ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Impact of the citizen science project Collect on ocean literacy and well-being within a north/west African and south-east Asian context

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has proven to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants’ ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project’s implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.

Source: UG
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes services: planning for a global recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected certain groups, such as older people (ie, >65 years), minority ethnic populations, and people with specific chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and some respiratory diseases. There is now evidence of not only direct but also indirect adverse effects of COVID-19 in people with diabetes. Recurrent lockdowns and public health measures throughout the pandemic have restricted access to routine diabetes care, limiting new diagnoses, and affecting self-management, routine follow-ups, and access to medications, as well as affecting lifestyle behaviours and emotional wellbeing globally. Pre-pandemic studies have shown that short-term delays in delivery of routine care, even by 12 months, are associated with adverse effects on risk factor control and worse microvascular, macrovascular, and mortality outcomes in people with diabetes. Disruptions within the short-to-medium term due to natural disasters also result in worse diabetes outcomes. However, the true magnitude of the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term outcomes and mortality in people with diabetes is still unclear. Disasters tend to exacerbate existing health disparities; as we recover ambulatory diabetes services in the aftermath of the pandemic, there is an opportunity to prioritise those with the greatest need, and to target resources and interventions aimed at improving outcomes and reducing inequality

Source: UG
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on voter behaviour in Ghana’s 2020 general election: a case study of the Greater Accra region

In this paper, I seek to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on voter behaviour in the 2020 general elections in Ghana using survey data compiled in Greater Accra between July and August 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic became a major campaign issue in last year’s election prompting varied responses and support from both the government and the main opposition parties. Though a majority of the electorate were satisfied (83.5%) and grateful (82%) for the relief items they received, only 3 out of every 10 of the respondents think the intervention had an effect on the way they voted. Using the rally effect theory, the paper finds that the political leadership and incumbent government were able to rally support for their campaign as a result of the social intervention policies implemented in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, yet were unable to sustain and translate that support into electoral victory in the Greater Accra Region, a major swing region with the highest number of Covid-19 cases and one of the only two regions that witnessed a lockdown during the height of the pandemic

Source: UG
The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Ghana’s Economy

When the crisis first broke internationally, within Ghana there was much ambivalence of how the Ghanaian economy is less likely to be affected. Many were of the view that Ghana will be relatively immune to the international financial implosion because of the relatively limited level of integration of its financial markets. This paper investigates the impact of the global financial crisis on Ghana’s economy using secondary data from the World Bank, IMF, Bank of Ghana and other macro datasets and finds the belief that African countries are insulated from the effects from global financial and Economic crisis is fading. Some important elements of Ghana’s balance of payment and the domestic financial sector have been affected. There are significant implications for domestic banking and capital market, indicated in a credit crunch that has considerably affected access to credit, quality of banks’ loan books and market activity on Ghana Stock Exchange. The paper also finds that FDI showed signs of distress as multinational companies transfer funds to their parent companies to address financial difficulties. There are also negative effects on the trade and external current account balances, and private inward transfers as migrants face challenging times in their destination countries. This paper suggests that the central bank should not renege on its cardinal regulatory and supervisory responsibilities since the financial sector is become one of the major transmission channel through which the crisis is affecting Ghana’s economy. It is also recommended that policy responses should include rethinking of the country’s trade and industrial strategies.

Source: UG
The Impact of the Free Senior High School Education Policy and Double-Track System on Quality Education Outcomes: A Quasi-Experimental Policy Evaluation Study in Ghana

