ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing the scalability of a health management-strengthening intervention at the district level: a qualitative study in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda

Background: The scale-up of successfully tested public health interventions is critical to achieving universal health coverage. To ensure optimal use of resources, assessment of the scalability of an intervention is recognized as a crucial step in the scale-up process. This study assessed the scalability of a tested health management-strengthening intervention (MSI) at the district level in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with intervention users (district health management teams, DHMTs) and implementers of the scale-up of the intervention (national-level actors) in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda, before and 1 year after the scale-up had started. To assess the scalability of the intervention, the CORRECT criteria from WHO/ExpandNet were used during analysis. Results: The MSI was seen as credible, as regional- and national-level Ministry of Health officials were championing the intervention. While documented evidence on intervention effectiveness was limited, district- and national-level stakeholders seemed to be convinced of the value of the intervention. This was based on its observed positive results regarding management competencies, teamwork and specific aspects of health workforce performance and service delivery. The perceived need for strengthening of management capacity and service delivery showed the relevance of the intervention, and relative advantages of the intervention were its participatory and sustainable nature. Turnover within the DHMTs and limited (initial) management capacity were factors complicating implementation. The intervention was not contested and was seen as compatible with (policy) priorities at the national level. Conclusion: We conclude that the MSI is scalable. However, to enhance its scalability, certain aspects should be adapted to better fit the context in which the intervention is being scaled up. Greater involvement of regional and national actors alongside improved documentation of results of the intervention can facilitate scale-up. Continuous assessment of the scalability of the intervention with all stakeholders involved is necessary, as context, stakeholders and priorities may change. Therefore, adaptations of the intervention might be required. The assessment of scalability, preferably as part of the monitoring of a scale-up strategy, enables critical reflections on next steps to make the intervention more scalable and the scale-up more successful.

Source: UG
Assessing the sensitivity and specificity of First Response HIV-1-2 test kit with whole blood and serum samples: a cross-sectional study

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
Assessing the suitability and efficiency of high performance liquid chromatography instrument - A new aproach

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
Assessing the use of ICT in teaching and learning in secondary schools

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live and every aspect of human endeavor such as education, medicine, business, law and engineering. Education is a socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been associated with teachers having high degrees of personal and face-to-face contact with students. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important. However, indicators on technology uptake and use in education in the secondary schools in Ghana are missing and most of the schools continues to use the traditional method for knowledge dissemination. This study assess the adoption and use of ICT in teaching and learning in secondary schools in Ghana. The study focused on the secondary schools in the southern sector of Ghana (Western, Central, Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern Regions). The qualitative research method was used in this study. The research established that the ages and gender of the respondents largely affected their adoption and usage of ICT as the students, young and male teachers had more knowledge and interest in the use of ICT for teaching and learning. There was disparities in the provision of computers and ICT facilities at the secondary schools as the schools in the urban areas had some ICT facilities although they were found to be inadequate, not properly ventilated, not spacious enough and have poor lightening system. However, some of the teachers were having their own PCs (personal computers, laptops or tablets) for use although they always do not use them for teaching and learning. As a result, the impact of ICT in teaching and learning at the secondary schools were minimal

Source: UG
Assessing uncertainties in the regional projections of precipitation in CORDEX-AFRICA

Over the past decades, large variations of precipitation were observed in Africa, which often led to dramatic consequences for local society and economy. To avoid such disasters in the future, it is crucial to better anticipate the expected changes, especially in the current context of climate change and population growth. To this date, however, projections of precipitation over Africa are still associated with very large uncertainties. To better understand how this uncertainty can be reduced, this study uses an advanced Bayesian analysis of variance (ANOVA) method to characterize, for the first time in the regional climate projections of CORDEX-AFRICA, the different sources of uncertainty associated with the projections of precipitation over Africa. By 2090, the ensemble mean precipitation is projected to increase over the Horn of Africa from September to May and over the eastern Sahel and Guinea Coast from June to November. It is projected to decrease over the northern coast and southern Africa all year long, over western Sahel from March to August, and over the Sahel and Guinea Coast from March to May. Most of these projections however are not robust, i.e., the magnitude of change is smaller than the associated uncertainty. Over time, the relative contribution of internal variability (excluding interannual variability) to total uncertainty is moderate and quickly falls below 10%. By 2090, it is found that over the Horn of Africa, northern coast, southern Africa, and Sahel, most of the uncertainty results from a large dispersion across the driving Global Climate Models (in particular MIROC, CSIRO, CCCma, and IPSL), whereas over the tropics and parts of eastern Africa, most of the uncertainty results from a large dispersion across Regional Climate Models (in particular CLMcom).

