ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Polymorphisms in the RNASE3 gene are associated with susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Ghanaian children

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection and a major cause of death in children from 2 to 4 years of age. A hospital based study in Ghana showed that P. falciparum induces eosinophilia and found a significantly higher serum level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in CM patients than in uncomplicated malaria (UM) and severe malaria anemia (SA) patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been described in the ECP encoding-gene (RNASE3) of which the c.371G>C polymorphism (rs2073342) results in an arginine to threonine amino acid substitution p.R124T in the polypeptide and abolishes the cytotoxicity of ECP. The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between polymorphisms in RNASE3 and CM. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The RNASE3 gene and flanking regions were sequenced in 206 Ghanaian children enrolled in a hospital based malaria study. An association study was carried out to assess the significance of five SNPs in CM (n=45) and SA (n=56) cases, respectively. The two severe case groups (CM and SA) were compared with the non-severe control group comprising children suffering from UM (n=105). The 371G allele was significantly associated with CM (p=0.00945, OR=2.29, 95% CI=1.22-4.32) but not with SA. Linkage disequilibrium analysis demonstrated significant linkage between three SNPs and the haplotype combination 371G/*16G/*94A was strongly associated with susceptibility to CM (p=0.000913, OR=4.14, 95% CI=1.79-9.56), thus, defining a risk haplotype. The RNASE3 371GG genotype was found to be under frequency-dependent selection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The 371G allele of RNASE3 is associated with susceptibility to CM and forms part of a risk associated haplotype GGA defined by the markers: rs2073342 (G-allele), rs2233860 (G-allele) and rs8019343 (A-allele) respectively. Collectively, these results suggest a hitherto unrecognized role for eosinophils in CM pathogenesis

Source: UG
Polymyxin Resistance and Heteroresistance Are Common in Clinical Isolates of Achromobacter Species and Correlate with Modifications of the Lipid A Moiety of Lipopolysaccharide

The Achromobacter genus includes opportunistic pathogens that can cause chronic infections in immunocompromised patients, especially in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Treatment of Achromobacter infections is complicated by antimicro bial resistance. In this study, a collection of Achromobacter clinical isolates, from CF and non-CF sources, was investigated for polymyxin B (PmB) resistance. Additionally, the effect of PmB challenge in a subset of isolates was examined and the presence of PmB-resistant subpopulations within the isolates was described. Further, chemical and mass spectrometry analyses of the lipid A of Achromobacter clinical isolates enabled the determination of the most common structures and showed that PmB challenge was associated with lipid A modifications that included the addition of glucosamine and palmitoylation and the concomitant loss of the free phosphate at the C-1 position. This study demonstrates that lipid A modifications associated with PmB resistance are prevalent in Achromobacter and that subresistant populations displaying the addition of positively charged residues and additional acyl chains to lipid A can be selected for and isolated from PmB-sensitive Achromobacter clinical isolates.

Source: UG
Pooled procurement program in the quality improvement of medicines of the National Catholic Health Service in Ghana: using the Donabedian model

Objectives This study evaluates structures that determine the quality of medicines procured through the pooled procurement program (PPP) in the National Catholic Health Service (NHS) using the Donabedian model. The challenges faced in the PPP are also revealed. Method A qualitative multiple case study was used to collect information from twenty top and middle-level administrators in the NCHS through in-depth interviews. After the data transcription, it was then analyzed using the thematic content analysis approach. Key findings The study found that the structures for quality of services in the health facilities are moderately satisfactory. The structures of the NCHS included experienced healthcare workers, adequate physical infrastructures, functional Drug and Therapeutic Committees (DTCs), and a rapid-testing laboratory facility to ensure that medicines procured were of high quality. This paper established that suppliers of medicines to the health facilities in the NCHS had to register with the NCHS subject to annual renewal. Suppliers are also required to have the Pharmacy Council (PC) and the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), certification to supply medicines to health facilities. However, the predominant challenges that confronted the health facilities were delays in health insurance claims processing and payments and lack of management commitment in implementing the PPP. Conclusion The study contributes to the pharmaceutical health services literature in the context of the pooled procurement approach in the sourcing of medical goods in the health sector. Significant implications for research and management are also presented.

