ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Counting adolescents in: the development of an adolescent health indicator framework for population-based settings

Changing realities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in terms of inequalities, urbanization, globalization, migration, and economic adversity shape adolescent development and health, as well as successful transitions be tween adolescence and young adulthood. It is estimated that 90% of adolescents live in LMICs in 2019, but inade quate data exist to inform evidence-based and concerted policies and programs tailored to address the distinctive developmental and health needs of adolescents. Population-based data surveillance such as Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) and school-based surveys provide access to a well-defined population and provide cost-effective opportunities to fill in data gaps about adolescent health and well-being by collecting population representative longitudinal data. The Africa Research Implementation Science and Education (ARISE) Network, therefore, systematically developed adolescent health and well-being indicators and a questionnaire for measuring these indicators that can be used in population-based LMIC settings. We conducted a multistage collaborative and iterative process led by network members alongside consultation with health-domain and adolescent health experts globally. Seven key domains emerged from this process: socio-demographics, health awareness and behaviors; nutrition; mental health; sexual and reproductive health; substance use; and healthcare utilization. For each domain, we generated a clear definition; rationale for inclusion; sub-domain descriptions, and a set of questions for mea surement. The ARISE Network will implement the questionnaire longitudinally (i.e., at two time-points one year apart) at ten sites in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and two countries in Asia. Integrating the questionnaire within established population-based data collection platforms such as HDSS and school settings can provide measured experiences of young people to inform policy and program planning and evaluation in LMICs and improve adolescent health and well-being

Source: UG
A Country-by-Country Analysis of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility

The World Guide to CSR is the first book to provide comparable national profiles that describe the evolution and practice of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) for 58 countries and 5 global regions. Each regional and national profile includes key information about the relevant CSR history, country-specific issues, trends, research and leading organisations. The purpose of the book is to give CSR professionals (including managers, consultants, academics and NGOs focusing on the social, environmental and ethical responsibilities of business) a quick reference guide to CSR in different regional and national contexts. The need for the book is premised on the fact that CSR professionals and researchers more often than not have a multinational remit and are required to benchmark performance internationally, but find that country-specific CSR information is ad hoc, limited or non-existent. Even where national CSR research exists, it is often hidden in academic journals that practitioners cannot access or do not have the time or inclination to read.

Source: UG
Country-Level corporate governance and Foreign Portfolio Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: The moderating role of institutional quality

Given the declining volumes of Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPI) in In Africa, the study sought to examine the moderating role institutional quality (INST) plays in the relationship between country-level corporate governance (CG) and FPI in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is motivated by arguments from the hierarchy of institutions hypothesis, which posits that the quality of political institutions (INST) determine the strength of economic institutions (CG) and how they affect economic activities. Data was collected on 33 SSA countries from 2009 to 2017 and analysed using the systems GMM approach. The results revealed that economies characterized by strict adherence to international auditing and reporting standards, ethically behaved firms, effective corporate boards, and well-regulated security markets tend to attract more FPI inflows, even though weak shareholder protection regimes are likely to deter FPI. We also confirmed the positive impact of robust institutions in luring FPI into SSA. Finally, we found the FPI-CG nexus to be significantly moderated by the quality of institutions prevalent in a country. This implies that the effectiveness of country-level corporate governance mechanisms can be affected by the existing institutions, thereby impacting the level of FPI an economy receives. We recommend that SSA firms take pragmatic steps to develop and practice sound CG mechanisms while the institutional setting in SSA is strengthened to harness more FPI inflows to support their economic growth agenda.

Source: UG
Couple’s Decision-making Power, Women’s Labor Market Outcomes and Asset Ownership

This paper explores the causal link between couple’s household decision-making power and women’s labour market and economic outcomes. Autonomy refers to the condition of independence, while decision-making power can be defined as one’s ability to make important decisions within the household. Autonomy and decision-making power are used interchangeably in this paper.Using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey and a series of probit, instrumental probit and multinomial logistic regression models, findings suggest that women who have lower autonomy in their households are less likely to be currently employed and even when they are employed, these women have higher odds of working in family businesses, which are typically associated with greater labor market vulnerability. These women are, however, more likely to own assets, a strategy likely aimed at improving their exit options. Interestingly, when men have relatively more power within the household, there are positive implications for women’s labour market outcomes: women are more likely to be currently employed and less likely to be unpaid workers in family businesses. An explanation for this may be found in the country’s high poverty levels and general economic hardships, which necessitates the influx of additional resources into the household through women’s paid employment. Greater absolute and relative autonomy of male partners, however, reduces women’s asset ownership, likely because greater resource accumulation by women, beyond wage receipts, can be an indicator of dominance within the household, a position typically ascribed to men by cultural and patriarchal norms. These results suggest that relative perceptions of authority and autonomy in the household are important determinants of Nigerian women’s labour market behaviours and asset ownership, and the The influence of male partners cannot and should not be underestimated.

