ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Does the use of a biometric system guarantee an acceptable election’s outcome? Evidence from Ghana’s 2012 election

The article examines how the deployment of a biometric technology in Ghana’s 2012 election ended in confusion and put the legitimacy of the election outcome in jeopardy. Analysing data drawn from 100 interviews and 500 surveys on the extent to which the use of a biometric voter registration and electronic voter verification technology impacted the election’s outcome, the article found that the biometric system stimulated high voter participation and confidence in the electoral process; and served as a forensic measure against election fraud such as impersonation and multiple voting. However, the problem caused by electronic voter verification malfunction, human error and policy manipulation by polling officials neutralised the efficacy of the biometric technology as an instrument for achieving an election outcome.

Source: UG
Does the use of intrauterine contraceptive device as a method of contraction cause infertility in women

There have been growing concerns about some contraceptives contributing to infertility in women. A mini-review of studies were carried out to find an answer to these expressed concerns. The aim of this review was to ascertain whether the sue of Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) as a method of contraception causes infertility in women. Criteria set for inclusion of studies were randomised controlled trials, cohort and case-control studies that had compared the fertility outcomes of groups of women who had used and discontinued IUCD, with those who used other methods of contraception. Using the Griffiths method of mini-review, a search was performed in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases to retrieve studies that met the criteria set for inclusive of studies. Three studies retrieved from Medline databases met the review criteria. Two of these (cohort studies), which were available, were critically appraised, based on a predetermined protocol. The findings revealed an association between duration of use of IUCD and fertility outcomes in Nulliparous women – the longer the duration of the use of IUCD, the poorer the fertility recovery. Thus, there was an association between prolonged use of IUCD and poor fertility outcomes; but it was not established as to whether IUCD causes infertility in women

Source: UG
Does trust in financial institutions drive formal saving? Empirical evidence from Ghana

Policies aimed at enhancing domestic savings mobilisation to facilitate economic growth have been implemented in both developed and developing countries; yet the level of savings remains low, especially in most of the developing world, due to the predominant use of informal savings methods. Several individuals’ characteristics have been identified as factors that influence individuals’ decision to use formal ways of saving with virtually no emphasis on the role of trust, which is envisaged as essential in making economic decisions. This paper investigates the effect of trust on individuals’ decision to save at financial institutions. We use primary data and employ binary probit regression for our analysis. The results show among others that boosting individuals’ trust is key to formal ways of saving. Based on the findings, we provide vital policy implications that seek to restore individuals’ trust in financial institutions

Source: UG
Does trust in financial institutions drive formal saving? Empirical evidence from Ghana

Policies aimed at enhancing domestic savings mobilisation to facilitate economic growth have been implemented in both developed and developing countries; yet the level of savings remains low, especially in most of the developing world, due to the predominant use of informal savings methods. Several individuals’ characteristics have been identified as factors that influence individuals’ decision to use formal ways of saving with virtually no emphasis on the role of trust, which is envisaged as essential in making economic decisions. This paper investigates the effect of trust on individuals’ decision to save at financial institutions. We use primary data and employ binary probit regression for our analysis. The results show among others that boosting individuals’ trust is key to formal ways of saving. Based on the findings, we provide vital policy implications that seek to restore individuals’ trust in financial institutions.

Source: UG
Does Type and Severity of Violence Affect the Help-Seeking Behaviors of Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria?

Using data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (N = 6,013) and applying multinomial logit models, we examined whether type and severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) influence victims’ help-seeking behaviors. Results showed that about 65% of women did not seek help after experiencing IPV. However, most women who sought help did so from informal sources only (31.3%), compared with formal sources (1.9%). Type and severity of violence were significant predictors of the help-seeking behaviors of Nigerian women. Women who experienced severe forms of physical and emotional violence were more likely to seek help from formal and informal support services, than not seeking help. Sexual violence was not a significant predictor of women’s help-seeking behaviors. It is important to educate women on the relevance of seeking help, especially from formal support services after experiencing IPV.

Source: UG
Does Using Disaggregate Components Help in Producing Better Forecasts for Aggregate Inflation?

This paper analyzes how the information contained in the disaggregate components of aggregate inflation helps improve the forecasts of the aggregate series. Direct univariate forecasting of the aggregate inflation data by an autoregressive (AR) model is used as the benchmark with which all autoregressive (AR), moving average (MA) and vector autoregressive (VAR) models of the disaggregates are compared. The results show that directly forecasting the aggregate series from the benchmark model is generally superior to aggregating forecasts from the disaggregate components. Additionally, including information from the disaggregates in the aggregate model rather than aggregating forecasts from the disaggregates performs best in all forecast horizons when appropriate disaggregates are used. The implication of these results is that better inflation forecasts for Ghana are produce by using information from relevant disaggregates in the aggregate model rather than direct forecasts of the aggregate or aggregating forecasts from the disaggregates.

Source: UG
Does vitamin A supplementation interact with routine vaccinations? An analysis of the Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trial

Background: The World Health Organization recommends vitamin A supplementation (VAS) at vaccination contacts after 6 mo of age to reduce mortality. However, it is unknown whether the effect of VAS is independent of vaccinations. One of the original VAS trials from Ghana had collected vaccination information. Objective: We reanalyzed the data to explore the hypothesis that VAS reduces mortality in children who had bacille Calmette-Guérin or measles vaccine as their most recent vaccine but increased mortality when diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP) was the most recent vaccine. On the basis of previous studies, we expected the effects to be strongest in girls. Design: At enrollment, children aged 6-90 mo were randomly assigned to receive VAS or placebo every 4 mo for 2 y. Vaccination status was assessed at enrollment and after 1 and 2 y by reviewing the children's health cards. Lack of a health card was presumed to mean that the child had not been vaccinated. Results: VAS had a beneficial effect only in children with no record of vaccination at enrollment (n = 5066); the mortality rate ratio (MRR) was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.88) compared with 0.95 (95% CI: 0.72, 1.26) in children with one or more vaccinations (n = 6656). Among vaccinated children, the effect of VAS differed between boys (MRR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.08) and girls (MRR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.67) (P = 0.046 for interaction). VAS had a negative effect in measles-vaccinated girls who were missing one or more doses of DTP at enrollment, a group who often received DTP during follow-up (MRR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.41, 4.80). Conclusions: The effect of VAS differed by vaccination status. This is potentially problematic because VAS is provided at vaccination contacts. © 2009 American Society for Nutrition.

Source: UG
Dog Bites and Rabies in the Eastern Region of Ghana in 2013–2015: A Call for a One-Health Approach

Background. A One-Health approach is advocated to ensure effective rabies surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa. Information is needed to assess the current state of dog bites and rabies in Ghana. We analyzed data on reported events in the Eastern Region of Ghana from 2013 to 2015 to generate information that can be used for rabies elimination in Ghana through the One-Health approach. Method. We extracted data on dog bites and rabies from the database of the regional health service and performed descriptive analysis using Epi Info version 7™. We followed up with interviews with three key informants from the health and veterinary services on issues related to surveillance and data quality. Results. Overall, 4821 dog bites were reported over the three-year period. This translated into an annual incidence of 172 cases per a population of 100,000. Most of cases were in children aged less than 10 yrs. Fifteen (53.3% males) cases of rabies were recorded in seven out of the 26 municipalities and districts, translating into a rabies to dog bite ratio of 3: 1000. The median age of victims was 9 years (range: 3-72 years). A parallel and uncoordinated system of rabies surveillance is maintained by the health and veterinary services, with gross disparities in the number of reported events and overall impression of underreporting. Conclusion. Rabies remains an important cause of preventable deaths in this region. An integrated approach to surveillance based on the One-Health concept needs to be adopted.

Source: UG
Dogs and pigs are transport hosts of Necator americanus: Molecular evidence for a zoonotic mechanism of human hookworm transmission in Ghana

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Doing gender work in Ghana

Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.

Source: UG
Domestic animals infected with Mycobacterium ulcerans-Implications for transmission to humans

The Bacteriology Department aims to improve the quality of life first for Ghanaians and the world at large by conducting research into bacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana and globally. In addition to working on enteric pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases, the department’s current main focus is on the two most important mycobacterial diseases of public health importance to Ghana, namely Buruli ulcer (BU) and tuberculosis (TB).

Source: UG
Domestic banking sector development and cross border mergers and acquisitions in Africa

Recently, economists have started taking a closer look at cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) due to its phenomenal rise in the past two decades. This study investigates the relation between banking sector development and cross M&As in Africa. Our sample consists of 11 African countries with data covering the period, 1993–2008. We use a Baltagi panel instrumental variable Error Component Two Stage Least Squares (EC2SLS) estimator with the Baltagi-Chang estimators of the variance components to deal with endogeneity. The results of the study indicate that banking sector development promotes cross border M&A activity in Africa. We also document evidence suggesting that cross border M&A activity drives banking sector development in Africa. Overall, our evidence suggests a two-way causation between banking sector development and cross border M&As.

Source: UG
Domestic Credit and Export Diversification: Africa from a Global Perspective

As open economies, African countries need to diversify their exports for economic transformation, sustained growth, and development. Meanwhile, there has been increasing importance of development financing. Following the discussion of theoretical issues on the importance of domestic credit as a potential instrument for overcoming the liquidity constraint of developing countries, as in the case of Africa, this paper empirically explores the determinants of export diversification, with particular attention to domestic credit. The estimation is based on a five-year panel regression analysis for the 1962–2010 period involving 80 countries around the world, of which 62 are developing and 29 African countries, using as covariates variables traditionally viewed as affecting export diversification. System GMM estimates provide robust evidence supporting the importance of domestic credit for African countries, while its role in other countries seems rather marginal. In addition, human capital in the form of schooling, governance as measured by constraint on the chief executive of government, and being land-locked, all exert significant effects, as anticipated, on export diversification among African countries. However, except for governance, appropriately controlling for the interactive effect of domestic credit with ‘Africa’ yields generally insignificant impacts of these variables, together with domestic credit, on export diversification in non-African countries. These results point to the dominant role of domestic credit in Africa vis-à-vis other countries globally.

Source: UG
Domestic Resource Mobilisation Strategies Of National Non‐Governmental Organisations In Ghana

National non‐governmental organisations (NNGOs) in Ghana are confronted with declining external donor funding, arising in part from the country's graduation to a lower–middle‐income status, but also more complex changes in donor funding modalities. This presents incentives the for mobilisation of alternative domestic resources to ensure organisational sustainability. Drawing on 62 qualitative in terviews with NNGOs' leaders, donor representatives and key informants, this article presents findings on how NNGOs in Ghana are responding to this chal lenge. Using Edwards' idea of funding ecosystem, this article finds that NNGOs mobilised five main domestic resources: (a) volunteer support; (b) individual donations; (c) commercial activities; (d) corporate philanthropy and (e) government funding. The findings shed useful insights on the applicability of democratic, commercial and institutional elements of the funding ecosystem in contexts experiencing aid reduction and donor exit. This article concludes that while external donor funding is an immediate threat to civil society space in Ghana, social innovations in domestic resources in response to it offer limited potentials for NNGOs' financial sustainability due to capacity challenges and the absence of an enabling environment that promote domestic philanthropy. Implications of the research findings for NNGOs' sustainability and domestic philanthropy are discussed

Source: UG
Domestic revenue displacement in resource-rich countries: What’s oil money got to do with it?

Cross-country studies on the effect of hydrocarbon revenues and non-hydrocarbon tax effort are only now emerging. Using an expanded global dataset in a two-stage least squares framework, we confirm a displacement effect. A percentage point increase in hydrocarbon revenues displaces non-hydrocarbon revenues by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points. With low levels of domestic revenue and a debt crises looming for many developing countries, resource-rich countries need to leverage on their resource wealth to invigorate the non-resource sectors of their economies. This should widen the tax base and optimize the tax take for oil-rich countries over the long haul.

Source: UG
Domestic Violence against Women in Ghana: The Attitudes of Men toward Wife-Beating

This study examines the issue of domestic violence against women; specifically, men’s attitudes toward wife beating. The data used was obtained from the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The results presented in this study come from a total 3,052 males from across all the 10 regions in Ghana. It is interesting to note that, although majority of the participants do not endorse wife beating, there was a significant number of these men who thought wife beating was justified for various reasons. That is, the attitude of men toward wife beating is complex to explain as the participants had divergent views regarding the issue. For example, while some were of the opinion that wife beating is justified, others thought otherwise. The results also established that there is a direct relationship between men’s level of education and their attitudes toward wife beating. That is, those who were highly educated did not endorse wife beating as compared to those who were not highly educated. Furthermore, men who were in consensual unions or customary marriages were found to be in favour of wife-beating as compared to their counterparts in other types of marriage. It is therefore recommended that institutions that could help reduce domestic violence particularly wife beating in Ghana such as, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) will need to focus their attention on men with relatively low education as well as those in consensual and customary marriages.

Source: UG
Domestic Violence against Women in Ghana: The Attitudes of Men toward Wife-Beating

This study examines the issue of domestic violence against women; specifically, men’s attitudes toward wife beating. The data used was obtained from the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The results presented in this study come from a total 3,052 males from across all the 10 regions i n Ghana. It is interesting to note that, although majority of the participants do not endorse wife beating, there was a significant number of these men who thought wife beating was justified for various reasons. That is, the attitude of men toward wife bea ting is complex to explain as the participants had divergent views regarding the issue. For example, while some were of the opinion that wife beating is justified, others thought otherwise. The results also established that there is a direct relationship between men’s level of education and their attitudes toward wife beating. That is, those who were highly educated did not endorse wife beating as compared to those who were not highly educate d. Furthermore, men who were in consensual unions or customary marriages were found to be in favour of wife -beating as compared to their counterparts in other types of marriage. It is therefore recommended that institutions that could help reduce domestic violence particularly wife beating in Ghana such as, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) will need to focus their attention on men with relatively low education as well as thos e in consensual and customary marriages.

Source: UG
Domestic violence in Ghana: incidence, attitudes, determinants and consequences

Domestic violence – defined as abuse by one person against another in an intimate relationship including marriage, cohabitation, dating or relations within the family – is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence in the world (Abramsky et al., 2011; Ellsberg et al., 2008; Garcia-Moreno et al., 2006, 2013; USAID, 2006). International studies estimate that approximately 35 per cent of women across the world have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives, largely in the form of domestic violence (García-Moreno et al., 2013; Appendix A).1 A recent systematic review has reported that at least one in seven homicides and over one third of all female homicides worldwide are perpetrated by an intimate partner (Stockl et al., 2013). Physical and sexual violence are not the only types of domestic violence perpetrated against women: emotionally abusive acts and controlling behaviour are experienced by up to 75 per cent of women worldwide (García-Moreno et al., 2005). Domestic violence is also associated with persistent forms of gender inequality and adverse health and economic outcomes among victims, including poor physical and mental health, higher risks of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases, restricted livelihood options and choices, lower human capital and lower productivity (García-Moreno et al., 2005, 2013; Moosa, 2012).

Source: UG
Domestic violence in Ghana: The attitudes of male victims of Accra

The prevalence of domestic violence against males and their attitude towards reporting is charaterised by the social construct of masculinity which excludes weakness in men and view them as physically dominant over women. Due to these views men are often times viewed as the perpetrators of domestic violence which prevent them from stepping forward to report their experiences. Using a qualitative research design, the study captured men’s attitude and domestic violence through a phenomenological process to understand the lived experiences of the participants. Purposive and social network approaches were used to recruit participants of the study and in-depth interviews were done to solicit information from 10 men, hence ten (10) case studies of men. Findings indicate that, domestic violence cases against men were woefully not reported due to conceived male masculinity, stigma and the fear of not being believed. The study recommends sensitization to encourage men report cases and address the issue of stigmatization.

Source: UG