ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Inclusive education and research through African Network of Women in Astronomy and STEM for GIRLS in Ethiopia initiatives

The African Network of Women in Astronomy and STEM for GIRLS in Ethiopia initiatives have been established with aim to strengthen the participation of girls and women in astronomy and science in Africa and Ethiopia. We will not be able to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals without full participation of women and girls in all aspects of our society and without giving in future the same opportunity to all children to access education independently on their socio-economical status. In this paper both initiatives are briefly introduced.

Source: UG
Inclusive education in Ghana: How prepared are the teachers?

We cannot overemphasize the importance of education in creating sustainable societies. Persons with disabilities continue to lag in education, which affects their employment, income and overall well-being. Education is necessary for people with disabilities to break out of the cycle of poverty, as recognized by both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ghana developed an inclusive education policy in 2015 with an overarching goal of fostering equitable access to education for all children. The critical question is what to teach. The B.Ed. Curriculum in 2018 was written to reform education and the school curriculum. But how prepared are student teachers? at Colleges of Education in Ghana. Using the curriculum to promote inclusive education? In this paper, we use the social model of disability, anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, to examine the preparedness of student teachers in meeting the needs of learners with diverse learning needs.

Source: UG
Inclusive finance, financial literacy and livelihood activities of households in Ghana

Financial inclusion has become a priority for policymakers and the banking sector for promoting financial sector development and ensuring sustainable long-term economic growth. The goal of financial inclusion is to provide affordable financial services to all sections of society to improve their standard of living. This is an integral part of inclusive growth as it not only assures financial sector development but also spreads affordable financial services for the betterment of all members of society. Financial intermediaries channel funds from savers to borrowers and by so doing provide funds for investment. Helms (2006) and Choudhury (2015) suggest that financial inclusion is a livelihood intervention strategy that can halt the cycle of poverty and improve welfare among the vulnerable and lower-income populations in developing countries.

Source: UG
Inclusive growth and the sophisticated influence of carbon emissions, renewable energy, and financial development: An introspective analysis of Africa

This study investigates how inclusive growth is affected by carbon emission, renewable energy, and the new financial development index using 48 African countries categorized into low-income countries (LIC) and middle-income countries (MIC) spanning from 2000 to 2018. Bearing in mind the presence of residual cross-sectional reliance and heterogeneity in a panel data settings, the study employed robust estimations econometric approaches which includes the Augmented Mean group (AMG), Driscoll-Kraay (DK) standard errors method together with the Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) technique. The study’s outcomes from the mentioned approaches showed that; carbon emission positively affects inclusive growth in aggregate African panel, and LIC but not in MIC panels correspondingly. Furthermore, renewable energy significantly mitigates inclusive growth in LIC group African nations, but not significant in Africa as a whole or in MIC country grouping. Financial development is homogeneously positive and significant, with inclusive growth across all panels of African economies. The outlined outcomes were also confirmed by the Generalized Method of Moments (System-GMM). Based on the outlined study preferably suggest that carbon emission in LIC must be focused on attracting investments with low carbon footprints. On renewable energy, it is further recommended that both LIC and MIC should sticks to the African Renewable Energy Initiative.

Source: UG
Income diversification strategies among rural households in developing countries evidence from Ghana

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to examine the income strategies adopted by rural households in Ghana and analyzes the determinants of households' choice of income portfolio. Design/methodology/approach ‐ A multinomial logit approach is employed by the paper to investigate the determinants of various income strategies adopted by households in rural Ghana. Findings ‐ Results indicate that household characteristics, location and infrastructure all play a role in explaining the adoption of income strategies other than a purely on-farm strategy by households. Education is a key determinant of income strategies involving non-farm wage employment, while access to credit and electricity play important roles in non-farm self-employment income strategies. Practical implications ‐ The findings of the paper call for a promotion of off-farm income opportunities to complement farm incomes and to enhance access of rural households to these sources of income. Originality/value ‐ The paper models rural household income portfolios into mutually exclusive categories which enables the application of the multinomial logit approach. The paper deviates from mainstream rural income diversification literature that has focussed on assessing the determinants of income shares.

