ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Progress towards universal coverage: The health systems of Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania

A desire to enhance protection against health care costs and improve equity of access to health care lies at the core of many health sector financing initiatives. Until recently, international debates about financing and health equity have focused primarily on mechanisms to promote equity in relation to very specific elements of health systems. However, in recent years there has been growing interest in considering these equity challenges from a more systemic perspective. In this context, universal health coverage is becoming a rallying call, with a focus on how best universal coverage can be financed. This paper is the first in a special issue which presents a body of research whose overall aim was to critically evaluate existing inequities in health care financing and provision in Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania, and the extent to which health insurance mechanisms (broadly defined) could address financial protection and equity of access challenges. In this first paper we introduce the countries' health systems, with a special emphasis on existing mechanisms for financial protection. We also identify in broad terms the key challenges for universal coverage, setting the scene for the subsequent papers. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2012; all rights reserved.2012 © Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2012; all rights reserved.

Source: UG
Progressive emergence of an S153F plus R263K combination of integrase mutations in the proviral DNA of one individual successfully treated with dolutegravir

Most research activities involve the use of molecular methods such as regular PCR (PCR), quantitative PCR (Q-PCR), genomic sequence and analysis using different software, genetic engineering, probe hybridization techniques, biological and molecular cloning, evaluation of immune markers for laboratory diagnosis of infections, serological assays involving the use of rapid tests, ELISA-based evaluations and immunofluorescent assay techniques.

Source: UG
Progressive emergence of an S153F plus R263K combination of integrase mutations in the proviral DNA of one individual successfully treated with dolutegravir

Objectives: The development of HIV drug resistance against the integrase strand transfer inhibitor dolutegravir is rare. We report here the transient detection, by near full-genome ultradeep sequencing, of minority HIV-1 sub type B variants bearing the S153F and R263K integrase substitutions in the proviral DNA from blood cells of one patient who successfully initiated dolutegravir-based ART, over 24 weeks. Our objective was to study the effects of these substitutions. Methods: Strand transfer and DNA-binding activities of recombinant integrase proteins were measured in cell free assays. Cell-based resistance, infectivity and replicative capacities were measured using molecular clones. Structural modelling was performed to understand experimental results. Results: R263K emerged first, followed by the addition of S153F at Week 12. By Week 24, both mutations remained present, but at lower prevalence. We confirmed the coexistence of S153F and R263K on single viral genomes. Combining S153F or S153Y with R263K decreased integration and viral replicative capacity and con ferred high levels of drug resistance against all integrase inhibitors. Alone, S153Y and S153F did little to infectivity or dolutegravir resistance. We identified altered DNA binding as a mechanism of resistance. The patient remained with undetectable viral loads at all timepoints. Conclusions: Drug-resistant minority variants have often been reported under suppressive ART. Our study adds to these observations by unravelling a progression towards higher levels of resistance through a novel pathway despite continuous undetectable viral loads. Poorly replicative HIV drug-resistant minority proviral variants did not compromise viral suppression in one individual treated with dolutegravir.

Source: UG
Progressive ocean oxygenation at ~2.2 Ga inferred from geochemistry and molybdenum isotopes of the Nsuta Mn deposit, Ghana

Recent geochemical data suggest the occurrence of an O2 overshoot during the mid-Paleoproterozoic (~2.3–2.0 Ga). This O2 overshoot appears to be consistent with carbon isotope records that suggest high burial rates of organic carbon during that period, the so-called Lomagundi Event. However, little is known about the changes in the ocean redox conditions associated with the O2 overshoot. To better understand the mid-Paleoproterozoic ocean chemistry, we investigated the microstructures, major and trace element concentrations, Re-Os and Mo (δ98/95Mo) isotopes, and total organic carbon contents of Mn-ore and phyllite samples from the Nsuta Mn deposit in the Birimian Supergroup of Ghana which were deposited during the O2 overshoot (at ~2.2 Ga). The Mn-ore samples contain early diagenetic rhodochrosite (Mn carbonate). The trace element compositions and Re-Os isotopes of the Mn-ore samples suggest that the rhodochrosite originated from primary manganese oxides (MnO2) deposited at ~2.2-Ga. The δ98/95Mo values of the least-altered Mn-ore samples range between 􀀀 1.10‰ and 􀀀 0.55‰ (relative to NIST3134), suggesting seawater δ98/95Mo values of 1.85 ± 0.18‰ (1SD) during the O2 overshoot. Such high seawater δ98/95Mo values can be best explained by enhanced removal of isotopically light Mo through adsorption onto Mn oxides. To form extensive Mn-oxide deposits, bottom seawater with O2 concentrations of > 10 μM would have expanded at ~2.2 Ga. The oxidizing conditions might have supported the emergence of stem group eukaryotes during the mid-Paleoproterozoic.

