ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing safety of journalism practice in Ghana: Key stakeholders’ perspectives

This study sought to use the self-reporting method of survey as well as key informant interviews to investigate the depth and spread of the problem. A total of 115 respondents took part in the survey. Additionally, eight interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The study found that the most common infraction was verbal abuse. Colleagues, police, political fanatics, politicians, security opera tives and government officials, were among the top perpetrators of safety violations against journalists. A sizeable portion (albeit fewer) were dissatisfied with their workplace safety provisions and minimal confidence in the concern of their employers for their well-being. About half of respondents indicated their media organisations did not make provisions for safety gear for covering potentially dan gerous beats. Many of the respondents thought that the posture, attitude and actions of key state actors, law enforcement agencies as well as their own asso ciation (GJA) concerning their safety were unsatisfactory. The study recommends that the government ensures the security and safety of journalists and media organizations. Media organizations must ensure a safe and toxic-free work envir onment through codes of practice, policies, and enforcement; and journalists become familiar with the various types of safety breaches and corrective measures that can be taken.

Source: UG
Assessing safety of journalism practice in Ghana: Key stakeholders’ perspectives

Abstract: This study sought to use the self-reporting method of survey as well as key informant interviews to investigate the depth and spread of the problem. A total of 115 respondents took part in the survey. Additionally, eight interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The study found that the most common infraction was verbal abuse. Colleagues, police, political fanatics, politicians, security operatives and government officials, were among the top perpetrators of safety violations against journalists. A sizeable portion (albeit fewer) were dissatisfied with their workplace safety provisions and minimal confidence in the concern of their employers for their well-being. About half of respondents indicated their media organisations did not make provisions for safety gear for covering potentially dangerous beats. Many of the respondents thought that the posture, attitude and actions of key state actors, law enforcement agencies as well as their own association (GJA) concerning their safety were unsatisfactory. The study recommends that the government ensures the security and safety of journalists and media organizations. Media organizations must ensure a safe and toxic-free work environment through codes of practice, policies, and enforcement; and journalists become familiar with the various types of safety breaches and corrective measures that can be taken.

Source: UG
Assessing SDG 3: Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Ghana

Health is a crucial economic and social asset, particularly for the working low- and middle-income groups in developing countries. However, effective access to health care seems to be practically impossible without a well-functioning system that adequately protects users of health care services against the associated financial risks, especially, at the time they need them. The implementation and goal of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), therefore, is to mobilize resources and to ensure equitable and sustainable financing of the health sector. The goal of this study is to highlight measures being put in place by Ghana as a country in order to provide universal access to healthcare for all citizens. Measures to achieve this goal include the development of a comprehensive strategy for mobilizing resources from all sources of funds; pursuing equity in health financing with special emphasis on risk pooling, targeting resources to services for the poor and vulnerable groups, and reducing catastrophic health expenditures. The study adopted a qualitative research method in order to enable the researcher access the views of respondents in their most original state. The research was carried out in Accra, the capital of Ghana where respondents expressed their views primarily through interviews. Meanwhile, secondary data were collected from relevant stakeholders to give more meaning to the opinions expressed. In sum, the research study revealed that Ghana is on the right path in fulfilling SDG 3.8 in terms of funding, human resource development, and infrastructure among others. Also, it was obvious that the NHIS has evolved since its implementation in 2003 and could boast of excellent coverage in Ghana with increasing membership in recent years. Finally, the NHIS is making and continues to make giant strides towards achieving UHC in Ghana. Nevertheless, the main challenge facing the attainment of this goal is the issue of finance which the NHIA is putting in utmost efforts to resolve in order to deliver the quality of healthcare the country needs. It is obvious that the issue of finance serves as the root cause of the many problems faced by the smooth implementation of the NHIS towards achieving UHC. The study recommends that leadership and relevant stakeholders must make transparency and accountability its hallmark which will automatically translate to the resolution of other problems faced by the scheme.

