ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Costs Associated with Implementation of Computer- Assisted Clinical Decision Support System for Antenatal and Delivery Care: Case Study of Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana

Objective: This study analyzed cost of implementing computer-assisted Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) in selected health care centres in Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in the Kassena-Nankana district (KND). CDSS was deployed in selected health centres in KND as an intervention to manage patients attending antenatal clinics and the labour ward. The CDSS users were mainly nurses who were trained. Activities and associated costs involved in the implementation of CDSS (pre-intervention and intervention) were collected for the period between 2009–2013 from the provider perspective. The ingredients approach was used for the cost analysis. Costs were grouped into personnel, trainings, overheads (recurrent costs) and equipment costs (capital cost). We calculated cost without annualizing capital cost to represent financial cost and cost with annualizing capital costs to represent economic cost. Results: Twenty-two trained CDSS users (at least 2 users per health centre) participated in the study. Between April 2012 and March 2013, users managed 5,595 antenatal clients and 872 labour clients using the CDSS. We observed a decrease in the proportion of complications during delivery (pre-intervention 10.74% versus post-intervention 9.64%) and a reduction in the number of maternal deaths (pre-intervention 4 deaths versus post-intervention 1 death). The overall financial cost of CDSS implementation was US$23,316, approximately US$1,060 per CDSS user trained. Of the total cost of implementation, 48% (US$11,272) was pre-intervention cost and intervention cost was 52% (US$12,044). Equipment costs accounted for the largest proportion of financial cost: 34% (US$7,917). When economic cost was considered, total cost of implementation was US$17,128–lower than the financial cost by 26.5%. Conclusions: The study provides useful information in the implementation of CDSS at health facilities to enhance health workers’ adherence to practice guidelines and taking accurate decisions to improve maternal health care.

Source: UCC
Costume Symbolism: “Atsiagbekor” Traditional Dance in Keta Municipality-Volta Region, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to assess the physical characteristics of the Atsiagbekor dance costume and its symbolic significance in the Anlo culture in the Volta Region of Ghana. The study used an ethnographic research design that was integrated into the qualitative paradigm. Out of the seven communities that were determined to be the primary locations where Atsiagbekor is customarily conducted, four were chosen. Focus group discussion and participant observation were all used as part of a multi-data gathering strategy. The results identified various physical features of Atsiagbekor dance costume which were grouped into traditional costume and contemporary costume. It was realized that each of these physical features did not just cover or adorn the body of the dancers, but represented a whole arsenal of war (with the purpose to protect, defend, and attack), story-telling elements as well as portray the cultural values and identities of the Anlo people. These features, therefore, contributed immensely to the interpretation of the dance performance. The costumes have also evolved in different ways, from the top wear, down wear, accessories to colours in order to conform to the material conditions of their time. With regard to the above, the study recommended that, Traditional leaders, retired dancers, and current dancers must continue to educate their followers about the symbolic meaning of the components of the Atsiagbekor costume and the value of maintaining the culture on occasions such as durbars, festivals, and other events. All these should be documented. This would inform the Anlos about the significance of the Atsiagbekor outfit and serve as a legacy for the next generation as well as a useful source of reference materials.

Source: UCC
Costus afer: A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Data in support of Its Medicinal Relevance

Costus afer (C. afer) is a plant commonly known as ginger lily, spiral ginger, or bush cane. It is reportedly used in traditional medicine practice (TMP) to treat and manage many ailments including diabetes mellitus, stomach ache, arthritis, inﬂammation, and gout. These purported ethnomedicinal uses have triggered many research studies on the plant to amass scientiﬁc evidence. However, these research reports are scattered, and thus, this systematic review seeks to provide a comprehensive update on it covering its traditional uses, phytochemical and nutritional constituents, pharmacological activities, and toxicological eﬀects. An online search was done using search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect from the period 1970 to 2019. The online search included the use of keywords, “Costus afer Ker-Gawl” or “Costus afer.” The search revealed that the stem and leaves of the plant contain substantial amounts of micronutrients and macronutrients. The leaves, stem, rhizomes, and roots of C. afer contain several steroidal sapogenins, aferosides, dioscin, and paryphyllin C and ﬂavonoid glycoside kaempferol-3-O-α-L- rhamnopyranoside. Experimental studies on various parts of the plant showed bioactivities such as antihyperglycemic, hepa- tocellular protection, cardioprotection, nephroprotection, testicular protection, CNS depressant, analgesic, antiarthritis, anti- bacterial, and antioxidant. Based on these evident data, it is concluded that the plant could be used as an alternative and complementary therapy for many oxidative stress-related diseases, provided further scientiﬁc studies on the toxicological and pharmacological aspects are carried out.