Source: UG
Progressivity of health care financing and incidence of service benefits in Ghana

The National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme was introduced in Ghana in 2004 as a pro-poor financing strategy aimed at removing financial barriers to health care and protecting all citizens from catastrophic health expenditures, which currently arise due to user fees and other direct payments. A comprehensive assessment of the financing and benefit incidence of health services in Ghana was undertaken. These analyses drew on secondary data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey (2005/2006) and from an additional household survey which collected data in 2008 in six districts covering the three main ecological zones of Ghana. Findings show that Ghana's health care financing system is progressive, driven largely by the progressivity of taxes. The national health insurance levy (which is part of VAT) is mildly progressive while NHI contributions by the informal sector are regressive. The distribution of total benefits from both public and private health services is pro-rich. However, public sector district-level hospital inpatient care is pro-poor and benefits of primary-level health care services are relatively evenly distributed. For Ghana to attain an equitable health system and fully achieve universal coverage, it must ensure that the poor, most of whom are not currently covered by the NHI, are financially protected, and it must address the many access barriers to health care.

Source: UG
Project Management in Ghana: Expectations, Realities and Barriers to Use

This article reports the findings of an empirical study of the problems of developing Project Management (PM) practice in Ghanaian organisations. Based on previous research and survey data, the characteristics of the project life cycle (PLC) are used as a basis to examine the nature, type and severity of the problems encountered by organisations implementing projects. It is also used to determine the extent and relevance of PM usage: concepts, methods and application. It is concluded that although PM is important, legitimate and relevant, its practice in Ghana has been fraught with problems. Some recommendations for overcoming these problems are also made, and it is recommended that further research is required in order to ascertain the nature of PM practice and to gauge the attitudes and opinions of people involved in projects in Ghana.

Source: UG
Project Management Practices and Critical Success Factors–A Developing Country Perspective

The study sought to identify and assess the quality of project management practices as well as the criticalsuccess factors for projects in Ghana. The study adopted an exploratory approach and utilized a survey methodto collect data on project management practices of Ghanaian organizations. Purposive sampling was used inselecting the sample which comprised 200 managers from different economic sectors. Results from the studyindicated that the critical factors that contribute to the success of a project include top management support,effective communication, clarity of project purpose and goals, and stakeholder involvement. Documentation anddissemination of critical success factors and best practices in project management will improve the quality ofproject management in Ghana. The absence of a structured system of documentation of project management practices among Ghanaian projectmanagers has resulted in a dearth of empirical data. The inability of the researchers to sample organisationsacross Ghana is considered as one of the study’s limitations, an example of a geographical constraint. Thisresearch focused on the key factors and best practices that lead to the success of projects in Ghana.

Source: UG
Projected Change in Temperature and Precipitation Over Africa from CMIP6.

We analyze data of 27 global climate models from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparing Project (CMIP6), and examine projected changes in temperature and precipitation over the African continent during the twenty-first century. The temperature and precipitation changes are computed for two future time slices, 2030–2059 (near term) and 2070–2099 (long term), relative to the present climate (1981–2010), for the entire African continent and its eight sub regions. The CMIP6 multi-model ensemble projected a continuous and signifcant increase in the mean annual temperature over all of Africa and its eight sub regions during the twenty-first century. The mean annual temperature over Africa for the near (long)-term period is projected to increase by 1.2 °C (1.4 °C), 1.5 °C (2.3 °C), and 1.8 °C (4.4 °C) under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) for weak, moderate, and strong forcing, referenced as SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. The future warming is not uniform over Africa and varies regionally. By the end of the twenty-frst century, the largest rise in mean annual temperature (5.6 °C) is projected over the Sahara, while the smallest rise (3.5 °C) is over Central East Africa, under the strong forcing SSP5-8.5 scenario. The projected boreal winter and summer temperature patterns for the twenty-first century show spatial distributions similar to the annual patterns. Uncertainty associated with projected temperature over Africa and its eight sub regions increases with time and reaches a maximum by the end of the twenty-first century. On the other hand, the precipitation projections over Africa during the twenty-first century show large spatial variability and seasonal dependency. The northern and southern parts of Africa show a reduction in precipitation, while the central parts of Africa show an increase, in future climates under the three reference scenarios. For the near (long)-term periods, the area-averaged precipitation over Africa is projected to increase by 6.2 (4.8)%, 6.8 (8.5)%, and 9.5 (15.2)% under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, respectively. The median warming simulated by the CMIP6 model ensemble remains higher than the CMIP5 ensemble over most of Africa, reaching as high as 2.5 °C over some regions, while precipitation shows a mixed spatial pattern.