Source: UG
Income inequality and cooperative propensities in developing economies: Summarizing the preliminary experimental evidence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of income inequality on cooperative propensities, and thus the ability of individuals to resolve collective action dilemmas. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a meta-study of 32 developing country lab experiments correlating cooperative behaviour with prevailing Gini coefficients. Furthermore, the paper conducts standard dictator- and public goods game (PGG) experiments with culturally and demographically similar subject pools in two West African countries characterized by high and persistent variation in national income inequality. Findings The meta-study findings of a significant negative relationship between income inequality and contribution levels in the PGG are corroborated by the own laboratory experimental findings that participants in more unequal Nigeria are significantly less altruistic and exhibit significantly lower propensities to cooperate than their more egalitarian Ghanaian counterparts. Moreover, the latter findings are robust when controlling for personal income levels. Practical implications The findings have nontrivial implications for collective action theorists and practitioners seeking to elicit tacit cooperation in developing countries. Originality/value The major contributions of this paper are the novel meta-analysis and the first attempt to examine the influence of personal income levels on cooperative behaviour in societies characterized by differential levels of income inequality.

Source: UG
Income inequality, human capital, natural resource abundance, and ecological footprint in ECOWAS member countries

The growing human demand for economic and social development is resulting in a state of ecological overshoot. This paper investigates the heterogeneous effect of income inequality, human capital, and natural resources on the ecological footprint for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries. Having accounted for cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity, the findings from the Augmented mean group (AMG) estimation reveal that income inequality improves the quality of the environment in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, but deteriorates the environment in Benin. Moreover, human capital accumulation is important for environmental sustainability by exerting a reducing effect on the level of the ecological footprint for Burkina Faso and The Gambia. We further observe that natural resource abundance is not environmentally friendly for Cameroon and Nigeria. Evidence from the Dumitrescu and Hurlin (D-H) panel causality test shows that LGINI, LHC, and LNR stimulate the ecological footprint. Some policy recommendations are offered based on these findings.

Source: UG
Incomplete adherence among treatment-experienced adults on antiretroviral therapy in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia

Objectives—To characterize antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence across different programmes and examine the relationship between individual and programme characteristics and incomplete adherence among ART clients in sub-Saharan Africa. Design—A cross-sectional study. Methods—Systematically selected ART clients (≥18 years; on ART ≥6 months) attending 18 facilities in three countries (250 clients/facility) were interviewed. Client self-reports (3-day, 30- day, Case Index ≥48 consecutive hours of missed ART), healthcare provider estimates and the pharmacy medication possession ratio (MPR) were used to estimate ART adherence. Participants from two facilities per country underwent HIV RNA testing. Optimal adherence measures were selected on the basis of degree of association with concurrent HIV RNA dichotomized at less than or greater/equal to 1000 copies/ml. Multivariate regression analysis, adjusted for site-level clustering, assessed associations between incomplete adherence and individual and programme factors. Results—A total of 4489 participants were included, of whom 1498 underwent HIV RNA testing. Nonadherence ranged from 3.2% missing at least 48 consecutive hours to 40.1% having an MPR of less than 90%. The percentage with HIV RNA at least 1000 copies/ml ranged from 7.2 to 17.2% across study sites (mean = 9.9%). Having at least 48 consecutive hours of missed ART was the adherence measure most strongly related to virologic failure. Factors significantly related to incomplete adherence included visiting a traditional healer, screening positive for alcohol abuse, experiencing more HIV symptoms, having an ART regimen without nevirapine and greater levels of internalized stigma. Conclusion—Results support more in-depth investigations of the role of traditional healers, and the development of interventions to address alcohol abuse and internalized stigma among treatment-experienced adult ART patients.

Source: UG
Inconsistent reporting of female genital cutting status in northern Ghana: Explanatory factors and analytical consequences

Although many cross-sectional social surveys have included questions about female genital cutting status and correlated personal characteristics, no longitudinal studies have been launched that permit investigation of response biases associated with such surveys. This study draws upon the findings of a longitudinal study of women aged 15 to 49 in rural northern Ghana. The self-reported circumcision status of women interviewed in 1995 was compared with the status they reported when they were interviewed again in 2000 after the government began enforcing a law banning the practice and public information campaigns against it were launched. In all, 13 percent of respondents who reported in 1995 that they had been circumcised stated that they had not been circumcised in the 2000 reinterview; this inconsistency reached 50 percent for the youngest age group. Analysis shows that women who said they had not been circumcised are significantly younger, more likely to be educated, and less likely to practice traditional religion than are women who reported that they were circumcised. Factors that may explain these correlates of denial are discussed, and implications for research are reviewed.

