ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Urban Housing - Fanti New Town, Kumasi

The work is introduced by a brief look at effects of urbanization in Tropical African urban centres. Chapter 1 looks at housing problems in Ghanaian urban centres, the performance of public housing and current government policy on urban housing. This search light is focused on Kumasi Urban Centre as the urban centre where private, involvement has done a lot for urban population through building for rental purposes. The suitability of private sector solution is analysed against the needs of the identified target group. This leads to a general brief and choice of a suitable site culminating the end of Chapter 2. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 review and appraise the chosen site. Chapters 6 and 7 look at Cats Studies pertaining to problems involved with urban resiidential development. Guidelines to aid planning rind design are established in Chapter 8. The site is analysed with a review of Town and Country planning Proposals. Broad urban proposals are made to enhance the suitability of the site as an urban residential area. Chapters 10 and 11 describe the evolvement of the solution and the design.

Source: KNUST
Urban migrants and violence: a case of scrap metal dealer migrants in Kumasi.

The purpose of the study was to assess urban migrants’ understanding and experience of violence. The study specifically sought to ascertain how dealers in metal scraps conceptualised violence, the experiences they have had as far as violence is concerned and how to deal with the incidence of violence. Employing a qualitative approach, data was taken from twenty (20) respondents using a semi-structured interview guide, was analysed thematically. Findings from the study revealed that metal scrap dealers conceptualised violence as economic violence and as verbal assault. The study also found that metal scraps dealers’ experienced: verbal assaults, police raids and arbitrary arrest, mob actions and robbery as forms of violence during their working hours. Further, social networking, group protection and use of mobile money were the main strategies adopted to deal with the incidence of violence. The study proposed that scrap dealers form an association which will comprise all scrap dealers. Through the formation of a vibrant association, scrap dealers will always have a strong force and power to influence decisions pertinent to them and educate all scrap workers. Also, the government should intervene in eliminating social violence of migrants more especially scrap dealers.

Source: KNUST
Urban flood risk management: a case study of Aboabo, Kumasi.

Floods are a serious global issue attracting attention and research from academia, the media and other international discourse. Consequently, they have become critical national issues especially with African countries who lack the financial resources and technical knowhow to mitigate its impacts. The Aboabo community (a suburb of Kumasi), located in the transitional forest zone of Ghana has become vulnerable to the devastating effects of flooding in recent times due to climate change, exponential population growth, and rapid urbanization. In order to reverse this trend and lessen the debilitating impacts of flooding on this community, there is a need for the development of a flood risk map which will form the basis of any future flood management and planning activities. This study presented a holistic approach in the development of a flood risk map and discusses its significance in Flood Risk Management. In order to create a digital representation of the study area, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was created. Hydrological analysis necessary to determine flow direction and accumulated flow (resulting from e.g. rainfall, surrounding streams) was performed on the depressionless DEM of the study area. Reclassified slope angles (i.e. high slope areas, medium slope areas, and low slope areas) and stream buffer zones (within 50m of stream network) were added in ArcGIS environment to generate flood risk maps. The flood risk maps showed three risk zones -High risk, medium risk zone and low risk zone. To further demonstrate the potential of flooding in these three risk zones, a simulation-based approach was adopted. A simple vector-based method which only required the extents of flood levels in simulating flood extent based on the derived drainage lines, their depth and their capacity to hold rainfall run-off was used. With the aid of the elevation measure, flood water levels were selected. The flood contours showed the extent of flood at a given flood level. The flood model extents were further overlaid on a geo-referenced Google Earth image of the study area which visibly demonstrated areas at risk in the event of floods. Based on existing literature, questionnaires and interviews were administered to respondents in the Community and stakeholders to investigate the causes and effects of floods. With over 84% response rates, majority of the residents attributed the cause and effect of flooding to lack of drains/choked drains and gradual weakening of buildings respectively. The research clearly demonstrated the application of GIS through hydrological analysis, carrying out flood simulations and the administering of questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders, is very essential in providing guidelines for Flood Risk Mapping.