Source: UG
Courtesy stigma: A concealed consternation among caregivers of people affected by leprosy

This study explored experiences of courtesy stigma among caregivers of people affected by leprosy. Using a qualitative research approach, twenty participants were purposively selected and in-depth interviews conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify emerging themes that addressed objectives of the study. The findings indicated that caregivers of people affected by leprosy experienced courtesy stigma. Evidence showed that fear of contagion underpinned caregivers' experiences, especially in employment and romantic relationships. In addition, participants adopted different strategies (disregarding, concealment, education, faith-based trust) to handle courtesy stigma. The findings demonstrate that psychosocial support and financial assistance to caregivers are necessary considerations for attainment of effective care for people affected by leprosy.

Source: UG
Covariates of Under-Five Mortality: Application of Survival Analysis to a Cross Section of Ghanaian Children

The health of children is an important indicator for describing the overall social and economic wellbeing of a country. Yet, child mortality remains an albatross in developing countries. Approximately 111 per 1000 children in Ghana die before age five as compared to 5 in the industrialized world. This paper investigates the factors influencing under-five mortality among a cross-section of Ghanaian households. Women aged 15-49 who had experienced a live birth over the period 2002-2007 were recruited into the study. The Weibull parametric model was applied in the empirical estimation. Our findings indicate that the hazard of mortality is significantly correlated with gender, birth parity, multiple births (twin) and utilization of medical inputs such as ITN. Further, children from households in the intermediate income quintiles were found to have higher survival prospects relative to those from the poorest income quintile. District of residence was also found to be an important predictor of childhood survival. The study reiterates that low cost but effective interventions such as the utilization of Permethrin Treated Bed nets are crucial to mitigating the alarming mortality rates in developing countries.

Source: UG
Coverage and determinants of modern contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: further analysis of demographic and health surveys

Background: The use of modern contraceptives (MC) in most African countries has been low despite the high fertility rate and unmet need for family planning. This study sought to determine the coverage and determinants of modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: Data for the study were obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 1995–2020 across 37 SSA countries. Women of reproductive age (15–49 years) was the unit of analysis. Analysis of data was done using STATA version 16 for windows. A bivariate Rao Scott’s Chi-square test of independence was done to determine factors associated with the use of modern contraceptives. Factors that showed signifcance (p<0.05) were included in a multilevel logistic regression to determine signifcant predictors of modern contraceptives. Cluster ing, stratifcation and sample weighting were accounted for in the analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of the use of MC was found to be 22.0%. This ranged from 3.5% in the Central Africa Republic to 49.7% in Namibia. The most common type of MC used were injections (39.4%), condoms (17.5%) and implants (26.5%). Women were less likely to use modern contraceptive if they: had no education (aOR=0.4, 95% CI 0.38–0.44), had no children (aOR=0.27–0.42), not told of family planning at a health facility (aOR=0.69, 95% CI 0.67–0.71), not heard of family planning in the media (aOR=0.77, 95% CI 0.74–0.79) and being poor (aOR=0.76, 95% CI 0.73–0.79). On the other hand, women were more likely to use modern contraceptive if they were between the age of 35–39 years (aOR=1.69, 95% CI 0.73–0.79), married (aOR=2.66, 95% CI 2.50–2.83), had seven or more children (aOR=1.27, 95% CI 1.17–0.38), had knowledge of any method of contraceptives (aOR=303.8, 95% CI 89.9–1027.5) and when feld worker visited and talked about family planning (aOR=1.53, 95% CI 1.39–0.68). Conclusion: The study showed a low prevalence of modern contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings from the study highlight the need to provide education to women to increase uptake of modern contraceptive and also re-enforce contraceptive interventions to improve women’s health and well-being.

Source: UG
Coverage of Climate Change: Graduate Students’ Climate Change Policy Awareness and Assessment of Ghanaian Media

Abstract: Ghana’s recognition of the adverse effects of climate change has compelled the government to put in place a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), while highlighting the critical role of communication. In the light of this, the study attempts to establish what audience members (graduate students) perceive of how the media are taking up the role of providing the needed information on climate change. Results showed that there is high exposure to television and radio among this audience and the dominant source of climate change information is television. More respondents were aware of global policies and initiatives on climate change than national or local policies. Respondents also have a rather negative perception about the extent to which Ghanaian legacy media are communicating climate change. Respondents expect the media to give maximum attention to climate change communication. The top-three topics they want from climate change communication in the media are: effects of climate change; how to prevent climate change; and how to deal with effects of climate change.

Source: UG
Coverage of library issues in Ghanaian newspapers, 2001-2006

The study examined the frequency and prominence of library-related articles in state-owned newspapers in Ghana. The editions of the four newspapers, two dailies and two weeklies published from January, 2001 to December, 2006 were examined. The editions contained a total of only 174 libraries-related articles, showing the library-related articles were seldom published. The majority of the articles (63.2%) presented what-too-place information on library-related events and episodes, and lacked in-depth background information and analysis of issues. Most of the articles were also on community libraries. Only 23.4% of the articles comprised features or thematic articles, whiles 13.2% were letters. Only two of the articles were editorials. The articles were not placed in prominent location in the newspapers as only one articles was published on a front page and the caption of that article was not as bold and prominent as the as the other articles on the page. All the other articles on libraries appeared in the second half of the newspapers. Library professionals should work toward writing stories frequently about library issues as they would be able to articulate the issues better than non-professionals. They should also provide information tips and facts to journalists to enable them write informative stories on libraries.

Source: UG
Coverage, adherence and costs of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children employing different delivery strategies in Jasikan, Ghana

Background: Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children (IPTc) involves the administration of a course of anti-malarial drugs at specified time intervals to children at risk of malaria regardless of whether or not they are known to be infected. IPTc provides a high level of protection against uncomplicated and severe malaria, with monthly sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SP&AQ) and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus piperaquine being the most efficacious regimens. A key challenge is the identification of a cost-effective delivery strategy. Methods: A community randomized trial was undertaken in Jasikan district, Ghana to assess IPTc effectiveness and costs using SP&AQ delivered in three different ways. Twelve villages were randomly selected to receive IPTc from village health workers (VHWs) or facility-based nurses working at health centres' outpatient departments (OPD) or EPI outreach clinics. Children aged 3 to 59 months-old received one IPT course (three doses) in May, June, September and October. Effectiveness was measured in terms of children covered and adherent to a course and delivery costs were calculated in financial and economic terms using an ingredient approach from the provider perspective. Results: The economic cost per child receiving at least the first dose of all 4 courses was US$4.58 when IPTc was delivered by VHWs, US$4.93 by OPD nurses and US$ 5.65 by EPI nurses. The unit economic cost of receiving all 3 doses of all 4 courses was US$7.56 and US$8.51 when IPTc was delivered by VHWs or facility-based nurses respectively. The main cost driver for the VHW delivery was supervision, reflecting resources used for travelling to more remote communities rather than more intense supervision, and for OPD and EPI delivery, it was the opportunity cost of the time spent by nurses in dispensing IPTc. Conclusions: VHWs achieve higher IPTc coverage and adherence at lower costs than facility-based nurses in Jasikan district, Ghana. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00119132.

Source: UG
“Covid Cure (1)”: Anas’s Investigative Journalism and the Ethics of Uncovering Fakes in African Spaces

Investigative journalists sometimes resort to the use of fake identities in order to reveal fakes and malpractice, a phenomenon that can be described as revelatory fakery. Acclaimed investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw, in collaboration with BBC Africa Eye, employs revelatory fakery to expose and prosecute wrongdoers in Ghana. From an ethical viewpoint, Anas’s revelatory fakery, a second order fakery, becomes a seedbed for an exponential level of fakery. This article poses the question whether Anas’s work is journalism or instead yet another expression of fakery that allows a prosecutor to act as a journalist. This question is contextualised within the ethics of the broader narratives created by the BBC Africa Eye investigations, which feed and promote a spectacular but “fake” narrative about Africa as a place of negatives, difference, and darkness

Source: UG
COVID-19 and child education outcomes in Southern Ghana

This study analyses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child education outcomes by providing evidence on the gendered dimension, determinants and coping measures of informal households in Southern Ghana. We rely on a face-to-face interview undertaken in January 2022 (i.e., approximately 2 years after the beginning of the pandemic) involving 761 students across basic and secondary schools from 10 metropolitan, municipality and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. We document several disruptions to child education out comes such as learning practices, school attendance, class participation and academic perfor mance. The results also showed that per child education expenditure incurred due to the COVID 19 pandemic by the informal households was GHS305 (US$ 49). Additionally, we assess the correlates of the negative effects on academic performance and COVID-19 related education expenditure as a result of coping measures. Our results from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) show strong association between participation in online classes, age of students, ownership of television and district of residence on COVID-19 related education expenditure. Results from Logit models show that self-reported negative effects of COVID-19 pandemic on academic performance are affected by gender and age of student, distance to market and location of residence. Interestingly, we also found considerable gendered heterogeneity for the predictors of the COVID-19 pandemic on child education outcomes. We conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated countermeasures had negative effects on child education outcomes, and that informal households incurred considerable costs in attempting to address the associated education challenges in Southern Ghana. The findings have implications on the design and implementation of educational policies and programs to address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child ed ucation outcomes in developing countries.

Source: UG
COVID-19 and Ghana’s agri-food system: an assessment of resilience

Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) intertwined with a food security resilience framework was used to understand Ghana’s agricultural food system resilience to COVID-19 from a production perspective using a qualitative approach. Agricultural production remained fairly resilient but plagued with labor mobility challenges that delayed production. Specific results showed self-sufficiency in the production of roots and tubers, deficiency in the production of cereals and poultry. Opportunities do exist in rice production. Fall Army Worm invasion threatened cereal production. The government is encouraged to increase funding investment through public-private partnerships to build warehouses and increase production in meeting domestic supply needs.

Source: UG
Covid-19 and mental health of children and adolescents: A systematic review

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had imposed considerable risk on public health, and had generated unprecedented levels of panic. There are increasing concerns over the possible negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children and adolescents. This review was conducted to describe the impact of COVID-19 affects the mental health of children and adolescents. An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and the WHO Global Health database on COVID-19. The 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and an adapted Joanna Briggs aetiology review methodology were followed in conducting this review. A total of 21 studies from 8 different countries located on 4 continents (Asia, Europe, North America & South America), reporting a sample size of 56,368 that met the inclusion criteria. Using the JBI critical appraisal tool for studies reporting on prevalence data, the quality of most of the studies were assessed as moderate. Prevalence of depression and anxiety and stress was estimated to range from 7.2% to 78%; of anxiety, from 15% to 78%, depression, from 7.2% to 43.7% and stress, at 17.3%. Correlates for COVID-19 −19 related mental health outcomes were identified as female gender and social isolation, among others. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of children and adolescents. It is recommended that governments and health agencies prioritize mental health, especially for children and adolescents. prevent long-term effects on them.

Source: UG
COVID-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries

Declines in health service use during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could have important effects on population health. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to assess the immediate effect of the pandemic on 31 health services in two low-income (Ethiopia and Haiti), six middle-income (Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa and Thailand) and high-income (Chile and South Korea) countries. Despite efforts to maintain health services, disruptions of varying magnitude and duration were found in every country, with no clear patterns by country income group or pandemic intensity. Disruptions in health services often preceded COVID-19 waves. Cancer screenings, TB screening and detection and HIV testing were most affected (26–96% declines). Total outpatient visits declined by 9–40% at national levels and remained lower than predicted by the end of 2020. Maternal health services were disrupted in approximately half of the countries, with declines ranging from 5% to 33%. Child vaccinations were disrupted for shorter periods, but we estimate that catch-up campaigns might not have reached all children missed. By contrast, provision of antiretrovirals for HIV was not affected. By the end of 2020, substantial disruptions remained in half of the countries. Preliminary data for 2021 indicate that disruptions likely persisted. Although a portion of the declines observed might result from decreased needs during lockdowns (from fewer infectious illnesses or injuries), a larger share likely reflects a shortfall of health system resilience. Countries must plan to compensate for missed healthcare during the current pandemic and invest in strategies for better health system resilience for future emergencies.

Source: UG