ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
It takes a village: what lessons can the UK learn from rural community mental health services in Ghana?

Purpose – This paper aims to provide new insights into and offer potential solutions to the challenges encountered by mental health services working with remote, rural or underserved communities in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors reflect on the utility of integrating conventional clinical approaches, with preventive care and empowering work within the community, to provide culturally sensitive and accessible mental health services. The authors describe an example of community intervention from a mental health service in Ghana designed to enhance reach within remote and rural communities and identify potential lessons for practice in the UK. Findings – The partnership between community mental health services and the rural communities, including families and existing social frameworks, applies collaborative care to overcome the lack of resources and facilitate the acceptability of mental health services to the local population. There are a series of important lessons from this experience including the importance of understanding the culture of a community to optimise reach and the importance of working IN the community and WITH the community. Originality/value –This paper is novel because it provides learning from a model of care applied in the global south that has potential for implementation with underserved populations in the UK. The authors suggest a reframing of the notion of community care to encompass existing frameworks of community, not merely a biomedical conceptualisation

Source: UG
“It was touching”: Experiences and views of students in the June 3 flood and fire disaster relief response volunteerism in Accra, Ghana

Evidence from Africa on the motivations and experiences of student volunteers in community disaster relief response programmes are rare. This study explores the experiences and views of the students, who volunteered at the emergency mental health relief response site after the 3 June 2015 flood and fire disaster in Accra, and the implications for future professional response work in Ghana. Thematic analysis of 15 qualitative in-depth interviews showed that, overall, the student volunteers were both self-oriented and other-oriented. The students viewed work at the emergency response site as a touching experience and a call of duty. The response work provided the students with practical pathways for linking their clinical and community learning experiences. This study recommends that, rather than an ad hoc response team, the Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) should consider setting up a standing disaster relief response network to provide mental health relief and recovery response in community emergency situations in Ghana.

Source: UG
It’s a woman’s thing: gender roles sustaining the practice of female genital mutilation among the Kassena‑Nankana of northern Ghana

Introduction: The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM/C) in traditional African societies is grounded in traditions of patriarchy that subjugate women. It is widely assumed that approaches to eradicating the practice must therefore focus on women’s empowerment and changing gender roles. Methods: This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of the FGM/C beliefs and opinions of men and women in Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana. Data are analyzed from 22 focus group panels of young women, young men, reproductive age women, and male social leaders. Results: The social systemic influences on FGM/C decision-making are complex. Men represent exogenous sources of social influence on FGM/C decisions through their gender roles in the patriarchal system. As such, their FGM/C decision influence is more prominent for uncircumcised brides at the time of marriage than for FGM/C decisions concerning unmarried adolescents. Women in extended family compounds are relatively prominent as immediate sources of influence on FGM/C decision-making for both brides and adolescents. Circumcised women are the main source of social support for the practice, which they exercise through peer pressure in concert with co-wives. Junior wives entering a polygynous marriage or a large extended family are particularly vulnerable to this pressure. Men are less influential and more open to suggestions of eliminating the practice of FGM/C than women. Conclusion: Findings attest to the need for social research on ways to involve men in the promotion of FGM/C abandonment, building on their apparent openness to social change. Investigation is also needed on ways to marshal women’s social networks for offsetting their extended family familial roles in sustaining FGM/C practices

Source: UG
It’s a woman’s thing: gender roles sustaining the practice of female genital mutilation among the Kassena‑Nankana of northern Ghana

Introduction: The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM/C) in traditional African societies is grounded in traditions of patriarchy that subjugate women. It is widely assumed that approaches to eradicating the practice must therefore focus on women’s empowerment and changing gender roles. Methods: This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of the FGM/C beliefs and opinions of men and women in Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana. Data are analyzed from 22 focus group panels of young women, young men, reproductive age women, and male social leaders. Results: The social systemic influences on FGM/C decision-making are complex. Men represent exogenous sources of social influence on FGM/C decisions through their gender roles in the patriarchal system. As such, their FGM/C decision influence is more prominent for uncircumcised brides at the time of marriage than for FGM/C decisions concerning unmarried adolescents. Women in extended family compounds are relatively prominent as immediate sources of influence on FGM/C decision-making for both brides and adolescents. Circumcised women are the main source of social support for the practice, which they exercise through peer pressure in concert with co-wives. Junior wives entering a polygynous marriage or a large extended family are particularly vulnerable to this pressure. Men are less influential and more open to suggestions of eliminating the practice of FGM/C than women. Conclusion: Findings attest to the need for social research on ways to involve men in the promotion of FGM/C abandonment, building on their apparent openness to social change. Investigation is also needed on ways to marshal women’s social networks for offsetting their extended family familial roles in sustaining FGM/C practices. Keywords: Female genital mutilation, Female genital cutting, Social determinants, Gender stratification, Ghana, Sahelian Africa, Harmful traditional practices

Source: UG
It’s not all about wealth and beauty: Changing perceptions of fatness among Makola market women in Accra, Ghana

Within the African context, body shape preferences may be influenced by culture without necessarily taking into consideration health implications. Thus, fatness is culturally associated with beauty, prosperity, and prestige while thinness is perceived as a sign of ill‐health or poverty. Using a cross section of Makola market women, who traditionally are perceived as fat and affluent, our findings revealed that the perception of fatness as a sign of richness and beauty is changing due to women's access to knowledge and information on the health implications of fatness. The challenge for these women however, is adhering to healthy lifestyles despite living sedentary lives in the market place which is a conducive environment for one to become fat. We recommend that qualified professionals should encourage these women through continuous programmes on regenerative health and nutrition aimed at healthy lifestyle behaviour at the market places. The social groups that women belong to should be targeted, trained and equipped with the right information on healthy living so that they can disseminate this information to other members of their networks

Source: UG
“It’s overwhelming and hard to articulate:” Analyzing student narratives of International Global Citizenship Education Field Experience

CHAPTER 8 “It’s Overwhelming and Hard to Articulate”: Analyzing Student Narratives of an International Global Citizenship Education Field Experience George H. Richardson, Lucy De Fabrizio, Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh Introduction In the last decade, among scholars who teach and research in the field of international education, there has been proliferation of research and writing about the importance of developing global citizenship education programs in post-secondary education (Dower & Williams, 2002; Noddings, 2005; Peters, Blee, & Britton, 2008). Much of this scholarship has focused on the ways in which global citizenship education can act as a counternarrative to existing neo-liberal discourses that structure global citizenship education as an initiation into the competitive skill set students will need to be suc- cessful in the global marketplace (O’Sullivan & Pashby, 2008; Abdi & Shultz, 2008; Abdi & Richardson, 2008). But while there is no shortage of research and theorizing that examines what global citizenship education might do to respond to the challenge of globalization, there is comparably little work to date on understanding what impact global citizen- ship education programs have actually had on students’ perceptions of their roles and responsibilities as global citizens. In the face of the intensification of internationalization in post-secondary institu- tions, and of mounting institutional pressure on faculties and units to internationalize their undergraduate programs, the question of what impacts international programs have on students is particularly relevant. Do such programs have lasting influence, do they have the potential to be transformative or do they reinforce existing binary con- structions that privilege the West and...

Source: UG
“It’s the patient that suffers from poor communication”: Analyzing communication gaps and associated consequences in handover events from nurses’ experiences

Background: Although routine communication gaps among clinical shift teams significantly account for adverse care and treatment outcomes, existing analysis of the phenomenon remain limited in low middle income countries battling with patient safety issues. This study analyzed the drivers and associated episodic consequences of communication gaps from nurses’ experiences in Ghana. Methods: Qualitative design implemented in two referral hospitals. Data collection involved site observations and in-depth interviews with general nurses, midwives, and staff nurses across 3-cycle shift regimes in the emergency, ICU, inpatient wards, and maternity units. A two-stage data analysis was adopted by integrating deductive and inductive codes into broad thematic typologies explaining drivers of communication gaps and the consequences thereof. Results: Communication gaps among shift teams were largely driven by a combination of three broad factors: a) Attitudinal elements of poor work ethics, poor documentation, interpersonal conflicts and use of unconventional language that impaired effective communication; b) organizational dynamics of taxing job demands, limited training exposure and lack of formal handover communication procedures which allowed shift teams to adopt default patterns of communication behavior; and c) cultural values, stereotyping and prejudicing behaviors that restricted inclusive interactions among shift teams. These communication gaps produced adverse episodic effects of diagnostic and treatment errors, complications, and extended hospitalizations. Conclusion: The findings underscore the need to develop standard guidelines to direct structured communication alongside equipping shift teams with competences on emotional intelligence to overcome cultural and behavioral adversities that influence communication breakdown.

Source: UG
&quot;it's up to the woman's people&quot;: How social factors influence facility-based delivery in Rural Northern Ghana

To explore the impact of social factors on place of delivery in northern Ghana. We conducted 72 in-depth interviews and 18 focus group discussions in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana among women with newborns, grandmothers, household heads, compound heads, community leaders, traditional birth attendants, traditional healers, and formally trained healthcare providers. We audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed interactions using NVivo 9.0. Social norms appear to be shifting in favor of facility delivery, and several respondents indicated that facility delivery confers prestige. Community members disagreed about whether women needed permission from their husbands, mother-in-laws, or compound heads to deliver in a facility, but all agreed that women rely upon their social networks for the economic and logistical support to get to a facility. Socioeconomic status also plays an important role alone and as a mediator of other social factors. Several "meta themes" permeate the data: (1) This region of Ghana is undergoing a pronounced transition from traditional to contemporary birth-related practices; (2) Power hierarchies within the community are extremely important factors in women's delivery experiences ("someone must give the order"); and (3) This community shares a widespread sense of responsibility for healthy birth outcomes for both mothers and their babies. Social factors influence women's delivery experiences in rural northern Ghana, and future research and programmatic efforts need to include community members such as husbands, mother-in-laws, compound heads, soothsayers, and traditional healers if they are to be maximally effective in improving women's birth outcomes. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Source: UG
The IV International Symposium on Fungal Stress and the XIII International Fungal Biology Conference

For the first time, the International Symposium on Fungal Stress was joined by the XIII International Fungal Biology Conference. The International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS), always held in Brazil, is now in its fourth edition, as an event of recognized quality in the international community of mycological research. The event held in S~ ao Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil, in September 2022, featured 33 renowned speakers from 12 countries, including: Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Slovenia, USA, and UK. In addition to the scienti fic contribution of the event in bringing together national and international researchers and their work in a strategic area, it helps maintain and strengthen international cooperation for scientific development in Brazil

Source: UG
Ivermectin and albendazole alone and in combination for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana: Follow-up after re-treatment with the combination

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
Ivermectin and doxycycline treatments against Onchocerciasis: Adaptations and impact among semi-nomadic population in Massangam Health District, Cameroon

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
Ivermectin treatment in humans for reducing malaria transmission

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
Ixodid ticks of traditionally managed cattle in central Nigeria: where Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus does not dare (yet?)

Background: Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) undermine cattle fitness and productivity in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. The aim of this study was to document the composition of tick species, assessing the burden of infestation, in traditionally managed cattle in an area of central Nigeria where acaricides have not been used historically. Methods: The study was carried out in September 2010 in 9 villages belonging to three neighbouring local government areas in Plateau State, Nigeria. In each village all visible adult ticks were collected from at least 15 cattle (mean number = 25). Collected ticks were preserved in 70% ethanol to be counted and morphologically identified to the species level. Results: A total of 5011 ixodid ticks (1935 males and 3076 females) were collected from 228 cattle, comprising 14 calves, 33 juveniles, and 181 adults. Three tick genera (i.e., Amblyomma, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus, including the Boophilus sub-genus) and 11 species were identified. The most prevalent species was Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (41.4%), followed by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (15.4%), Rhipicephalus guilhoni (12.0%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) geigyi (7.6%), Hyalomma truncatum (7.4%), Amblyomma variegatum (6.3%), Rhipicephalus simus Group (4.0%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (1.2%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (0.3%), Hyalomma rufipes (0.2%), and Rhipicephalus lunulatus (n = 1). Mean tick loads recorded were relatively high (22 ± 1.4), in spite of the practice of hand removal of ticks traditionally undertaken by the Fulani pastoralists in the area. Calves bore a significantly lower tick burden than adults (p = 0.004). Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was not found in the area, suggesting that the eastbound expansion of this tick species in West Africa, has not yet reached central Nigeria. Conclusions: This study ascertained the presence of a broad variety of cattle tick species, most of which are of veterinary importance. The presence of each tick species is correlated with the potential occurrence of tick-borne pathogens and suggestions for tick control in the area are considered. Results should assist the diagnosis of related TBDs in cattle as well as the strategic planning of cost-effective tick control. Keywords: Cattle, Ticks, Tick-borne diseases, sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria

Source: UG
The J.H. Kwabena Nketia archive at the University of Ghana- Legon

This report is on the J.H. Kwabena Nketia Archive at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra. In the light of growing destruction of public archives in Ghana, mainly due to chieftaincy and land litigation but also because of the lack of a proper maintenance culture, this report will suggest that other, non-conventional archives, such as the J.H. Kwabena Nketia Archive should be explored by historians and researchers. This report highlights the contribution of J.H. Kwabena Nketia who sought to preserve information that is crucial at a time when the world seems to be abandoning most of the most important and significant aspects of Africa’s cultural and artistic history

Source: UG
Japan and Africa’s Economic Development: Where is the Public-Private Partnership?

As a new developmental paradigm that focuses on the perennial development challenges facing the African countries, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) unravels an acutely observed narrative about Africa’s unfolding dialogue with modernization and economic growth. Since the first TICAD Summit in 1993 and continuing through to TICAD VI in 2016, the stakeholders involved in the process have explored different themes and facets of Africa’s development problems in an attempt to jump-start the region’s economic development. Despite Japan’s good intentions its economic presence in Africa (and indeed in Ghana) remains insignificant. Why is that so; why is Japan’s FDI stock in Africa negligible, what roles do the Japanese private sector play in Africa?

Source: UG
Jerry John Rawlings and the Politics of Risky Public Policy Decisions in Uncertain Times

Rational choice institutionalism and expected utility theories assume that political leaders are generally risk averse. As such they averred that leaders usually focus on building support through popular policies that distribute resources and rewards to constituencies in their patronage networks rather than taking tough decisions that can hurt their supporters. When Jerry John Rawlings emerged for the second time on the political scene in Ghana in the early 1980s in a military coup that toppled the administration of Hilla Limann, he was greeted with a deep sense of euphoria and jubilation. Drawing on prospects theory, the chapter offers fresh insights on Jerry Rawlings’ policy shift from socialist policies to policies inspired by neoliberal capitalism in the early 1980s. The chapter underscores the central thesis of prospects theoretic decision analysis, which suggests that leaders opt for highly risky choices when faced with threats to their survival, but are more cautious when confronting obvious gains.

Source: UG