Source: UG
Projected future daily characteristics of African precipitation based on global (CMIP5, CMIP6) and regional (CORDEX, CORDEX‑CORE) climate models

We provide an assessment of future daily characteristics of African precipitation by explicitly comparing the results of large ensembles of global (CMIP5, CMIP6) and regional (CORDEX, CORE) climate models, specifically highlighting the similarities and inconsistencies between them. Results for seasonal mean precipitation are not always consistent amongst ensembles: in particular, global models tend to project a wetter future compared to regional models, especially over the Eastern Sahel, Central and East Africa. However, results for other precipitation characteristics are more consistent. In general, all ensembles project an increase in maximum precipitation intensity during the wet season over all regions and emission scenarios (except the West Sahel for CORE) and a decrease in precipitation frequency (under the Representative Concentration Pathways RCP8.5) especially over the West Sahel, the Atlas region, southern central Africa, East Africa and southern Africa. Depending on the season, the length of dry spells is projected to increase consistently by all ensembles and for most (if not all) models over southern Africa, the Ethiopian highlands and the Atlas region. Discrepancies exist between global and regional models on the projected change in precipitation characteristics over specific regions and seasons. For instance, over the Eastern Sahel in July–August most global models show an increase in precipitation frequency but regional models project a robust decrease. Global and regional models also project an opposite sign in the change of the length of dry spells. CORE results show a marked drying over the regions affected by the West Africa monsoon throughout the year, accompanied by a decrease in mean precipitation intensity between May and July that is not present in the other ensembles. This enhanced drying may be related to specific physical mechanisms that are better resolved by the higher resolution models and highlights the importance of a process-based evaluation of the mechanisms controlling precipitation over the region

Source: UG
Projected future daily characteristics of African precipitation based on global (CMIP5, CMIP6) and regional (CORDEX, CORDEX‑CORE) climate models

We provide an assessment of future daily characteristics of African precipitation by explicitly comparing the results of large ensembles of global (CMIP5, CMIP6) and regional (CORDEX, CORE) climate models, specifically highlighting the similarities and inconsistencies between them. Results for seasonal mean precipitation are not always consistent amongst ensembles: in particular, global models tend to project a wetter future compared to regional models, especially over the Eastern Sahel, Central and East Africa. However, results for other precipitation characteristics are more consistent. In general, all ensembles project an increase in maximum precipitation intensity during the wet season over all regions and emission scenarios (except the West Sahel for CORE) and a decrease in precipitation frequency (under the Representative Concentration Pathways RCP8.5) especially over the West Sahel, the Atlas region, southern central Africa, East Africa and southern Africa. Depending on the season, the length of dry spells is projected to increase consistently by all ensembles and for most (if not all) models over southern Africa, the Ethiopian highlands and the Atlas region. Discrepancies exist between global and regional models on the projected change in precipitation characteristics over specific regions and seasons. For instance, over the Eastern Sahel in July–August most global models show an increase in precipitation frequency but regional models project a robust decrease. Global and regional models also project an opposite sign in the change of the length of dry spells. CORE results show a marked drying over the regions affected by the West Africa monsoon throughout the year, accompanied by a decrease in mean precipitation intensity between May and July that is not present in the other ensembles. This enhanced drying may be related to specific physical mechanisms that are better resolved by the higher resolution models and highlights the importance of a process-based evaluation of the mechanisms controlling precipitation over the region.

Source: UG
Projected increased risk of water deficit over major West African river basins under future climates

Estimating climate change impacts on water resources in West Africa has been challenged by hydrological data scarcity and inconsistencies in the available climate projections. In this study, multi-model ensembles of the most recent global and regional climate models output are used to simulate the hydrologic impacts of climate change in five major river basins (i.e. Senegal, Gambia, Volta, Niger and Chad) that comprise most of West Africa. Under Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5, the results consistently project substantial decreases (10 to 40%) in potential water availability across the five major river basins. The largest changes are projected to occur in the Senegal basin, Gambia basin and the Sahelian part of the other river basins. The negative trends are steepest after 2050 and in the higher greenhouse gas forcing scenario. Therefore, in a business-as-usual world, reduced water availability combined with the region’s rapidly growing population will have West Africa facing an unprecedented water deficit during the second half of the twenty-first century. However, greenhouse gas mitigation can help reduce this deficit. In the Volta basin, although potential water availability declines considerably, precipitation exceeds potential evapotranspiration during the monsoon season in both forcing scenarios, suggesting opportunities for adaptation.