Source: KNUST
Urbanicity and Paediatric Bacteraemia in Ghana—A Case-Control Study within a Rural Urban Transition Zone

Systemic bacterial infections are a major cause of paediatric febrile illness in sub-Saharan Africa. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of social and geographical determinants on the risk of bacteraemia in a rural-urban transition zone in Ghana. Methods Children below 15 years of age with fever were recruited at an outpatient department in the suburban belt of Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city. Blood was taken for bacterial culture and malaria diagnostics. The socio-economic status of participants was calculated using Principle Component Analysis. A scale, based on key urban characteristics, was estab lished to quantify urbanicity for all communities in the hospital catchment area. A case-con trol analysis was conducted, where children with and without bacteraemia were cases and controls, respectively. Results Bacteraemia was detected in 72 (3.1%) of 2,306 hospital visits. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS; n = 24; 33.3%) and Salmonella typhi (n = 18; 25.0%) were the most common isolates. Logistic regression analysis showed that bacteraemia was negatively associated with urbanicity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7–1.0) and socio-eco nomic status (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6–0.9). Both associations were stronger if only NTS infections were used as cases (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8 and OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–1.0, respectively).

Source: KNUST
Urbanicity and Paediatric Bacteraemia in Ghana—A Case-Control Study within a Rural Urban Transition Zone

Background Systemic bacterial infections are a major cause of paediatric febrile illness in sub-Saharan Africa. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of social and geographical determinants on the risk of bacteraemia in a rural-urban transition zone in Ghana. Methods Children below 15 years of age with fever were recruited at an outpatient department in the suburban belt of Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city. Blood was taken for bacterial culture and malaria diagnostics. The socio-economic status of participants was calculated using Principle Component Analysis. A scale, based on key urban characteristics, was estab lished to quantify urbanicity for all communities in the hospital catchment area. A case-con trol analysis was conducted, where children with and without bacteraemia were cases and controls, respectively. Results Bacteraemia was detected in 72 (3.1%) of 2,306 hospital visits. Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS; n = 24; 33.3%) and Salmonella typhi (n = 18; 25.0%) were the most common isolates. Logistic regression analysis showed that bacteraemia was negatively associated with urbanicity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7–1.0) and socio-eco nomic status (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6–0.9). Both associations were stronger if only NTS infections were used as cases (OR = 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8 and OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–1.0, respectively).

Source: KNUST
Urban planning and public policy responses to the management of COVID-19 in Ghana

The global COVID-19 pandemic, with its associated issues of isolation, enhanced hygiene practices and contact tracing brought up a number of issues to the public domain, many of which bordered on the nexus between urban planning and public health. This paper sets out to examine how new ideas concerning the linkages between urban planning and public health revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic can be integrated into practice, moving forward; and how we might leverage on the crisis to build more just, healthier and liveable cities. Through a review of the literature on public policy responses to pandemics, it is observed that the current urban planning system in Ghana leaves so many people behind and exposes the lives of many to current and future disease pandemics. We propose an agenda for transformation which revolves around the co-evolution and co-creation of new forms of societal values that are less materialistic and individualistic but rather more egalitarian.

Source: KNUST
Urban waste management in developing economy: a case of Kumasi- Ghana

The protection of health and the environment through proper management of waste is increasingly becoming a priority in most countries today. The corner stone of any waste management is the provision of appropriate and adequate collection and disposal facilities for the management of waste generated. The study seeks to investigate into waste collection, transportation and disposal facilities that are in use, specifically in Kumasi Metropolis. Also management problems faced by the Waste Management Department of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA-WMD) are considered. On the basis of field observation and interviews of 15O households, it was revealed that, the refuse collection facilities were inadequate among the middle and low income areas. Using X2 contingency test, it is revealed that distance walked to disposal sites or refuse collection points has influence on disposal habit. The statistical X2 = 16.92 and the X2 calc = 55.88 showing a significant influence of distance walked to disposal points on disposal habit. The test indicates that the refuse collection facilities are inadequate and that some residents in middle and low income areas have to walk longer distance to dispose of their refuse. The inadequacy of the collection facilities among middle and low income residential areas has resulted in a situation where refuse are dispose at unauthorized places. It is recommended that adequate refuse collection containers be provided to serve residents in middle and low income residential areas. Further, using simple proportion to calculate the present capacity of KMA-WMD waste collection services, it was revealed that the capacity of KMA-WMD fall short of achieving satisfactory waste management services. The KMA-WMD would need an extra 42 communal collection containers, 8 refuse collection vehicles and a daily amount of 17.33 million cedis before the Department can effectively collect and dispose of refuse generated daily in Kumasi. The study recommends that private sector be encouraged to take part in waste management services to complement KMA-WMD waste management services and also to ensure efficiency. Again an intensification of education on sanitation programs and community participation in the planning and finding of solution to waste management problems are recommended.

Source: KNUST
Urbanisation and its effects on agricultural lands, economic and social impact: a case study of Juaben Municipality

Farming lands are most pretentious by the fast growth and its occupations of a plea. Land use for housing, manufacturing, and culture have the tendency to control farmlands in the proposition for space in the city place. To understand the trend of urbanization and the socio-economic effects on farmers in the Juaben Municipality necessitated this study. The aim of the study was to identify means of improving the planning and management of land-use changes in Juaben municipality. Similarly, the study focused on finding out effects of land uses changes in the agricultural land use, the socio-economic impacts those changes have on farmers and the planning and management strategies deployed to mitigate the problem. The study adopted questionnaire and semi-structured interview as the research instrument to gather data from 90 respondents which comprises of registered farmers, Town, and Country Planning in the Juaben Municipality through a survey and interview secessions. Results from the study identified effects of land-use changes on agricultural land use. These include farm lost and small farm sizes, increase in the cost of land, cultivation of nonperennial crops, decrease in livestock farming, job loses, food insecurity and as well as decrease in productivity of agrarian activities. Also, the economic and social effect of land-use changes on farmers identified included reduction in the income of farmers, high prices of foodstuffs, high cost in farming, high fees for accommodation, lost of interest in farming, purchasing food from commercial suppliers, societal rejection of the farming business, difficulties in adapting to the new social life imposed on them and declined in deteriorating living conditions. It was evident in the results obtained from the study that, the authorities in the Municipality were pulling down structures built on unauthorized land, issuing of building permit to check development and rezoning areas to suite the current land-use changes. But the Authorities were lacking the legal power to restrict lands demarcated for agricultural activities to be used for human settlement unless it poses danger to live and properties. In conclusion, a substantial amount of land changes has occurred in the Juaben Municipality which has led to farm lost and the socio-economic life of the farmers in the Municipality is not encouraging as well as less effective mitigation responses from management to curtail the rapid land-use changes. It is recommended that the government and the other stakeholders should come together to develop the legal framework that will prevent landowners to sell lands which are not properly surveyed and planned by the Municipal Assembly and also impose more severe sanctions to help check rapid land uses changes in the Juaben Municipality.

Source: KNUST
The urbanization of rural banking in Ghana

Initially, the rural banking system in Ghana was set up to cater for the credit needs of rural people and to inculcate in them the habit of making use of banking services. In recent times, rural banks have preferred operating in urban centres to operating in the rural areas; hence the influx of rural banks into city centres. BOG being the institution responsible for the supervision and control of banking in the country, has in certain cases had to take drastic measures, very unpleasant to the affected banks; to insist on their operating in the rural areas as stipulated by policy. The current study was therefore to find out the reason for the influx of RB’s into the urban areas; what factors entice them into these areas; what factors discourage their operations in the rural areas and whether the policy restricting their operations only to rural areas is still relevant. A random sample of four rural banks with both rural and urban agencies was therefore chosen and their operations before and after moving into the urban areas, were examined. A comparative study of the before and after urbanization situations was done in terms of deposits mobilized, loans granted, profit levels, assets and portfolio quality. The study revealed that after urbanization, deposit levels went up by as much as 1,830%; the least being 5 98%. Customer base also expanded between 84% and 162%. Advances granted went up by between 575% and 1,430%. Profits and Assets also increased tremendously after urbanization. It was also revealed that not less than 40% of the Total Advances, Assets and Customer base were held by only two urban agencies of the banks studied. An indication of the fact, that there is a high concentration of ‘strength’ in the urban agencies of these banks. It was, however, revealed by this study that portfolio quality declined by between 22% and 86% with urbanization, in all the banks studied. The conclusion therefore was that urbanization tremendously improved the performance of the rural banks. This therefore calls for a second look at the policy restricting their operations only to rural areas, with the view to enhancing the performance of the system as a whole. The present competitive banking environment calls for efficiency and this can be achieved if expansion occurs in viable areas, which in the case of the rural banks, is the urban centres. They should therefore be allowed to operate in the urban areas and rather be made to allocate a mutually agreed proportion of their credit to the rural dwellers.

Source: KNUST
Urethroplasty among Elderly Men, Surgical Techniques and Outcomes

Urethroplasty remains the gold standard for the management of urethral stricture. However, the treatment of stricture disease in the elderly tends to be less invasive due to the presumption that they might not be able to stand long hours of surgery and might have higher rates of recurrence due to poor wound healing from microangiopathy. We present our experience with the outcomes of urethroplasty among elderly men seen at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital from January 2012 to December 2021. Methods: This was a retrospective review of data captured in the urology database on all patients 65 years and above who underwent urethroplasty at the hospital over the study period. Data was obtained on patients’ demographics, stricture characteristics, urethroplasty technique, and outcome. A successful outcome was defined as peak flow rate > 15 mls/s, a patent urethra on retrograde urethrogram, patient satisfaction with urine stream, or restoration of the normal stream of urine with only one attempt at urethral calibration or internal urethrotomy post operatively. Data was analyzed using PASW Statistics for Windows, Version 18.0. Results: Overall, 43 urethroplasties were done over the study period in elderly men. The age range was 65 to 87 years. The commonest aetiology was catheterization (62.79%) followed by urethritis (32.56%). Stricture length ranged from 0.5 cm to 16 cm with a mean of 3.93 cm. Most patients (60.46%) had bul bar urethral strictures. The repair methods employed were anastomotic ureth roplasty (62.80%), fasciocutaneous flap (FCF) ventral onlay (13.95%), buccal mucosa graft (BMG) ventral onlay urethroplasty (4.65%), and staged urethrop lasty (4.65%). Three of the patients (6.98%) had a combination of anastomotic and tissue transfer urethroplasty. The overall success rate was 88.37%. Com plications included three surgical site infections, two urethral diverticula and one glans dehiscence. Conclusion: Elderly men tolerate urethroplasty well and the procedure should not be denied solely based on age.

Source: KNUST
Usage barriers and improvement of the ventilated improved pit latrine for use in peri-urban settings of Ghana

The overall aim of this research was to improve the ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine to make it more suitable for use in peri-urban settings in Ghana. The specific objectives were to assess the barriers associated with the use of existing latrines, identify the factors which influence the level of odour in latrines and to evaluate improvements in modified designs of the VIP latrine. The research was conducted in Prampram, Ghana, using focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys and field measurements in an experimental and existing latrines. A linear regression model was used to assess the relative effect of the various design modifications and the elements of weather on the ventilation rate in the experimental VIP latrine . It was found that private latrines shared by multiple households were as highly patronised by the intended users as those used by single households but communal latrines were avoided by most expected users (75%) in favour of open defecation. The main technical barrier to use of existing facilities was intense odour (23%) while long walking distances (28%) and the charging of a user fee (21%) were the major nontechnical barriers. The concentrations of hydrogen sulphide and ammonia in latrine cubicles, used as potential surrogates of odour, generally reflected the level of odour as perceived by the latrine users but hydrogen sulphide was found to be a more reliable surrogate of the level of odour. On the average, a hydrogen sulphide concentration of 0.04 ppm was perceived by latrine users as being tolerable. The level of odour was significantly influenced by the type of latrine technology. For VIP latrines, the level of odour was influenced significantly by the ventilation rate through the vent pipe and the cleanliness of the latrine. With windows provided in all sides of the superstructure of the experimental VIP latr ine and insect screens installed to serve various purposes in the peri -urban setting, the 100 mm diameter vent pipe commonly used in Ghana achieved a lower ventilation rate (17.6 m 3 /h) than the recommended rate of 20 m 3 /h but a 150 mm vent pipe exceeded the recommended rate with an average of 45 m 3 /h. Generally, reduction in the ventilation rate due to the provision of windows in all sides of the superstructure (32%) and the installation of insect screens (7%) could be compensated for by increasing the vent pipe diameter by 50 mm. A regression model of the ventilation rate developed in this study could be used to predict the ventilation rate based on a set of design criteria and meteorological data

Source: KNUST
The Usage of Automated Teller Machine among Low Income Customers: a Case Study of Selected Banks

Technology has altered the way banks provide service to their customers. Various technologies such as Automated Teller Machine (ATM), Internet and Telephone Banking systems have been introduced. Owing to these introductions, many banks are faced with a challenge of how best to segment and provide customers with a service that meet their needs. Such segmentations have been based on demographic factors, perception and preference. Accordingly, this study seeks to investigate the attitude towards the use of Automated Teller Machine using similar segments. It, particularly seeks to investigate the attitude of the low - income group compared with the high - income group. It also seeks to highlight the most preferred banking technology given ATM, * Internet and Telephone. To aid the investigation, a questionnaire was designed and pre - test before being used for data collection. The sample was drawn from Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays Bank in Obuasi. Respondents include all customers in both banks from 18 years to 50years above. Results were subject to various tests and comparison made between the two banks. The findings revealed a strong relationship between the usage frequency and what respondents like and dislike about the usage of ATM. These findings led to the conclusion that perception and preferences are better determinant of attitude towards the use of ATM. Based on the findings, the report discusses some recommendations required in the banking sector. The main recommendation was that the ATM should not be used for cash withdrawal, balance enquiries and mini statement. It also explores the scope and limitations of the study. It is hoped that further research would improve upon this study and provide more information on people's attitude towards' ATM usage and other banking technology.

Source: KNUST