Source: UG
Assessing Social Capital For Organisational Performance: Initial Exploratory Insights From Ghana

Social Capital is a concept that describes good quality social relations that can lead to mutual benefit. The fundamental proposition of social capital theory is that networks of relationships grant access to resources, especially information benefits not available to non-members of the network. This study assessed the functions of social capital within Ghanaian organizations, described the patterns and determinants of social capital use within organizations, and explored how social capital contributes to firm performance using a sample frame of firms listed in the Ghana Club 100. A questionnaire field survey supplemented by personal interviews was chosen as the most appropriate design for this investigation. Employees were sampled across the organizational hierarchy based on their responsibilities, positions, and type of relationship held with others within the organization. Data was also collected on demographic characteristics and organizational dynamics. The results showed that social capital is critical to knowledge sharing in the Ghanaian organization; that it helps to get things done and helps in the attainment of organizational objectives. The findings also suggested that three determinate variables of social capital: reciprocity, trust, and institutional ties, have the most significant positive relationship with organizational performance. Given that, the study recommends that firms take a proactive approach towards promoting, building, and maintaining viable social networks within their structures to derive maximum benefit from it.

Source: UG
Assessing Social Capital for Organizational Performance: Initial Exploratory Insights from Ghana

Social capital is a concept that describes good quality social relations that can lead to mutual benefit. The fundamental proposition of social capital theory is that networks of relationships great access to resources, especially information benefits not available to non-members of the network. This study, assessed the functions of social capital within Ghanaian organizations, described the patterns and determinants of social capital sue within organizations and explored how social capital contributes to form performance using a sample frame of forms listed in the Ghana Club 100. Questionnaire field survey supplemented by personal interviews was chosen as the most appropriate design for this investigation. Employees were sampled across the organizational hierarchy based on their responsibilities held, positions type of relationship held with others within the organization. Data was also collected on the demographic characteristics and organizational dynamics. The results shows that social capital is critical to knowledge sharing in the Ghanaian organizational dynamics. The result showed that social capital is critical to knowledge sharing in the Ghanaian organization; that it helps to get thing done and helps in the attainment of organizational objectives. The findings also suggested that three determinate variables of social capital; reciprocity, trust and institutional ties, have the most significant positive relationship with organizational performance. In view of that, the study recommends that firms take a proactive approach towards promoting, building and maintaining viable social networks within their structures in order to derive maximum benefit from it.

Source: UG
Assessing The Asymmetric Interrelationships Between Sovereign Bond Yields And Selected Potential Determinants: The Case Of Frontier WAMZ Economies.

The spot of frontier market economies in the global financial arena continues to be significant for many market participants because of their size, diversification advantage, and interconnected ness. Financial market innovations, globalization and pandemics have made it even more urgent to explore their dynamics. This paper focuses on analysing the risks associated with investing in frontier West African monetary zone bonds by appropriately modelling them in relation to cul tural, administrative/political, geographic, economic and financial indicators that are specific to these countries, primarily due to their locations and interlinkages. This study employed the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model to investigate the asymmetric effects of different economic factors on sovereign bond yields in Ghana and Nigeria from July 2014 to September 2022 with 99 observations. Period selection allows researchers to unravel the complexities of market behaviour, investor sentiment, and policy effectiveness in the face of economic turmoil and uncertainty. The results provide valuable insights into how these factors affect bond yields differently in the two countries.

Source: UG
Assessing the Behaviour of Men towards Cervical Cancer Screening in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Cervical cancer (CC) is a severe disease and one of the most prevailing and dreaded conditions which affect women all over the world with devastating effects, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). To prevent and reduce the morbidity and fatality linked with CC, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended cervical cancer screening (CCS). However, screening uptake in Ghana is low. Male participation in women’s health issues and CCS is a significant factor in improving the utilisation of preventive health services in settings where decision making is the prerogative of men. Thus, this study assessed the behaviour of men towards CCS in the Tamale Metropolis using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as an organising framework. A descriptive cross-sectional design and quantitative approach were employed, and a multistage sampling method was used to reach a sample size of 422 men. The respondents were recruited using simple random sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21 were employed for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the men had a moderate level of knowledge, good attitude, favourable beliefs, good perceived behavioural control (PBC), good intentions and moderate behaviour towards CCS. The results also showed a positive and a negative relationship between the knowledge level and attitude of the respondents and their behaviour, respectively. Similarly, their knowledge level and attitude predicted their behaviour. Despite the level of knowledge and attitude of these men, only a few of them were willing to allow their partners/women to engage in CCS. Therefore, Men should be considered as part of CCS programmes and policies to inform feasible and sustained strategies for CCS to maximise the number of women with access to screening. Information about CC and CCS should be made accessible to both men and women while increasing the number of CCS centres across the nation.