Source: UG
Incorporating research evidence into decision-making processes: researcher and decision-maker perceptions from five low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: The 'Sponsoring National Processes for Evidence-Informed Policy Making in the Health Sector of Developing Countries' program was launched by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, WHO, in July 2008. The program aimed to catalyse the use of evidence generated through health policy and systems research in policymaking processes through (1) promoting researchers and policy advocates to present their evidence in a manner that is easy for policymakers to understand and use, (2) creating mechanisms to spur the demand for and application of research evidence in policymaking, and (3) increased interaction between researchers, policy advocates, and policymakers. Grants ran for three years and five projects were supported in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Nigeria and Zambia. This paper seeks to understand why projects in some settings were perceived by the key stakeholders involved to have made progress towards their goals, whereas others were perceived to have not done so well. Additionally, by comparing experiences across five countries, we seek to illustrate general learnings to inform future evidence-to-policy efforts in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: We adopted the theory of knowledge translation developed by Jacobson et al. (J Health Serv Res Policy 8(2):94-9, 2003) as a framing device to reflect on project experiences across the five cases. Using data from the projects' external evaluation reports, which included information from semi-structured interviews and quantitative evaluation surveys of those involved in projects, and supplemented by information from the projects' individual technical reports, we applied the theoretical framework with a partially grounded approach to analyse each of the cases and make comparisons. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was wide variation across projects in the type of activities carried out as well as their intensity. Based on our findings, we can conclude that projects perceived as having made progress towards their goals were characterized by the coming together of a number of domains identified by the theory. The domains of Jacobson's theoretical framework, initially developed for high-income settings, are of relevance to the low- and middle-income country context, but may need modification to be fully applicable to these settings. Specifically, the relative fragility of institutions and the concomitantly more significant role of individual leaders point to the need to look at leadership as an additional domain influencing the evidence-to-policy process.

Source: UG
Incorporating the Literary Re-makes of the Classics into Today’s Literature Classroom: Some Experiential Reflections

In his Plagiat et créativité (treize enquêtes sur l’auteur et son autre) (2008), Jean-Louis Corneille traces creativity and plagiarism in several French authors who have incorporated slices of literary masterpieces into their creative works, and wonders whether it is possible to draw a clear line in literature between creativity and plagiarism and, if so, whether the literary enterprise is not missing out on the burst of creative energy that re-makes bring to other artistic realms like films and music. As an extension to Corneille’s thesis, my presentation discusses the efforts of a new and relatively obscure Spanish publishing house, Editores 451, to bring the classics to a new generation of readers through re-makes that it had commissioned a group of young Spanish writers to make of such Spanish classics as El Mío Cid, Lazarillo de Tormes, Bécquer’s Leyendas as well as of other European and American writers. In my presentation, I will address five fundamental questions, namely: a) What do we understand by a classic literary work, b) How has its meaning changed in and through time, c) What value system underpins the changes, d) In what ways is literary value added, and e) as teachers of language, how can we harness the potentialities of the literary re-makes to gain a new readership for the classics in the college literature classroom. Finally, I will suggest two novel ideas that I believe are worthy of our exploration for their potential benefits to both postgraduate students and faculty.

Source: UG
Incorporation of Gender into Communication Strategy Design and Implementation: A Study of Two NGOs in Accra-Ghana.

Communication Strategy is a key component of the development process since it serves as the guideline for relating with stakeholders in executing projects. It is through this component that stakeholders are mapped, specifically targeted; appropriate channels of communication selected and messages developed together with stakeholders to meet their communication needs. However, over the years, many projects have been implemented with less than average impact being made due to the absence of underlying gender issues. This paper assessed the level of gender incorporation into communication strategy design and implementation by purposively selecting two NGOs namely Action Aid Ghana (AAG) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The paper combined the in-depth and key informant interview approaches in the data collection process. In all, five respondents made up of four communication team members from the two NGOs and a gender advocate were interviewed. Data were thematically analyzed based on the main objective of the paper. The study revealed that gender was highly considered in both organizations and was a key aspect of activity implementation. However, its incorporation into communication strategy design was poor and based on organizational factors and the capacity of the Communication officer to facilitate it. The paper recommended the need for proper stakeholder involvement in the design process as well training of communication personnel on gender issues.

