ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Bacterial flora of fish feeds and organic fertilizers for fish culture ponds in Ghana

Use of animal manure to fertilize fishponds has been reported in many parts of the world (Bardach, Ryther & McLarney 1972; Woynarovich 1979; Hopkins, Cruz, Hopkins & Chong 1980; Oladosu & Ayinla 1992; Ayinla, Oladosu, Ajiboye & Ansa 1994; Njoku 1997). In Ghana, poultry manure, cow manure, pig manure and cow blood from abattoirs are mostly used to fertilize fishponds. Some farmers make periodic applications at 3‐ or 4‐month intervals. Others depend on visual observation and add the fertilizer according to the colour of the pond water. Others do it once in the production cycle of the pond. The use of animal wastes to fertilize pond farms as practised in many countries is considered superior to inorganic fertilizers in producing and maintaining desirable species of planktonic and benthic organisms (Pillay 1992) and to enhance fish production (Edwards 1980; Yadava & Garg 1992; Garg 1996; Garg & Bhatnagar 1996). As manuring causes organic enrichment, it may also hasten the deterioration of the water quality making the aquatic environment favourable for the growth and multiplication of human pathogenic bacteria (Garg & Bhatnagar 1996). Pathogenic bacteria such as Aeromonas, Citrobacter, Edwardsiella, Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Serratia may be introduced into the aquatic environment (Cuelin 1962; Rao, Parhad, Rao & Rao 1968; Cohen & Shuval 1973; Evison & James 1973; Allen, Austin & Colwell 1983; Austin & Austin 1993; Ringo, Strom & Tabachak 1995). Food is one of the chief vehicles of gastrointestinal disease, and limits have therefore been established for the numbers of pertinent categories of microorganisms tolerable in various foods (Statutory Orders and Regulations 1955; Thatcher & Clark 1968; Powers, Ay & Rowley 1970). Fish farming in Ghana has been more on the subsistence level and most farmers do not use commercial feeds. They mostly depend on household waste and other agricultural byproducts of low price. To them, any item that sustains the fish is food. This communication is intended to make workers of fishponds using these feedstuffs and fertilizers aware of the microbial burden of the inputs used in fish farming in Ghana.

Source: UG
Bacteriological Analysis of Raw Beef Retailed in Selected Open Markets in Accra, Ghana

Beef is an important and popular source of protein and nutrients. Constant monitoring and evaluation of the microbiological contamination is pertinent for its safety and quality. This study aimed to assess the bacteriological profiles and the bacterial loads in beef, as well as investigate food safety practices among beef retailers in selected open markets in Accra, Ghana. This was a cross-sectional study with beef samples randomly purchased from six selected open markets in Accra metropolis. Beef samples were examined for total aerobic count (TAC) and total coliform count (TCC). Bacterial identification was performed by standard bacteriological methods and a well-structured questionnaire was administered to assess food safety and hygienic practices of beef retailers. Overall, mean TACs ranged between 2.2 ×103 and 1.3 ×104CFU/g, while mean TCCs ranged between 1.9 ×102 and 7.4 ×102CFU/g. Beef samples were mostly contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. (34%), Klebsiella oxytoca (17%), Enterobacter spp. (15%), and Proteus vulgaris (3%). +is study showed varying levels of bacterial contamination of retailed beef sold in different Accra markets. According to the Health Protection Agency guidelines for assessing microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods, our mean TACs were satisfactory, while mean TCCs were within borderline quality. +e results of this study revealed that the majority of beef vended in open markets in Accra is contaminated with coliform and pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, more training in safe food handling and good hygiene practices is required for beef retailers. Conclusively, effective monitoring of the bacteriological profiles and bacterial loads of meat and meat products in abattoirs and points of sale should be established, since such a continuous monitoring system could help prevent potential health problems for consumers and provide information on possible sources of meat borne intoxication and infection.

