ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Stakeholder engagement in the pooled procurement program in Ghana

Objective: The article explores stakeholders’ engagement before the implementation of the pooled procurement program (PPP) and the challenges encountered by the National Catholic Health Service (NCHS). Method: The article used a qualitative research approach and a multiple case study design to solicit the views of healthcare service providers and policymakers within the NCHS. Key findings: The article revealed that the National Catholic Health Secretariat (the secretariat) advocated through the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference through the bishop responsible for health. Subsequently, the Diocesan Directors, managers, accountants, suppliers and storekeepers of all health facilities were engaged to understand their respective roles before implementing the PPP. The challenges faced came from all institutions that played a crucial role in the smooth running of the PPP. These institutions were the hospitals, suppliers, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the secretariat. The findings indicated that some managers in the hospitals were not committed to the program. Whereas, some suppliers purposely weakened the position of some other suppliers after awarding tenders by carrying their commodities directly to the hospitals and reducing the price marginally. The challenge from the NHIS perspective was the payment delays. The FDA was not proactive with post-market surveillance to check substandard commodities in the hospitals. However, in the secretariat, the deficiency was the weak systems to monitor real-time activities of the PPP at the hospitals. Conclusion: The article suggests that to ensure the right synergies to meet organizational objectives, the NCHS is advised to increasingly focus on identifying and sustaining the PPP by communicating with other stakeholders to achieve their mutual needs. Such a process would allow the more knowledgeable design of resource needs and allocation of scarce resources to their areas of interest

Source: UG
Stakeholder Influence on Adoption of Circular Economy Principles: Measuring Implications for Satisfaction and Green Legitimacy

Stakeholder roles in the adoption of circular economy concepts and corresponding impacts on firms have been crucial for academics and practitioners. However, substantial research gaps exist in relation to the specific influence of organizational, regulatory and community stakeholder groups on the adoption of circular economy principles and how these affect internal and external stakeholder satisfactions and green legitimacy in the context of an emerging economy. Drawing on the stakeholder and institutional theories, stakeholder pressures, adoption of circular economy principles, stakeholder satisfaction and green legitimacy were explored. Using a quantitative approach, the findings showed that regulatory stakeholders have the most influence on adoption of circular economy principles, followed by organizational and community stakeholders. In particular, adoption of circular economy principles robustly influenced external stakeholder satisfaction and green legitimacy while moderately influencing internal stakeholder satisfaction. These findings serve as a guide for policy making, management decision making and future research.

Source: UG
Stakeholder legitimacy and efficiency: the case of innovation at the Port of Tema, Ghana

Our study set out to explore the relationship between legitimacy in the form of social license that stakeholders grant the National Single Window Project (NSWP) and port efficiency at the Port of Tema, as well as bounding conditions on this relationship. We collected stakeholder legitimacy data in line with with the social license to operate (SLO) framework on the National Single Window Project implementation at the port and stakeholder-perceived port efficiency in Tema. We found that there is an ׈-shaped relationship between legitimacy and port efficiency. We also found that port cooperation and relational intensity dampens the relationship between legitimacy and portability. efficiency. Our study offers an alternative perspective on port management that view ports as isolated units, which provides a partial understanding of their functioning. We opine that viewing ports as networks of stakeholders provides an improved understanding.

Source: UG
Stakeholder Participation in Community Development Projects: an analysis of the quadripartite model of the International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) in Ghana

The increasing importance of stakeholders in project design, implementation, and evaluation requires mechanisms to ensure their effective participation to enhance project success. As a national non-governmental organisation (NGO) engaged in the design and implementation of community development projects, International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) adopts a quadripartite project participation model (QPPM) that facilitates the participation of project stakeholders. This article analyzes the model and its implication for managing community development projects in Ghana. The article adopts an action research strategy relying on the experiential knowledge of the authors in the application of the model. The results of the analysis indicate that although stakeholder participation in community development projects can be very challenging, the application of the model reduces the tensions that often characterize stakeholder participation. The model helps to spread project responsibilities, obligations, and rights equitably amongst project stakeholders.

Source: UG
Stakeholder participation in community development projects: An analysis of the quadripartite model of the international centre for enterprise and sustainable development (ICED) in ghana.

