ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine as Intermittent Preventive Treatment For Malaria In Pregnancy In Selected Health Facilities In Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

Malaria in pregnancy still remains a huge public health problem in most parts of Africa and Asia-Pacific. The use of Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine as intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy (SP -IPTp) in endemic regions of the world has reduced the burden of malaria in pregnancy and minimized the consequences of malaria to both mother and the foetus. However, there have been reports of wide-spread mutations, especially in eastern and some parts of southern Africa, in the dhfr and dhps genes, which confer to the Plasmodium parasite, resistance to pyrimethamine and sulphadoxine respectively. This, coupled with the general preponderance of substandard anti-malaria drugs on the African market, threatens the success of SP-IPTp. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sulphadoxine and pyrimethamine as IPTp in three selected health facilities in Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis of the western region of Ghana. SP was found to be efficacious in clearing parasitaemia amongst parasitaemic yet asymptomatic pregnant women in the face of high prevalence (71.4%) of dhfi" triple mutations Nl08, 151 and R59. The quintuple mutation, known to confirm high-grade resistance to the parasites was found in only two (2) isolates in nonpregnant attendants at the general outpatient department. There was no association between number of SP doses taken, the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and maternal anaemia. Higher doses of SP, ITN usage, but not parity, reduced the risk of both placental parasitaemia and low birth weight. The SP tablets in used were found to be of good quality having a USP of 95.3% and 92.8% and dissolution of95.2% and 83.03% for sulphadoxine and pyrimethamine respectively. This study therefore found the SP tablets in use as IPTp to be of good quality and effective in the face of high prevalence of dhfr triple mutations.

Source: UCC
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the disbursement and utilization of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in the Gomoa East district

The study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the disbursement and utilization of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in the Gomoa East District Assembly. A sample size of 273 was used for the study. The study employed both primary and secondary data. The study revealed the following as its major findings: That the administrator of the DACF is primarily responsible for the effective monitoring of the disbursement and utilization of the DACF through its demand of DACF budgets and reports from the MMDAs, that stakeholders are largely involved in the selection of DACF funded projects, that community members have adequate knowledge about the fund but are generally not satisfied with projects funded by the DACF, citing the delays in the release of the fund as a major setback in the successful execution of DACF projects, that over the years, the DACF has led to improvement in the social and economic infrastructure in the district and finally, that the DACF is characterized by too many deductions at source by the central government. The study concludes that the fund has indeed improved the socio-economic infrastructure and lives of the citizens in the district. However, the delays and the shortfalls between projected and actual allocations stalls some projects and prevent others from being realized. Consequently, the study recommends that the DACF should be released on time to enable MMDA’s to execute their projects and programs on time.

Source: UCC
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the disbursment and utilization of the district assembly common fund(DACF) in the Gomoa east district

study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the disbursement and utilization of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in the Gomoa East District Assembly. A sample size of 273 was used for the study. The study employed both primary and secondary data. The study revealed the following as its major findings: That the administrator of the DACF is primarily responsible for the effective monitoring of the disbursement and utilization of the DACF through its demand of DACF budgets and reports from the MMDAs, that stakeholders are largely involved in the selection of DACF funded projects, that community members have adequate knowledge about the fund but are generally not satisfied with projects funded by the DACF, citing the delays in the release of the fund as a major setback in the successful execution of DACF projects, that over the years, the DACF has led to improvement in the social and economic infrastructure in the district and finally, that the DACF is characterized by too many deductions at source by the central government. The study concludes that the fund has indeed improved the socio-economic infrastructure and lives of the citizens in the district. However, the delays and the shortfalls between projected and actual allocations stalls some projects and prevent others from being realized. Consequently, the study recommends that the DACF should be released on time to enable MMDA’s to execute their projects and programs on time.

