ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
From nature's bounty to drug discovery: Leveraging phytochemicals and molecular approaches to combat multi-drug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis

A large number of people annually lose their lives to tuberculosis (TB), which is an age-old disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The global spread of TB is a concern for all regions. The south-east Asian region recorded 46% of all new TB cases in 2021, followed by the African and western Pacific regions with 23% and 18%, respectively. Researchers are always searching at natural substances for potential alternative therapeutics to tackle the worrisome growth in multi-drug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis due to the high costs associated with developing new treatments and unfavourable side effects of currently used synthetic pharmaceuticals. Phytochemicals show promising results as a future health aid due to their multi-targeting ability on pathogen cells. In the search for new drug leads, the Ayurvedic and Siddha medical systems have made an extensive use of ethnomedicinal tools, including the use of plants like Amalaki (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia willd.), Sariva (Hemidesmus indicus R.Br.), Kustha (Saussurea lappa Falc.), turmeric (Curcuma longa Mal.) and Green tea (Camellia sinensis Linn.). These sources are high in flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins and catechins, has been shown to reduce the risk of TB. In this overview, we look at how natural sources like plants, algae and mushrooms have helped researchers to find new drug leads, and how to back these natural sources through mapping the molecular approaches and other approaches has helped them to defeat MDR.

Source: UG
From Negritude to “migritude”: the Janus-faced discourse on identity and integration in the African diaspora literature

The concern of the new generation of African writers in the diaspora today is different from that of their predecessors of Negritude. The latter’s concern was to make black cultural heritage visible and to reclaim a place in the exchange among cultures and in so doing show pride in their Black African cultural values. In contrast, most of the new African writers in the diaspora are struggling to dissociate themselves somehow partially or completely from their African heritage thereby creating for themselves a new abstract place that Leonora Miano a writer from Cameroon called Afropea, which she defines as a place which is immaterial and internal for those who do not have the French root. The times of the Negritude have been replaced by those of the “migritude”, given that immigration and the problems of identity and integration are at the center of the concerns of most of those writers. The discourse of these African writers on identity and integration are often contradictory: sometimes they struggle to be recognized as French writers (as considered part of the French Literature) or at least cosmopolitan writers i.e. citizens of the world or even Francophone and other times they categorize themselves as writers and nothing more in order to avoid being classified as African writers. The objective of this paper is to analyze the “identity crisis” of these writers which makes them continuously live in an identity limbo.

Source: UG
From PERFORM To PERFORM2Scale: Lessons From Scaling-Up A Health Management Strengthening Intervention To Support Universal Health Coverage In Three African Countries.

Strengthening management and leadership competencies among district and local health managers has emerged as a common approach for health systems strengthening and to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). While the literature is rich with localized examples of initiatives that aim to strengthen the capacity of district or local health managers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, considerably less attention is paid to the science of ‘how’ to scale-up these initiatives. The aim of this paper is thus to examine the ‘process’ of scaling-up a management strengthening intervention (MSI) and identify new knowledge and key lessons learned that can be used to inform the scale-up process of other complex health interventions, in support of UHC. Qualitative methods were used to identify lessons learned from scaling-up the MSI in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. We conducted 14 interviews with district health management team (DHMT) members, three scale-up assessments with 20 scale-up stakeholders, and three reflection discussions with 11 research team members. We also kept records of activities throughout MSI and scale-up implementation. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed against the Theory of Change to identify both scale-up outcomes and the factors affecting these outcomes. The MSI was ultimately scaled-up across 27 districts. Repeated MSI cycles over time were found to foster greater feelings of autonomy among DHMTs to address longstanding local problems, a more innovative use of existing resources without relying on additional funding and improved teamwork. The use of ‘resource teams’ and the emergence of MSI ‘champions’ were instrumental in supporting scale-up efforts. Challenges to the sustainability of the MSI include limited government buy-in and lack of sustained financial investment.

Source: UG
From research to health policy: The Noguchi story in the past, present and next 25 years

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
From Sunrise to Sunset: Male Out-Migration and Its Effect on Left-Behind Women in the Builsa District of Ghana.

The practice of adult males moving from rural areas into urban centres is a common phenomenon in Ghana. The result is that there are a series of consequent impacts on areas of origin especially on households and families. Using in-depth interviews, this paper discusses the economic, social, psychological and emotional effects that women experience as a result of the absence of husbands. Some major findings were that women were expected to work on the farms, feed their children and at the same time support their extended family households. As a result, women experienced different forms of distress arising out of material and social circumstances of their lives, yet not much has been done to address this situation. The paper recommends that interventions for rural women must take into account the experiences of left-behind women. Particularly, the emotional needs of these women must be considered by providing counseling services in addition to the economic empowerment programmes.

