interviewed 20 Akans (10 based in the U.S. and the other 10 based in Ghana), to explore their perspectives on the changing economic trends of Akan funeral practices. Economic impact and the resulting challenges identified by the participants are discussed.

Source: UG
Traditional Akan Royal Chiefly Institution: Evolving ceremonial protocol in chieftaincy at Duayaw-Nkwanta in Ghana

Chieftaincy is one of the most enduring traditional institutions in Ghana that has displayed remarkable resilience from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary era. This article discusses the introduction of new protocolary forms into the institution. Central to the qualitative method deployed is an examination of the interface between “tradition” and modernity” using the 40th anniversary celebration of the paramount chief of Duayaw-Nkwanta, Nana Boakye-Tromo III. In this article, I argue that “traditional elements” are not necessarily at variance with “modern” elements because societies that are often characterized as “modern” also recognize traditions as relevant, rather than as obstacles, to their development. Keywords: Ghana, tradition, modernity, Duayaw-Nkwanta, ceremonial protocol

Source: UG
Traditional and Western knowledge systems used by smallholders: Harnessing synergies for improved household food security in rural Ghana

The discourse on knowledge integration persists in research and development practice. The need for traditional and Western knowledge systems to work together to achieve sustainable agricultural development in Ghana’s rural areas has become evermore relevant to achieve household food security in the context of changing climate, declining soil fertility, and labour challenges. The authors examined the role of knowledge integration in shaping the food security outcomes of socially differentiated smallholders’ households in Kassena-Nankana Municipal District and the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region of Ghana, where food insecurity prevalence is very high. Using mixed methods approach, they found that most low resource endowed households that were unable to combine traditional and Western farming methods were more likely to experience food insecurity than were other households. Farmers with higher resource endowments integrated knowledges from both traditional and Western systems leading to better yield outcomes. However, combining both knowledge systems did not guarantee automatic success due to intervening factors. The authors conclude that different categories of smallholders’ resource endowment significantly impacts the smallholders’ food security status, and recommend that policy and development programming should promote integration of traditional and Western farming knowledge systems to achieve sustainable food crop production.

Source: UG
Traditional antimalarial phytotherapy remedies in herbal markets in southern Ghana

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Although traditional antimalarial plant remedies in herbal markets are a very important component of the health care system in Ghana this has not been previously studied to allow for the formulation of effective strategy for malaria control in Ghana. Aim of study: The main objective of the present study was to collect and analyse data on the antimalarial plant remedies in herbal markets in southern Ghana. Materials and methods: Herborists were interviewed using a validated questionnaire and species of plants were identified using a combination of field photo guides, local names and voucher specimens. Results: A total of 71 herborists (95.8% female) were interviewed. There were potential correlations between different parameters and variables such as ethnic groups, type of vendor and age-groups. The study revealed 29 species of plants belonging to 22 families being sold for the treatment of malaria. The detailed use of these plants is documented. The most frequently mentioned species of plants were Morinda lucida Benth., Indigofera sp. and Nauclea latifolia Sm. The majority (82.8%) of the plant materials were sold in the dried state and 6.9% were sold in fresh state. About 76.2% of the herbal remedies were sold throughout the year while 23.8% were scarce in the dry season. The cost of treatment of malaria using the herbal remedies ranged from 1 to 2 United States Dollars (USD). Conclusion: Standardization of names and authentication of plant materials using organoleptic, phytochemical and DNA barcoding techniques as well as further research on efficacy, safety and dosage prescriptions for both fresh and dried plant materials being sold for the treatment of malaria in southern Ghana are needed. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Traditional Earth Houses in Vittin, Tamale: Identity and perception of the tradition-modernity conflict

The tension between tradition and modernity extends into African traditional architecture. The desire to become modern is pushing people to change from the climate suitable traditional houses found in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study sought to explore the influence of modernity on traditional buildings in Vittin, a peri-urban community in the Tamale municipality. Using focus group discussions and photography, the study explored some of the tradition-modernity tensions that exist in African traditional architecture. Although respondents associated identity and tradition with the round earth houses built in the past, they explained that in contemporary times urbanisation, status, economic issues, sustainability and the sense of belongingness were push factors for change. The research concludes that conscious effort needs to be made for earth constructed houses to be sustainable otherwise the technology will completely disappear and this may impact the traditional beliefs and practices of the people. It is proposed that there is the need to relook at traditional architecture to make them durable and sustainable and the indigenous knowledge and architecture of the people need to be documented.

Source: UG
Traditional Gold Mining in Adanse

For centuries, the people of Adanse worked and mined gold, and their goldfields were one source of supply of gold to the Trans Saharan traders and to the European market before and during colonial administration of the Gold Coast. The Adanse gold miners used simple but effective technology, and kept Europe supplied with enormous quantities of gold especially between the thirteenth and the nineteenth centuries. This article shows the sources of Adanse gold in the historic period, from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century. It also discusses gold production, the media of gold distribution, including trading and the impact of traditional mining on the people of Adanse.

Source: UG
Traditional medicinal plants used in the management of cutaneous Leishmaniasis diseases in Sokoto State, Northern Nigeria

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a serious public health problem in Nigeria, with a high prevalence in the northern part of the country. Plants with therapeutic value are still the only way forward, as their acceptance and acknowledgment grow all over the world. There is vast traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plant species in Sokoto state and the country at large. However, because cultural systems are dynamic, skills are fragile and often forgotten, as most indigenous knowledge is passed down through the generations by oral transmission. This study documented traditional medicinal plants used by the traditional practitioners for the treatment of CL in Sokoto State, Northern Nigeria. Methods: The method of non-random probability and the strategy of master sampling were applied in this research. A total of 23 informants were interviewed. Results: The ethnobotanical survey revealed 48 plant species, trees accounting for 57.9%, of which 84.1 % of the reported plants are wild. For therapy, leaves are the most utilized (43.7%), with topical and oral remedies (72.2%) as the most preferred form of administration. Quantitatively, Bauhinia reticulata DC was found to be effective in the treatment of CL with Fidelity Level (FL) 93%. Conclusion: Plants with therapeutic value are still the most promising, as their acceptance and acknowledgment keeps growing all over the world. This study provides useful information for various fields, especially in exploring the plant parts as a source of lead for future chemotherapeutics against CL and possible development of plant monographs for biodiversity conservation.

Source: UG