The increasing importance of stakeholders in project design, implementation, and evaluation requires mechanisms to ensure their effective participation to enhance project success. As a national non-governmental organisation (NGO) engaged in the design and implementation of community development projects, International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) adopts a quadripartite project participation model (QPPM) that facilitates the participation of project stakeholders. This article analyzes the model and its implication for managing community development projects in Ghana. The article adopts an action research strategy relying on the experiential knowledge of the authors in the application of the model. The results of the analysis indicate that although stakeholder participation in community development projects can be very challenging, the application of the model reduces the tensions that often characterize stakeholder participation. The model helps to spread project responsibilities, obligations, and rights equitably amongst project stakeholders.

Source: UG
Stakeholder perceptions of sustainability reporting on the websites of technical universities in Ghana

Purpose – This paper explores stakeholder perceptions on the nature and extent of sustainability reporting on the websites of technical universities (TUs) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected data from the websites of the 10 TUs in Ghana and interviewed the stakeholders of the TUs. In analyzing the data, the authors used thematic analysis for the interview responses. The authors also adopted the global reporting initiative (GRI) guidelines and campus sustainability assessment tools for the presentation and analysis of the sustainability disclosures on the websites of the TUs. Findings – The authors found that due to weak institutional coercions, there were limited disclosures on the websites of the TUs, which aimed at gaining stakeholders’ legitimacy; the disclosures were more focused on organizational profile, governance and educational aspects of sustainability. To a large extent, while some external stakeholders such as parents, regulators and alumni appear to be less interested in the disclosures on the TU’s websites, internal stakeholders such as employees (teaching and non-teaching staff) and students who frequently visited the TU’s websites perceived limited reporting and were not impressed with the extent of sustainability disclosures on these websites. Practical implications – The findings of this study are intended to assist policy-makers in the educational sector to appreciate the importance of sustainability reporting on their websites. The results of this study will assist higher educational institutions (HEIs) in increasing the success rate of sustainability implementation by overcoming the lack of sustainability disclosures on their websites. Thus, the results of this study have implications for sustainability implementations, particularly those in emerging economies and policy-makers of universities worldwide. Originality/value – This study could provide two significant values. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has explored stakeholder perceptions of sustainability reporting in implementing sustainability within the education sector. Second, the results were arrived at by combining stakeholder consultations with content analyses, which could be a good guideline for sustainability implementation in the educational sector of developing countries

Source: UG
Stakeholders Identification– Targeted list of stakeholders’ for the In-depth interview. Research Institutions/ Universities - UCC, UDS, UMat, Atomic Energy, GAEC, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences. Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA’s)– EPA, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Science, CSIR, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Ministry of Roads and Transport, AMA, Zoomlion, Ministry of Food and Agriculture Industries – Tullow Oil, Anglogold Ashanti, Newmont Ghana, Gold Fields, TOR, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation, Ghana Ports and Harbours, Ghana Standards Authority. Civil Societies and NGO’s – WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, Traditional Leaders, CONIWAS, Association of Environment and Health. Contact key persons or experts in Occupational and Environmental Health field. Questionnaires should include a checklist. The meeting went ahead to include in the framework the levels of stakeholders, specifics, Contact Persons, Timelines and the Expected Output to aid in the categorization of the framework. The meeting agreed that all members should take a look at Edith’s report and provide comments, however, this questionnaires must be sent to all the stakeholders. Timelines- 26th June, 2013 Point-person: – Dr. Stephens, Julius, Hannah, with Strong Input from Edith and Prof. Quakyi to Contact Key Persons. 3.2 Priority Research for Capacity Building- Extractive Industry mainly Mining, Oil and Gas, Agriculture and Disease Control Activiites Eg. Indoor residual spraying versus burden on chronic diseases.

The main research focus of the Electron Microscopy and Histopathology Department in the past 20 years has been in the areas of enteric diarrhoeas with special emphasis on rotavirus. Through its diarrhoea surveillance studies, the Department has helped to firmly establish rotaviruses as a major cause of diarrhoea in children, and document the circulation of unusual rotavirus genotypes in Ghana. The Department has also recently expanded its diagnostic repertoire to include the identification and characterization of noroviruses, astroviruses, and other enteric viruses.

Source: UG
Stakeholders perspective of, and experience with contact tracing for COVID-19 in Ghana: A qualitative study among contact tracers, supervisors, and contacts.

Ghana confirmed the first two cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection on 12th March 2020. Following this, the government introduced routine and enhanced contact tracing to identify, quarantine, and test contacts for COVID-19. This study, therefore, intends to document the experiences of contact tracers, their supervisors, during COVID-19 containment in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select twenty-seven (27) participants; sixteen contact tracers, six supervisors, and five contacts of COVID-19 cases for an in-depth interview using a topic guide. These interviews were conducted on a phone or face-to-face basis whilst maintaining physical distancing protocol. All these were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Then, QSR NVivo 12 was used to analyse the data thematically. Contact tracers were selected based on their professional background and surveillance experience with other infectious diseases. They were trained before the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country and before deployment. Deployment of contact tracers was in pairs to monitor contacts daily through physical visits or over the phone. Their activities included educating contacts about the condition, filling the symptoms diary, and providing psychological support. Contacts for COVID-19 were identified through case investigation, and their monitoring is done once a day despite the twice-daily requirement. Wherever a case was confirmed, enhanced contact tracing within a 2km radius was done. Furthermore, it was reported that some contacts were not adhering to the self-quarantine. In addition to this, other challenges included; unstable provision of PPEs and remuneration, refusal of some contact to test, delays in receiving test results, and poor coordination of the whole process. The study concludes that contact tracing was generally perceived to be helpful in COVID-19 containment in Ghana. However, adhering to self-quarantine protocol had many challenges for both contact tracers and the contacts. Improving coordination and quick release of test results to contacts is necessary for COVID-19 containment. Lastly, the supply of Personal Protection Equipment and motivation needs to be addressed to help position the country well for effective contact tracing.

Source: UG
Stakeholders’ perspectives about the impact of training and sensitization of traditional and spiritual healers on mental health and illness: A qualitative evaluation in Ghana

Background: Prayer camps and traditional healers have emerged recently as alternative sources of mental health care in Ghana. To increase their knowledge and collaboration between formal and informal mental health care providers, training and sensitization was organized for them. Aims: This study aimed at assessing beneficiaries’ views about the impact of this intervention. Methods: We adopted narrative approach to qualitative enquiry using purposive sampling strategy to recruit formal and informal mental health care providers in Ghana for an in-depth interview. We analyzed the data thematically using QSR NVivo 12. Results: Participants enhanced their knowledge about mental health and illness. They reported increased collaboration between formal and informal health care providers. Community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) give injections to patients instead of chaining and using shackles as was initially practiced. There are also regular visits by CPNs to traditional and spiritual healers to discuss the care of the mentally ill patients in their facilities. Conclusion: There has been an increased collaboration among healers of mental illness resulting in quick recovery of patients who seek care at traditional and spiritual healers. There is also abolition of chaining and using of shackles by these healers, with increasing respect for the human rights of patients

Source: UG
Stakeholders’ perspectives and experiences with the quality of essential medicines in primary healthcare facilities in Ghana: a qualitative study

Background The availability of safe, efective, and afordable medicines indicates a quality health service and the achieve ment of a signifcant target area of universal health coverage. Health inequity in the global health system, due to socio political factors like inadequate funding, weak regulatory frameworks, and limited resources, accounts for increased circulation of poor-quality medicines, especially in resource-limited settings, which could compromise the provision of safe and efective healthcare. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of key health sector stakeholders regarding strategies and barriers to ensuring the quality of essential medicines. Methods Thirty-four stakeholders comprising health facility administrators, pharmacy managers, healthcare providers, medicine manufacturers and distributors, and regulators were interviewed using face-to-face audio-recorded semi structured interviews. Transcribed data were coded and analysed to generate themes relating to the study aim and organised into facilitators and barriers guided by the capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour (COM-B) model. Results Most participants were males, 24 (70.6%), and between ages 36 and 45 (13, 41.2%). The barriers and facilitators to ensuring the quality of medicines were (1) physical and psychological capabilities (regulatory surveillance, inadequate fnancial and human resources, knowledge about medicines, attention to detail; (2) physical and social opportunities (technological support, institutional support, adequate storage facilities, health insurance support); and (3) refective and automatic motivation (fear adverse efects of medicines, positive and negative client feedback). Conclusions The barriers and enablers underlying various stakeholders’ perceptions and activities regarding ensuring quality medicines were identifed, thus providing potential targets and strategies for future research and interventions to improve access to quality medicines in primary healthcare facilities.

Source: UG
Stalking and Intrusive Behaviors in Ghana: Perceptions and Victimization Experiences

Most studies of stalking and other forms of intrusive behavior are conducted in the West. Little is known about the phenomenon in the African context. The present work represents the first dedicated stalking study conducted in Ghana. Based on a sample of 371 male and female university students, this study explored the gender distribution of overall perceptions and experiences, and frequency and duration of personal worst experiences of stalking and intrusive behavior. Several significant gender differences were noted. Females were generally more likely than males to perceive a range of intrusive activities as unacceptable. Females and males were equally likely to have experienced aggression and surveillance, and unwanted attention types of behaviors, while males were more likely than females to have experienced persistent courtship and impositions, and courtship and information seeking types of behaviors. In respect of their worst experience of intrusive behavior, females were more likely to report unwanted communications, aggressive courtship, property damage, and harassment of third parties, whilst males were more likely to have been threatened with harm. More than half of our participants (55.5%) were judged to have been stalked. Given the devastating nature and impact of stalking victimization, the findings may provide impetus to increase awareness of stalking in Ghana and add urgency to calls for anti-stalking legislation

Source: UG
Standardizing a developing country health information system through proprietary software Ghana’s experience

This study aims to understand a developing country’s experience with health information system (HIS) based on standard proprietary software compared with that based on free and open source software (FOSS) as documented in the literature. The developing country HIS literature has focused more on experiences with manual systems or FOSS. Less is therefore known about the development and use of HIS based on standard proprietary software. Using qualitative, interpretive case study methodology, this study investigates Ghana’s experience with the development and use of proprietary software to standardize HIS across the national, regional, district and hospital levels. The paper highlights the inflexible nature of the standardized proprietary approach to HIS under top-down development in developing countries and the resultant challenges and recommends FOSS based on bottom-up participatory development as a better alternative.

Source: UG
Standardizing district health information systems through proprietary software: Ghana’s Experience.

This study aims to understand a developing country’s experience with health information system (HIS) based on standard proprietary software compared with that based on free and open source software (FOSS) as documented in the literature. The developing country HIS literature has focused more on experiences with manual systems or FOSS. Less is therefore known about the development and use of HIS based on standard proprietary software. Using qualitative, interpretive case study methodology, this study investigates Ghana’s experience with the development and use of proprietary software to standardize HIS across the national, regional, district and hospital levels. The paper highlights the inflexible nature of the standardized proprietary approach to HIS under top-down development in developing countries and the resultant challenges and recommends FOSS based on bottom-up participatory development as a better alternative.

Source: UG
Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization among Children with Sickle Cell Disease at the Children’s Hospital, Accra: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Antibiotic Resistance

The aim of this study was to investigate S. aureus carriage among children with sickle cell disease (SCD), including the prevalence, risk factors, and antibiotic resistance. The study was cross-sectional, and involved 120 children with SCD recruited at the Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital (PML) in Accra and 100 apparently healthy children from environs of the hospital. Nasal swab samples were collected from the study participants and cultured for bacteria. Confirmation of S. aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates were done using the tube coagulase test and mecA polymerase chain reaction, respectively. All the S. aureus isolates were tested against standard antimicrobial agents using the Kirby-Bauer method. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain the socio-demographic and clinical data of the study participants. Binary logistic regression was used to identify determinants of S. aureus and MRSA carriage among the study participants. The nasal carriage prevalence of S. aureus was 33.3% (n = 40) and 10% (n = 10) among the participants of the SCD and control groups, respectively. As regards MRSA nasal carriage prevalence, the respective values were 3.33% (n = 4) and 0.00% (n = 0). SCD was significantly associated with S. aureus colonization (p < 0.0001, OR = 4.045), but not MRSA colonization (p = 0.128). In the SCD group, the significant predictors of S. aureus carriage were increasing age (p = 0.003; OR = 1.275) and living in self-contained apartments (p = 0.033; OR = 3.632), whereas male gender (p = 0.018; OR = 0.344) and the practice of self-medication (p = 0.039; OR = 0.233) were protective of S. aureus carriage. In the control group, a history of hospitalization in the past year was a risk factor for the carriage of S. aureus (p = 0.048; OR = 14.333). Among the participants of the SCD and control groups, respectively, the resistance prevalence recorded by S. aureus against the various antibiotics investigated were penicillin (100% each), cotrimoxazole (27.5% vs. 20%), tetracycline (25% vs. 50%), rifampicin (82.5% vs. 50%), erythromycin (30% vs. 20%), clindamycin (32.5% vs. 50%), gentamicin (7.5% vs. 20%), cefoxitin (27.5% vs. 20%), linezolid (30% vs. 40%), and fusidic acid (95% vs. 80%). The proportion of S. aureus isolates that were multidrug resistant (MDR) was 92.5% (37/40) in the SCD group and 100% (10/10) in the control group

Source: UG