Source: UG
From Timbuktu to Salaga: A Critical Study of Intellectual Works of Ahmed Baba al-Timbukti and Umar Krache.

This paper explores the similarities between Timbuktu and Salaga as robust centers of Arabic and Islamic learning at different epochs in West African Arabic-Islamic intellectual history focusing on two eminent scholars of these cities. Timbuktu had flourished mainly between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, evolving to become the favorite destination of traders who sought to grow their business and multiply their returns, as well as students who aspired to acquire profound insight into the Arabic and Islamic disciplines. Likewise, Salaga became the ultimate and preferred destination of traders and students in Ghana in the nineteenth century. It was soon referred to as the Timbuktu of the South (Morris Johnson, 1965). There is no gainsaying Ahmed Baba al-Timbuktī stands tall among several distinguished luminaries who propelled Timbuktu into prominence and recognition. Through his teaching and intellectual productions within and beyond Timbuktu, he earned himself the accolade al-Timbukti. On the other hand, despite his late affiliation to Kete Krache, Umar b. Abu-Bakr earned his fame as an unrivalled Muslim scholar of the Gold Coast in Salaga, where he had a very rewarding and memorable academic career — which manifested in his active teaching and extensive scholarly writings. It is against this background that this paper highlights the close similarities between Timbuktu and Salaga through the intellectual lives and writings of these scholars. It will be established that notwithstanding the geographic stretch between Timbuktu and Salaga, and the nearly two centuries gap between these two illustrious scholars, there are some notable similarities in their lives and intellectual endeavors that ultimately reflect on their respective cities as well.

Source: UG
From walls to homes: Child care reform and deinstitutionalisation in Ghana

In 2006, the Ghanaian government, in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), began to reform the child welfare system. The main aim of this reform was to provide a sustainable and culturally appropriate system of care for children without parental care by shifting from an institutional-based model to a family and community-based one. Drawing on existing peer-reviewed and grey literature, this article provides an overview of the major components of the reform, including reintegration with the extended family, foster care and adoption. In addition, the article discusses the prospects and challenges involved in achieving the reform's intended component. Key Practitioner Message: ● Use community development techniques to raise the resources needed to provide family support services for vulnerable families; ● Social work practitioners partner with non-governmental organisations to train community members as para-social workers; ● Social workers, especially in developing countries, understand the challenges they face when embarking on deinstitutionalisation.

Source: UG
Frontier analysis of aquaculture farms in the Southern Sector of Ghana

This study applies the single-stage modelling stochastic frontier approach to examine technical efficiency and its determination of aquaculture farms and extends the scope of the analysis toexplore interactive effects of farm specific variables on efficiency of production. The data consists of a cross-section of 150 farms collected from 15 districts in the southern of Ghana. Findings demonstrate that expected elasticities of mean output with respect to all input variable considered are positive and significant. Computed return to scale reveals that aquaculture farms in the southern sector of Ghana are characterised by technology with increasing return to scale. The combined effects of operational and farm specific factors are found to influence efficiency. The study further reveals that inclusion of interaction between some exogenous factors and input variables in the inefficiency model are significant in explaining the variation in efficiency. Comparison of mean technical efficiency according to regions did not show any significant variation. Overall mean technical efficiency is estimated to be nearly 80.8%.

Source: UG
Frontline Workers’ Use of Discretion in the Implementation of National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana

The article examines frontline workers’ use of discretion in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana. It answers two questions: 1) how does discretion affect service delivery? 2) Whose interest does discretion serve in service delivery? The article provides three contributions. First, it brings a new direction in the use of discretion in organisations in a developing world context. Second, it adds to ‘how’ and ‘why’ frontline workers use discretion. Finally, it reveals whose interest the use of discretion serves. It utilises qualitative methods to reveal both positively motivated and negatively motivated discretion relationships that exist between frontline workers and clients. Most of the negatively inclined discretion is exercised largely by frontline workers in public organisations. It concludes that most of the frontline workers’ discretion serves the interest of their clients rather than service providers’ self-interest or the interest of their organisations.

