ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Iron-deficiency anaemia in children with congenital heart diseases at a teaching hospital in Ghana

Background: Uncorrected congenital heart lesions in children keep them in a state of constant hypoxia with compromised quality of life and reduced life expectancy. This requires early diagnosis and interventions including prevention and treatment of the resultant anaemia. Unfortunately, congenital heart disease (CHD) often goes unrecognized and thus untreated. Objectives: We determined the occurrence of CHD in children below 15 years at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), assessed the prevalence of relative iron deficiency anaemia in that cohort and the use of iron supplementation in these patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study, using a structured data collection tool, by retrospectively reviewing patient records from December 2015 to January 2010. Data was also obtained prospectively from January 2016 to March 2016. Results: Eighty cases (44 females and 36 males) of CHD were encountered. Tetralogy of Fallot was the most common (48.8%) CHD. Cases of cyanotic congenital heart disease were reported at autopsy. Of the 80 cases, 48 (72.7%) had signs of relative iron deficiency. Thirty (62.5%) of the 48 patients did not receive iron supplementation. In 14 cases, full blood count was not determined and yet 10 patients received iron at sub-optimal doses (<3 mg/kg/day) and one was given iron at 6 mg/kg/day. Conclusion: CHD is a common phenomenon among newborns at KATH. Use of iron supplementation was suboptimal. Compliance with guidelines on the use of iron as well as structures for early detection of CHD for definitive interventions are advocated.

Source: UG
Iron-free neoplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis in wistar rats fed a diet high in iron.

Although excess hepatic iron in hereditary haemochromatosis and dietary iron overload in the African causes hepatocellular carcinoma, it usually does so in the presence of cirrhosis. A direct hepatocarcinogenic effect of iron has not been proved. Moreover, an animal model of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by iron overload has not been available. The aim of this study was to develop such a model and to use it to ascertain whether excess hepatic iron is directly hepatocarcinogenic. Sixty Wistar albino rats were fed a chow diet and 60 the same diet supplemented initially with 2% carbonyl iron for 12 months, followed by 0.5% ferrocene for 20 months. Five rats from each group were sacrificed every 4 months for 24 months for histological and biochemical monitoring. By 16 months, hepatocytes in all the rats receiving the iron-supplemented diet showed grade 4 iron overload, comparable in degree with that seen in patients with advanced hereditary haemochromatosis and dietary iron overload. Altered hepatic foci and pre-neoplastic nodules were first seen at 16 months. These increased in size and number with time, were iron-free, stained positively with placental glutathione sulphydryl transferase, and showed the same histological features as the iron-free foci described in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma complicating hereditary haemochromatosis. At 32 months the eight surviving rats in the iron overloaded group were sacrificed. The livers of five of these rats contained pre-neoplastic nodules and one showed, in addition, an iron-free, well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. The tumour stained positively for placental glutathione sulphydryl transferase. Neither cirrhosis nor portal fibrosis was present in this or any iron-loaded animal. We conclude that hepatocellular carcinoma may complicate dietary hepatic iron overload in Wistar albino rats in the absence of fibrosis or cirrhosis, confirming an aetiological association between dietary iron overload and the tumour and suggesting that iron may be directly hepatocarcinogenic.

Source: UG
Irrigation adoption: A potential avenue for reducing food insecurity among rice farmers in Beni

Since the 1960s, the government of Benin has invested in the development of canal irrigation schemes in order to intensify food crop production and reduce food insecurity. This paper em ployed an ordered probit model with sample selection to assess the potential of irrigation in reducing food insecurity in the municipality of Malanville, Benin. The results show that 60% of the irrigation farmers and 46% of the dry land farmers were food secure. Adoption of irrigation has a positive effect on food security. Other variables explaining food security are education, informal training, credit, extension services, use of improved seed, fertilizer and herbicide ap plication, farm and off-farm income. The study recommends that efforts to rehabilitate current irrigation scheme and develop other schemes should be intensified.

