ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The combined impact of mine drainage in the Ankobra River Basin, SW Ghana

This study assessed the combined effects of seven large-scale gold mines, one manganese mine, and scattered artisanal gold mining sites on the quality of water in the Ankobra Basin in a geologically complex terrain. Water samples from streams, boreholes, hand dug wells, and mine spoil were analysed. Scatter plots of trends among measured parameters were used to assess drainage quality and differential impacts. Drainage quality exhibits wide seasonal and spatial variations; the geology strongly influences the water chemistry. Areas with low pH (&lt;5.5), and high sulphate ions and trace ions are suggestive of acid mine drainage while sites with high pH (&gt;7.5), HCO3 -, subdued SO4 2-, and high trace ions are suggestive of sites where acid neutralization is effective. High metal sources are largely confined to mining operations in the Birimian formation with ores containing more than 2% sulphides. However, restricted high metal regimes are observed in drainage in the Tarkwaian formation associated with scatted sulphide-bearing dolerite dykes in the operational areas of the Tarkwa and Damang mines. Earlier studies disputed sulphides in the Tarkwaian formation until recently, when acid-generating dykes were discovered in operating pits. The most degraded waters emanate from the Prestea and Iduapriem mines, and to a lesser extent, the Nsuta mine sites, all mining Birimian rocks. The Tarkwa mine showed minimal metal loading. Zn, Cu, Ni, As, SO4, pH, and specific conductance are essential and adequate parameters in determining if acid drainage is taking place at these sites, and are recommended for routine mine environmental monitoring.

Source: UG
A combined school- and community-based campaign targeting all school-age children of Burkina Faso against schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis: Performance, financial costs and implications for sustainability

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
Combined trabeculotomy and trabeculectomy: outcome for primary congenital glaucoma in a West African population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surgical outcome of combined trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy in Ghanaian children with primary congenital glaucoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case series involving 19 eyes of 12 consecutive children with primary congenital glaucoma who had primary trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy from 12 August 2004 to 30 June 2008, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Main outcome measures were preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressures, corneal diameter, corneal clarity, bleb characteristics, duration of follow-up, surgical success, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 19 eyes of 12 patients met the inclusion criteria. Six of the patients were males. Mean age at diagnosis was 4.4 (range 2-8) months. Mean age at surgery was 5.9 months (range 3-16). Eight (67%) infants had bilateral disease. Mean duration of follow-up was 13.1 (range 5-38) months. The preoperative mean horizontal corneal diameter was 13.4 ± 1.1(range 12-16) mm. Complete success (intraocular pressure <21 mm Hg) was obtained in 15 (79%) eyes. The probability of success was 94.4, 83.3, 66.7, 44.4, 38.9, 33.3, and 13.3% at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 months, respectively (Kaplan-Meier analysis). All eyes had corneal oedema preoperatively. Seventeen eyes (90%) had clear cornea at their last follow-up. Mean preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressures were 30.3 ± 8.8 and 18.1 ± 6.8 mm Hg respectively (P<0.001, t-test). Twelve (63%) eyes had well-functioning blebs at the last follow-up. One eye (5%) developed seclusio pupillae and cataract postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The overall success for combined trabeculotomy-trabeculectomy in Ghanaian children with primary congenital glaucoma was 79%. The probability of success reduced from more than 66% in the first 9 months postoperatively to below 45% after that.

Source: UG
Combining design research with microbiology to tackle drug-resistant infections in different home environments in Ghana: Challenging the boundaries of design thinking

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Combining dispersal, landscape connectivity and habitat suitability to assess climate-induced changes in the distribution of Cunningham’s skink, Egernia cunninghami