Source: UG
Fruit and vegetable consumption frequency by urban households in Ghana - Implications for postharvest handling

The paper examines the frequency of eating fruits and vegetables in three major cities in Ghana applying survey data collected by authors in 2011. Results based on responses provided by over 1,000 households indicate that tomato and orange were the most often eaten vegetable and fruit, respectively. However, there are substantial regional differences implying the importance of climatic differences and availability of specific types of produce. The paper also reports differences in purchased fruits and vegetables between those spending below or above the sample average on these two food categories and reports on differences in the selection of retail outlet type in shopping for fruits and vegetables. Knowledge of the identified differences has direct implications for the suppliers and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables in Ghana.

Source: UG
Fruit physical characteristics, proximate, mineral and starch characterization of FHIA 19 and FHIA 20 plantain and FHIA 03 cooking banana hybrids

Cooking banana and plantain (Musa spp. AAB and ABB groups), have over the years been affected by pest and diseases, resulting in various organizations developing disease resistant hybrids with superior agronomic potential. The characteristics of these improved varieties needs to be studied to ascertain their suitability for use in various food systems. This study aimed at evaluating the physical characteristics, proximate and minerals composition, and characterizing the starch of plantain and a cooking banana hybrid release by Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola (FHIA), and comparing them to a local landrace in Ghana. FHIA 19 and FHIA 20 plantain, Apentu pa (a local landrace) and FHIA 03 cooking banana hybrid were used for the study. Their physical characteristics, proximate and mineral composition were determined at the proximal, midsection and distal hand positions. Starch granules and cells were then examined under light microscope. Ranges obtained for protein content for FHIA 20, FHIA 03 and FHIA 19 were 3.01–3.40, 2.66–2.91 and 2.81–2.91 %. Potassium was found to be the most abundant mineral in all the cultivars. The highest mean value of 982.5–1013.76 mg/100 g was obtained for FHIA 19. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the proximate and mineral composition of the varieties, however no significant difference exited between the hand positions. The largest starch granule size was found in FHIA 19 hybrid. FHIA 03 was also composed predominantly of two types: longitudinal and rounded granules with each type grouped together. The new plantain hybrids compared very well with the local landrace hence making them suitable to be incorporated into local food systems. © 2016, The Author(s).

Source: UG
Fruitlessness of Anti-Corruption Agencies: Lessons from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in Ghana

Political corruption has become one of the most topical issues in the political discourse in Ghana. This stems from the fact that corruption has become so endemic and systemic in Ghanaian polity with its negative effects on the economy. Indeed, political corruption negatively affects job creation, investment potentials, infrastructural development and generally the standard of living of the people. It is within this context that anti-corruption institutions have been established in Ghana to address the menace of corruption. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is one of such institutions established under the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana tasked with the responsibility of addressing the problem of corruption in Ghanaian public administration system. This paper examines the extent to which the Commission has achieved this constitutional mandate of addressing the problem of corruption. The study finds that some drawbacks which inhibit the potency of CHRAJ in addressing the problem of corruption include lack of political will by the governing elite to support the institution, eroding confidence of the Commission, the trend of appointing the Head of the Commission in an acting capacity, constitutional weaknesses, poor capacity building support and low motivation. The paper therefore offers pragmatic policy suggestions to address the inherent deficiencies of the Commission with the objective of making it more functional.

Source: UG
Fuel Prices and Road Transportation Fares in Ghana

We develop a mathematical model for automatic adjustment of new transportation fares in terms of old transportation fares, the number of litres of petrol/diesel a vehicle requires, the quantum of adjustment, the number of trips a vehicle makes on a specified route and the number of passengers a vehicle carries. We recommend that any adjustment to existing fares should be exactly the loading and that any additional amount to the existing fares differing from the loading leads to either overcharging or undercharging of passengers. We also show that any negotiation about the quantum of adjustment to existing fares reduces to the proper assignment of the number of trips a vehicle plies on a specified route. We tested our models on privately operated commercial vehicles using data from major lorry stations in Accra, the National Petroleum Authority and Drivers and Vehicular License Authority in Ghana. The results indicated that passengers are undercharged on some routes whereas they are overcharged on others. The model should be useful to transportation planners, coordinators and administrators in setting and adjusting road transportation fares. It should assist in settling disputes about new transportation fares between passengers and drivers that arise when there is adjustment in fuel prices.