Source: UG
Assessing Unmet Needs of Small Merchants in Adopting Digital Payment Systems in Ghana

This study investigates unmet needs of small merchants in rural and urban Ghana regarding adoption and utilization of digital payment systems. The primary research questions are: what are the most salient unmet needs of small merchants in adopting digital payment platforms for businesses? What value added services are required by small merchants to encourage adoption and utilization of digital payment platforms for daily business transactions? How are the needs of both rural and urban small merchants appropriately addressed by financial regulatory policies to boost adoption and utilization of digital payment systems for their business transactions and other financial needs? To answer these questions, the study triangulates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion of Innovation (DI) theory to undertake the study. TAM is based on two main assumptions: Perceived usefulness (PU) and Perceived ease of use (PEOU). TAM does not only attempt to explain the use of an innovation but it also offers explanations to help researchers and practitioners identify why a particular system may be unacceptable so as to enable appropriate steps to be pursued. TAM is consistent with the theory of DI where technology adoption is a function of a variety of factors including relative advantage and ease of use. A mixed method research design is adopted for this study. The essence of this research is to inform stakeholders in the digital payment platform about the needs of neglected majority of SMEs in adopting and utilizing the system for financial business transactions in this digital age.

Source: UG
Assessing vulnerability of horticultural smallholders’ to climate variability in Ghana: applying the livelihood vulnerability approach

Changing climate is posing considerable threats to agriculture, the most vulnerable sector, and to smallholder farming systems, the predominant agricultural livelihood activity in Africa. Study of specific systems enables clearer and more effective responses to be directly targeted for enhanced adaptation, but there is limited knowledge guiding specific subsector vulnerability assessments. We applied the Livelihood Vulnerability Index to understand and identify the nature and sources of vulnerability among smallholder horticultural farming households to climate variability in two districts in Ghana. A total of 480 households engaging in fruit and vegetable crop production were surveyed in Keta and Nsawam districts of Ghana. Data were collected on indicators for Livelihood Vulnerability Index components such as socio-demographic profiles, livelihood strategies, social networking, health, food, production, water, natural disasters, and climate variability. The vulnerability-contributing factors were aggregated in a composite index and differences were compared. The results indicate that smallholder horticultural farmers in Keta are more vulnerable in relation to high exposure and high sensitivity to climate variability, while smallholders in Nsawam are more vulnerable in terms of low capacity to adapt to climate variability. As it is the case for smallholder horticultural farming communities, the study suggests that Livelihood Vulnerability Index can be broadly applied to highlight potential areas for intervention and reduce the vulnerability of sector-specific farming communities within local and national levels. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V.

Source: UG
Assessing willingness to pay for information delivery among rural women in Ghana

This study used rural household survey data collected from 1000 female household heads randomly selected from all the ten administrative regions in Ghana to examine rural women’s willingness to pay for information delivered via three technologies – community radio, private radio, and extension agents. A contingent valuation method was used for the study. Household expenditures, household education, and membership in community organizations emerged as the principal factors influencing rural women’s willingness to pay for the various information technologies. This point to the need to cast rural empowerment policies and programs within the broader poverty reduction policies of government.