Source: UG
Pooled procurement programme: efficiency and challenges in medicinal health care – perspectives from National Catholic Health Service in Ghana

Objective This article explores the efficiency and the challenges of the pooled procurement program (PPP) among National Catholic Health Service (NCHS) members using the stakeholder theory. Method This article used the qualitative research approach relying on a multiple case study design to conduct 20 in-depth interviews with respondents working within the health facilities and the secretariat of the NCHS. Key findings This article established that the PPP improved accessibility, quality, and availability and ensured solidarity among the health facilities within the NCHS. This ensured efficient PPP management in the health facilities. Although a 30% reduction in the average cost of medicines was achieved in the first 3 years of the program’s inception, prompt payment of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) could further drive down the costs of medicines. Notwithstanding, there were other teething challenges such as inadequate consultation between the health facilities and the secretariat, inadequate physical structures, poor internet accessibility, and inadequate coverage of the PPP. Conclusion The article contributes to medicine health services research literature in the context of using the PPP in Ghana in procuring medicines. This article suggests that monitoring and evaluation of procurement procedures in health facilities are critical in guaranteeing compliance with the pooled procurement guidelines by participating healthcare providers.

Source: UG
The poor and land: A situational analysis of access to land by poor land users in Ghana

This write-up looks at the situation of poor land users in Ghana. Specifically literature on poor land users were analyzed to find out how issues affect them and the gaps in literature. There is an identifiable gap in the literature concerning innovation in, for example, chieftaincy institutions and the impact of such innovation on the poor’s access to land which could make it difficult to implement such policies as ‘land banks’, cooperative ownership schemes, and ‘land trusts’. The absence of empirical studies that shed light on the quantitative relationship between incomes and access to land by the poor indicates that policies are likely to be based on guess work and luck. To bridge the gaps in existing literature there is the need to organize thinking along disciplinary lines and identify critical cross-cutting and inter-disciplinary themes supportive of effective policy-making.

Source: UG
Poor mental health in Ghana: who is at risk?

Background: Poor mental health is a leading cause of disability worldwide with considerable negative impacts, particularly in low-income countries. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on its national prevalence in low-income countries, particularly in Africa, is limited. Additionally, researchers and policy makers are now calling for empirical investigations of the association between empowerment and poor mental health among women. We therefore sought to estimate the national prevalence of poor mental health in Ghana, explore its correlates on a national level, and examine associations between empowerment and poor mental health among women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in Ghana in 2009–2010. Interviews were conducted face-to-face with participants (N = 9,524 for overall sample; n = 3,007 for women in relationships). We used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) to measure psychological distress and assessed women’s attitudes about their roles in decision-making, attitudes towards intimate partner violence, partner control, and partner abuse. We used weighted multivariable multinomial regression models to determine the factors independently associated with experiencing psychological distress for our overall sample and for women in relationships. Results: Overall, 18.7% of the sample reported either moderate (11.7%) or severe (7.0%) psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress was higher among women than men. Overall, the prevalence of psychological distress differed by gender, marital status, education, wealth, region, health and religion, but not by age or urban/rural location. Women who reported having experienced physical abuse, increased partner control, and who were more accepting of women’s disempowerment had greater likelihoods of psychological distress (P-values < 0.05). Conclusions: Psychological distress is substantial among both men and women in Ghana, with nearly 20% having moderate or severe psychological distress, an estimate higher than those found among South African (16%) or Australian (11%) adults. Women who are disempowered in the context of intimate relationships may be particularly vulnerable to psychological distress. Results identify populations to be targeted by interventions aiming to improve mental health.

Source: UG
Poor mental health in Ghana: who is at risk?

Abstract Background Poor mental health is a leading cause of disability worldwide with considerable negative impacts, particularly in low-income countries. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on its national prevalence in low-income countries, particularly in Africa, is limited. Additionally, researchers and policy makers are now calling for empirical investigations of the association between empowerment and poor mental health among women. We therefore sought to estimate the national prevalence of poor mental health in Ghana, explore its correlates on a national level, and examine associations between empowerment and poor mental health among women. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in Ghana in 2009&#8211;2010. Interviews were conducted face-to-face with participants (N&#8201;=&#8201;9,524 for overall sample; n&#8201;=&#8201;3,007 for women in relationships). We used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) to measure psychological distress and assessed women&#8217;s attitudes about their roles in decision-making, attitudes towards intimate partner violence, partner control, and partner abuse. We used weighted multivariable multinomial regression models to determine the factors independently associated with experiencing psychological distress for our overall sample and for women in relationships. Results Overall, 18.7% of the sample reported either moderate (11.7%) or severe (7.0%) psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress was higher among women than men. Overall, the prevalence of psychological distress differed by gender, marital status, education, wealth, region, health and religion, but not by age or urban/rural location. Women who reported having experienced physical abuse, increased partner control, and who were more accepting of women&#8217;s disempowerment had greater likelihoods of psychological distress (P-values&#8201;&lt;&#8201;0.05). Conclusions Psychological distress is substantial among both men and women in Ghana, with nearly 20% having moderate or severe psychological distress, an estimate higher than those found among South African (16%) or Australian (11%) adults. Women who are disempowered in the context of intimate relationships may be particularly vulnerable to psychological distress. Results identify populations to be targeted by interventions aiming to improve mental health.

Source: UG
The Poor Paying For the Rich: The Politics of Inequality in the Water-Pricing Structure in Ghana, 2003-2013

The Ghanaian constitution guarantees citizens equal access to public services; however, the market-led provision of public services has excluded the rural poor from access to affordable drinking water. This study analyzes public policy developments in the water sector from independence to the Fourth Republic, with emphasis on 2003–2013, when political and economic liberalization of state services created a dual experience of citizenship, in which urban rich enjoyed higher-quality services at lower prices than did the rural poor. The tariff structures of state institutions that distribute water adopted a free-market pricing model, aiming for cost recovery. Through mixed methods methodology, this article shows that the rural poor pay more for lower-quality water services while making contributions to state taxes and international loans that subsidize the price of water in wealthy urban areas.

Source: UG
Poor quality of the written english of students in tertiary institutions in Ghana: Is school pidgin the (sole) culprit?

It has become a truism in Ghana that the quality of the written English of students in secondary and tertiary institutions is poor and ever deteriorating. It has also become customary to point to School Pidgin (SP) as the main cause of this situation. This paper investigates whether it is fair to blame SP (alone) or not. The data analyzed are grammatical and spelling errors committed in essays written by members of two groups of students at Koforidua Polytechnics, where one group consists of students identified as notorious speakers of SP and the other of students who do not speak SP. It is found that to a very large extent SP is not the main culprit for the poor quality of the students' written English, that the real culprits are students' mother tongues and text messaging conventions, they have become addicted to. Two theoretical frameworks inform the interpretation of the data, namely Linguistic Relativity and Weinreich's (1953) Strength of Language of Literacy hypothesis

Source: UG
Poor quality vital anti-malarials in Africa - an urgent neglected public health priority

Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major public health problem. A vital component of malaria control rests on the availability of good quality artemisinin-derivative based combination therapy (ACT) at the correct dose. However, there are increasing reports of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Methods Seven collections of artemisinin derivative monotherapies, ACT and halofantrine anti-malarials of suspicious quality were collected in 2002/10 in eleven African countries and in Asia en route to Africa. Packaging, chemical composition (high performance liquid chromatography, direct ionization mass spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry, stable isotope analysis) and botanical investigations were performed. Results Counterfeit artesunate containing chloroquine, counterfeit dihydroartemisinin (DHA) containing paracetamol (acetaminophen), counterfeit DHA-piperaquine containing sildenafil, counterfeit artemether-lumefantrine containing pyrimethamine, counterfeit halofantrine containing artemisinin, and substandard/counterfeit or degraded artesunate and artesunate+amodiaquine in eight countries are described. Pollen analysis was consistent with manufacture of counterfeits in eastern Asia. These data do not allow estimation of the frequency of poor quality anti-malarials in Africa. Conclusions Criminals are producing diverse harmful anti-malarial counterfeits with important public health consequences. The presence of artesunate monotherapy, substandard and/or degraded and counterfeit medicines containing sub-therapeutic amounts of unexpected anti-malarials will engender drug resistance. With the threatening spread of artemisinin resistance to Africa, much greater investment is required to ensure the quality of ACTs and removal of artemisinin monotherapies. The International Health Regulations may need to be invoked to counter these serious public health problems.