Source: UCC
Counselling needs of distance education students of University of Cape Coats, Ghana: a model for effective counselling service delivery.

Needs assessment is a pre-requisite for developing a comprehensive and relevant counselling service for students. This study assessed the counselling needs of distance students, focusing on the diploma students of the College of Distance Education (CoDE), University of Cape Coast (UCC). The explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted. The population of the study was 36,798 with a sample size of 1115, made up of 1110 respondents and five participants. Out of the 1110 questionnaire administered 1075, was retrieved and used. Purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.895. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential (independent samples t-test and ANOVA) statistics. However, the qualitative data were analysed manually using thematic approach. The study revealed that personal/social and practical needs were of greater concern to students than educational and vocational needs. Majority of the students indicated that non-availability of counsellors at their respective study centres was very challenging. Students differed significantly in their perception of their counselling needs on the basis of age, marital status, programme of study, and academic level, but not gender. The counselling services put in place by the College are not able to adequately meet the needs of the students. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the College’s management should establish counselling offices with professional counsellors in all its regional study centres to provide effective counselling services based on the most important needs of students.

Source: UCC
Counselling needs of police officers in the sekondi-takoradi metropolis, ghana

The study assessed the counselling needs of police officers in the Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of 278 were selected through stratified random sampling from a population of 969 police officers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. Data were analysed using frequencies, means, t-test and ANOVA. The study revealed that the most common counselling need of the police officers was organisational counselling needs. Negative perceptions associated with their work, how these perceptions affected their families and friends, and the need to uphold “higher image” in the public were the common operational counselling needs of the police officers. Inadequacy of equipment and resources, nature of internal investigations, inconsistency of leadership and dealing with supervisors were the common organisational counselling needs of the police officers. The common personal-social counselling needs of the respondents were solving interpersonal conflicts, understanding themselves, meeting family demands, solving marriage and relationship issues, and dealing with disappointments. There was no statistically significant gender difference in their counselling needs. There was a statistically significant age difference in the counselling needs of the police officers. It was recommended that leadership of the Ghana Police Service organise intermittent workshops focused on helping police officers to handle some of the organisational challenges they face.

Source: UCC
Counselling needs of prisoners in Ghana: a study of Central and Ashanti regions

Counselling plays a central role in reforming prisoners to re-live their lives in society with minimum problems. However, in many occasions, this essential service is relegated to the background. This study, therefore, examined the background characteristics of the prisoners, their perceptions on counselling services, their counselling needs, counselling programmes designed to meet the needs of inmates, and the roles of stakeholders in meeting such counselling needs. The study was undertaken at the Ankaful and Kumasi Central Prisons. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A total of 203 respondents were sampled for the study. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample respondents from the two prisons. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data. The study was analysed with SPSS version 17 and Microsoft Excel 2010 Professional Edition. The study found that background characteristics of the inmates were critical in designing counselling programmes for them. The inmates were uncomfortable with the level of privacy during counselling and the gender sensitivity to the counsellors who provide the service. Some of the inmates required counselling to overcome their feelings of guilt, bitterness and neglect from their families. The study recommends that the counselling units should consider the gender preference of the inmates before assigning counsellors to them, while the government, NGOs, religious groups and other philanthropist institutions and individuals can help rejuvenate the vocational training centres at the prisons.

Source: UCC
Counselling Needs of Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: Implications for Inclusive Education in Ghana

In this fast changing world, pupils all over the world have developed severe social and psychological needs that affect their interactions with others and subsequently, the achievement of their life goals. Essentially, the social and psychological needs of school pupils have manifested in diverse mal-adjusted behaviours that hinder their academic performance. The study explored the various counselling needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in one of the regions of Ghana and the specific level at which pupils require guidance and counselling services. The purposive and systematic sampling techniques were employed to select 88 pupils and three staff from three special schools from the region to provide information for the study with the use of questionnaire and interview format. The study revealed that pupils had various counselling needs including social, emotional, career, physical and health. On the basis of the findings, some recommendations were made for intervention.

Source: UCC
Counselling needs of religious persons in full time ministry:a case study of the Methodist Church,Ashanti Region.

The purpose of this study was to interview ministers of the gospel to ascertain their counselling needs as well as the coping mechanisms implemented to mediate the stressors in their personal and professional lives. There is limited academic research provided through the lens of seasoned clergy which reveals their counselling needs related to sustaining ministry. The design for this study was a descriptive analytical survey. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in this study. The sample of the study consisted of fifty (50) Methodist ministers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana but much interest was on ordained ministers. Simple random sampling procedure was used in the selection of the respondents for the study. It was established from the study that most children of the respondents had bad behaviour due to the lack of quality time with their parents. It was also discovered that most respondents were financially overburdened since they shoulder all the financial responsibilities in their households. Also most of the ministers lack support from their leaders thereby making it incumbent on them to solely ensures the progress of the church. To address the problems of ministers, the researcher recommended the organization of leadership retreats and seminars for ministers and their leaders by Christian Council of Ghana and various denominations. Again, the establishment of counselling and placement centers for ministers and their families was recommended. Finally, ministers' spouses who are not in gainful employment need to be equipped with vocational skills and business activities by their spouses with the help of the church to keep them busy always.

Source: UCC
Counselling Needs of Students with Disability in Inclusive Universities in Ghana

The study examined the counselling needs of students with disability in selected inclusive universities in Ghana. The study concentrated on assessing the academic, career, and personal-social counselling needs of students with disability. University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, and University of Education Winneba were chosen. With 155 respondents, a mixed study methodology employing the embedded design was used. It was a census survey. An interview guide and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. Quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive statistics (frequency distributions and percentages) and inferential statistics (one-way analysis of variance). The qualitative data from 12 respondents sampled through convenience sampling were analysed using a thematic approach. The study found out that students with disability in inclusive universities in Ghana were aware of their counselling needs (career, academic and personal-social) but there was a lack of these services on their campuses. Students with disability also had several challenges that hinder them from accessing counselling services. They suggested that for their counselling needs to be met, counsellors who are specifically trained to help students to meet these needs must be made available. Also, telephone conversations should be made an alternative means of addressing the counselling needs of students with disabilities. It was recommended that career guidance and academic discipline fairs should be organised for students with disability during students’ orientation programmes in their respective universities.

Source: UCC
Counselling Practices of the Clergy in Selected Churches in the Sekondi-takoradi Metropolis, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to investigate the counselling practices of the clergy in selected churches in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was used within the Mixed Methods Approach for the study. The study was conducted in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. A sample of 132 pastors was selected from a population of 200 pastors from the Metropolis. Questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were used in collecting data for the study. The study found that pre-marital counselling, marital counselling, biblical counselling, grief counselling, family counselling and career counselling were the most common types of counselling provided by the clergy in selected churches in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. The study revealed again that family issues, marriage issues between spouses, conflicts people have with others, health issues, issues with children and financial issues were the most common issues that clients brought to counselling in selected churches in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. Even though, most of the respondents had received some training in counselling, they still favoured receiving additional training in counselling. The clergy also adopted the right counselling practices such as listening, adhering to ethical issues, utilizing counselling skills, availability and building strong relationships with clients. Lack of resources and time as well as inadequacy of training on counselling were the main challenges encountered by the clergy in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in their provision of counselling. It was recommended that the clergy association in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis organize intermittent training programmes for the clergy on counselling services

Source: UCC
Counselling Programmes in Senior High Schools in the Upper West Region, Ghana.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of stakeholders in the guidance and counselling programmes in senior high schools in the Upper West Region. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, using a sample of school heads (7), teachers (292), district directors (3), guidance and counselling coordinators (7) and students (380) in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Five sets of questionnaire were used in collecting data for the study. Data collected were analysed descriptively using means and standard deviations. The study found that students participated in guidance programmes, guidance and counselling coordinators assisted students to cope with school challenges, teachers and school heads cooperated with counsellors in handling difficult students while district directors provided guidance and counselling coordinators with support in their work. The study found that even though government ensured that schools had professionally trained counsellors, there was not much financial support from government. The study also found that training, expertise and experience helped guidance and counselling coordinators discharge their duties well. Finally, the study found that the challenges encountered in the delivery of guidance and counselling programmes were inadequacy of facilities, lack or inadequate support from government, inadequacy of training for coordinators and negative perceptions about counselling. It was concluded that the stakeholders played their roles in supporting guidance and counselling programmes. It was recommended that government provide financial support and budget allocation for guidance and counselling programmes in senior high schools.

Source: UCC
Counting the costs: occupational injuries and illnesses among auto-artisans

Although assessing the cost of workplace injuries and illnesses as part of occupational health and safety management is important in ensuring workplace safety, the issue is generally neglected among informal auto-artisans in Ghana. This paper examines the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses in terms of productivity, financial and social aspects of selected auto-artisans who service or fabricate auto parts in Suame ‘Magazine’ in Kumasi, Ghana. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 957 auto-artisans selected through a multistage cluster sampling method. The study found that the most frequent occupational illnesses and injuries experienced by the auto-artisans are those related to sharp objects (83.9%), inhalation of dust particles (45.8%), objects falling from height (35.6%) and burns (21.8%). These injuries and illnesses have led to loss of productivity and income which affects family members with no variations between the various categories of auto-artisans (p ¼ 0.976). It is concluded that occupational injuries and illnesses among informal auto-artisans presents enormous financial and emotional costs to survivors and their families. It is recommended that government should lead a policy dialogue on safety in the country’s informal sector, while supporting artisans to establish insurance schemes to support them in times of injuries and illnesses

Source: UCC
Country Level Corporate Governance and Direct Foreign Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This study examined the relationship between corporate governance and direct foreign investment in Sub – Saharan African. This study differentiates itself from literature by introducing new measures from global competitiveness index for corporate governance. The measures include ethical behaviour of firms, efficacy of corporate board, protection of minority shareholders and regulation of security exchange from 2009 to 2015.The study was guided by Eclectic theory and new institutional economic theory. The study employed Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) technique. The study has concluded that corporate governance has influence on direct foreign investment in Sub – Saharan Africa. Ethical behaviour of firms, efficacy of corporate governance, minority shareholders protection have positive influence direct foreign investment positive while regulation of securities exchange have negative influence on direct foreign investment. The study suggests that Sub – Saharan Africa economies should work on improving the ethical behaviour of firms, ensure that corporate boards are efficient and interest of minority shareholders are protected. However, regulation of security exchange should be reduced or made friendly in order to raise the inflows from direct foreign investment.

Source: UCC
Country Level Governance Indicators and Foreign Direct Investment in Ghana

Foreign Direct Investment plays a critical role in the developmental agenda of every country. In recent times, one question that has become even more topical is why some countries are able to attract so much foreign capital into their countries while others do not. The aim of this study thus is to go beyond the traditionally known macro-economic factors to examine the relationship between Ghana’s country level governance indicators and foreign direct investment. The study used Two-stage Least Squares econometric techniques for a time series data from 1996 to 2016. Overall, the study found a significant positive relationship between all the six country level governance indicators and foreign direct investment. The implication is that governance indicators significantly increase foreign direct investment into Ghana. Based on the results, it is recommended that attention must be focused on control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability, rule of law, regulatory requirement and voice and accountability since these variables also create significant opportunities to enhance foreign direct investment into Ghana and boost Ghana’s economic development.

Source: UCC