ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Domestic waste disposal practice and perceptions of private sector waste management in urban Accra

Background: Waste poses a threat to public health and the environment if it is not stored, collected, and disposed of properly. The perception of waste as an unwanted material with no intrinsic value has dominated attitudes towards disposal. This study investigates the domestic waste practices, waste disposal, and perceptions about waste and health in an urban community. Methods. The study utilised a mixed-method approach. A cross-sectional survey questionnaire and in-depth interview were used to collect data. A total of 364 household heads were interviewed in the survey and six key informants were interviewed with the in-depth interviews. Results: The results of the study revealed that 93.1% of households disposed of food debris as waste and 77.8% disposed of plastic materials as waste. The study also showed that 61.0% of the households disposed of their waste at community bins or had waste picked up at their homes by private contractors. The remaining 39.0% disposed of their waste in gutters, streets, holes and nearby bushes. Of those who paid for the services of private contractors, 62.9% were not satisfied with the services because of their cost and irregular collection. About 83% of the respondents were aware that improper waste management contributes to disease causation; most of the respondents thought that improper waste management could lead to malaria and diarrhoea. There was a general perception that children should be responsible for transporting waste from the households to dumping sites. Conclusion: Proper education of the public, the provision of more communal trash bins, and the collection of waste by private contractors could help prevent exposing the public in municipalities to diseases. © 2014 Yoada et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Source: UG
Domesticated animals as hosts of henipaviruses and filoviruses: A systematic review

Bat-borne viruses carry undeniable risks to the health of human beings and animals, and there is growing recognition of the need for a ‘One Health’ approach to understand their frequently complex spill-over routes. While domesticated animals can play central roles in major spill-over events of zoonotic bat-borne viruses, for example during the pig-amplified Malaysian Nipah virus outbreak of 1998-1999, the extent of their potential to act as bridging or amplifying species for these viruses has not been characterised systematically. This review aims to compile current knowledge on the role of domesticated animals as hosts of two types of bat-borne viruses, henipaviruses and filoviruses. A systematic literature search of these virus-host interactions in domesticated animals identified 72 relevant studies, which were categorised by year, location, design and type of evidence generated. The review then focusses on Africa as a case study, comparing research efforts in domesticated animals and bats with the distributions of documented human cases. Major gaps remain in our knowledge of the potential ability of domesticated animals to contract or spread these zoonoses. Closing these gaps will be necessary to fully evaluate and mitigate spill-over risks of these viruses, especially with global agricultural intensification. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Source: UG
'Don't deny me of my childhood': Experiences of trafficked children and policy implications in Ghana

The International Labour Organisation's (ILO) report (2013) indicates that over 215 million child labourers are engaged in several economic activities in the world, and that some 60 percent of them work in the agriculture sector including fishing and aquaculture. The alarming rates of this menace continually raise concerns; yet, hands-on measures of remedying the situation have not been adequately explored. The paper explores the experiences of trafficked children and how they are reintegrated into the Ghanaian society after their rescue and also makes some policy recommendations. It relies on data gathered from two institutions, (from both private and public sectors) using observation, focus group discuss ions and in-depth interview methods. The study finds that victims are used for various jobs in the fishing industry, ranging from diving into the muddy water to untying nets from underwater spiked branches. Furthermore, victims lack basic childhood facilities such as safe drinking water, access to education and good parental care as they are coerced into works that are dangerous to their health. Among others, the study finds that many trafficked children working in fishing communities are recruited into the fishing sector by their poor parents for monetary gain. The study recommends the resourcing of appropriate institutions to enforce laws, policies and institutional frameworks such as the Children's Act, Human Trafficking Act, among others

Source: UG
Donor-π-Conjugated Spacer-Acceptor Dye-Sensitized Solid-State Solar Cell Using CuI as the Hole Collector

Dye-sensitized solid-state solar cells (DSSCs) replacing the liquid electrolyte with a p-type semiconductor have been extensively examined to solve the practical problems associated with wet-type solar cells. Here, we report the fabrication of a solid-state solar cell using copper iodide (CuI) as the hole conductor and alkyl-functionalized carbazole dye (MK-2) as the sensitizer. A DSSC sensitized with MK-2 showed a solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency of 3.33% with a Voc of 496 mV and a Jsc of 16.14 mA cm -2 under AM 1.5 simulated sunlight. The long alkyl chains act as a barrier for charge recombination, and the strong accepting and donating abilities of the cyanoacrylic and carbazole groups, respectively, enhance the absorption of light at a longer wavelength, increasing the short-circuit current density. The efficiency recorded in this work is higher than similar DSSCs based on other hole collectors. © 2019 D. N. Liyanage et al.

Source: UG
Door of Hope or Despair: Students’ Perception of Distance Education at University of Ghana

Distance Education has globally become one of the important solutions for increasing admission into the universities, decongesting campuses and efficient utilization of time and space. To ensure the sustainability of the programmes’ noble objectives calls for periodic re-evaluation of its modus operandi including the assessment of the perception of its intended beneficiaries. Using exploratory factor analysis, this study analyzes the perceptions of DE students from the University of Ghana. The results of the study show that students have positive perception on the usefulness, satisfaction and flexibility of the programme but have a negative attitude towards examination related issues. The underlying factors include the untimely delivery and poorly edited modules as well as poor arranged examination schedules. The study recommends the implementation of electronic mediated services as one of the main ways of making the objectives of DE a reality

Source: UG
Doping Induced Band-gap widening in Transition-metal doped ZnO Nanocrystals

Pure and transition metal (TM)-doped ZnO nanocrystals were synthesized using a wet-chemical process. Synthesis was carried out in distilled water at 85 °C followed by calcining the as-prepared powders at 280 °C and 600 °C. Co, Mn and Fe doping at 4 and 8 mol % was achieved by adding CoCl2.6H2O, MnCl2 .4H2O and FeCl2 .4H2O respectively during the synthesis. Crystal phase characterization was carried out by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) which confirmed the formation of ZnO in the wurtzite polymorph. The band gap energy of the nanocrystals was measured by both photoluminescence spectroscopy (using the Near Band Edge Emission) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, using a modified version of the Tauc law. Widening of the band gap energy from 3.23 eV to 3.33 eV with increased doping concentration was observed for all the dopants. Ab-initio simulations of doped and undoped ZnO crystals using density functional theory as implemented in the Quantum Espresso package confirmed the increase in the band gap energies with doping concentration.

Source: UG
Dorper sheep in Africa: A review of their use and performance in different environments

The Dorper breed developed in South Africa is used either as a pure breed or crossbred with existing indigenous breeds by many countries across the African continent to improve sheep production. This article presents documented information on the adoption, use, and performance of Dorper sheep across the continent of Africa and opportunities for their more sustainable production under the changing climatic conditions in Africa. Apart from the well-documented information on the Dorper sheep in South Africa, published information on the performance of the sheep is mainly from Eastern Africa. Most countries initially retained purebred Dorpers in nationally owned institutions for multiplication and crossbreeding trials with different indigenous breeds prior to distributing the crossbreds to diverse livestock keepers. The offspring produced through crossbreeding programs with the Dorper have better growth rates than indigenous breeds in the different countries; however, the performance of Dorper sheep in South Africa has not been achieved in any of the other countries. Genomic studies including Dorper sheep have identified regions of interest for resistance to brucellosis and Mycoplasma ovipneumonia that imply adaptability to challenging environments within Dorper sheep. Unfortunately, limitations in systems for guided breeding and monitoring of sheep productivity in Africa have resulted in haphazard crossbreeding of the Dorper. Targeted efforts are required across the different countries to develop breeding programs for improving locally adapted Dorper sheep populations and their crosses with indigenous breeds. New science and technologies need to be innovatively packaged and used to identify and propagate more productive and resilient Dorper and Dorper-based breed-types for the increasingly challenging tropical African range environments

Source: UG
Dose optimization of adult head computed tomography examination in an academic hospital in Ghana

The study investigated radiation doses and image quality of adult head CT and optimization options using an anthropomorphic RANDO phantom on the only available AquilionONE CT scanner in Ghana. Dose length product (DLP) and volume-weighted CT dose index (CTDIvol) dose descriptors were retrospectively obtained from 402 adult head CT examinations performed (from 2020 to 2021) at a Ghanaian hospital, while the effective dose (Deff) was estimated from the product of the DLP and a convention coefficient (k = 0.0023). Using the same routine head CT protocol, the anthropomorphic RANDO phantom was scanned with the hospital’s 640-slice Toshiba AquilionONE CT scanner. Subsequently, exposure factors were varied to study their effects on the dose and image quality. The adult head and phantom images were obtained in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format, and their signal-to-noise (SNR) ratios were analyzed with ImageJ software. The facility’s mean CTDIvol, DLP, and effective dose (Deff) were 86.00 ± 0.00 mGy, 1559.68 ± 197.18 mGy cm, and 3.57 ± 0.46 mSv respectively (SNR = 7.04). For a fixed tube potential, CTDIvol, DLP, and Deff of 51.30 mGy, 1013.80 mGy cm, and 2.33 mSv were respectively achieved (SNR = 5.49) after optimization. Using automatic exposure control (AEC) in the optimization process, the respective CTDIvol, DLP and Deff values were 59.50 mGy, 1176.00 mGy cm and 2.70 mSv (SNR = 5.62). We conclude that substantial Deff reductions of 40.4% and 31.0% using a fixed tube potential, and AEC while maintaining diagnostic image quality were respectively achieved. The protocols associated with these dose-reductions are, therefore, recommended as optimization measures for head CT on the AquilionONE scanner in Ghana.