Source: UG
Increased Blood Concentrations of Malondialdehyde in Plasmodium Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Several studies have evaluated the relationship between malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and Plasmodium infections; however, the findings remain inconclusive. This study synthesized differences in MDA concentrations among patients with different levels of clinical severity, uninfected controls, and different Plasmodium species. The research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023393540). Systematic literature searches for relevant studies were performed using the Embase, MEDLINE, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Qualitative and quantitative syntheses (meta-analyses) of distinct MDA concentrations between the disease groups were performed. Twenty-three studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review. Overall, MDA concentrations were significantly elevated in participants with malaria relative to uninfected controls (p < 0.01, Cohen d: 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.88–3.14, I2: 96.22%, 14 studies). Increased MDA concentrations in participants with malaria compared with uninfected controls were found in studies that enrolled patients with P. falciparum malaria (p < 0.01, Cohen d: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.90–3.10, I2: 89.7%, 7 studies) and P. vivax malaria (p < 0.01, Cohen d: 3.70, 95% CI: 2.48–4.92, I2: 90.11%, 3 studies). Our findings confirm that MDA concentrations increase during Plasmodium infection, indicating a rise in oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Thus, MDA levels can be a valuable biomarker for evaluating these processes in individuals with malaria. However, further research is necessary to fully elucidate the intricate relationship between malaria, antioxidants, oxidative stress, and the specific role of MDA in the progression of malaria.

Source: UG
Increased circulating interleukin (IL)-23 in children with malarial anemia: in vivo and in vitro relationship with co-regulatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-10

Severe malarial anemia (SMA) is a leading cause of mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the novel cytokine, interleukin (IL)-23, promotes anemia in chronic inflammatory diseases, the role of IL-23 in SMA remains undefined. Since IL-23 and IL-12 share the IL-12p40 subunit and IL-12Rbeta1 receptor, and are down-regulated by IL-10, relationships among these cytokines were explored in Kenyan children with varying severities of malarial anemia. Children with malarial anemia had increased circulating IL-23 and IL-10 and decreased IL-12 relative to healthy controls. Enhanced anemia severity and elevated parasitemia were associated with increased IL-10 relative to IL-23 and IL-12. Further exploration of the relationships among the cytokines using an in vitro model in which peripheral blood mononuclear cells were treated with synthetic hemozoin (sHz, malarial pigment) revealed that IL-12p35 and IL-23p19 transcripts had a sustained induction over 72 h, while IL-12p40 and IL-10 message peaked at 24 h, and rapidly declined thereafter. Taken together, results here show that IL-23 is elevated in children with malarial anemia, and that IL-10 and IL-12 appear to have important regulatory effects on IL-23 production during childhood malaria.

Source: UG
Increased eosinophil activity in acute plasmodium falciparum infection - association with cerebral malaria.

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

Source: UG
Increased flooded area and exposure in the White Volta river basin in Western Africa, identified from multi‑source remote sensing data

Accurate information on flood extent and exposure is critical for disaster management in datascarce, vulnerable regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, uncertainties in flood extent affect flood exposure estimates. This study developed a framework to examine the spatiotemporal pattern of floods and to assess flood exposure through utilization of satellite images, ground-based participatory mapping of flood extent, and socio-economic data. Drawing on a case study in the White Volta basin in Western Africa, our results showed that synergetic use of multi-temporal radar and optical satellite data improved flood mapping accuracy (77% overall agreement compared with participatory mapping outputs), in comparison with existing global flood datasets (43% overall agreement for the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Near Real-Time (NRT) Global Flood Product). Increases in flood extent were observed according to our classified product, as well as two existing global flood products. Similarly, increased flood exposure was also observed, however its estimation remains highly uncertain and sensitive to the input dataset used. Population exposure varied greatly depending on the population dataset used, while the greatest farmland and infrastructure exposure was estimated using a composite flood map derived from three products, with lower exposure estimated from each flood product individually. The study shows that there is considerable scope to develop an accurate flood mapping system in SSA and thereby improve flood exposure assessment and develop mitigation and intervention plans.

Source: UG
Increased levels of inflammatory mediators in children with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria with respiratory distress

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG