ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The Complex Interplay between Everyday Risks and Disaster Risks: The Case of the 2014 Cholera Pandemic and 2015 Flood Disaster in Accra, Ghana

Large urban agglomerations in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Accra face multiple vulnerabilities due to overlapping risks. These include everyday risks related to poor quality water and sanitation, to city level air, water and industrial pollution risks and vulnerabilities to natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, storms and pandemics. Some of the bio-climatic disasters may be amplified by climate change. The paper argues that the complexity of everyday risks and associated health conditions suffered principally by the poor are interconnected with disaster risk. It examines these inter-relationships in the context of the cholera pandemic of 2014 and the 2015 flood disaster events, as city-wide events which affected both the poor and the wealthy. The paper reflects on the implications of these events - which are to a large extent socially constructed - for thinking about everyday and disaster risk in an urban context, and for policies to address multiple sets of overlapping risks.

Source: UG
Complex multispatio-periodic land use and land cover change processes, and woody resources management in a forest-Savanna Ecotone, Ghana

Vegetation change discourse in tropical Africa is characterized by assumptions of generalised deforestation and degradation. Premised on the concept of the heterogeneity of the tropical African landscape, we make a multispatio-periodic analysis of land use and land cover change (LULCC), and examine its ramifications for woody resources of a forest-Savanna transition, that is characterized by assumed deforestation change discourse. Landsat data for 1985, 2000 and 2016, classified into seven (7) LULC categories were analyzed for change for 1985–2016, 1985–2000 and 2000–2016: for the whole study area, and six (6) smaller localities. In 1985–2016, all woody vegetation categories of the study area experienced reduction: ranging between 60.00% and 23.61%. Reduction in woodland was higher in 1985–2000. Dense woodland cover reduced in, practically, all localities in 1985–2000. The LULCC mechanism was a complex transfer among LULC types, resulting in different emergent LULC types. Hence, change process was not a simple linear deforestation and degradation. Dense woodland that existed at the end of each period was, predominately, regenerated from pre-existing fallow, rather than remnants of ‘virgin’ or pre-existing dense woodland. When pre-existing woody cover was higher, greater amount of woody vegetation regenerates by transformation in a shorter period, whereas limited woody regeneration of woody vegetation on pre-existing fallows dominateswhen there is limited pre-existing woodland, through a long pro cesses of conversion and transformation. Therefore, maintaining higher woody vegetation cover will promote quicker and substantial regeneration of woody vegetation, and availability of woody resources for sustainable wood-based livelihoods, such as charcoal production

Source: UG
Complex Negotiations: ‘spiritual’ therapy and living with HIV in Ghana.

Many people living with HIV in Ghana make use of spiritual therapy, however complex. This paper describes the complexities of these therapies in the context of increasing access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and high levels of HIV stigma. The study took place in Kumasi and Offinso, both in the Ashanti Region of Ghana (the most populated region, with around 4.5million people), and is the result of 15 months of anthropological and ethnographic research utilizing observations and in-depth interviews with 48 HIV-positive persons, their families, and other significant people in their lives. The article describes the participants’ experience of their HIV infection as a ‘spiritual challenge,’ which thereby formulated a personal need to ‘heal body and soul.’ The findings illustrate how crossing religious and denominational boundaries is an important element in people’s search for healing and wellbeing. The article argues that, especially in the context of high levels of stigma in Ghana, spiritual therapy is one pragmatic option available to people living with HIV as it helps them to find meaning to their predicament or extends their coping mechanisms.

Source: UG
A complex network analysis of sustainable research partnerships; evidence from a developing country

The discrete and continuous probability of co-author network sustainability was assessed based on modified Bass-SIR innovation diffusion models. The implications of industry and government funding of research partnership was empirically tested, using data from a specialised research institute. We conclude that development and sustainability of research partnerships is critically dependent on the formation of co-author research networks and their influence on author successes. Thus when research centres fail to maintain co-author networks and authoring rates, the research institutions that authors belong to will eventually become unproductive and likely to suffer partnership attrition. Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Source: UG
Complexities of Ghana’s Foreign Policy Under Jerry John Rawlings (1981–2001)

This chapter explores the complexities of Ghana’s foreign policy under Jerry John Rawlings from 1981–2001. While Jerry Rawlings has been part of Ghana’s political landscape at three different times, the first being the short period of the AFRC regime in 1979, the chapter focuses on his two longer or main eras. The PNDC era, which lasted from 1981 to 1993, where Jerry Rawlings served as a military leader/Chairman of the PNDC, and the second main era (1993–2001), where he served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. To understand the trends and complexities of Ghana’s foreign policy during the two main eras, the chapter draws on the role approach or role theory of foreign policymaking with a focus on the leadership and legacy of Jerry Rawlings and Ghana’s foreign policy. The chapter concludes that Ghana’s foreign policy experienced change and continuity in the two main eras of Jerry Rawlings, with a noticeable change in Ghana’s foreign economic policy in the early years of the PNDC era. The aspect of foreign policy continuity was, however, prominent in the Fourth Republic under President Rawlings with incremental policy changes.