Source: UG
Irrigation water resource management for sustainable agriculture - The Ankobra Basin, Ghana

Two irrigation water assessment methods, the USDA classification scheme and the soil infiltration potential, were applied to water from three different locations (Ankwaso, Dominase, and Prestea) of the Ankobra River basin in Ghana, to evaluate its effectiveness as a sustainable water resource for irrigation. The study classifies water from all three locations into the low salinity, low sodicity zone with Prestea and Ankwaso having waters of the highest sodicity and salinity, respectively. A classification scheme based on effects of the water on the hydraulic properties of soils reveals that water from all locations of the basin has the potential to affect the infiltration properties of soils, especially when applied over a long period of time. Linear regression analysis indicates a strong relationship between electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) at R2 = 0.773 (n=30) for Prestea. This relationship is probably due to the fact that Na, Mg, and Ca, which are the major determinants of water SAR, are also the major contributors to the water EC at Prestea, and this is probably due to surface mining activities, which encourage the weathering of calcic and albitic feldspars. Time series analysis reveals that EC and SAR for Dominase and Prestea, respectively, have increased from 1989 to 1992. On the other hand, SAR and EC have been decreasing since 1989, for the two locations. Forecast data from the time series analyses agree well with observed data, at 0.01 level of significance. Projections were made at ten time steps ahead of 1992 using time series analysis. © 2007 ASCE.

Source: UG
Is a woman's first pregnancy outcome related to her years of schooling? An assessment of women's adolescent pregnancy outcomes and subsequent educational attainment in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing pose challenges to young women's educational attainment. Studies show that while adolescent childbearing reduces educational attainment, not becoming pregnant and resorting to induced abortion when pregnant increases women's educational levels. This study examined relationships between adolescents' resolution of their first pregnancies and subsequent educational outcomes, for all women ages 20-49 years and across three age cohorts: 20-29, 30-39 and 40-49 year olds. METHODS: Using the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey (GMHS) dataset, we conducted ANOVA, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses on 8186 women ages 20-49 years. Women's first adolescent pregnancy outcomes were measured as live births, induced abortions, spontaneous abortions or no pregnancy, while educational attainment constituted their years of schooling. RESULTS: Findings showed years of schooling was highest for women who had induced abortions, and lowest for those who experienced live births. Women with live births as teenagers experienced significantly fewer years of schooling compared to their counterparts who terminated their pregnancies. Also, women with miscarriages and stillbirths exhibited levels similar to those who gave birth. Although women with no teenage births had higher educational levels than their childbearing counterparts, controlling for age at first pregnancy resulted in similar years of schooling compared to those who gave birth. Finally, the 30 to 39 year olds were the only age group whose results contradicted those of all women. These findings may be due to the socio-economic and political events that affected women's educational attainment at the time. CONCLUSIONS: Childbearing during adolescence does impact women's educational attainment levels. Therefore, in addition to encouraging young mothers to continue schooling, all other interventions to help keep young girls in school must focus on preventing and/or delaying their adolescent pregnancies.

Source: UG
Is Alternative Dispute Resolution a Solution to Interpersonal and Group Conflicts in West Africa? The Case of Ghana.

Despite great strifes at resolving civil wars and political crisis in West Africa, interpersonal and group conflicts continue to threaten the stability and security of states within the sub region. Contemporarily, these states are described as having weak institutions, poor infrastructure and poor human resource capacity necessary for resolving the root sources of the conflicts. Given the aforementioned structural and agency difficulties, the study set out to investigate the efficiency of ADR in West Africa employing Ghana as a case study. Donor partners such as the UNDP and the World Bank have prescribed ADR as a solution for managing the dysfunctional nature of the conflicts with its multifaceted mechanisms. In Ghana, since 2005, the Judicial Service has adopted ADR mechanisms as part of its comprehensive structural reforms. The ADR Act 798(2010) is the legal framework for ADR aimed at promoting justice for all by delivering timely, quicker and more affordable services to help restore faith in the formal justice delivery system. The study proved that largely ADR is popular among Ghanaians and is effective in resolving interpersonal and group conflicts by restoring, reconciling and repairing strained relationships among disputants. Disputants are prepared to recommend ADR to others once their case is resolved. Despite highlighting the advantages of ADR, its application remains constrained because of limited resources, insufficient centres, continuous political interference and lack of trained professionals. Given the immense advantages of ADR mechanisms, the study recommended more education and sensitization among Ghanaians, further training especially among prospective lawyers, reviewing the laws to amend the provision on the governing board and disassociate ADR from politics.

Source: UG
Is an all-inclusive educational policy a determinant of voting behaviour in Ghana?