Source: UG
An Assessment of Activities of Multinational Oil Companies and their Effects on the Marine Fisheries Industry in Ghana since 2007

Oil and gas resources have the potential to generate revenue for its host country. Ghana’s oil find in commercial quantities marked the beginning of an oil industry in the country. Expectations from various stakeholders have been very high, especially the local communities. On the other hand many have cautioned that if proper management structures are not put in place, Ghana may be treading the path of other developing countries where oil discoveries have become a “curse” rather than a “blessing”. The management of natural resources has been one of the biggest challenges for developing countries. Experts in the field of natural resources management have expressed divided opinions in connection with the linkage between natural resources abundance and economic growth. They further acknowledged that, how to translate the wealth of natural resources into a sustainable quality of life in a relatively safe environment is another issue. This research assessed the activities of multinational oil companies and what is being done to mitigate their effects on the marine fisheries industry. The study sought to explore the concerns of actors, what measures are in place to manage conflict between the oil companies and the local fishermen and the existing regulatory frameworks that control operations in the marine environment. The research focused on stakeholders in the fishing and oil industries, using primary and secondary data to analyse concerns raised by stakeholders and other literature relating to the research. The study observed that local fishermen and local chiefs of communities in the catchment area of the oil find are worried that the operations of multinational oil companies at sea are negatively affecting fishing activities. In this regard, the government is enacting some laws and policies which can safeguard the fisheries industry, if well implemented. Also, the capacity of the institutions that will implement these policies is being enhanced. Recommendations are also made to minimize any conflict that may arise between the fishermen and the oil companies – government should put in place regulatory measures to control the operations of the oil companies vis-a-vis the fishing industry. Comprehensive education programmes should be instituted to well inform the local communities on measures put in place to protect their livelihood.

Source: UG
Assessment of Agricultural Advisory Messages from Farmer-to Farmer in Making a Case for Scaling Up Production: A Qualitative Study

Inadequate access to agricultural extension services often results in poor farm practices, affecting yields and subsequently the income and wellbeing of smallholder farmers. Given the high demand for agricultural information and the limited capacity of extension services, a farmer-to-farmer extension approach has been explored by many underserved farmers. In this study, we use a qualitative case study approach explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business. Our research question was: what lessons can be learned from the lived experience of these farmers to address current challenges of cassava farming? The results of our study revealed diversity in advisory messages from farmer to farmer and agricultural extension agents. Farmers’ messages focused on encouraging farmers’ commitment and motivation towards farming business, availability of needed financial resources for the entire production season, willingness to reinvest profits, and access to farmland for future expansion. In contrast, the traditional messages from agricultural extension agents focused on encouraging group formation to address marketing challenges, diversification of farm operations, and good agricultural practices. These results show the need for pluralistic extension approaches to ensure farmers get access to necessary information. Keywords: Agricultural Extension, Case Study, Farmer to Farmer Extension, Social Learning

Source: UG
Assessment of artemisinin tolerance in Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates in children with uncomplicated malaria in Ghana

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

Source: UG
Assessment of Bacillus thuringiensis and emamectin benzoate on the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) severity on maize under farmers’ fields in Ghana

The introduction of fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) into Ghana is a threat to maize production. This study determined the severity of this pest on maize production subjected to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), emamectin benzoate (Eb) sprayed and unsprayed farms under farmers’ practices in Ghana. At least one farm per treatment was selected in each Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) for data collection throughout the maize phenology during three production seasons. Percent damaged plants and ears were determined, the proportion of feeding damage on leaves and ears was scored, and yields measured on each farm. Ear damage was most severe in the Guinea Savannah Agroecological Zone with a correspondingly lower yield. The highest yield was recorded from the Tropical Rain Forest zone. The damage levels decreased when plants aged, but the scoring of damage level on attacked ears was greater than that on leaves. Maize plant damage was highest with corresponding lowest yields on unsprayed farms compared to sprayed farms which recorded similar results for both insecticides. Bt and Eb based insecticides (applied at 50g/15L H2O/ha and 75mL H2O/ha, respectively) are efective on FAW larvae and are therefore recommended for FAW management in Ghana.