The ability of species to track their climate niche is dependent on their dispersal potential and the connectivity of the landscape matrix linking current and future suitable habitat. However, studies modeling climate-driven range shifts rarely address the movement of species across landscapes realistically, often assuming “unlimited” or “no” dispersal. Here, we incorporate dispersal rate and landscape connectivity with a species distribution model (Maxent) to assess the extent to which the Cunningham’s skink (Egernia cunninghami) may be capable of tracking spatial shifts in suitable habitat as climate changes. Our model was projected onto four contrasting, but equally plausible, scenarios describing futures that are (relative to now) hot/wet, warm/dry, hot/with similar precipitation and warm/wet, at six time horizons with decadal intervals (2020–2070) and at two spatial resolutions: 1 km and 250 m. The size of suitable habitat was projected to decline 23–63% at 1 km and 26–64% at 250 m, by 2070. Combining Maxent output with the dispersal rate of the species and connectivity of the intervening landscape matrix showed that most current populations in regions projected to become unsuitable in the medium to long term, will be unable to shift the distance necessary to reach suitable habitat. In particular, numerous populations currently inhabiting the trailing edge of the species’ range are highly unlikely to be able to disperse fast enough to track climate change. Unless these populations are capable of adaptation they are likely to be extirpated. We note, however, that the core of the species distribution remains suitable across the broad spectrum of climate scenarios considered. Our findings highlight challenges faced by philopatric species and the importance of adaptation for the persistence of peripheral populations under climate change. © 2017 Ofori et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Source: UG
Combining PCR with microscopy to reduce costs of laboratory diagnosis of buruli ulcer

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
Commemorating World TB Day 2020: “IT’S TIME” — It’s time to End the Global TB Epidemic

World TB Day falls on March 24th each year, and it commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the microbial cause of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (WHO, 2020a,b,c). At the time of Professor Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was an endemic in Europe and the Americas, and caused the death of one in every seven people (Wallstedt and Maeurer, 2015). Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing, treating and curing patients with TB. One hundred and twenty eight years later, according to the WHO Annual TB Report, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died of it. Tuberculosis remains the top infectious disease killer worldwide (WHO, 2019).

Source: UG
Commemorating World TB Day 2020: “IT’S TIME” — It’s time to End the Global TB Epidemic

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Commentary on ‘A renewed focus on water security within the 2030 agenda for sustainable development’

This paper is a commentary on Adeel (Sustain Sci 12, 2017) ‘A renewed focus on water security within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,’ in this volume. Use of high-level security concerns as an entry point by Adeel (Sustain Sci 12, 2017) to unpack water issues is an innovative and useful approach. However, the issues of water in the upcoming decades are basically ‘wicked problems’ so complex that without holistic, comprehensive, and sustained effort, they will not be solved. The fundamental gaps in the power dynamics between poor farmers on one side and government/funders/researchers on the other must be bridged for any long-term solution to issues of water security. © 2017, Springer Japan KK.

Source: UG
Commercialization of Non-timber Forest Products in Ghana: Processing, Packaging and Marketing

The collection and marketing of Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Ghana are being promoted as a potential solution to the current high rates of malnutrition, the poor health of the rural population and the spread and intensification of poverty. Accomplishing these goals requires an understanding of how NTFPs are extracted, processed and marketed in rural areas. It is an important means for economic growth and sustainable forest management in local communities. Despite the potential of NTFPs in poverty reduction and livelihoods improvement in rural areas in Ghana, little is known about their collection, procession, packaging and labeling. This paper examines the supply chain and commercialization of NTFPs in rural settings in Ghana and their potential to contribute to poverty reduction, food security and livelihoods improvement. The study uses an exploratory and qualitative research methodology, including an extensive literature review, consultations with key informants, administration of questionnaires, interviews and stakeholder consultations. The results of the study indicated that NTFPs contribute significantly to the food security, poverty reduction and livelihoods development in Ghana. The marketing of these products, however, faces a number of critical processing, labeling and marketing challenges. The NTFPs marketing often occurs in an informal way, resulting in uncertainty about prices and yields. Marketing is basically done individually; it is unorganized, dispersed and farmers lack the necessary marketing skills and information required for optimal performance. Promoting the development and commercialization of these products on a permanent basis will enormously help to create more sustainable employment and income-generation opportunities, enhance food security and improve the livelihoods of farmers, their families and communities. The paper also identifies and analyses a number of critical factors that hinder the commercialization of NTFPs in Ghana and recommends strategies for redressing them.