Source: UG
Assessing the choice of National Health Insurance Fund contracted outpatient facilities in Kenya: A qualitative study

Objective: To assess National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) members' level of understanding, experiences, and factors influencing their choice of NHIF-contracted outpatient facil ities in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study with NHIF members in two purposefully selected counties (Nyeri and Makueni counties) in Kenya. We collected data through 15 focus group discussions with NHIF members. Data were analysed using a framework analysis approach. Results: Urban-based NHIF members had a good under standing of the NHIF-contracted outpatient facility selec tion process and the approaches for choosing and changing providers, unlike their rural counterparts. While NHIF members were required to choose a provider before access ing care, the number of available alternative facilities was perceived to be inadequate. Finally, NHIF members identi fied seven factors they considered important when choosing an NHIF-contracted outpatient provider. Of these factors, the availability of drugs, distance from the household to the facility and waiting time at the facility until consultation were considered the most important. Conclusion: There is a need for the NHIF to prioritise awareness-raising approaches tailored to rural settings Further, there is a need for the NHIF to contract more providers to both spur competition among providers and provide alternatives for members to choose from. Besides, NHIF members revealed the important factors they consider when selecting outpatient facilities. Consequently, NHIF should leverage the preferred factors when contracting healthcare providers. Similarly, healthcare providers should enhance the availability of drugs, reduce waiting times whilst improving their staff's attitudes which would improve user satisfaction and the quality of care provided.

Source: UG
Assessing The Combined Effect Of Multiple Metal Exposures On Pregnancy And Birth Outcomes: Methodological Insights In Systematic Review Research

This systematic review focused on pregnant women and aimed to evaluate how exposure to multiple metals impacts their pregnancy and birth outcomes. Previous research has predominantly focused on the effects of individual metal exposures on adverse birth outcomes. However, it is It is crucial to recognize that real-world scenarios often involve simultaneous exposure to multiple pollutants. Recent studies have emphasized the significance of considering exposure to mixtures of metals to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their collective health impacts. This article outlines the essential steps taken during the systematic review process, which involved synthesizing existing evidence and evaluating the strength and consistency of the relationship between metal mixtures and pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Source: UG
Assessing the Corporate Governance Practices of the Hospitality Industry

The purpose of this study is to examine the governance practices of the hospitality industry in Ghana. The study compares the governance practices of two sets of hotels (3-star and 4-star hotels) within the context of best practices around the world. The study adopts a comparative case study methodology by comparing the governance structures of 3-star and 4-star hotels. This is meant to ascertain whether these classes of hotels exhibit different or similar governance practices. The findings revealed that governance practices did not meet best practices around the world. Even though, the corporate governance practices are in line with the provisions of the Companies Code, lapses are widespread reflected in board composition and board sub-committee (audit committee) to slate of other procedures that depart from international best practices. It was ascertained that there were similarities and differences in the governance practices of the two classes of hotels. This raises serious concerns which must be addressed if the hospitality industry is to offer the needed boost to the economy of Ghana. The originality of the paper lies in the fact that it considers a unique sector often neglected by researchers in Ghana and also within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: UG
Assessing the determinants and drivers of multidimensional energy poverty in Ghana