Source: UG
Assessment of bacterial diversity in western Accra, Ghana, drinking water samples

The design and performance characteristics of municipal drinking water systems can profoundly influence public health. To assess the operational attributes of an Accra, Ghana drinking water distribution system, high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing was employed to characterize its bacterial community composition. Samples from the waterworks and four household sources (one household tap and three polytank storage units) were analyzed within one of Accra’s distribution networks over 4 months. Samples provided between 9,059 and 20,076 reads (average ¼ 13,056) that represented a broad range of bacterial diversity, including rare genera. Minimum Entropy Decomposition (MED) analysis showed that the sequences described four major assemblages. Assemblages 1 and 2 dominated the waterworks and household tap samples while polytank storage unit samples, with one exception, contained assemblages 3 or 4. The considerable bacterial taxonomic difference between different sources suggests that contamination and/or selective growth shapes bacterial community structures after treatment at the waterworks. Of particular interest are the major differences between the poly tank samples following storage and the tap/waterworks samples, suggesting that water storage (stagnation) can select for unique microbial populations

Source: UG
An Assessment Of Brexit’s Implications For Trade Relations Within The Commonwealth: A Comparative Study Of South Africa And Ghana

Continents, Organizations, Nations and Economies have all identified the changes in the global trend of trade and have endeavored to ascertain the implications of activities surrounding it. Same is said for the happenings of Brexit and its follow up actions or inactions from continents like Africa and for an organization like the Commonwealth. This study purposefully assesses the implications for trade relations within the Commonwealth with focus on Ghana and South Africa as a representation of countries with similar or mutual economic pedigrees. The work discusses the potential trade policies that may arise while finding that Brexit may leave dire repercussions on Commonwealth Africa. The study also discovers that in order of significance, the Commonwealth African countries may not be the priorities of UK in the conversation of reframing trade relationships as much as it is anticipated. Some Africa-EU-UK relationships already existed through the signing of protocols and agreements which necessitated the inflow of development funding from the EDF, and which may be affected substantially due to the Brexit. It is also found that the UK may retain its single market with the EU which will not arguer so much difference in the existing tariff arrangements with other markets like Ghana and South Africa. There is also surmounting fear that there may be the shoring up of business cost for these countries should the UK decide to directly deal with the 162 WTO members separately. Finally, a positive implication may be the window of opportunity for South Africa and Ghana to negotiate their terms of trade with the UK. Importantly, this work employed the qualitative approach and gathered data through interviews and from books, journal articles, and other online sources. The concept of international cooperation anchored the analysis of the study and generally aimed at adding on to existing literature.

Source: UG
Assessment of capacity for Health Policy and Systems Research and Analysis in seven African universities: Results from the CHEPSAA project

The importance of health policy and systems research and analysis (HPSR+A) is widely recognized. Universities are central to strengthening and sustaining the HPSR+A capacity as they teach the next generation of decision-makers and health professionals. However, little is known about the capacity of universities, specifically, to develop the field. In this article, we report results of capacity selfassessments by seven universities within five African countries, conducted through the Consortium for Health Policy and Systems Analysis in Africa (CHEPSAA). The capacity assessments focused on both capacity 'assets' and 'needs', and covered the wider context, as well as organizational and individual capacity levels. Six thematic areas of capacity were examined: leadership and governance, organizations' resources, scope of HPSR+A teaching and research, communication, networking and getting research into policy and practice (GRIPP), demand for HPRS+A and resource environment. The self-assessments by each university used combinations of document reviews, semi-structured interviews and staff surveys, followed by comparative analysis. A framework approach, guided by the six thematic areas, was used to analyse data. We found that HPSR+A is an international priority, and an existing activity in Africa, though still neglected field with challenges including its reliance on unpredictable international funding. All universities have capacity assets, such as ongoing HPSR+A teaching and research. There are, however, varying levels of assets (such as differences in staff numbers, group sizes and amount of HPSR+A teaching and research), which, combined with different capacity needs at all three levels (such as individual training, improvement in systems for quality assurance and fostering demand for HPSR+A work), can shape a future agenda for HPSR+A capacity strengthening. Capacity assets and needs at different levels appear related. Possible integrated strategies for strengthening universities' capacity include: refining HPSR+Avision, mainstreaming the subject into under- and post-graduate teaching, developing emerging leaders and aligning HPSR+A capacity strengthening within the wider organizational development. © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Source: UG