Source: UG
Committee on the Tenure of Land in West African Colonies and Protectorates

The Committee was nominated to consider the laws in force in the West African Colonies and Protectorates (other than Northern Nigeria) regulating the conditions under which rights over land or the produce thereof may be transferred, and to report whether any, and, if so, what, amendment of the laws is required, either on the lines of the Northern Nigeria Land Proclamation or otherwise.

Source: UG
Committee on the Tenure of Land in West African Colonies and Protectorates

On the 20th of June 1912 a Committee was appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies “to consider the laws in force in the West African Colonies and Protectorates (other Northern Nigeria) regulating the conditions under which rights over land or the produce thereof may be transferred, and to report whether any, and, if so, what, amendment of the laws is required, either on the lines of the Northern Nigeria Land Proclamation or otherwise.’’

Source: UG
Commodity exporter’s vulnerabilities in times of COVID-19: the case of Ghana

The measures put into place to mitigate the COVID-19 health crisis around the world have disrupted global supply chains and sent commodity prices tumbling. We argue that, while the nature of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented, the unfolding consequences for primary commodity export-dependent economies are not. By developing a state-centred adaptive supply chain resilience framework and drawing on past experiences, we identify three impact channels that are specific to commodity exporters: a price, a supply chain and a financial channel. Taking Ghana as a case study, we show how the interplay of these three channels can be particularly damaging.

Source: UG
Common mental disorders, economic growth and development: Economic consequences and measurement issues

A large number of studies have attempted to discern the causes of low productivity and slow growth in developing countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The effects of global economic integration, corruption, geography, financial aid and human capital indicators such as education have been widely explored. Despite the significant contribution of common mental disorders (CMDs) to poverty and to the burden of disease, mainstream growth analyses have not yet integrated the body of scholarship that identifies the linkages between CMDs and growth. There are potential benefits of prioritising CMDs in development strategies but there are several challenges. Among the greatest challenges is patchy mental health record. Poor data hinders the conceptualisation and the analyses of the effect of common mental disorders on economic growth and development. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical macro-growth effects of CMDs in sub-Saharan Africa. Preliminary theorizing and evidence suggest that improvement in CMDs is likely to be a stimulus to growth in SSA. We explore further the performance of a non-psychometric instrument known as the K-6 as a cost-effective instrument with which to measure community mental health in household surveys across populations that have various levels of infrastructure and literacy. The K-6 instrument which is a semi-structured questionnaire includes six non-specific psychometric items measuring negative affective states or psychological distress. We also collect socioeconomic data during the survey which enabled us to study the determinants of common mental health conditions among urban and rural households in Ghana. Urban and rural communities were analysed separately because they may demonstrate different determinants of CMDs. We report the outcome of the simple non-psychometric survey as well as the results from logistic regressions showing the factors that affect common mental disorders among the survey respondents. The results show that both urban and rural groups experienced diminished mental health during the food and fuel price hikes of 2008 and 2009, and from the global financial crises over the same period, compared with those who reported no mental distress. The coefficients from the logistic regression estimated by the maximum likelihood show spatial variations in mental health indicators by age, education, and per capita income. For this study, gender did not appear to be a good predictor of any of the specific psychological distress measures assessed.

Source: UG
Common presenting problems in religious lay counselling practice in Ghana

Mental help systems in Ghana are overwhelmed with severe and chronic mental health issues. Yet, rapid urbanisation is contributing to a weakening of traditional help systems. Religious organisations offer a viable option through counselling ministries and groups. To understand the role lay counselling plays in the help system in Ghana, we interviewed one hundred (N = 100; age range: 24–80) lay counsellors practising mainly in Christian and Islamic religious contexts across four urban centres in Ghana. The purpose was to examine what people seek counselling for; and assess how this legitimatises lay counselling as part of the existing system of care in Ghana. Findings show that most presenting problems are interpersonal in nature and are typically low level, non-life threatening issues. Presenting problems did not focus on mental disorders. The implications of these findings are discussed along with directions for future studies.