Source: UG
Compliance and enforcement in environmental management: A case of mining in Ghana

Environmental regulatory agencies are an important element in regulatory policy design and its implementation. In this regard, it is incumbent on them to enforce and monitor environmental regulations, as increased monitoring and inspections can increase compliance. The research presented here has identified a number of factors that impede effective monitoring and enforcement by environmental regulatory institutions in Ghana. I also propose that direct external control and the threat of punishment by regulatory agencies are not the sole mechanisms that motivate regulated organizations to work toward the attainment of environmental goals and objectives. In some instances, regulated organizations implement a policy of voluntary compliance in the service of their committed objectives. Furthermore, the watchdog behavior of local communities plays a crucial role in sensitizing mining firms about the impact of their activities on the environment. In this study, in addition to voluntary compliance, traditional authorities and other informal organizations have been effective in controlling and ensuring environmental compliance by mining organizations. © 2003 National Association of Environmental Professionals.

Source: UG
Compliance Audit Of Processed Complementary Foods In Urban Ghana

Background and objectives: Although processed complementary foods (PCFs) can contribute to meeting the dietary needs of infants and young children, it has been associated with unethical marketing practices, which undermine the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. The current study assessed PCF labeling compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (CMBMS) and the National Breastfeeding Promotion Regulation (NBPR) in Ghana. Methods: A variety of PCFs were purchased from child welfare clinics, fuel station shops, supermarkets, “mother/baby” care shops, and pharmacies in the La and Osu Klottey sub-metropolitan areas in Accra. The labels were evaluated against the best practice indicators proposed by the Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition Working Group based on the international CMBMS, and also indicators based on the NBPR. An overall compliance estimate was determined based on the intensity of compliance with the indicators. Results: The PCF purchased included cereal-based products, fruit juices, fruit and vegetable purees, milk-based products, and combination meals; 75% of PCF were imported. One hundred of the 108 products identified were labeled in English and thus included in the analysis. None of the products complied with all labeling requirements of CMBMS or NBPR; 84 and 17% of product labels complied with at least 50% of NBPR and 50% of CMBMS indicators, respectively. Only 5% of labels had content indicating the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Additionally, only 5% of labels warned against the hazard of introducing PCF earlier than 6 months as required by the NBPR. Conclusion: The labeling of most PCFs sold by selected retailers in Accra did not comply with NBPR and CMBMS labeling requirements. Enforcement of local law on labeling of PCF is urgently needed.

Source: UG
Compliance with emergency obstetric care referrals among pregnant women in an urban informal settlement of Accra, Ghana

This study examines the situation that women face when they require emergency obstetric care in urban Accra. The analysis clarifies the referral options available to women needing emergency obstetric care, assesses the constraints they face in accessing the obstetric referral system and identifies the drawbacks associated with the obstetric referral system for women living in informal settlements of a rapidly growing district in Ghana. This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires administered to antenatal care clinic attendees and in-depth interviews of principal healthcare personnel. Sixty-five women had referrals in their previous pregnancies of which 62 went to the referral centre at varying time intervals. Three respondents did not go due to lack of financial resources and preference for traditional services. With regard to adherence to referral advice, lack of finances was the major constraint (46.2 %) followed by client complaints about the attitudes of nurses at the referral centres (10.8 %), fear of surgery (7.7 %) and concerns about the distance to referral centres (4.6 %). Moreover, analysis identified a significant positive association between parity and time elapsed between service encounter and compliance with referral (p = 0.001). Major constraints are faced by women when they attempt to utilize referral healthcare services such as financial problems, perceived remoteness of care points, fear of surgical procedures and concerns about the discourteous attitude of nurses at the referral centres. Healthcare providers however, emphasized other elements of the climate of care such as their perceived need for increasing staff strength. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Source: UG
Compliance with good practice in prescription writing at outpatient clinics in Saudi Arabia