Source: UG
Bacteriological Quality and Possible Health Effects of Gravity-Piped Water in Hohoe District of Ghana

A simple technology termed Gravity-Piped Water System (GPWS) has been used in the Hohoe District in the Volta Region of Ghana to provide drinking water without any disinfection treatment. Ten years after the establishment of the GPWS, there were complains about the incidence of diarrhoea diseases, colouration of water and sediment in some of the systems put in place to provide potable water. The paper reports on bacteriological quality and health implications of water at various points (source, reservoir, standpipe and individual homes) of four GPWS in four communities in the Hohoe District over two seasonal regimes for three consecutive years, 2005–2007. Conventional cultural methods, as specified by APHA (1995), were used to detect the resident faecal and total coliform bacteria. Biochemical methods, employing API 20E identification kit and serological tests, were used to confirm the presence of bacteria species and diarrhoeagenic agents, respectively. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain medical information. With the exception of the source at one of the communities, Nyagbo Israel, all points of the GPWS were heavily contaminated with Enterobacteria. Ten gram-negative non-sporing bacteria of possible health consequences belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from water samples at all points. The presence of diarrhoeagenic agents, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Salmonella and Shigella species were confirmed. All the systems showed a trend of reduction in parameters from source to tap, with no significant elevations in the homes. Enteric diseases peaked in rainy seasons (August-October). Medical reports support a strong link between diarrhoeal incidence and water used. The practical implications of the findings are discussed

Source: UG
Bacteriological quality of ready-to-eat foods sold on and around University of Ghana Campus

The aim of this study was to determine the microbial quality of ready-to-eat foods being sold in the open (street foods) and those from restaurants on the university of Ghana campus. A total of 27 foods were sampled from the 5 sites. Four microbiological parameters, namely Aerobic Colony Count (ACC), total Enterobactereacea (EC), presence of Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae and the presence of Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. were used. Forty eight percent (13/27) of the foods sold had ACC values within acceptable limits, that is <104 cfu g-1 whiles 52% (14/27) had ACC values above acceptable limits and therefore, unsatisfactory for consumption, 59.3% had EC values within the acceptable limits whiles 40.7% had EC above the limit. Nine different bacterial species were isolated from the foods sampled. These were E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus sp., Enterobacter cloacae, Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus sp., Streptococcus agalactiae and Enterococcus faecalis. On comparing the microbial qualities from the two sectors we found no difference in their microbiological qualities using student's t-test analysis (t-test< t-value: 0.397<2.06). The level of microbial contamination in some food samples both the open market and restaurants were above the acceptable limits. Therefore, present findings call for a more stringent supervision by the public health department of the university to protect the university community from future occurrence of food poisoning.

Source: UG
Bacteriological quality of ready-to-eat foods sold on and around university of Ghana campus

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
The Balance Sheet of Decentralization in Ghana

Ghana is the first sub-Saharan African country to attain independence from British rule. It did so on 6 March 1957. Because of this legacy of the pioneer spirit, many of its policy initiatives have been tested and evaluated. Numerous scholars recognize Ghana in the twentieth century as “a microcosm of social, political and economic processes in Africa. The Ghanaian proclivity for experimentation has made Ghana into a veritable laboratory for the investigation of different approaches to endemic African problems” (Pellow and Chazan 1986: 209–210). This has turned the country into “everyone’s African favourite” (Dowse 1985: 280)

Source: UG
Balancing equity and efficiency in health priorities in Ghana: The use of multicriteria decision analysis

OBJECTIVES: To guide the Ministry of Health in Ghana in the priority setting of interventions by quantifying the trade-off between equity, efficiency, and other societal concerns in health. METHODS: The study applied a multicriteria decision analytical framework. A focus group of seven policymakers identified the relevant criteria for priority setting and 63 policymakers participated in a discrete choice experiment to weigh their relative importance. Regression analysis was used to rank order a set of health interventions on the basis of these criteria and associated weights. RESULTS: Policymakers in Ghana consider targeting of vulnerable populations and cost-effectiveness as the most important criteria for priority setting of interventions, followed by severity of disease, number of beneficiaries, and diseases of the poor. This translates into a general preference for interventions in child health, reproductive health, and communicable diseases. CONCLUSION: Study results correspond with the overall vision of the Ministry of Health in Ghana, and are instrumental in the assessment of present and future investments in health. Multicriteria decision analysis contributes to transparency and accountability in policymaking.

Source: UG
Balancing Ethics and Culture: A Scoping Review of Ethico-Cultural and Implementation Challenges of the Individual-Based Consent Model in African Research

Objective: This review explores the ethical, cultural and implementation challenges associated with the individual-based informed consent (IC) model in the relatively collectivistic African context and examines suggested approaches to managing them. Methods: We searched four databases for peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2000 and 2023 that examined the ethico-cultural and implementation challenges associated with the IC model in Africa. Results: Findings suggest that the individual-based IC model largely misaligns with certain African social values and ethos and subverts the authority and functions of community gatekeepers. Three recommendations were proffered to manage these challenges: that researchers should: adopt a multi-step approach to IC, conduct a rapid ethical assessment, and generate an African-centered IC model. Conclusions: A pluriversal, context-specific, multi-step IC model that critically harmonizes the cultural values of the local population and the general principles of IC can minimize ethical dumping, safeguard the integrity of the research process, and promote respectful engagement

Source: UG
Balancing finance and sustainability: The impact of financial access on carbon emissions through innovation and entrepreneurship in a global study.