Source: UG
Popular Culture Narratives: Myth, The Sacred and Profane in Ghanaian Art

It is fascinating to find a copious range of graphic expressions brandishing public and private automobiles, eating places (chop bars) and eve hairdressing salons. In fact, like a cult with its followers and leaders, these artists, given the profusion of their work, serve a very large clientele, a market that is rare to many other artistic expressions of the academic genre in Ghana. The subject of their representations curiously vary in their concerns, themes as mundane as don’t mind the body complement humane themes such as Eno Mary or Wofa Pa Ye and all these sharply contrasts others as sacred and spiritual as Psalm 23, Abuburo Kosua, adee a, ebe ye yie nsee da (the vagaries of the weather are not enough to imperil an egg that is bound to hatch) a philosophical expression of fate in the cosmology of the Ghanaian Akan. By their nature, representation and contextual presentation, it is easy to assume that these subjects/themes should be more secular or profane than religious or spiritual; however an in-depth interpretation and contemplation of these popular culture narratives reveal a studied religiosity. The critical appreciation of the overlapping characteristics of the banal as well as the sacred of a few of these popular culture icons is the focus of this paper.

Source: UG
A popular musical performance in the Kusaal Language on Covid-19 Safety Protocols

This short note is a transcription and translation of a googi on COVID-19. The term googi is locally used among the Kusaasi people of Ghana to refer to the performance or the song as well as the performer who often doubles as the composer. The song in this write up is used in educating the Kusaal-speaking communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana on the COVID-19 safety protocols.

Source: UG
Population ageing and survival challenges in rural Ghana

The significant achievements of global declines in infant and maternal mortality, reductions in fertility, decreases in infectious and parasitic diseases and improvements in nutrition and education have resulted in the numerical growth of elderly populations around the world. The demographic profile of Ghana reveals that currently persons aged 60 years and over constitute about 7 per cent of the total population. Most of these elderly persons reside in rural areas. The principal data for this study emanate from the 1960, 1970, 1984 and 2000 census results of Ghana and the 1988, 1993 and 1998 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data. Population projections by the component method were carried out using the SPECTRUM software, while the medium variant projections were used because of their direct relevance to policy formulation and decision-making. The census results showed that the proportion of the aged population in each age group (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+) has risen over the years. Both the number and proportion of the elderly to the total population have consistently increased and the proportion of rural elderly persons rose markedly from 4.1 per cent of the total population in 1960 to 7.9 per cent in 2000. Because of modernization and urbanization, the traditional solidarity network, particularly the extended family system, is disintegrating, leaving the elderly with little or no means of support and care. As a result, Ghana's rapidly increasing older population is in a precarious situation that is likely to perpetuate poverty.

Source: UG
Population ageing in Ghana: A profile and emerging issues

Population ageing in Ghana is a consequence of a gradual fertility decline which is also occurring in many sub-Saharan African countries. Data from the 2005/2006 Ghana Living Standards Survey show that the percentage of the elderly (persons aged 60 years and above) has increased from 4.9 in 1960 to 5.3 in 1970, 5.8 in 1984 and 7.2 in 2000. Median age has increased from 17 years in 1970 to 18.1 years in 1984 and 19.4 years in 2000, implying a 14.1 percentage increase in 30 years. Socio-economic indicators show that elderly females are more vulnerable and disadvantaged than their male counterparts due in part to low educational attainment resulting in low female participation in the formal sector with its attendant low remuneration and inadequate retirement package. One important emerging issue is the branding of elderly females as witches and subjecting them to abuse and torture in certain parts of the country. This harmful practice infringes upon the human rights of these women and the government of Ghana should do well to abolish the witches' camps. A large proportion of workers engaged in the informal sector of the economy do not contribute to the Social Security Scheme and this makes it extremely difficult for them to cater for their needs in old age particularly when the extended family is unable to provide support and care. The government of Ghana should make strenuous efforts to bridge the gap between producing a concise National Ageing Policy and its implementation.

Source: UG
Population ageing in Ghana: Research gaps and the way forward

This paper attempts to highlight research gaps and what should be done concerning population ageing in the Ghanaian context. The proportion of the elderly increased from 4.9 percent in 1960 to 7.2 percent in 2000, while the number rose from 0.3 million to 1.4 million over the same period (an increase of 367 percent). Projection results indicate that by 2050, the aged population will account for 14.1 percent of the total population. Very little is known about the living arrangements and health profile of Ghana's older population. With increasing urbanization and modernization, it is important to know something about intergenerational transfers from adult children to their elderly parents, and characterize the elderly persons' food security strategies. Training of researchers will be important in terms of strengthening Ghana's capacity to monitor trends, as well as to conduct research and explore new directions in population ageing research. © 2010 Chuks J. Mba.

Source: UG