Source: UG
The dose-response association between LEAP 1000 and birthweight – no clear mechanisms: a structural equation modeling approach

Background Birthweight is an important indicator of maternal and fetal health globally. The multifactorial origins of birthweight suggest holistic programs that target biological and social risk factors have great potential to improve birthweight. In this study, we examine the dose-response association of exposure to an unconditional cash transfer program before delivery with birthweight and explore the potential mediators of the association. Methods Data for this study come from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) 1000 impact evaluation conducted between 2015 and 2017 among a panel sample of 2,331 pregnant and lactating women living in rural households of Northern Ghana. The LEAP 1000 program provided bi-monthly cash transfers and premium fee waivers to enroll in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). We used adjusted and unadjusted linear and logistic regression models to estimate the associations of months of LEAP 1000 exposure before delivery with birthweight and low birthweight, respectively. We used covariate-adjusted structural equation models (SEM) to examine mediation of the LEAP 1000 dose-response association with birthweight by household food insecurity and maternal level (agency, NHIS enrollment, and antenatal care) factors. Results Our study included a sample of 1,439 infants with complete information on birthweight and date of birth. Nine percent of infants (N=129) were exposed to LEAP 1000 before delivery. A 1-month increase in exposure to LEAP 1000 before delivery was associated with a 9-gram increase in birthweight and 7% reduced odds of low birthweight, on average, in adjusted models. We found no mediation effect by household food insecurity, NHIS enrollment, women’s agency, or antenatal care visits. Conclusions LEAP 1000 cash transfer exposure before delivery was positively associated with birthweight, though we did not find any mediation by household- or maternal-level factors. The results of our mediation analyses may serve to inform program operations and improve targeting and programming to optimize health and well-being among this population.

Source: UG
The double burden of disease and the challenge of health access: Evidence from access, bottlenecks, cost and equity facility survey in Ghana

Despite the double burden of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa, health care expenditure disproportionately favours infectious diseases. In this paper, we examine quantitatively the extent of this disproportionate access to diagnoses and treatment of diabetes, hypertension and malaria in Ghana. A total of 220 health facilities was surveyed across the country in 2011. Findings indicate that diagnoses and treatment of infectious diseases were more accessible than NCDs. In terms of treatment, 78% and 87% of health facilities had two of the recommended malaria drugs while less than 35% had essential diabetes and hypertension drugs. There is a significant unmet need for diagnoses and treatment of NCDs in Ghana. These inequities have implications for high morbidity and mortality from NCDs. We recommend the use of task shifting as a model to increase the delivery of NCD services.

Source: UG
Double Jeopardy: HIV-Positive Wives Caring for Their HIV- Positive Spouses in Accra

Given improved medical treatment, AIDS seems no longer like a death sentence in many countries. AIDS patients live longer and are expected to be given the necessary care and support. This study explored the experiences of HIV-positive wives caring for their husbands living with AIDS. Using a qualitative method, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women living with HIV/AIDS selected from the Fever Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study revealed that although participants demonstrated their willingness to give quality care, care experiences were closely linked to available resources. In other words, care was perceived by all participants as being synonymous with availability of family resources. Insufficient resources (especially in terms of energy and financial resources) hindered the quality of care provided to HIV positive husbands. The challenge of insufficient financial, time, energy and other resources placed a lot of physical, health, economic and emotional burdens on participants and this affected their capacity to engage fully in daily activities. In conclusion, experiences of wives caring for their husband with AIDS influenced care practices in the home. Insufficient resources (especially in terms of energy and financial resources) hindered the quality of care HIV positive wives provided to HIV positive husbands. It resulted in a compromise of adequate and quality care not only to the sick husband but to the children as well. In the light of these findings, it was recommended that there should be sensitization or education on effective Family Resource Management; stigmatization and fear of HIV/AIDS by the Family and Consumer Sciences Outreach Program, HIV/AIDS advocates, Ghana Health, Ghana AIDS Commission and other relevant stakeholders Further research could also be conducted using a larger sample size to gain insight into the challenges of HIV positive wives when caring for their HIV positive husbands.

Source: UG
Double Plurality in Codeswitching

This paper deals with the phenomenon of double plurality in codeswitching, with illustrations from Ewe-English Codeswitching (CS). It shows that English nouns (but never Ewe ones) may take two plurals, the English -s and its Ewe counterpart wó. –s always occurs on the stem of the noun while wó occurs either immediately after –s or a few slots away. The paper demonstrates that the English noun-and-plural units are consistently embedded in Ewe-based NPs in which Ewe modifiers of the English nouns occur in slots associated with them in monolingual Ewe NPs. While –s may be dropped from mixed NPs that already show double plurality, the dropping of wó from such NPs makes them unacceptable. Three theoretical questions are asked in our quest to explain this plural doubling phenomenon. One is why it involves only English noun heads. The second relates to why the two forms emerge as plurals even though –s is redundant. The third one is about the nature of language production involved: what bilingual processes are involved in the phenomenon of double plurality? It is shown that the two plurals arrive in their respective positions in the mixed NPs via separate paths in language production. The distribution of –s relates to processes that are conceptual (i.e. semantic-pragmatic) in nature. On the other hand, the distribution of wó relates to processes that are morpho-syntactic in nature. Another issue briefly explored is what this bilingual phenomenon reveals about the linguistic properties of the plural category in monolingual NPs. The paper ends with a discussion of the role that language typology plays in determining whether plurals may be doubled or not doubled in CS.

Source: UG
The double-edged sword: Financial source of household healthcare expenditure in Ghana

In many regions, some of the most formidable enemies of health are joining forces with the allies of poverty to impose a double burden of disease, disability and premature death. This paper looks at the main financial sources households use to finance healthcare in Ghana. It examines the spatial and socio-economic dynamics and the challenges these pose to health and development. Analysis of the 2003 Ghana World Health Survey data indicates that approximately 41% of households depend on more than one financial source with 88% depending on household income to finance healthcare expenditure. The high dependency on household income will erode gains in the economic and health sector in the midst of the recent global economic recession. Comprehensive national health insurance programs that cover emerging disease conditions will mitigate the double burden of disease on households in emerging economies. © H.A. Tagoe, 2012.

Source: UG
A double-hurdle model estimation of cocoa farmers’ willingness to pay for crop insurance in Ghana

Agriculture is an important sector in Ghana’s economy, however, with high risk due to natural factors like climate change, pests and diseases and bush fires among others. Farmers in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana which is known as one of the major cocoa producing regions, face these risks which sometimes results in crop failure. The need for farmers to therefore insure their farms against crop loss is crucial. Insurance has been a measure to guard against risk. The aim of this study was to assess cocoa farmers’ willingness to access crop insurance, the factors affecting willingness to pay (WTP) for crop insurance scheme and insurance companies’ willingness to provide crop insurance to cocoa farmers. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample 240 farmers from four communities in the Dormaa West District in Brong-Ahafo Region. The double-hurdle model shows that age, marital status and education significantly and positively influenced cocoa farmer’s willingness to insure their farms whiles household size and cropped area negatively influenced farmers’ willingness to insure their farms. Similarly, age, household size and cropped area significantly and positively influenced the premium cocoa farmers were willing to pay whiles marital status and cocoa income negatively influenced the premium farmers were willing to pay. The contingent valuation method shows that the maximum, minimum and average amounts cocoa farmers are willing to pay for crop insurance per production cost per acre was GH¢128.40, GH¢32.10 and GH¢49.32 respectively. Insurance companies do not have crop insurance policy but willing to provide crop insurance policy to cocoa farmers on a condition that farmers adopt modern cultivation practices to reduce the level of risk. The study recommends that cocoa farmers should be well educated on crop insurance and should be involved in planning the crop insurance scheme in order to conclude on the premium to be paid by them. © 2016, The Author(s).

Source: UG
Douglas McGregor's Theoretical Models: Their Application

This paper assesses leadership styles interpreting them through the lens of Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y Theoretical Models on core leadership assumptions. McGregor advances that most leadership styles are influenced by held assumptions about people. The leadership style used by leaders engenders a corresponding level of motivation, which acts as the vehicle in getting the required commitment and motivation from workers. Leadership styles that communicate genuine and positive messages of care, respect, interest, trust and concern for workers welfare, increase employee motivation and generate a natural human reaction of workers extending themselves for the good of their organizations.

Source: UG
Down payment for future return: perspectives of Ghanaian migrants in the UK

Research into return migration has explored possible links between return and the development of origin countries. In addition, returnee preparedness and resource mobilisation approaches have been examined. However, few studies address how internal socio-economic conditions within origin communities could be associated with the nature of return preparations by migrants. Using a case study methodology, mixed methods and a comparative approach, this paper examines the relationship between origin community conditions and pre-return strategies adopted by Ghanaian migrants in the UK. Two Ghanaian hometown associations (Kwahuman Association and Kasena-Nankana Development League) are used as cases to examine this phenomenon from the perspectives of both the migrants and the origin communities. Narratives by migrants are interrogated in order to unearth factors that inform their decision-making and the approaches they adopt to ensure future successful return. The study concludes that internal socio-economic conditions at the origin shape return preparedness approaches adopted by return migrants.

Source: UG