Source: UG
Fuite des cerveaux et inégalités entre pays. Commentaires

« … Les migrations internationales constituent une activité comportant des risques et des coûts significatifs. Ainsi, bien que les migrations soient certainement dues, au moins en partie, aux inégalités de revenus et de richesses entre les régions émettrices et réceptrices, elles ne réduisent pas forcément les inégalités comme les migrants le prévoient. Cela dépend beaucoup de la distribution de ces coûts et de ces bénéfices, à la fois au sein et entre les régions et pays émetteurs et receveurs. La sélectivité des migrations est elle-même aussi très importante en termes d’impact agrégé des migrations sur les sociétés émettrices. Il est clair que si la plupart des migrants viennent des couches les plus pauvres de la société, et s’ils réussissent à obtenir un gain net de leur migration, les inégalités économiques seront au moins réduites, toutes choses égales par ailleurs. Cependant, les migrants ne sont pas toujours les plus pauvres, ils ne bénéficient pas toujours de la migration, et les autres facteurs ne sont pas égaux »

Source: UG
Fulani cattle productivity and management in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, Nigeria

Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR) in northern Nigeria was home to some 10,000 Fulani pastoralists and their 40,000 cattle in June 2011. This study examines productivity and management of cattle belonging to livestock keepers within the reserve before and after a mass immigration event when 3,000 refugees moved into the reserve with their cattle to escape inter-community violence during May 2011. Data, on livestock management strategies (transhumance) and production parameters (herd size, composition, fertility, dynamics), were collected in March, June and October 2011. Cattle productivity in KGR is geared to supporting Fulani households while maintaining herd wealth. High offtake of young animals, especially the selling of heifers, was an unusual finding and may indicate that KGR pastoralists have been restricting their herd size voluntarily as well as limiting milk production to household requirements. This is probably due to the absence of a commercial milk market and a higher reliance on the sale of young stock to meet cash needs. Despite the widespread perception that grazing reserves are promoting sedentarisation of Fulani pastoralists and curbing transhumance, the inhabitants of the KGR were observed to practise wide-ranging transhumance both during wet and dry seasons driven by the limited availability of grazing. Some households selected a sub-sample of animals for transhumance rather than sending their whole herd, and some maintained cattle on alternative land-holdings outside the reserve. KGR households described modifying their usual transhumance practices in response to the mass immigration event and insecurity. Nevertheless, the herd demography results from this study are broadly similar to data obtained from other studies over the past 40 years, indicating that productivity and management practices have remained relatively unchanged. Keywords: Fulani, Cattle, Pastoralist, Productivity, Transhumance, Conflict, Nigeria, Grazing reserve

Source: UG
The Fulani Herdsmen Crisis in West Africa: The Case of Agogo Area in the Asante-Akim North District, Ashanti Region of Ghana.

The study examined factors responsible for the increase in migration of Fulani herdsmen from the Sahel and their increasing settlement in littoral states in West Africa. It investigates the factors that attract Fulani herdsmen to the Asante-Akim North District and the factors that are responsible for the conflictual relationship between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farmers in Ghana as well as examine how much of the crime in the Agogo area can be traced to the Fulani herdsmen. Fourteen key informant interviewees were purposively sampled. Qualitative data were obtained using one-on-one interviews with the respondents. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed thematically guided by the environmental conflict theory, to ascertain facts, beliefs, comments, and opinions. The findings revealed that, ECOWAS free movement policy, pull and push factors, which includes climatic conditions, greener pastures, and security among others cause the migration of Fulani herdsmen to littoral West Africa. Fulani herdsmen were also attracted to the Agogo area by constant annual grass growth, availability of water, vast field of land, hospitality of the people, social and safety reasons and because the area supported growth of cattle. The study also discloses that legal lapses, lack of trust, media hype of slightest situation, destruction of property and exploitation accounts for the contributing causes of conflict between herdsmen and the indigenous farmers. Most crimes such as rape, murder, destruction of crops, robbery and other crimes were associated with the presence of Fulani herdsmen with only a small fraction attributed to the indigenes. Finally, the study recommends that fodder farming should be encouraged in Sahelian countries and a ceiling put on the number of herds that can be permitted into Ghana. It further recommends that inter-ministerial committees and sub-committee are established to regulate nomadic activities while efforts should be made to disarm Fulani herdsmen to curb crime.

Source: UG
Fulbe pastoralists and the changing property relations in Northern Ghana

Fulbe pastoralists have only lived permanently in Northern Ghana since the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to this period they seasonally moved cattle from their settlements in the Sahelian and savannah regions of Burkina Faso to Northern Ghana. However, most of them returned to their home region with the arrival of the seasonal rains. In contrast to the Fulbe, most of the agricultural groups in Northern Ghana have a longer history of settlement in the area and consider themselves to be the autochthon population. Some, like the Mamprusi and Dagomba, are known to consist of groups that, similar to...

Source: UG