A sample of prescription orders received from outpatient departments by a hospital pharmacy in Asir, Saudi Arabia, were analysed over 1 year for the essential elements of prescriptions. The prescriber's name, address and signature were on 83.3%, 9.6% and 81.9% of prescriptions respecti-vely. The patient's name, age and sex were on 94.6%, 77.3% and 51.3%. No prescription contained the patient's address and weight. Generic drug names were used in only 15.1% and strength of medication and dose units were included in 26.6% and 55.6% of prescriptions. Most prescriptions (94.0%) had no quantity indicated and had only partial instructions for patient use (90.7%); the diagnosis was included in about two-thirds. The prescriber's handwriting was illegible in 64.3% of prescriptions. Measures to improve the situation are suggested.

Source: UG
Complications of hypospadias surgery: Experience in a tertiary hospital of a developing country

Background: Over 300 different operations have been described for the management of hypospadias. In recent times, the numbers of operations used in various centres have gradually reduced as the principles necessary to ensure adequate cosmetic and functional results with minimum complications are better understood. The aim of this article was to review the different types of operations used for managing hypospadias in a tertiary hospital in a developing country, to analyse the complications of surgery and discuss the factors that contribute to complications. Go to: Materials and Methods: Patient folders, theatre, and ward records were used to obtain the required information. The age at surgery, types of hypospadias at presentation, types of operations done and complications were analysed. Go to: Results and Conclusion: With three main types of operations, tubularised incised plate urethroplasty and meatal advancement and glanuloplasty incorporated for anterior hypospadias (glanular, coronal, subcoronal, distal, midpenile), and lateral based flap urethroplasty for posterior hypospadias (proximal penile, penoscrotal, scrotal, perineal), most hypospadias were corrected with acceptable complication rates.

Source: UG
Composite codeswitching in West Africa: The case of Ewe-English codeswitching

This book turns around questions about the grammar of mixed constituents in Ewe-English codeswtching, spoken in Ghana, West Africa. It outlines the mechanisms of language mixing being deployed by a people who are still experiencing very intensive contact between their two languages. Te analyses stem from Carol Myers-Scotton’s notion of matrix language, but the major finding contradicts her expectation about the matrix language in Ewe-English codeswitching: we find that the matrix language is COMPOSITE rather than CLASSIC. This finding has major theoretical implications and provides telling insights about the nature of bilingual competence in codeswtiching in West Africa and other post-colonial settings. The prediction is made that when the primacy of the original matrix language is undermined by shifts in each language’s role in society, then the classic may give way to the composite. Apart from students of codeswitching grammar, scholars who are seeking to understand the grammar of pidgins and creoles that are related to West African languages (specifically Kwa) will find this book valuable.

Source: UG
The composite theory : an African contribution to the academic freedom discourse

This article expounds the Composite Theory to define the parameters for the exercise of academic freedom in Africa, informed by its political, historical and cultural circumstances and expressed in the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics and the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility. This approach follows in the line of the Special Theory and General Theory postulated to justify the exercise and application of academic freedom in Germany and the United States of America, respectively. The Composite Theory contends that academic freedom in the African context should not only be seen in the narrow prism of protecting the rights of academics on and off the university campus. It includes a commitment to recognise and contribute to promoting the rights of other key actors in the academic freedom equation, to wit, students and the society as a fulfilment of the academic's social responsibility. This role can be fulfilled both within and outside the university campus. Internally, academics shall respect students' right to academic freedom and immerse knowledge-sharing in a democratic ethos. This approach will likely instil in the students respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which they will carry away with them from the university into life within the society. Extramurally, equipped with their knowledge, skills and experience, African academics should take advantage of their privileged positions in society to leave their ivory towers and, where necessary, solidarise with other civil society actors to promote social transformation and human emancipation. This is the guaranteed way to protect academic freedom on the campuses.

Source: UG
Composition of nutrients, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and microbiological quality in processed small indigenous fish species from Ghana: Implications for food security.

The triple burden of malnutrition is an incessant issue in low- and middle-income countries, and fish has the potential to mitigate this burden. In Ghana fish is a central part of the diet, but data on nutrients and contaminants in processed indigenous fish species, that are often eaten whole, are missing. Samples of smoked, dried or salted Engraulis encrasicolus (Euro pean anchovy), Brachydeuterus auritus (bigeye grunt), Sardinella aurita (round sardinella), Selene dorsalis (African moonfish), Sierrathrissa leonensis (West African (WA) pygmy her ring) and Tilapia spp. (tilapia) were collected from five different regions in Ghana. Samples were analyzed for nutrients (crude protein, fat, fatty acids, several vitamins, minerals, and trace elements), microbiological quality (microbial loads of total colony counts, E. coli, coli forms, and Salmonella), and contaminants (PAH4 and heavy metals). Except for tilapia, the processed small fish species had the potential to significantly contribute to the nutrient intakes of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. High levels of iron, mercury and lead were detected in certain fish samples, which calls for further research and identification of anthropogenic sources along the value chains. The total cell counts in all samples were acceptable; Salmonella was not detected in any sample and E. coli only in one sample. However, high numbers of coliform bacteria were found. PAH4 in smoked samples reached high concentrations up to 1,300 μg/kg, but in contrast salted tilapia samples had a range of PAH4 concentration of 1 μg/kg to 24 μg/kg. This endpoint oriented study provides data for the nutritional value of small processed fish as food in Ghana and also provides information about potential food safety hazards. Future research is needed to determine potential sources of contamination along the value chains in different regions, identify critical points,and develop applicable mitigation strategies to improve the quality and safety of processed small fish in Ghana

Source: UG
Compositional characteristics of mineralised and unmineralised gneisses and schist around the Abansuoso area, southwestern Ghana

Gold-bearing granitoid deposits have recently been discovered in the Birimian of Ghana but their mode of formation and ore genesis remain enigmatic. This study presents petrographic, and geochemical characteristics of mineralised and unmineralised (gold grade >0.05 and <0.05 g/t respectively) granitoids (now gneisses) and schists (metasedimentary) to evaluate their petrogenesis/provenance, and relationship to gold mineralisation in the Abansuoso area. The unmineralised rocks comprise biotite- and hornblende-biotite gneisses, sericite-quartz, carbonate-sericite, and biotite-quartz schist. The mineralised varieties are biotite-, muscovite gneiss, iron-carbonate-sericite, carbonate-sericite-quartz, chlorite carbonate, and biotite-carbonate schist. The mineralised and unmineralised gneisses are both metaluminous and peraluminous. Both mineralised and unmineraised gneiss and schist show Nb-Ta trough, depleted LILE and enriched HFSE although widespread overall trace element concentrations for the mineralised rocks on UCC-normalised multi-element diagram, suggestive of their formation in an arc setting. This suggests coeval granitic plutonism and sedimentation with subduction-accretion during the Eburnean orogeny, hence, mineralisation may be orogenic-type.

Source: UG
Compositional Techniques and Styles in Nigerian Gospel Music

This paper describes and analyzes various compositional techniques and styles used in Nigerian gospel music. It also digs out different sources of the compositional works as a way of assessing the quality of the genre. By the findings in the paper, the distinctiveness of both Nigerian gospel music and African music in general, composition wise, can be deducted. The paper concludes on the need to guide the up-coming composers of gospel music with the existing principles of the art.

Source: UG
Compositional variations in manganese carbonate micronodules from the Lower Proterozoic Nsuta deposit, Ghana: Product of authigenic precipitation or post-formational diagenesis?

Detailed petrographic and microprobe studies of micronodules identified in the manganese carbonate orebody and adjacent Mn-rich rocks at the ∼ 2.2 Ga Nsuta deposit, Ghana, indicate distinct lithologic control on nodule structure and chemical composition. Nodules in the Mn-rich rocks adjacent to the manganese carbonate orebody conform with the well-banded nature of the rock and are distinctly zoned into alternating bands compositionally dominated by Mg kutnahorite and Mg-Ca rhodochrosite. Individual nodules are partially or completely cemented by thin dark silica and carbonates of Ca-Mg±Mn solid solution. Nodules in the orebody, on the contrary, are generally massive, homogeneous, consist predominantly of rhodochrosite and are only partially cemented by dark silica. Based on the stratigraphic relationship of the nodule-bearing rocks to the manganese carbonate orebody and the variations in texture and composition observed in the nodules, it would appear that the Mn carbonate nodules precipitated diagenetically in response to changing pore water chemistry and/or metal (Mn and Ca) supply. The overall mineralogical and geochemical features indicate, in addition, that the nodules may have preserved original carbonate compositions, both metastable and stable, during burial diagenesis and low-grade regional metamorphism. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: UG