Purpose: In this study, the authors investigate Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy as an all-inclusive development policy that drives voting behaviour. Design, methodology, and approach: using the snowball sampling technique and a statistically representative sample size of 413 eligible voters from Ghana, the authors estimate a multinomial logistic regression with its marginal effects. Findings: The results show that as the number of Free Senior High School beneficiaries per household increases, the more the voters in that household are likely to vote for the policy implementor. Similarly, voters who believe that the Free Senior High School policy has had an impact on students’ performance are more likely to vote for the policy implementor. By implication, an all-inclusive development policy such as the Free Senior High School educational policy has the probability of influencing voting behaviour in favour of the policy implementor. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the nexus between an all-inclusive Free Senior High School educational policy and voting behaviour in Ghana.

Source: UG
Is Bargaining a Form of Deliberating?

Prevailing literature argues that arguing is the only appropriate mode of deliberation. The literature acknowledges bargaining, storytelling, and other forms of communication, but is unwilling to describe these as deliberation, properly speaking. The claim is that describing them as such would amount to concept stretching. My first thesis is that arguing exhausts neither the legitimate modes of deliberation nor the modes for effective deliberation. To do this I further develop a two-type categorization of issues I have employed elsewhere to show that argument alone is sufficient for bringing closure to issues in the first category, but bargaining is needed to reach agreements on issues in the second category. I observe that the more agreeable variant of the second category of issues constitutes a great deal of issues deliberated outside the purely theoretical classroom. Progressing from these observations, my second thesis is that bargaining is in fact the preeminent way of reaching agreements in political deliberation. To illustrate this, I demonstrate that normative differences and distributive consequences are inherent features of political issues.

Source: UG
Is cohabitation a prerequisite for marriage?: Exploring Ghanaian emerging adults’ attitudes and intentions

With cohabitation increasingly becoming a relationship option for many young adults, understanding the attitudes and intentions that fuel the decision to cohabit is important. Using a generic qualitative research design, we set out to explore this among emerging adults in a Ghanaian university. Our sample included 44 students who participated in a discussion focused on determining what cohabitation means to them, the significance they attach to cohabitation, their evaluations and whether they intend to cohabit. Regarding participants’ attitudes, four themes were generated from analyses of the data including ‘Meaning of Cohabitation’, ‘Cohabitation before Marriage is Crucial to Marital Success’, ‘Cohabitation is a Gateway to Moral and Institutional Transgressions’, and ‘As Long as We Marry’. Findings also showed significant gender differences in intention to cohabit al though the consensus among participants was that one’s intention to cohabit is dependent on the individual’s personal and vicarious experiences within their environment. Based on these findings, we recommend that counsellors and guardians be equipped with the knowledge base and skills required to help young adults navigate cohabitation rela tionships and advocate for strengthening policy and education on cohabitation.

Source: UG
Is enrolment in the national health insurance scheme in Ghana pro-poor? Evidence from the Ghana Living Standards Survey

Objectives This article examines equity in enrolment in the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to inform policy decisions on progress towards realisation of universal health coverage (UHC). Design Secondary analysis of data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6). Setting Household based. Participants A total of 16 774 household heads participated in the GLSS 6 which was conducted between 18 October 2012 and 17 October 2013. Analysis Equity in enrolment was assessed using concentration curves and bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine associated factors. Main outcome measure Equity in NHIS enrolment. Results Survey participants had a mean age of 46 years and mean household size of four persons. About 71% of households interviewed had at least one person enrolled in the NHIS. Households in the poorest wealth quintile (73%) had enrolled significantly (p<0.001) more than those in the richest quintile (67%). The concentration curves further showed that enrolment was slightly disproportionally concentrated among poor households, particularly those headed by males. However, multivariate logistic analyses showed that the likelihood of NHIS enrolment increased from poorer to richest quintile, low to high level of education and young adults to older adults. Other factors including sex, household size, household setting and geographic region were significantly associated with enrolment. Conclusions From 2012 to 2013, enrolment in the NHIS was higher among poor households, particularly male-headed households, although multivariate analyses demonstrated that the likelihood of NHIS enrolment increased from poorer to richest quintile and from low to high level of education. Policy-makers need to ensure equity within and across gender as they strive to achieve UHC.

Source: UG
Is Ghana’s Law Against Human Trafficking a Success?