In the 2017/2018 academic year, the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Education, began an educational reform policy codenamed the “Free Senior High School” (FSHS) policy to fully absorb the cost, increase enrolment, and improve the quality of education for all public senior high schools in Ghana. To accommodate more students and reduce overcrowding in schools, the government, as part of the FSHS policy, introduced the double-track system, which divides the total student population and staff into two tracks; as one of the tracks attends school, the other is on vacation and vice versa. No study has assessed this policy on education outcomes. This study assessed the impact of the FSHS policy and the double-track system on quality education outcomes and explored the challenges associated with the implementation of the policies. The study further identified strategies needed to address these challenges. The study employed a quasi-experimental study design using a pre-post data collection instrument designed to assess quality education metrics. We also used a comparative cross-sectional study design and qualitative design methodologies to evaluate the FSHS policy and the double-track system. We quantified the impact of the policies using quantile and ordinary least square regression models with cluster robust standard errors. Our evaluation of the policy showed a significant decline in quality of education outcomes and academic performance. Students who attended the double-track schools performed poorly in all the core subjects compared with non-double-track schools. The challenges associated with the implementation of the policy were financial constraints, infrastructure deficit, inadequate and delayed release of food items, lack of teaching and learning materials, inadequate contact hours, and poor implementation of the policy and the double-track system. Government must comprehensively review the FSHS policy and consider cost sharing with parents and caregivers to sustain the policy.

Source: UG
Impact of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis on Development: Whither Africa?

The global economic crisis beginning in 2008 has come at an inopportune time for Africa. Economic growth had recovered, poverty had declined, and human development had improved. Then the crisis hit. Growth then fell by 60 per cent. The growth decline has been less than in previous economic crises though. Africa's resilience currently likely results from improvements in economic and political governance and to changes in the external environment. It appears that Africa will once again resume its path towards prosperity. However, although low‐income and ‘fragile’ countries appear to be holding up well, many of them critically depend on external assistance. Above all, the commitment to improved governance must continue.

Source: UG
Impact of the Global University Ranking Systems on Higher Education in Ghana With Special Focus on the Role of Academic Libraries

University rankings have altered the landscape of higher education around the world, and it is expected to continue to affect higher education institutions (HEI). The objective of this book chapter was to explore the implications of global university ranking systems on higher education in Ghana. Three ranking systems; times higher education (THE) world university rankings, webometrics ranking, and quacqarelli-symonds (QS) rankings in which the University of Ghana features were reviewed. Further, this book chapter discusses the impact that ranking systems have on higher education and its stakeholders. The study established that collaboration between the faculty and libraries is critical to ensuring higher scores by the ranking systems. This book chapter concludes that HEI in Ghana need to reposition libraries to better support universities in enhancing the visibility and ranking of the university globally. Finally, the authors have provided specific local solutions to be adopted by stakeholders in HEI.

Source: UG
The impact of the national health insurance Scheme on the productivity of cassava farmers in Ghana: evidence from the central and eastern Regions

Health insurance is a humanitarian and affordable way of financing health care services to all. With the main aim of NHIS being the provision of easy. equitable access to health care especially in the rural areas and also the fact that every citizen is taxed with an NHIS levy. it is expected that most. if not all. of the citizens in the country especially the rural areas will enrol. But this is not so. especially among the poorest quintile in most studies. The study therefore estimates the factors that influence the decision to participate. the impact of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on cassava productivity as well as ranking of the constraints to NHIS participation of farmers in the Ayensuano district and Mfantsiman municipal in the Eastern and Central regions of Ghana respectively. The study employed the logit. propensity score matching and the Garret ranking techniques for its analyses. Results from the study reveals that participation in NHIS increases farmers' productivity by approximately 15 bags of cassava per the production year. The significant factors that determine participation in NHIS include income. social capital. gender. health status. awareness. religion. extension contact and distance. Delay in the issue of health insurance cards is the main problem faced by farmers in the study area. The study recommends that the N H IS which is mandatory by law should be enforced on the whole population especially on farmers.

Source: UG
The impact of the Navrongo Project on contraceptive knowledge and use, reproductive preferences, and fertility

The Navrongo Community Health and Family Planning Project is a quasi-experimental study designed to test the hypothesis that introducing health and family planning services in a traditional African societal setting will introduce reproductive change. This article presents the impact of the initial three years of project exposure on contraceptive knowledge, awareness of supply sources, reproductive preferences, contraceptive use, and fertility. Findings show that knowledge of methods and supply sources increased as a result of exposure to project activities and that deployment of nurses to communities was associated with the emergence of preferences to limit childbearing. Fertility impact is evident in all treatment cells, most prominently in areas where nurse-outreach activities are combined with strategies for involving traditional leaders and male volunteers in promoting the program. In this combined cell, the initial three years of project exposure reduced the total fertility rate by one birth, comprising a 15 percent fertility decline relative to fertility levels in comparison communities.

Source: UG
Impact of the okyereko irrigation project in Ghana on the risk of human malaria infection by anopheles species (diptera: Culicidae).

The impact of an irrigation scheme on malaria transmission in coastal savanna was studied. Adult mosquitoes (Diptera : Culicidae) were sampled using human landing and pyrethrum spray catches at Okyereko (irrigated village) and at Bewadze (non-irrigated, 9.5 km away) during the dry season of 2002/2003. Each mosquito was first identified morphologically as <I>Anopheles gambiae</I> Giles, then to sibling species by PCR and <I>An. gambiae s.s.</I> forms were further identified by restriction analysis. The parity of <I>Anopheles</I> mosquitoes were determined and ELISA-based methods used to determine <I>Plasmodium falciparum</I> sporozoite infections and host blood meal source. More <I>Anopheles</I> mosquitoes were obtained at Okyereko. Members of the <I>An. Gambiae</I> complex were dominant at Okyereko and <I>An. funestus</I> at Bewadze. Within the <I>An. gambiae</I> complex, only <I>An. gambiae s.s.</I> was identified, and the M form constituted 91.7 % at Okyereko and 66.7 % at Bewadze. The biting rate was higher at Okyereko, but parous rates were similar in both villages. The infection rates were 2.5-fold higher in <I>An. funestus</I> than <I>An. gambiae</I> at both sites, but were 17.5-fold lower at Okyereko. At Okyereko, the four infective <I>An. gambiae s.s.</I> were found to be the M form while at Bewadze three of the four infective <I>An. gambiae s.s.</I> were found to be the S form and one was the M form. The entomological inoculation rate was also significantly lower at Okyereko. The human blood index was 84.1 % at Okyereko and 77.1 % and Bewadze. Malaria risk was therefore lower at the irrigated village and the likely reason is the low numbers of <I>An. funestus</I> and <I>An. gambiae s.s.</I> S form.

Source: UG
The Impact of Time Management Behaviors on Employee Performance in Humanitarian Service Organization: A Study of Selected NPOs in Ghana

The purpose of this work is to analyze the effect of time management behaviors on work performance of humanitarian services. non-for-profit organizations (NPOs) in Ghana. Using a survey of For NPOs in Ghana, different multivariate analytical techniques were employed to analyze the data. By doing so, we tested three symmetrical hypotheses of employees’ time behaviors leading to outcomes of employee performance in NPOs. Results indicated that short-range time management behavior has a strong impact on employee work performance in NPOs. Results also indicated that long-range time management behavior has a positive impact on employee work performance in NPOs. Similarly, our findings demonstrated that employee time management attitude is strongly linked to their performance in NPOs. This study concludes that time management behaviors or practices should be of great concern to organizational analysis in terms of time management and employee productivity which may go a long way toward creating competitive advantage for organizations.

Source: UG
Impact of treating young children with antimalarials with or without antibiotics on morbidity: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in ghana

Background: Community health workers in Dangme-West district, Ghana, treated children aged 2-59 months with fever with either artesunate-amodiaquine (AAQ) or AAQ plus amoxicillin (AAQ + AMX) within a clusterrandomized controlled trial (registration no. TDR/UNDP Trial registration A: 20189). The intervention was introduced in a stepped-wedge manner. The aim of the study was reduction of mortality. This paper reports on the reduction of morbidity, notably anaemia, severe anaemia and severe illness. Clusters of 100 children were randomized in to AAQ, AAQ + AMX and pre-intervention arms. Six months later the pre-intervention clusters were randomized in to the AAQ and AAQ + AMX arms. Methods: Data were collected in eight cross-sectional surveys. Using stratified sampling, 10 clusters were randomly selected per survey. Blood samples were taken to assess haemoglobin. Caregivers were interviewed about diseases (signs and symptoms) among their children in the preceding 14 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact on anaemia, severe anaemia and severe illness. Results: Compared with the pre-intervention clusters, anaemia was reduced in the AAQ (OR=0.20, 95% CI 0.12-0.33) and AAQ+ AMX (OR=0.23, 95% CI 0.15-0.36) clusters, severe anaemia was reduced in the AAQ (OR=0.20, 95% CI 0.09-0.45) and AAQ+ AMX (OR=0.12, 95% CI 0.04-0.31) clusters and severe illness was reduced in the AAQ (OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.26-0.80) and AAQ+ AMX (OR= 0.38, 95% CI 0.22-0.63) clusters. No significant differences were found in outcome variables between the AAQ and AAQ+ AMX clusters. Conclusions: Treating fever with antimalarials significantly reduced the prevalence of anaemia, severe anaemia and severe illness.We found no significant reduction in outcomes when the AAQ and AAQ+AMX clusters were compared.

Source: UG
Impact of urban agriculture on malaria vectors in Accra, Ghana

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
Impact of Urban Slum Residence on Coverage of Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Service Indicators in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: an Ecological Time‑Series Analysis, 2018–2021

Among other focus areas, the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 11 seek to advance progress toward universal coverage of maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) services and access to safe and affordable housing and basic services by 2030. Governments and development agencies have historically neglected the health and well-being associated with living in urban slums across major capital cities in sub-Saharan Africa since health Policies and programs have tended to focus on people living in rural communities. This study assessed the trends and compared inequities in MNCH service utilization between slum and non-slum districts in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. It analyzed information from 29 districts using monthly time-series Health Management Information System (HMIS) data on MNCH service utilization between January 2018 and December 2021. Multivariable quantile regression models with robust standard errors used to quantify the impact of urban slum residence on MNCH service utilization. We assessed the inequalities of MNCH coverage indicators between slum and non-slum districts using the Gini index with bootstrapped standard errors and the generalized Lorenz curve. The results indicate that rates of vaccination coverage and antenatal care (ANC) attendance have declined significantly in slum districts compared to those in non-slum districts. However, skilled birth delivery and postnatal care (PNC) were found to be higher in urban slum areas compared to those in non-urban slum areas. To help achieve the SDGs’ targets, it is important for the government of Ghana and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize the implementation of effective policies, programs, and interventions that will improve access to and utilization of ANC and immunization services among urban slum dwellers.

Source: UG
Impact Of Value-Based Care On Quality Of Life, Clinical Outcomes, Patient Satisfaction, And Enhanced Financial Protection Among Hypertensive Patients In Ghana: A Protocol For A Mixed Method Evaluation, 2024.

Background Evidence on which hypertensive intervention is cost-effective is essential to inform strat egy, policy development, practice, implementation, and resource allocation. Value-Based Care (VBC) is a healthcare delivery model that emphasizes improving patient outcomes while optimizing costs. It shifts the focus from the volume of services provided to the value delivered to patients. We hypothesize that innovative VBC intervention would be more cost-effective compared to standard care among individuals with poorly controlled hypertension. Methods This study in Ghana will employ a mixed-methods evaluation design, a comprehensive and thorough approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The quan titative component will involve a quasi-experimental study to measure the impact of the VBC intervention on quality of life, improved clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and enhanced financial protection among hypertensive patients registered with the National Health Insurance Authority. We will use a difference-in-difference analytic approach and a generalized estimation equation model with cluster-robust standard errors to quantify the impact of VBC, accounting for potential confounding variables. The qualitative component will involve in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to gather insights into the experiences and perceptions of the patients, caregivers, and policymakers involved in the VBC intervention and the benefits, barriers, costs of treatment, and challenges associated with the VBC intervention. Discussions Despite the availability of safe treatment options for hypertension, most people with hypertension in LMICs do not have it controlled. There is currently a paucity of knowledge about the cost-effectiveness of VBC interventions in developing countries. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap and pave the way for more cost-effective hypertension treatment worldwide. The Ghana VBC intervention described in this paper is a pioneering approach to achieving safer, more consistent, and cost-effective care for hypertensive patients.

Source: UG