Source: UCC
An Evaluation of the Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Corporate Image and Beneficiary Communities: Case Study Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was initiated by Sheldon in 1924. Corporate Social Responsibility has tremendous social and economic relevance to the beneficiary community by way of providing development for the community and also has positive image building and credibility enhancement to the company in question, however, its establishment has been a worldwide subject of immense controversy and interest for businesses, society, government and academia alike. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of CSR on the beneficiary communities and what factors AngloGold Ashanti must consider when designing and implementing CSR projects/programmes. This thesis focuses on the AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi mine and how they can improve their CSR work within their organisation. The research employed the mixed method approach. This implies that the research study relied on both quantitative and qualitative sources of data. The qualitative data was collected through the survey of household heads in beneficiary communities, with the primary data collected through interviews. In all, the study finds CSR as a major strategy that can be used to ensure the development of communities if well done. CSR should be more participatory, allocate maximum resources and should be well monitored and evaluated. Above all, governments should intervene and make legislations on CSR such that corporate entities should be mandated to undertake development projects in their areas of operation. © University of Cape Coast https://ir.ucc.edu.gh/xmlui Digitized

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the efficacy of resistance screening methods used in the breeding of black pod disease resistant varieties in cacao

The resistance of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) leaves and pods to Phytophthora palmivora (Butler) Butler was investigated in 25 international genotypes of cacao in five laboratory experiments and a field trial at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana at Tafo. Tissue-paper-mount and punch- inoculation methods were used to distinguish between resistance at the penetration and post-penetration levels based on lesion frequency and size, respectively. A significant clonal difference for leaf and pod resistance at the two stages of infection was observed. Correlation between resistance of leaves and pods was positive and significant at both penetration and post-penetration stages of infection. The occurrence of such a characteristic of cacao leaf suggests the possibility of the use of leaves of cocoa seedlings for the prediction of pod resistance to the black pod disease. The linear correlation between the detached pod tests and leaf disc test was significant. A highly significant difference was observed among levels of infection of distal, proximal and mid regions of pods inoculated with Phytophthora palmivora. The reliability of the tests was evaluated by correlating results of the / inoculation tests with the level of field infection. These correlations were generally positive and significant, both for detached pod and leaf tests. The high positive correlation between detached leaves and pods and natural Phytophthora pod rot infection in the field showed that detached organs can be used for prediction of resistance in the field. SCA 6, T85/799, LAFl, ICS 1 and GU 225V were noticed to be promising clones for breeding against black pod disease. The susceptible clones were MO 20, T79/501, VENC 4-4, PA 120 and MOCORONGO. The results suggest that routine application of the detached leaf and pod tests if carried out under uniform conditions and in standardized manner should both be sufficient in selection of new varieties with high levels of field resistance to black pod.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the efficacy of xylopic acid — artesunate, and xylopic acid —amodiaquine co-administration in plasmodium berghei malaria mouse model

Evidence of Plasmodium resistance to some of the current antimalarial agents makes it imperative to search for newer, and effective drugs to combat this challenge, and combination therapy remains key in the quest to address this problem. Therefore, this study evaluated the interaction that exist when xylopic acid-artesunate and xylopic acid-amodiaquine are co-administered in managing malaria in mice. Antiplasmodial effect of xylopic acid (XA: 3, 10, 30, 100, 150 mg kg-1), artesunate (ART: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 mg kg-1), and amodiaquine (AQ: 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg kg-1) were evaluated in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA and treated for 5 days with the respective drugs p.o. Using iterative curve-fitting of the log-dose responses, the respective ED50s for the three compounds were determined. XA and ART, and XA and AQ were subsequently administered in a fixed-dose combination of their ED50s (1:1) along with the combination fractions of (1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32) to get the experimental ED50S (Zexp). An isobologram was constructed to determine the nature of interaction between xylopic acid —artesunate, and xylopic acid —amodiaquine combinations by comparing Zexp with the theoretical ED50 (Zadd). Also, the treatments ability to relieve other signs of malaria such as weight loss and pyrexia were assessed. All animals were continuously observed further after treatment in a 30-day survival test. ED50s for xylopic acid, artesunate, and amodiaquine were 9.0±3.2, 1.61±0.6, and 3.1±0.8 mg/kg. The Zadd and Zexp for xylopic acid and artesunate co-administration (XA—ART) was 5.3±2.61 and 1.98±0.25, respectively, with an interaction index of 0.37. The xylopic acid and amodiaquine combination therapy (XA—AQ) gave Zadd and Zexp of 6.05±2.0 and 1.69±0.42, respectively, with an interaction index of 0.28. The Zexp for both combination therapies lied significantly (p<0.001) below the additive isoboles showing that xylopic acid acts synergistically with both artesunate and amodiaquine in clearing the parasites. XA/AQ and the high dose XA/ART combination significantly (p<0.05) increased the survival days of infected mice and also reduced their weight loss.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the efficiency of private solid waste management in Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly

This study set out to evaluate the efficiency of private solid waste management in the Ablekuma North Municipality. A total of 100 respondents from five electoral areas of the Assembly was used for the data collection and systematic sampling procedure was used to select the various households. Twenty (20) respondents were also interviewed from two private waste collection companies in the Municipality. In each house the female adults were interviewed. The results showed that all respondents interviewed had attained some level of education with 41per cent having completed secondary education. Majority (55%) of the respondents kept their waste in sacks, 41 per cent kept in waste bins and 4% in baskets. 89% of the respondents were aware of waste separation but do not practice it. About 52 per cent of the respondents have registered with the formal private waste collection companies for their waste collection and 46 per cent have registered with the informal sector tricycle operators for their waste collection services. Majority (53%) of the respondents rated the quality of of service delivered by the private sector as fair, good (22%), poor (13%) and very poor (6%). The waste collection companies are faced with some challenges which include bad roads in the various communities, the absence of final disposal site within the Municipality and poor patronage of services by the community members. It was concluded that the private sector waste collection services were not efficient and require much improvement but the informal sector collectors are complementing their inefficient waste collection services. The franchised private sector service provider should be cautioned to improve service coverage and delivery and the informal collectors should be empowered to provide supportive waste collection services in the municipality.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the financial performance of Ga Rural Bank Limited from 2010-2013

The study used the annual financial statements covering a period of Four years (2010 to 2013) to evaluate the financial performance of Ga Rural Bank Limited. Ratio Analysis was the major tool used to analyze the data collected from the Ga Rural Bank Limited. The results of the study revealed that, the Bank had been successful in its Deposit mobilization, Liquidity and its high Profitsare based on some of the strengthswhich serve as a catalyst for driving its profits. The strengths are good corporate governance culture, superior quality service delivery, innovation of new products , effective communication of strategy and management commitment to staff training and development .The liquidity and size were positive and significantly related to the performance of the Bank. Overall the study found that Ga Rural Bank Limited performance increased considerably in the entire period of the analysis. A significant change in trend was noticed at the onset of the four year period, reaching its peak during the end of the period. This resulted in rising profitability, high deposit mobilization and low liquidity.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the general aims of the senior high school english language curriculum: the perspectives of graduates of senior high schools

The study evaluated the general aims of the Senior High School English language curriculum from the perspective of graduates of Senior High Schools in tertiary institutions and those working in private basic schools and micro finance companies in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The research design was descriptive survey. Out of a population of 8070 graduates, 400 graduates in tertiary institutions and 70 graduates at work places totaling 470 were used. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. Data from the graduates were collected through the use of questionnaire, analysed through the use of descriptive statistics, and presented in mean, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that the general aims of the Senior High School English language curriculum were partially achieved. Prevailing evidence shows that these graduates of Senior High Schools were prepared for both higher education and the job market. From the data gathered, it was concluded, among others, that this curriculum had not developed creativity in its graduates and had not improved their communicative competence. It was recommended that the teaching of English language should be made more practical to help to improve students‟ communicative competence and develop their creative potentials

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the Growth Performance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) in Two Feed Regimes and Rice Output in an Integrated Rice-Fish Farming System in Suakoko, Bong County, Liberia

This study was conducted to assess the yield of two rice cultivars (Suakoko 8 and Nerica L19) and the growth of mono-sex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in an integrated rice-fish farming system. The profitability of the fish-rice integrated system, percent survival and condition factor of the fish was also assessed. The study was conducted using a randomized block design with five treatments and three replicates. The culture pond was fertilized by application of cow manure at a rate of 4.5 kg / plot across the entire five (5) treatment blocks containing 15 experimental plots. Each plot measured 3 m x 3 m; and fish were stocked at a rate of four fish per square meter. Rice seedlings were planted at 0.2 m × 0.2 m spacing. Sixty-four (64) rice plants were initially planted in each plot. A twenty-one (21)-day-old seedling (rice) was used as planting material. The area containing the fish measured 1 m x 3 m and was 0.6 m deep, which served as a refuge pond for the fish. Fish were stocked at an average body weight of 5 g. Data on plant height, fish growth and yields, and water quality parameters were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and significant differences between treatments were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to test for differences in S8R, N19L, S8L, N19R, and S8 and the post hoc analysis were displayed using the Tukey HSD. S8 means Suakoko 8 and N19 means, New Rice for Africa variety 19 (N19). ―R‖ denotes that fish in those plots were fed Raanan feed and ―L‖ denotes that fish in those plots were fed the Local feed. The results show that treatments N19L and N19R had the best rice yield whilst treatment S8R had the best performance for fish growth. However, there were no significance difference in the weight gained of fish feed with Ranaan and those fed with the local feed (p>0.05). Overall, S8R obtained the profit margin of ($ 5,075), N19L ($ 5,949.82), S8L ($ 2,113.79), N19R ($ 9,205.83) and S8 ($ -3,938.15) per (ha) of cultivation – making N19R the most profitable rice-fish integrated aquaculture system.

Source: UCC
An Evaluation of the Implementation of the Ghanaian Language and Culture Curriculum in Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis

Taking into consideration Ghanaian Language students‟ academic performance over the years, the study was purported to evaluate the implementation of the Ghanaian Language and Culture Curriculum in Senior High Schools in the Kumasi metropolis. The study was guided by four research objectives–context of the implementation of the Ghanaian Language and Culture Curriculum, input, process and perceived effectiveness of the GHLC. The study was deeply rooted into Stufflebeam‟s Context, Input, Process and Product model for curriculum evaluation. Through the lens of pragmatism, the study adopted the mixed methods research approach to evaluate the implementation of the curriculum. A multi-stage sampling framework which included census for 41 teachers, proportionate simple random sampling for 322 students and convenience sampling for observing 15 teachers in lessons was used. The findings of the study indicated that the objectives outlined in the curriculum are structured to equip students with language skills, even though the difficult of topics do not match the duration of the curriculum. The findings reflected the inadequacy of instructional materials in Ghanaian Language instruction while it also indicated discussion, lecture and questions and answers as the most used instructional strategies in teaching. Based on the findings, the study recommended for a curriculum that considers its time duration to match the difficulty of its contents. Again, it advocates for teachers to use more advanced methods of teaching and instructional resources considering language learning in 21st century.

Source: UCC
Evaluation Of The Implementation Of The Social Studies Curriculum In Colleges Of Education In Ghana

The study evaluated the implementation of the four-year Bachelor of Education Social Studies curriculum for Colleges of Education in Ghana. The concurrent embedded research design was employed. A sample of 360 teacher trainees selected using proportionate simple random technique. Also, 27 tutors, 10 HoDs and 10 principals were engaged using the census method. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the study. Quantitative data was collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and qualitative data was collected using an interview and observation guide. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Exploratory and explanatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were also performed. The study found that tutors employed the use of think-pair-share, inquiry design model, group works, presentations, concept mapping, debates, audio-visual, tactile analysis and projects in lesson delivery. It was also found that content selected by tutors meets the requirements of the New B.Ed. Social Studies curriculum as required by the objectives. The study concluded that CoEs tutors adopted and used modern pedagogies and technological tools that built competencies needed for the field of work and lifelong learning. It was recommended that efforts should be made by various stakeholders to help CoEs acquire the needed textbooks and physical materials needed for effective teaching and learning to give teacher trainees real life experiences in the classroom. Also, CoEs tutors should ensure appropriate pedagogies are used in the delivery of specific topics to assist teacher trainees to have real life experiences in the classroom.

Source: UCC
An evaluation of the instructional performance between teachers trained by traditional and distance learning model: Implications for teacher education

The goal of this study is to evaluate the instructional performance between teachers who completed their training in traditional and distance learning model in three districts of the Upper West Region of Ghana. A research into the issue is significant because it has relevance to the development of pre-teacher training in education. Ghanaians are used to the traditional school system but the new challenges facing schools has made it necessary for schools to embrace distance education. However, there are also concerns about the quality of distance learning programs. The research question set to guide the study asked the question, whether there are differences in the instructional performance of teachers who completed their training in traditional learning model and in distance learning model. A descriptive survey method was used for the analysis. A questionnaire drawn on a five Likert scale measurement was used to collect data for the study. The study reveals differences in the instructional performance of the two set of teachers. However, the difference in performance was marginal but significant. The study acknowledged that, individual returns depend on their attitudes towards the teaching profession. Thus a measurement of real performance of teachers can be challenging but achievable.

Source: UCC