This article assessed the success or otherwise of the Ghana Human Trafficking Act (GHTA), 2005, in curbing human trafficking. On the basis of interviews and secondary information, the assessment was done along the program, process, and politics dimensions. The evidence showed that GHTA achieved fairly its program objectives. However, failures occurred in all the phases of the Act’s enactment process. In particular, agenda setting suffered from definitional ambiguity surrounding human trafficking and implementation was mired by resource constraints and financial impropriety. The findings also revealed that an integrated model of human trafficking has greater explanatory power than a single one, but there is inattention to this in extant literature. The article concludes that lessons should be drawn from the specific type as well as the overall program, process, and political failures of the Act. As in this case, an exclusive focus on technical learning to the neglect of potential process and political failures has increased rather than decreased the chances of policy failure. Moreover, the accent on legislative bans to the neglect of other interventions is futile.

Source: UG
Is Ghana's pro-poor health insurance scheme really for the poor? Evidence from Northern Ghana

Background: Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern culminating in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution urging member states to ensure financial protection to all citizens, especially children and women of reproductive age. Ghana provides financial protection to its citizens through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Launched in 2004, its proponents claim that the NHIS is a pro-poor financial commitment that implements the World Health Assembly resolution. Methods: Using 2011 survey data collected in seven districts in northern Ghana from 5469 women aged 15 to 49 the paper explores the extent to which poor child-bearing age mothers are covered by the NHIS in Ghana's poorest and most remote region. Factors associated with enrolment into the NHIS are estimated with logistic regression models employing covariates for household relative socio-economic status (SES), location of residence and maternal educational attainment, marital status, age, religion and financial autonomy. Results: Results from the analysis showed that 33.9 percent of women in the lowest SES quintile compared to 58.3 percent for those in the highest quintile were insured. About 60 percent of respondents were registered. However, only 40 percent had valid insurance cards indicating that over 20 percent of the registered respondents did not have insurance cards. Thus, a fifth of the respondents were women who were registered but unprotected from the burden of health care payments. Results show that the relatively well educated, prosperous, married and Christian respondents were more likely to be insured than other women. Conversely, women living in remote households that were relatively poor or where traditional religion was practised had lower odds of insurance coverage. Conclusion: The results suggest that the NHIS is yet to achieve its goal of addressing the need of the poor for insurance against health related financial risks. To ultimately attain adequate equitable financial protection for its citizens, achieve universal health coverage in health care financing, and fully implement the World Health Assembly resolution, Ghana must reform enrolment policies in ways that guarantee pre-payment for the most poor and vulnerable households.

Source: UG
Is Ghana¿s pro-poor health insurance scheme really for the poor? Evidence from Northern Ghana

Abstract Background Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern culminating in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution urging member states to ensure financial protection to all citizens, especially children and women of reproductive age. Ghana provides financial protection to its citizens through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Launched in 2004, its proponents claim that the NHIS is a pro-poor financial commitment that implements the World Health Assembly resolution. Methods Using 2011 survey data collected in seven districts in northern Ghana from 5469 women aged 15 to 49 the paper explores the extent to which poor child-bearing age mothers are covered by the NHIS in Ghana&#8217;s poorest and most remote region. Factors associated with enrolment into the NHIS are estimated with logistic regression models employing covariates for household relative socio-economic status (SES), location of residence and maternal educational attainment, marital status, age, religion and financial autonomy. Results Results from the analysis showed that 33.9 percent of women in the lowest SES quintile compared to 58.3 percent for those in the highest quintile were insured. About 60 percent of respondents were registered. However, only 40 percent had valid insurance cards indicating that over 20 percent of the registered respondents did not have insurance cards. Thus, a fifth of the respondents were women who were registered but unprotected from the burden of health care payments. Results show that the relatively well educated, prosperous, married and Christian respondents were more likely to be insured than other women. Conversely, women living in remote households that were relatively poor or where traditional religion was practised had lower odds of insurance coverage. Conclusion The results suggest that the NHIS is yet to achieve its goal of addressing the need of the poor for insurance against health related financial risks. To ultimately attain adequate equitable financial protection for its citizens, achieve universal health coverage in health care financing, and fully implement the World Health Assembly resolution, Ghana must reform enrolment policies in ways that guarantee pre-payment for the most poor and vulnerable households.

Source: UG