Source: UG
Projected temperature increases over northern Ghana

This study reports on projected temperature increases and their likely implication on smallholder farming systems across the northern regions of Ghana. Aggregated climate data from 1961 to 2000 show that the mean annual temperature across Ghana rose by 1.0 ℃, with the greatest rate of change in the northern–eastern part of the country. For the development of the downscaled climate projection, fve regional climate models (RCMs) forced with three global climate models (GCMs) were used from CORDEX and CMIP5, respectively. Eight stations spatially spread across the study locations were selected for the study based on the quality and completeness of data. The study used daily, minimum and maximum temperature station data from 1980 to 2014 obtained from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. The downscaling was done for the emission scenarios pathways—Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6 and 8.5—from the selected RCMs using the station data. Time series of minimum and maximum temperatures averaged for the eight stations was analysed from 1961 to 2080. Results indicate temperatures are likely to increase over northern Ghana with minimum air temperature increasing by 0.5 °C under RCP 2.6 and 2.5 °C under RCP 8.5. Maximum air temperatures are likely to increase by 1 °C under RCP 2.6 and 2 °C under RCP 8.5 by the year 2080. Warming rates per year for the stations reveal that minimum temperatures are warming faster than maximum temperatures. The 99th percentile, which is a measure of heat waves, shows a close relationship between the minimum temperatures for the RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 pathways in all the stations except for Wenchi and Bolgatanga. Each pathway has a variation between 22.5 °C and 30 °C. The lowest projected value of the 99th percentile maximum temperature is 35 °C in Wenchi, and the highest projected is above 43 °C in Navrongo. Smallholder food crop farming systems are likely to be negatively impacted, with direct risks of low crop yield unless measures like irrigation and careful crop selection are implemented

Source: UG
Projects, public investment programmes and medium-term expenditure frameworks: Evidence from Ghana

It is now generally believed that participation in all stages of the project cycle by governments, donors, beneficiary communities, non-governmental organisations and other identified stakeholders will significantly impact on project performance and improve sustainability. Despite the popular embrace of the participatory approach, project performance in developing countries arguably has not improved significantly. This is particularly true of large infrastructure projects. © Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2003.

Source: UG
The Proliferation of Small Arms in West Africa and Its Security Implications for Ghana

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been a major problem on the African continent for many years. It has been considered as the main driver of conflict on the continent, leading to massive displacement of people, increases in transnational crime, reversing democracy and development, and fueling the increase in criminal behavior in African states. The study is, therefore, an exploration of the proliferation of SALW in Africa, using Ghana as a case study. Relying on the concept of transnational security, the research employs such tools as interviews and extensive literature reviews to unearth the sources of illicit arms and the factors that facilitate proliferation in Ghana, the security implications of the proliferation of SALW in Ghana, and the effectiveness of legislative instruments that have been introduced to address the issue. The study finds that there two main sources of small arms in Ghana: from Local Manufacturers and from Imported Weapons. Factors like porous borders and corruption facilitate the proliferation of SALW in Ghana, leading to such security problems as threats to some aspects of human security, tensions during elections, and the escalation in communal conflicts. The study also finds that the policy interventions by government, including the Arms and Ammunitions Act, as well as the establishment of NACSA have not been effective in addressing the issue, leading several recommendations to address the problem, including intensifying public education and awareness, reviewing outdated legislations, working with the local gun-manufacturers, and providing adequate resources to the regulatory bodies.

Source: UG
Prolonged ingestion of dietary cocoa attenuates hemoglobin glycation associated with diabetes mellitus in rats.

Cocoa contains numerous polyphenols with laudable antioxidant activity. Glycation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of complications of diabetes mellitus. We investigate the effect of coca on hemoglobin glycation in rats experimentally induced with diabetes. 21 female Sprague-Dawley rats aged 21 weeks were randomly divided into control "C" and diabetic - diabetics fed cocoa "DC" and diabetics not fed cocoa "D" - groups of 6, 8 and 7 rats respectively. All rats were fed rat chow; C and D groups were fed tap water while the DC group were fed 2% w/v natural cocoa powder in tap water ad libitum. Diabetes was induced by a single intravenous shot of streptozotocin (53 mg/kg body weight). Ten weeks post-diabetes, 1ml of blood aspirated from the left ventricle and stored in a plastic tube containing ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and used to determine the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration of each rat using a DCA 2000 plasma 1c analyzer. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and posthoc Bonferroni's Multiple Comparison Test of GraphPad Prism (3.0). Percentage hemoglobin glycation significantly reduced (p < 0.0001) reduced from 12.8±0.50 to 7.8±0.27 in D and DC groups respectively but did not attain levels observed in the controls (3.90±0.10). Cocoa powder and other cocoa products can be administered alongside current diabetes management protocols to improve patients' outcome.

Source: UG