Improving household access and use of clean energy has been central to global development efforts in recent years. The negative effects of energy poverty on health, climate, livelihoods and economy has led to increased investments towards achieving universal access to clean energy. However, significant deprivations in clean energy remains, especially in developing countries. Energy poverty may involve simultaneous deprivations on availability and affordability of clean energy. Using repeated cross-sectional data, this paper assesses the extent and determinants of multidimensional energy poverty in Ghana between 2008 and 2014. The paper finds that though the level of multidimensional energy poverty reduced in Ghana between 2008 and 2014, the incidence and intensity of multidimensional energy poverty remains high. Further, we find substantial subgroup differences in multidimensional energy poverty. The results reveal significant relationships between household characteristics and the multidimensional energy poverty status of households. The reductions in multidimensional energy poverty were driven by the coefficient effects attributable to structural and policy changes over the period. To facilitate universal access to clean energy and reduce the degree of multidimensional energy poverty, there is the need to intensify the LPG promotion campaign and adopt strategies that target left-behind and underserved groups. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Source: UG
Assessing the dimensions of transaction cost in the poultry industry: The case of the Ashanti Region of Ghana

This paper analyzes the dimensions of transaction cost in the poultry industry. We analyze asset specificity, frequency, uncertainty, and opportunism in the poultry industry in the Ashanti Region in Ghana. We examine these dimensions for all firms in the production chain: input suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers. The empirical analyses for the industry consisting of 128 firms (18 input suppliers, 50 farmers, 20 wholesalers, and 40 retailers) reveal that retailers assets are specific and cannot be redeployed for other purposes; retailers experience some opportunistic (self-seeking) behavior from trading partners (i.e., producers, wholesalers, or both), and wholesalers also experience opportunism from their trading partners (i.e. producers, retailers, or both). The assets of input suppliers and producers are not specific and can be redeployed for other purposes. Transaction was frequent and certain for all the firms in the industry. Based on these results we recommend that retailers should have market-contract relationships with both wholesalers and farmers to safeguard themselves against the hazards of opportunistic behavior, as their assets are specific. Furthermore, wholesalers should also have some market-contract relationship with farmers to protect them from farmers’ opportunistic behavior.

Source: UG
Assessing the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) as a Vehicle for the Promotion of a West African Free Trade Area

The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) has been the tool for ECOWAS to establish a free trade area in West Africa. The scheme that was drawn up in 1979 but began implementation in 1990 has seen some achievements, but it has also seen some challenges. Using the WTO-plus framework as a tool, an assessment is made of the ETLS and its implementation, and explores whether the scheme has succeeded in the creation of a free trade area in the West African sub-region. Some obstacles to the establishment of a free trade area as well as recommendations towards improving the ECOWAS methods of achieving a free trade area in the region are explored by the researcher. Gathering data through interviews and secondary sources like books, journal articles and official documents and reports from ECOWAS, UNIDO, and the EU, the study has been able to assess the ETLS and its implementation and offered a conclusion on whether the performance of the scheme has been good so far. In the end, the conclusion is that, even though the scheme has achieved some heights in its implementation of, amongst others, the MFN Treatment and regional accreditation systems, it has generally failed in the creation of a free trade area. This is because of shortfalls in the implementation of such provisions like the national treatment provisions, transparency mechanisms, competition policies, harmonization models, amongst others.

Source: UG
Assessing the Effect of Data Augmentation on Occluded Frontal Faces Using DWT-PCA/SVD Recognition Algorithm

'e drift towards face-based recognition systems can be attributed to recent advances in supportive technology and emerging areas of application including voting systems, access control, human-computer interactions, entertainments, and crime control. Despite the obvious advantages of such systems being less intrusive and requiring minimal cooperation of subjects, the performances of their underlying recognition algorithms are challenged by the quality of face images, usually acquired from uncontrolled environments with poor illuminations, varying head poses, ageing, facial expressions, and occlusions. Although several researchers have leveraged on the property of bilateral symmetry to reconstruct half-occluded face images, their approach becomes deficient in the presence of random occlusions. In this paper, we harnessed the benefits of the multiple imputation by the chained equation technique and image denoising using Discrete Wavelet Transforms (DWTs) to reconstruct degraded face images with random missing pixels. Numerical evaluation of the study algorithm gave a perfect (100%) average recognition rate each for recognition of occluded and augmented face images. 'e study also revealed that the average recognition rate for the augmented face images (75.5811) was significantly lower than the average recognition rate (430.7153) of the occluded face images. MICE augmentation is recommended as a suitable data enhancement mechanism for imputing missing data/pixel of occluded face images.

Source: UG
Assessing the Effect of mHealth Interventions in Improving Maternal and Neonatal Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG