ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility status of anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (diptera: Culicidae) to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides in the greater accra region of Ghana, west africa.

Pyrethroids are the insecticides of choice for the treatment of bednets for malaria control. Pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles spp. vectors may adversely impact malaria control measures, and therefore it is important to know the initial level of pyrethroid resistance before pyrethroid-treated bednets are introduced. Furthermore, a search for replacement insecticides is necessary to manage any eventual high-resistance levels to pyrethroid insecticides that may affect the effectiveness of treated bednets. This study reports on the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae s.s. exposed for 1 h to the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin and the carbamate insecticide propoxur, at eight localities in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The observed mortality rates ranged between 21–92% and 92–100% to permethrin and propoxur, respectively. The results also showed a reduction in the knockdown time (KD50 and KD95) in propoxur (mean KD50 = 20 min and mean KD95 = 31 min) when compared with permethrin (mean KD50 = 47 min and mean KD95 = 87 min). The results suggest that permethrin may not be effective in all areas. Where pyrethroid resistance is a problem, propoxur could be an alternative for indoor residual spraying and for insecticide-treated materials such as curtains and eave screens.

Source: UG
A suspected dental cellulitis leading to diagnosis of both herpes zoster ophthalmicus and HIV

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus and HIV are serious health problems. We report a case of a 37-year-old woman who presented to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with dyspnea and facial cellulitis, and a diagnosis 5 days prior of dental cellulitis made at a district hospital. Investigations revealed that the facial cellulitis was secondary to herpes zoster infection involving the ophthalmic division of the left trigeminal nerve. The patient responded well to oral acyclovir but developed postherpetic neuralgia. During the course of treatment, she was also diagnosed to be HIV-1 positive and was referred for further management. This case represents a unique report in which the patient presented to the hospital with symptoms of cellulitis suggestive of underlying dental infection but was later diagnosed with both herpes zoster ophthalmicus and an underlying HIV infection. Atypical presentations of herpes zoster can occur in HIV/AIDS. Signs of herpes zoster infection with cellulitis should alert the clinician that the patient may have a possible underlying immunosuppressive disease. The population must be educated regarding the importance of early presentation and careful compliance with treatment as well as regular follow-ups. © 2015 The Authors.

Source: UG
Sustainability and development of EWE communities in Ghana through indigenous knowledge management practices

Purpose – Losing indigenous knowledge is to lose the future and impoverish the societies because indigenous knowledge is considered one of the cornerstones and survival of communities, societies and economies. This study, thus, aims to explore and assess the contextual enablers of indigenous knowledge and their role in developing and sustaining the Ewe communities in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative research design, which enabled the researcher to engage the participants in an interview process and observation, was used in this study. It was augmented with a quantitative design using structured questions. Data analysis was guided by the basic principles of grounded theory. The coding system was aided by NVivo to analyze the qualitative data, while the quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS. Descriptive analysis and graphs were deployed in the presentation of the findings. Findings – The study discovered that the communities are in possession of several types of indigenous knowledge, ranging from tacit to explicit knowledge, which are embedded in their cultural and traditional systems and unique to every community; the culture of trust among the citizens and motivation to create and share knowledge in communities was high. Same time, family heads, farmer groups, libraries and museums played key roles in the preservation and management of indigenous knowledge in the communities. On the other hand, information officers and institutions like churches and police posts played insignificant roles in the management and preservation of knowledge in the communities just as the absence of a culture of willingness by the community members to create and share knowledge. Additionally, there was an absence of technological infrastructure, platforms, databases and policies to aid the management and preservation of knowledge in the communities. The study concludes that indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in the development and sustainability of communities in Ghana. Practical implications – Community leaders and political leaders need to invest in systems and structures that will promote the management and preservation of indigenous knowledge for the development of the communities and the state as a whole. Originality/value – The study demonstrates its originality in terms of scope, setting, population and empirical evidence by focusing on the role of indigenous knowledge in the sustainability and development of Ewe communities in Ghana.

Source: UG
Sustainability Assessment of Mine-Affected Communities in Ghana: Towards Ecosystems and Livelihood Restoration

Since the 1980s, many regions in Africa that are rich in mineral resources have undertaken significant reforms to attract foreign investments. While the reforms have broadly boosted mineral production and spurred economic growth, there is a general feeling among stakeholders in the mining sector that such investments have not lived up to their rhetorical promise of improving human well-being. In Ghana, such concerns are particularly pronounced in localities that host mining activities. In such areas, mining can have a series of sustainability impacts that affect manifold the local environment and the local communities. However, there is very little effort to systematically assess the local impacts of mining in Ghana and Africa in general. Our study develops a composite sustainability index that can provide a holistic assessment of the local sustainability impacts of mining. We apply this index to understand the sustainability of three communities surrounding the gold mine of the Newmont Ghana Gold Ltd., in the Ahafo South District of Brong Ahafo region. We combine indicators that represent the key local environmental, social, economic, and institutional impacts of mining to assess local sustainability during the active stages of mine development and operation. We use a series of different methodologies and participatory techniques to arrive at the different indicators, as well as to rate them. Results suggest that despite some between-community similarities for some environmental impacts, the local communities often had radically different scores for social, economic, and institutional aspects of sustainability. Based on the findings, we argue that restoration efforts need to be customized to reflect the between-community variation and go beyond simple landscape reclamation to include interventions that improve human well-being, secure infrastructure, and enhance the collaboration among stakeholders to enable the affected local communities’ transition to sustainability.

Source: UG
Sustainability dimensions in the mission, vision and value statements of the largest corporations in Ghana: a sectoral analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare how the various sectors among the largest companies in Ghana have incorporated sustainability into their mission, vision and value statements. Design/methodology/approach – The mission, vision and value statements of the 100 largest corporations in Ghana, known as Ghana Club 100 (GC100), were extracted from the firms’ official websites. These firms were grouped into nine sectors, and the sustainability components in the mission, vision and value statements were subjected to cross tabulation and thematic contents analysis to establish the sectoral variations. Findings – In formulating their mission, vision and value statements, GC100 firms were more than six times likely to include economic sustainability themes than environmental sustainability themes. Even though three out of every five GC100 firms are financial institutions, the manufacturing and the extractive sectors and firms ranked 1st 20th are three times likely to incorporate all the sustainability dimensions (i.e. economic, social and environmental) into their mission, vision and value statements. Firms in the financial sector and those ranked 80thand 100th were more likely not to publish either a mission, vision or value statements online. Practical implications – This study reveals the magnitude of the strategic pronouncements such as mission, vision and value statements of large firms in emerging economies and how they are aligned with sustainability. This could serve as a basis for formulating guidelines to reinforce efforts that contribute to corporate sustainability. Originality/value – Research on how large firms align sustainability into their mission, vision and value statements is not a new agenda, but fragmented in the context of the emerging economies. The novelty is that Sustainability dimensions

Source: UG
Sustainability of a field epidemiology and laboratory training programme: The ghanaian story

Introduction: Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) are functional ways of strengthening epidemiology, surveillance and outbreak response capacity in countries. However, sustainability of FETPs is a major challenge facing most countries especially in Africa. The Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP) started in 2007 in the University of Ghana School of Public Health as a solution to gaps in the public health workforce. This paper assessed the sustainability strategies embedded in the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme. Methods: we assessed the sustainability of GFELTP by document reviews and interviews with programme staff and stakeholders to identify sustainability structures (programme, financial and institutional) that were in place. We grouped information into the following headings: programme structure, institutional, financial and political structures. Results: as of July 2017, a total of 350 public health experts have been trained in both frontline and advanced courses since the programme's inception. For funding structures, the programme is funded mainly by its partners and stakeholders who are local government organisations. They provide resources for running of programme activities. Under institutional and political structures, the programme was established as a Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service programme based in the University of Ghana. The programme steering committee which is currently chaired by the Director Public Health of Ghana Health Service, jointly ensures its implementation. Other structures of sustainability observed were involvement of stakeholders and alumni in human resource of the programme; use of stakeholders as faculty for the programme. These stakeholders include staff from University of Ghana School of Public Health, Ghana Health Service and Veterinary Service Department, World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The programme showed evidence of stable sustainability strategies in all four structures evaluated. Conclusion: the assessment found the GFELTP to be sustainable. The main factors that contributed to rendering it sustainable were funding, programme, institutional and political structures embedded in the programme. One remarkable sustainability element observed was the strong collaboration that existed between stakeholders of the programme who worked hand in hand to ensure the programme runs smoothly. However, more sources of funding and other essential resources need to be considered to help the programme obtain a pool of resources for carrying out its activities.

Source: UG
Sustainability of recurrent expenditure on public social welfare programmes: Expenditure analysis of the free maternal care programme of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme

Objective: Sustainability of public social welfare programmes has long been of concern in development circles. An important aspect of sustainability is the ability to sustain the recurrent financial costs of programmes. A free maternal care programme (FMCP) was launched under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 with a start-up grant from the British Government. This article examines claims expenditure under the programme and the implications for the financial sustainability of the programme, and the lessons for donor and public financing of social welfare programmes. Methods: Records of reimbursement claims for services and medicines by women benefitting from the policy in participating facilities in one sub-metropolis in Ghana were analysed to gain an understanding of the expenditure on this programme at facility level. National level financial inflow and outflow (expenditure) data of the NHIS, related to implementation of this policy for 2008 and 2009, were reviewed to put the facility-based data in the national perspective. Findings: A total of US$936 450.94 was spent in 2009 by the scheme on FMCP in the sub-metropolis. The NHIS expenditure on the programme for the entire country in 2009 was US$49.25 million, exceeding the British grant of US$10.00 million given for that year. Subsequently, the programme has been entirely financed by the National Health Insurance Fund. The rapidly increasing, recurrent demands on this fund from the maternal delivery exemption programme-without a commensurate growth on the amounts generated annually-is an increasing threat to the sustainability of the fund. Conclusions: Provision of donor start-up funding for programmes with high recurrent expenditures, under the expectation that government will take over and sustain the programme, must be accompanied by clear long-term analysis and planning as to how government will sustain the programme. © 2013 The Author. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Sustainability of renewable energy production: empirical evidence from developing and middle-income countries

Purpose – This study aims to examine the appropriate measures needed toward achieving sustainability of renewable energy production among developing and middle-income countries. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses semi-annual panel data covering the period 2000– 2020 among 152 developing and middle-income countries and Cox proportional hazard model for the analysis. Findings – Estimates indicate that effective operations of environmental institutions, investment in research and development, subsidizing the production of renewable energy, government investment in producing renewable energy and investment in renewable energy production made by the private sector will contribute immensely toward achieving sustainability of renewable energy production. Practical implications – This study recommends that governments should rationalize their expenditures to mobilize enough resources for investment in renewable energy production. Again, operations of environmental institutions should be enhanced through giving their managers’ performance contracts and licensing its employees. Enabling environment should be created for private sector to increase their investment in renewable energy production. Originality/value – Empirical studies have been carried out exploring measures to deal with climate change. Nonetheless, the appropriate measures needed toward achieving sustainability of renewable energy production among developing and middle-income countries have not been explored in existing empirical studies. Hence, this study fills the gap in existing empirical studies.

Source: UG
Sustainability outcomes of teak plantation development in Dormaa, Ghana

Teak (Tectona grandis) plantation development in Ghana is an integral component of the National Forest Plantation Development Programme, a state-supported programme to conserve forests and sustain timber production for economic development, through refurbishing degraded forests and establishing new ones. The plantation development offers opportunity for understanding the sustainability outcomes of forest plantation development in environmental, social, economic, and political terms. With a case study of the Dormaa region in Ghana, this paper discusses how the sustainability of forest plantation development can be better appraised when target communities are considered heterogeneously. There is high state responsibility to the attainment of environmental and timber revenue goals from the teak plantations. However, there are social and political difficulties that confront different farmers but these difficulties are not emphasized for redress in the management of the plantations. To this end, this paper contends that teak plantation development in Dormaa is only partially successful in terms of its sustainability. The paper calls for an inductive approach to plantation development in Ghana that recognises the heterogeneity of the community of people affected, and which addresses the different conditions and possible implications of forest management for equitable benefits from the forests for all categories of people.

Source: UG
Sustainability performance of organic and conventional cocoa farming systems in Atwima Mponua District of Ghana

The potential of organic agriculture to contribute to sustainable development in Ghana is unclear. This article assesses the sustainability performance of organic and conventional cocoa farming systems in Ghana. Data was collected from 398 organic and conventional cocoa farmers using the SMART-Farm tool. Compared to conventional cocoa farming systems, we found a higher environmental sustainability performance in organic cocoa farming systems regarding water withdrawal (+29%), species diversity (+26%), land degradation (+24%), genetic diversity (+24%) and greenhouse gases (+22%). The organic farming systems performed better compared to conventional in profitability (+20%) due to market premiums, gender equity (+27%), and verbally committed to sustainability topics (+25%). Agronomic practices had a strong influence on the observed sustainability performance, especially the environmental performance. Typical organic cocoa farming system has small farm sizes, spends more hours weeding manually since chemical weedicides are prohibited and has more diverse crops. Measures to improve performance is paramount for farming systems sustainability.

Source: UG
Sustainability reporting among Ghanaian universities

This is an exploratory study that brings to the fore the extent to which universities in Ghana report on their sustainability performance. It explores the issue of whether Ghanaian universities report on their sustainability performance, as well as the dimensions of sustainability they report on. A framework based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and campus sustainability assessment tools was used as the basis for investigating sustainability reporting among the six biggest universities in Ghana. Despite the fact that none of the six universities had stand-alone sustainability reports, they all reported on their university sustainability performance through websites and annual reports, despite not explicitly claiming to be addressing sustainability. It was also noted that there is variable coverage of sustainability issues among the universities investigated. It appears that sustainability reporting in Ghanaian universities, while still in its infancy, is emerging. Universities in developing economy contexts might be encouraged to explicitly address and report sustainability issues through ‘soft’ regulations which address the imperative and content of sustainability reporting.

Source: UG
Sustainable cereal production: A spatial analytical approach using the Ghana living standards survey

Ghana as one of the countries south of the Sahara, depends solely on cereals as a major staple food. Ironically, Ghana’s economy depends on large importation from the global north, particularly Asia, due to systemic production deficits. The probability of farming households producing enough cereals and the constraints to meeting domestic supply remains imperative. Therefore, the current research focussed on the Ghana Living Standard Survey seventh round (GLSS7) involving 15,045 cereal farmers nationwide. By estimating the probability of farming households producing cereals and the factors that constrain cereal production. Using random-effects regression models, the empirics show that farming households are expected to produce 5.87 tonnes of cereals annually. Specifically, farming households headed by males are expected to produce 6.01 tonnes of cereal crops in a year, 0.14 tonnes more than female-headed households. Non-poor households are expected to produce 6.82 tonnes of cereals in a year compared with an expected production of 6.29 tonnes by poor households. Cereal production is constrained by wealth status, gender, and age of household heads. Our findings attempt to inform and shape policy towards sustained cereal production in Ghana, and by implication countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in Ghana, should bring on board a structural policy that will address constraints related to gender, wealth, and age of household heads to enhance sustainable cereal production.

Source: UG
Sustainable circular value chains: From rural waste to feasible urban construction materials solutions

Urban regions in sub-Saharan Africa are growing significantly more rapid than their also growing rural counterparts. However, the employment perspectives in rural areas are decreasing, and thus the urban growth can become a driver for enhanced livelihoods in the rural areas. Since urbanisation in Africa requires high amount of concrete, the conversion of agricultural waste materials to sustainable concrete constituents does not only create new rural and urban income possibilities, it can also help Africa's construction industry to spearhead green concrete technologies, and thus to reduce carbon emission worldwide. From vegetable wastes chemical admixtures can be derived as well as reactive mineral cement substitutes, which help to use concrete more efficiently and reduce the ordinary Portland cement clinker in concrete, respectively. The authors of this paper discuss the potentials and shortcomings of using agricultural waste materials for construction materials and propose a synergistic three-step process chain to obtain polysaccharides, biochar, and a reactive ash. The process requires boiling, hydrolysis and vertical shaft kiln technology, respectively, to obtain maximum useable products with minimum generation of climate gases. Eventually, the process chain is discussed in conjunction with possible rural to urban circular economic potentials in the concrete construction business.

Source: UG