ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Choice of household adaptation strategies to flood risk management in Accra, Ghana

In this paper, we discuss the psychological and socio-economic factors as well as the constraints that inhibit private precautionary flood-risk mitigation measures among urban households in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana within the Protection Motivation framework. The results show that threat appraisal has mixed effects on the decisions by households to adopt a damage protection measure against flooding. With regards to coping appraisal, the study found that households who do not feel helpless about flooding in the neighbourhood resort to some struc tural measures such as reinforcing their house against flood damage. The study also finds that socio-economic factors have an overall positive effect on protective behaviour. Additionally, structural measures taken by the public sector to provide protection against damage from a flood are shown to complement the adoption of some specific private pro tective measures such as clearing drains and sandbagging by households. We, therefore, recommend policy choices to focus on the provision of the needed community-level flood protection infrastructure since it stimulates private flood precautionary measures

Source: UG
Choice of prosthetic heart valves - 1985.

Improvement of materials, prosthetic function and perioperative treatment had led to positive results with regard to life expectancy, quality of life and complication rates in heart valve replacement. While mechanical valves are still associated with the risks of thromboembolism and anticoagulant bleeding, there is a continuing risk of early valve dysfunction in bioprostheses. We have preferred the latter during the last 8 years; however, certain disadvantages have become obvious during the follow-up of a group of 132 patients beyond the 6th postoperative year. Anticoagulant treatment has been withheld in some patients in spite of a clear indication while others have received coumadin in the absence of obvious reasons. Valve degeneration as discovered by echocardiography often was not recognized in time, resulting in a significant reoperative mortality. As a result the indication for biological valve replacement, especially in the mitral position, has become more restrictive in our hands.

Source: UG
Cholera outbreak following a marriage ceremony in Medinya, Western Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Cholera is a diarrhoea disease caused by the bacterium e. On 13th June 2011, there was a reported outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea at Medinya among people who eat at a mass traditional wedding ceremony in the Western Region of Ghana. We investigated to characterize the outbreak, and implement control and preventive measures.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study. We interviewed health workers, reviewed medical records, conducted environmental assessment and obtained water and stool samples for laboratory investigation. A suspected cholera-case defined as a person with acute watery diarrhoea, with or without vomiting, who ate food prepared at the mass traditional wedding in Medinya on 10th June 2011. We performed univariate and bivariate analysis.RESULTS: Of the 17 case-patients, 9 (52.9%) were males. The overall attack rate was 11.18% and case fatality rate was 5.9%. The most affected age group was 6-10 years (23.53%) with median age of 20 and ranged 6 to 38 years. Time of onset of symptoms was 2.00am and peaked at 10.am on 13th June. Compared to other food served, fufu with groundnut soup was more likely to have been contaminated (RR=7.3, 95%CI: 1.8-29.3). We isolated e serotype ogawa from stool samples. We observed open defaecation and poor personal hygiene.CONCLUSION: e serotype ogawa caused a high case-fatality outbreak in Medinya. Contaminated fufu and groundnut soup were the sources. Hand washing with soap was initiated and a make shift latrine constructed following our health education and recommendations.

Source: UG
Cholera Outbreaks in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in the Last Decade: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Cholera is linked to penury, making low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) particularly vulnerable to outbreaks. In this systematic review, we analyzed the drivers contributing to these outbreaks, focusing on the epidemiology of cholera in LMICs. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024591613). We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to include studies on cholera outbreaks that occurred in LMICs from 1 January 2014 to 21 September 2024. Studies on outbreaks outside LMICs and focusing on sporadic cases were excluded. The risk of bias among included studies was assessed using a modified Downes et al. appraisal tool. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize the qualitative data, and meta-analyses to estimate the pooled prevalence. From 1662 records, 95 studies met inclusion criteria, primarily documenting outbreaks in Africa (74%) and Asia (26%). Contaminated water was the main route of disease transmission. The pooled fatality prevalence was 1.3% (95% CI: 1.1–1.6), and the detection rate among suspected cases was 57.8% (95% CI: 49.2–66.4). Vibrio cholerae O1 was the dominant serogroup while Ogawa was the dominant serotype. All studies reporting biotypes indicated El Tor. Although the isolates were 100% susceptible to ofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, cefuroxime, and doxycycline, they were also fully resistant to amikacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and furazolidone. The persistence of cholera outbreaks in destitute areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation emphasizes the need for socioeconomic improvements, infrastructure development, and ongoing surveillance to support timely responses and achieve long-term prevention.

Source: UG
Chondroblastoma of temporal bone: Unusual histologic features

Chondroblastoma of bone only rarely affects the skull and, depending on its location, may have an uncertain prognosis. The histologic spectrum demonstrated by this tumor has been a source of diagnostic confusion, which still persists. A case of chondroblastoma of the temporal bone with unusual histologic features is presented and discussed. Chondroblastoma must be included in the differential diagnosis of bone tumors of the skull containing giant cells. Radical excision is suggested as the treatment of choice in view of unanswered questions regarding its tendency to recur or to progress to frank malignancy.

Source: UG
Choosing an apprenticeship: Skills preferences amongst the youth

Young people leaving basic education with no opportunities of continuing on to the next level of education often face a tough choice of what to do next. There are a variety of issues that pose challenges for them, not least being what trajectory to pursue in their quest for skills training for employment. This article examines the precursors to skills choices among young people, using qualitative data from trainees engaging in both informal apprenticeships and formal and vocational training institutions in Ghana. The analysis adopted an inductive approach, using a thematic analytical framework to generate insights and uncover the factors that shape them. The findings show that there is interplay of several factors that influence the skills preferences of young people in vocational education, including the family context, socio-cultural environment and the presence of role models within specific trades. The paper concludes that, in harmonising the frontiers of skills training, it is imperative for policy to provide systematic career guidance and counselling paths for trainees in both formal and informal apprenticeship training institutions, in order to enhance their skills choices.

Source: UG
Choosing Librarianship as Career: A Study of Selected Senior High School (SHS) Students in Akropong- Akuapem Municipality

This study was undertaken to investigate whether selected SHS Students in the Akropong- Akuapem Municipality are willing to choose a career in librarianship instead of other professions. The stratified sampling method was used to select 353 SHS Form Three Students’ in five selected Schools from a population of 3533 Students’. Using the survey descriptive method, structured questionnaires were randomly administered. 326 representing 93% questionnaires were retrieved and found usable. Data collected were analysed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. It was found that the Students’ had low level of awareness of librarianship as a career and lacked understanding of role Librarians play in their environment. They also did not have appreciable understanding of what their job entailed, resulting in their lack of interest in becoming Librarians. None of the 326 students’ considered librarianship as their preferred career choice. They did not desire librarianship because they perceived it to be boring, not respected by society, not popular, had low earning capacity and also that they had already decided on what they wanted to do in future. Only 14% of respondents will give becoming a Librarian a thought as second career because of the love they have for books, research and helping others. Majority wanted to become Lawyers, Doctors, Nurses and Accountants because they perceived these professions were respected by society, offered much help to people and earned more money. Again, they heard people always speak about them at Home, School, Community and in the Media. The study includes a comparison of a Librarian with 9 other professional groups based on five criteria considered to be essential determining factors when making career choice decisions. Marketing and promotion of libraries, equipping school libraries, making the school library visible, engaging in campaigns/ drives as well as granting scholarships to SHS students to pursue librarianship are recommended in order to ensure the success of the profession and also make it attractive and appealing to the youth.

Source: UG
Choosing Not to Borrow: An Evaluation of Perception and Socio-Cultural Factors Underlying Voluntary Self-Exclusion

The purpose of this study is to investigate the underlying socio-cultural factors that drive the majority of microentrepreneurs to voluntarily exclude themselves from seeking external finance, despite complaints of severe financial constraints. Using structured questionnaire, we collected data on some 176 microentrepreneurs in Ashanti region of Ghana. A simple conceptual framework was utilised to classify various forms of financially constrained and unconstrained microenterprises. A logistic regression technique was then applied to a utility function model of credit demand. The findings suggest that voluntary self-exclusion is not only driven by microenterprises’ socio-economic characteristics, but most significantly, by owners’ perception of access to external finance difficulties and negative cultural-religious biases towards credit use or borrowing as well as financial illiteracy. The study further finds that most microentrepreneurs are interest inelastic or insensitive, suggesting that they are more interested in easier and faster access to finance rather than the cost of borrowing.

Source: UG
Choosing to Stay: Alternate Migration Decisions of Ghanaian Youth

This article focuses on nationals from Ghana who have lost interest in pursuing migration dreams to Europe and North America after failed attempts to migrate. Many less experienced youths who attempt to migrate to Europe and North America face challenges such as strict immigration laws, high cost of financing migration plans, or illegal recruiters. Some risk their lives through dangerous routes to achieve their migration goals. The negative consequences recorded are numerous, including death en route to Europe and North America. Using life stories, this article lets failed migrants recount the frustration, wasted resources and years spent to fulfil their migration dreams. It discusses individual factors such as experiences that affect the decision not to pursue migration dreams despite the culture of migration in their communities. The article concludes that strict immigration policies in Europe and North America have restricted international migration among less experienced and less skilled youth in Ghana, leading to personal decisions not to migrate but adjust to the conditions at home, and later describing their stay as a preferred decision

Source: UG
The Choral Music Scene in the Gold Coast (Ghana) Prior to 1933

The paper looks at the choral music scene in the Gold Coast (Ghana) prior to the year 1933, the year after the publication of Amu’s ‘Twenty-five African Songs’. The paper argues that before the publication there was the tradition of choral music composition in the country. This tradition had been nurtured by the introduction of art music, the hymn and anthem of Western Europe, and the introduction of formal education into the country by the Europeans. The paper also presents a profile of some of the early Ghanaian composers of choral music, with samples of their compositions, which show influences from the tradition known to them – the hymn and anthem introduced by the Europeans.

Source: UG
Chracterisation of the insulinotropic activity of aqueous extracts of Gymnema sylvestre in mouse B-cells and human Islets of Langerhans

Leaves of the Gymnema sylvestre (GS) plant have been used to treat diabetes mellitus for millennia, but the previously documented insulin secretagogue effects of GS extracts in vitro may be non-physiological through damage to the beta-cells. We have now examined the effects of a novel GS extract (termed OSA) on insulin secretion from the MIN6 beta-cell line and isolated human islets of Langerhans. Insulin secretion from MIN6 cells was stimulated by OSA in a concentration-dependent manner, with low concentrations (0.06-0.25 mg/ml) having no deleterious effects on MIN6 cell viability, while higher concentrations (> or = 0.5 mg/ml) caused increased Trypan blue uptake. OSA increased beta-cell Ca2+ levels, an effect that was mediated by Ca2+ influx through voltage-operated calcium channels. OSA also reversibly stimulated insulin secretion from isolated human islets and its insulin secretagogue effects in MIN6 cells and human islets were partially dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+. These data indicate that low concentrations of the GS isolate OSA stimulate insulin secretion in vitro, at least in part as a consequence of Ca2+ influx, without compromising beta-cell viability. Identification of the component of the OSA extract that stimulates regulated insulin exocytosis, and further investigation of its mode(s) of action, may provide promising lead targets for Type 2 diabetes therapy.

Source: UG
Christ and Achimota Sermon Preached At the Staff Service on July 8th 1945

We preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 2 COR. IV, 5. Those words, which form part of Paul's description of his own ministry, may well serve as a statement of the essential duty of a Chris tian teacher. Daily it becomes more essential that we-teachers in a Christian school-should try to define our task, for we are now in an age of transition when events move so quickly, almost of their own momentum, that it is only by a conscious effort that we can pause to consider what the principles which should guide their course are. An age of transition - yes, for the Gold Coast not less than for the world as a whole, and, not least, for Achimota.

Source: UG
Christian - Muslim relations in contemporary sub-Saharan Africa

Socio-economic developments in Africa in an era of globalization, the rise of charismatic and evangelical Christianity, and the call for Islamization and application of the Sharica in parts of Africa are in danger of creating tension and destroying the apparently peaceful co-existence between the two faith communities. The article offers a conceptual basis for the relationship between Christians and Muslims from the Islamic perspective, addressing the need for Christians and Muslims to work in concert and the inherent problems that must be faced, and makes recommendations to foster a better relationship. Since any discussion of the contemporary is rooted in the past, reference is made to historical situations in order that Muslims and Christians may learn from history. Examples from Nigeria and the Sudan, where there has been polarization of Muslims and Christians, and where the problem is endemic, seek to illustrate the point, together with personal experiences and observations from Ghana.

Source: UG
The Christian Council, moral citizenship and sex education in Ghana, 1951 – 1966

The Christian Council was at the heart of promoting sex education in Ghana in the mid-twentieth century, through its own institutions and through schools. It was responding to perceived and real shifts in Ghanaian society, and the need to control sexuality, as the nation pushed for ‘modernity’, whilst some worried about the loss of ‘tradition’. This article outlines the beginnings of sex education and family planning provision, and the influence of Christian organisations in Ghana. It argues that Christian leaders pushed for the dissemination of biomedical knowledge within the boundaries of Christian morality and spirituality, in order to put a stop to clandestine abortion, and to promote the idea of a monogamous, Christian and moral citizenry in decolonising Ghana.

Source: UG
Christianising Africa: A Portrait by Two African Novelists

One encounters the theme of religion in a good number of the novels in the African Writers’ Series (AWS), particularly Traditional African Religion, as well as Christianity or Islam, within the matrix of the African social milieu. Dwelling on the AWS novels this paper investigates the picture that is presented of Christianity. It is a comparative study of two novels, Ayi Kwei Armah’s ‘Two Thousand Seasons’ and Benjamin Kwakye’s ‘The Sun by Night’, first published in 1973 and 2006 respectively. The purpose of the study is to discover the picture of Christianity in Africa through novels written more than three decades apart. Armah portrays how Africa was Christianised by European missionaries and the African reaction it met with. He depicts some of the notions held about African religious practice, which the Christianisers sought to transform, and the effects of this transformation process. Kwakye writes as though Christianity is a normal part of African society today with the Africans themselves founding Churches and christianising their people.

Source: UG
Christianity and the Gendering of Personal Names among the Bette in Southeastern Nigeria

Contributing to extant debates on the juncture of naming and gendering, this study interrogates naming practices among Bette-Christians of northern Cross River, Southeastern Nigeria, and how they enhance understanding of the relationship between naming and the enunciation of religious identity, as well as how gender is enacted. With analytical insights from socio-onomastic theory, which explores the relationship between names, culture, and society, we interrogate naming practices as essential cultural currency for identification, categorization, and connectedness. Data were obtained from 40 participants through semistructured interviews and participantobservations. We focus on the intersection of naming and spiritual sentiments to argue that the contemporary reality of naming among Bette-Christians illuminates a practice that negates traditional Bette cosmology and cosmogony. We illustrate how the emergence of Christianity has altered the naming patterns and practices of the people. and how these names embody multidimensional connotations that range from religious identity to stereotyped gender ideologie

Source: UG
Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race

The Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886. Which Has Brought Together In London Men of All Races and Climes, And Of Almost Every Degree Of Civilisation, Has Been the Immediate Occasion-Not the Cause-Of The Publication of This Volume, And It. Is Hoped That the Interest in West Africa Which May Have Been Awakened By the "Exhibits" From This Part Of The World May Lend Many, Who Might Not Otherwise Have Been Attracted By The Subject, To a Perusal of Its Pages The chapters which it contains have, many of them. Appeared, at various times, in the shape of article in English periodicals, or in those of the United State They are all attempt to deal with the grave questions which affect Africa and the Negro race-to set forth to Africans and to their foreign he1pers, secular and religious, some of the conditions of the problem before them, as they have presented themselves to an African who has enjoyed exceptional opportunities of travel and observation in the Eastern and western hemispheres-in Central Africa, in Egypt and Syria, in Europe, in north and South America, and in the West Indies.

Source: UG
Chronic Hepatitis B stigma in Ghana: a qualitative study with patients and providers

Objective This study explored beliefs contributing to Hepatitis B stigma, and the ways in which Hepatitis B stigma manifests, from the perspectives of people with chronic Hepatitis B as well as healthcare providers in Northern and Southern Ghana. Design We used an exploratory qualitative design with a purposive sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. Data were processed using QSR Nvivo V.10.0 and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Settings Participants were recruited from one tertiary and one regional hospital in Ghana between February and November 2017. Participants Overall, 18 people with chronic Hepatitis B (PWHB) and 47 healthcare providers (primary care physicians, nurses and midwives) between the ages of 21 and 57 years participated in the study. Results PWHB face stigma in their sociocultural context and the healthcare environment. Three main beliefs underlying stigma were found: (1) the belief that Hepatitis B is highly contagious; (2) the belief that Hepatitis B is very severe and (3) the belief that Hepatitis B is caused by curses. Stigmatisation manifested as avoidance and social isolation (discrimination). In healthcare settings, stigmatisation manifested as excessive cautiousness, procedure postponement or avoidance, task-shifting and breaches of confidentiality. Conclusions Given the prevalence of incorrect knowledge, as reflected in the beliefs about Hepatitis B, we recommend public awareness campaigns that emphasise Hepatitis B transmission routes. Also, given the manifestations of the stigma in healthcare settings, we recommend the development and implementation of a continuing professional development programme on Hepatitis B and adjusted policy on Hepatitis B vaccination for Healthcare providers (HCPs).

Source: UG