This study examines the interplay between financial access, innovation, entrepreneurship, and carbon emissions using a dataset of 149 countries over 24 years (2000–2023). Employing two stage least squares (2SLS) techniques to address endogeneity, the findings reveal that financial access significantly boosts innovation and entrepreneurship, which are key drivers of economic growth. However, financial access may also increase carbon emissions if not aligned with sus tainable practices. Innovation reduces emissions by fostering environmentally friendly technol ogies, while entrepreneurship initially contributes to emissions but can mitigate this effect when supported by sustainable financial practices. The study highlights the importance of financial policies that promote green innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship, offering actionable insights for policymakers to achieve economic growth while addressing global carbon emissions.

Source: UG
Balancing Individualism and Collectivism: A Conversation on Afrocentricity

The paper is based on email conversations to address the area of concern, namely how to balance individual and collective needs within a pan- Africa and global context in order to redress the historical and current imbalances that result in social and environmental injustice. The paper suggest that African Indigenous ways of knowing (including ways of doing science albeit not in Western-type fashion) can be brought into some relationship with Western models of science by rescuing the enlightenment from itself through critical systemic thinking.

Source: UG
Balancing management and leadership in complex health systems: Comment on “management matters: A leverage point for health systems strengthening in global health”

Health systems, particularly those in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), need stronger management and leadership capacities. Management and leadership are not synonymous, yet should be considered together as there can be too much of one and not enough of the other. In complex adaptive health systems, the multiple interactions and relationships between people and elements of the system mean that management and leadership, so often treated as domains of the individual, are additionally systemic phenomena, emerging from these relational interactions. This brief commentary notes some significant implications for how we can support capacity strengthening interventions for complex management and leadership. These would necessarily move away from competency-based models focused on training for individuals, and would rather encompass longer-term initiatives explicitly focused on systemic goals of accountability, innovation, and learning. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Source: UG
Balancing nurturance, cost and time: Complementary feeding in Accra, Ghana

The overall goal of the department is to conduct research and provide solutions to nutritional problems in Ghana. In pursuance of this goal, the Nutrition Department since its inception has focused its research in the areas of maternal, infant and young child nutrition, food consumption and food security and micronutrient deficiency and interventions. These are priority food and nutrition problems in Ghana.

Source: UG
Ban of Religious Gatherings during the COVID‑19 Pandemic: Impact on Christian Church Leaders’ Well‑Being in Ghana

This study was conducted during a period of lockdown and ban on social gatherings, including religious gatherings, in Ghana. The restrictions were instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to understand how the well-being of Christian church leaders was impacted during the prohibition in terms of aspects of their vocation and religious practices. Fourteen Christian church leaders located in urban and rural settings in Ghana, with 5 to 32 years of experience, discussed how they and their families were impacted by the ban on religious gatherings in Ghana. Findings revealed negative impacts of the COVID-19 restrictions, including spiritual slacking, loss of fellow ship, disruption of normal routine, pandemic anxiety, and fnancial stress. Positive impacts included increased faith, relief/reduced stress, and increased family time. These fndings are discussed from psychological trauma and disaster response perspectives

Source: UG
The Banana and Peanut Archive of Ghana

This paper discusses an emerging problem in Ghana and its implications for Ghana’s archives and historical writing. It explains why some important documents intended for state and institutional archives eventually find their way back into public circulation – some have even been used to wrap roasted food! The paper provides methodological insights to historians and researchers and perhaps warnings too that they should consider alternative sources to archives in their quest for information on Ghana; for after all some researchers on Ghana have come across some amazing documents and historical evidence among the food vendors on Ghana’s streets.

Source: UG
Bancroftian filariasis in an irrigation project community in southern Ghana.

An epidemiological study to document the endemicity and transmission characteristics of bancroftian illariasis was conducted in an irrigation project community in southern Ghana. In a 50% random sample of the population, the prevalence of microfilaraemia was 26.4% and the geometric mean microfilarial intensity among positives was 819 microfilariae/ml of blood. Hydrocoele was found in 13.8% of the males aged ?18 years, and 1.4% of the residents examined, all females, had lymphoedema/elephantiasis. Detailed monitoring of the microfilarial intensity in 8 individuals over a 24-h period confirmed its nocturnal periodicity with a peak at approximately 0100 hours. The most important vector was Anopheles gambiae s.l., followed by An. funestus. The abundance of these mosquitoes and their relative importance as vectors varied considerably between the wet and the dry season. Opening of the irrigation canals late in the dry season resulted in a remarkable increase in the population of An. gambiae (8.3% of which carried infective filarial larvae) to levels comparable to those seen during the wet season, suggesting that the irrigation project is responsible for increased transmission of lymphatic filariasis in the community.

Source: UG
Band gap engineering via edge-functionalization of graphene nanoribbons

Density functional calculations are used to perform a systematic study of the effect of edge-functionalization on the structure and electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). -H, -F, -Cl, -Br, -S, -SH, and -OH edge-functionalization of armchair, zigzag, and reconstructed Klein-type GNRs was considered. The most energetically favorable edge structure varies depending on the choice of functional group. It is shown, for the first time, that reconstructed Klein-type GNRs are important stable configurations for several edge-functional groups. Band gaps using three different exchange-correlation functionals are calculated. The band gap for armchair GNRs can be tuned over a range of ∼1.2 eV by varying the edge-functional groups. In contrast, the band gaps of zigzag and reconstructed Klein edge GNRs are largely insensitive to the choice of edge-functional group, and ribbon width is instead the defining factor. Alternatively, the armchair GNR band gap can be controlled by varying the number of functional groups per opposing edge, altering the GNR "effective" width. Edge-functionalization design is an appropriate mechanism to tune the band gap of armchair GNRs. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Source: UG
Bank Competition in Africa: Do Institutional Quality and Cross-border Banking Matter?

This paper analyses the implications of cross-border banking (CBB) and institutional quality (IQ) for bank competition in Africa. It applies a two-step estimation procedure using bank-level panel data for 29 African countries. In step one, the Boone indicator and the Lerner index are used to gauge bank competition in a given country in Africa. In the second step, it analyzes the sources of bank competition, placing emphasis on the impact of CBB and IQ. The results suggest that competition increased in the period of 2002–2005, before decreasing somewhat between 2006 and 2007 and increasing again thereafter. The results also show that cross-border banking enhances bank competition in African countries with stronger governance structures and institutional quality. These results are robust to an array of controls, including an alternative methodology, variable specifications, and the regulatory environments that banks operate in.

Source: UG
Bank competition, financial innovations and economic growth in Ghana

Purpose – This paper takes the finance-growth nexus further by looking at the relationship between bank competition, financial innovations and economic growth in Ghana. The purpose of this paper is to find the causality among bank competition, financial innovations and economic growth in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The relationship between bank competition, financial innovations and economic growth was established through the framework of the endogenous growth model. In addition, the paper employed the bound testing ARDL cointegration procedures to enable us to establish both short-run and long-run relationship between bank competition, financial innovations and economic growth. Granger causality test were also estimated to determine the direction of causality. Findings – The results showed that, in the long run, bank competition is positively related to economic growth while financial innovation is negatively related to economic growth. In the short run, bank competition is negatively related to economic growth. By the same token, financial innovation is positively related to economic growth in the short run. In terms of causality, the results showed that there is unidirectional Granger causality from bank competition to economic growth. However, there is bidirectional Granger causality between financial innovation and economic growth. Practical implications – The study therefore, recommends for more regulations toward a more competitive banking system with more innovative products tailored toward mobilization of savings and investment to growth induced sectors of the economy. Originality/value – This paper provides a time series perspective to the finance-growth nexus and highlights the potential contribution of effective banking development to the economic welfare of the Ghanaian citizens. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UG
Bank Concentration and Economic Costs of Deposit Mobilization and Credit Extension in Ghana

Welfare losses due to misallocation of resources in the deposit and loans markets and inefficiency costs in both markets resulting from the concentration of the Ghanaian banking industry are estimated, respectively using the Harberger‟s triangle and deviations from cost efficient stochastic frontier approaches. Corporate governance variables hypothesized in the literature to be correlated with bank inefficiencies were also investigated. Estimates suggest that net welfare loss over 2001 – 2008 averaged 2.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) per year, while inefficiency costs averaged only 0.7% of GDP. Bank concentration is positively correlated with efficiency in both deposits and loans markets. The elasticity of operating costs with respect to deposits exceeds the elasticity with respect to loans. We recommend that steps be taken to reduce bank concentration as the resultant narrowing of interest rate spreads will likely yield welfare gains that exceed efficiency gains realizable from increased concentration.

Source: UG