Source: UG
Common risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases among older adults in china, ghana, mexico, india, russia and south africa: The study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) wave 1

Background: Behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity and the harmful use of alcohol are known and modifiable contributors to a number of NCDs and health mediators. The purpose of this paper is to describe the distribution of main risk factors for NCDs by socioeconomic status (SES) among adults aged 50 years and older within a country and compare these risk factors across six lower- And upper-middle income countries. Methods: The study population in this paper draw from SAGE Wave 1 and consisted of adults aged 50-plus from China (N=13,157), Ghana (N=4,305), India (N=6,560), Mexico (N=2,318), the Russian Federation (N=3,938) and South Africa (N=3,836). Seven main common risk factors for NCDs were identified: daily tobacco use, frequent heavy drinking, low level physical activity, insufficient vegetable and fruit intake, high risk waist-hip ratio, obesity and hypertension. Multiple risk factors were also calculated by summing all these risk factors. Results: The prevalence of daily tobacco use ranged from 7.7% (Ghana) to 46.9% (India), frequent heavy drinker was the highest in China (6.3%) and lowest in India (0.2%), and the highest prevalence of low physical activity was in South Africa (59.7%). The highest prevalence of respondents with high waist-to-hip ratio risk was 84.5% in Mexico, and the prevalence of self-reported hypertension ranging from 33% (India) to 78% (South Africa). Obesity was more common in South Africa, the Russia Federation and Mexico (45.2%, 36% and 28.6%, respectively) compared with China, India and Ghana (15.3%, 9.7% and 6.4%, respectively). China, Ghana and India had a higher prevalence of respondents with multiple risk factors than Mexico, the Russia Federation and South Africa. The occurrence of three and four risk factors was more prevalent in Mexico, the Russia Federation and South Africa. Conclusion: There were substantial variations across countries and settings, even between upper-middle income countries and lower-middle income countries. The baseline information on the magnitude of the problem of risk factors provided by this study can help countries and health policymakers to set up interventions addressing the global non-communicable disease epidemic.

Source: UG
Common terms of k-Pell numbers and Padovan or Perrin numbers

Abstract Let k ≥ 2. A generalization of the well-known Pell sequence is the k-Pell sequence. For this sequence, the first k terms are 0,..., 0, 1 and each term afterwards is given by the linear recurrence P(k) n = 2P(k) n−1 + P(k) n−2 +···+ P(k) n−k . In this paper, we extend the previous work (Rihane and Togbé in Ann Math Inform 54:57–71, 2021) and investigate the Padovan and Perrin numbers in the k-Pell sequence

Source: UG
Common variants at 11p13 are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis

After imputation of data from the 1000 Genomes Project into a genome-wide dataset of Ghanaian individuals with tuberculosis and controls, we identified a resistance locus on chromosome 11p13 downstream of the WT1 gene (encoding Wilms tumor 1). The strongest signal was obtained at the rs2057178 SNP (P = 2.63 × 10−9). Replication in Gambian, Indonesian and Russian tuberculosis case-control study cohorts increased the significance level for the association with this SNP to P = 2.57 × 10−11.

Source: UG
Commonalities and specificities of authentic leadership in Ghana and New Zealand

The authentic leadership literature suggests that there are three critical elements that precede the bestowal of authentic leadership: first, the espoused values and actions of authentic leaders must be congruent; second, the expectation of the leaders and the followers must be congruent; and, third, the leaders must behave with high moral integrity for the good of their subordinates, the organization and the community. These features of authentic leadership involve subjective interpretation, and therefore evaluations of it may vary in different settings. This study used the Q method to compare leaders' and followers' constructs of authentic leadership in Ghana and New Zealand. Thirty leaders and followers in each of the organizations studied in Ghana and New Zealand sorted selected statements about authentic leadership. Three factors or types of authentic leadership were identified and named for each of the four settings. While these results suggest that authentic leadership is idiosyncratic, further analysis showed that some attributes of authentic leadership were common to the organizations, and some were common to the countries. These findings confirmed that in order to encourage and support authentic leadership, it is necessary to consider an 'employee-centric' approach in which followers' viewpoints are given full recognition. Further, effective leadership training programmes needed to be tailored to specific organizations in specific contexts to achieve desirable outcomes for organizations. © The Author(s) 2014.

Source: UG