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Research by the paper industry into new materials to expand the raw material base for pulp is on the ascendancy due to growing demand for pulp and paper products. This study assessed the anatomical, chemical, and pulping characteristics of four varieties of Cocos nucifera husk to ascertain their suitability as raw material for pulp and paper production. The measured and calculated chemical (Klason Lignin, 1% NaOH solubility and Holocellulose contents) and anatomical (Fiber dimensions, Runkel Ratio, Slenderness Ratio, Flexibility Coefficient, Coefficient of Rigidity, Luce's Shape Factor and Solids Factor) properties of the Cocos nucifera husks mostly did not meet the standard requirements for a good pulp and paper material. However, the Local Tall Yellow variety of the Cocos nucifera husk was favorable in terms of Runkel Ratio, Slenderness Ratio, Flexibility Coefficient, and Coefficient of Rigidity and can be considered for the production of pulp for writing and printing papers. In spite of the limitations of the other three varieties for making quality paper, they could be used for fiber plate, rigid cardboard, and cardboard production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding sustainable solutions to the increasing waste generation in Ghana has received a lot of attention in recent years. Through several waste-to-energy processes, the energy potential of municipal solid waste has recently witnessed significant technological advancements. The Renewable Energy Master Plan has projected the production of about 122 MWp from waste-to-energy installations by 2030 in Ghana. To help policymakers and engineers achieve national goals, this paper reviews the waste generation in Ghana estimated from 2010 to 2030 and the status of various bioenergy technologies in Ghana. This paper further estimates the energy recovery potential of municipal solid waste in Ghana under incineration, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery technologies. The review establishes that, by 2030, municipal solid waste generation will increase by 123% of the 2023 quantities and may produce 1484.25 MW of installed electricity capacity and 13,002.03 GWh per year, which would amount to nearly 59% of Ghana's 2030 renewable energy target. Additionally, it was determined that anaerobic digestion, incineration, and landfill gas recovery technologies, when properly developed, will add 105.33 MW, 301.4 MW, and 377.31 MW of installed electrical capacity, respectively, to Ghana's energy mix in 2028. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nana Obimpe, known in private life as Joseph Kwesi Yumpo Mbimadong (1908-2013) was an educator, politician, academic, advocate and traditional ruler. This paper seeks to present the life story of Nana Obimpe and how local, national and global politics made him establish his own archives. The paper argues that his collections are of historiographical essence and could be valuable additions to information from some of the state archives in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global demand for paper-based products continues to increase amidst challenges with raw material supply to the pulp industries. Considerable efforts to discover new wood resources from tropical forests to widen the material stock are ongoing. This study examined the suitability of the outer and inner wood fibres from different axial sections (i.e., butt, middle and top) of Chrysophyllum albidum from a moist semi-deciduous forest in Ghana for paper production. The fibre morphology and derived indices [i.e., Runkel Ratio, Slenderness Ratio, Flexibility Coefficient, Coefficient of Rigidity, Luce's Shape Factor and Solids Factor] were determined using the methods by the International Association of Wood Anatomist. C. albidum inner and outer wood fibres were generally long and thin with wide lumen. The fibre-derived indices were similar to those of many popular paper-producing timbers such as Acacia mangium and Pinus sylvestris. The fibre morphology and derived indices of C. albidum meet the recommended thresholds for fibres for manufacturing writing and printing papers with good tearing and bursting strength properties. Thus, the wood's fibres would be suitable for producing papers with good strength properties. Its utilization will contribute to expanding the raw material sources for the pulp and paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission of pathogens through currency notes has become very relevant in today's world due to COVID-19 pandemic. This study profiled microbial flora and their antibiotic activities from Ghana paper currency (GH¢) notes in circulation in Mampong Municipal of Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study employed a cross-sectional design to assess bacterial contaminants and their antibiotic activities from January to May 2019. A total of 70 GH¢ notes consisting of 15 each of GH¢1, GH¢2, and GH¢5; 10 each of GH¢10 and GH¢20; and 5 of GH¢50 were randomly sampled from persons at different shops, canteens, and commercial drivers. The surfaces of each GH¢ note were gently swabbed, and tenfold serial dilutions made were inoculated on plate count agar (PCA), MacConkey agar, mannitol salt agar, and deoxycholate citrate agar. The study used appropriate laboratory and biochemical tests for bacterial identification. SPSS-IBM version 16.0 was used to analyze the data. Of the 70 GH¢ notes studied, 97.1% were contaminated with one or more bacterial isolates. Mean counts on PCA ranged between 3.2 cfu/ml × 105 and 4.7 cfu/ml × 105 on GH¢ notes. Of 124 bacteria isolated, 34 (27.4%), 30 (24.2%), 22 (17.7%), 17 (13.7%), 13 (10.5%), and 8 (6.5%) were from GH¢1, GH¢2, GH¢10, GH¢5, GH¢20, and GH¢50, respectively (p < 0.05). Bacterial isolates were Escherichia coli (28.23%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.94%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (16.13%), Klebsiella species (11.29%), Salmonella species (9.68%), Shigella species (8.87%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.65%), and Proteus species (3.23%). GH¢ notes had 25.81%, 20.16%, 19.35%, 17.74%, and 16.94% from meat shops, commercial drivers, canteens, grocery shops, and vegetable shops, respectively. All bacteria were 100% resistant to erythromycin, 87.5% to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole, 75% to vancomycin, while 87.50% sensitive to amikacin. The GH¢ notes were heavily colonized with potential pathogens, which are resistant to most commonly used antibiotics and could pose a health threat to users during commercial transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study on delinquent acts in three academic libraries in northern Ghana. A survey method was used for the study and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The study population consisted of staff in the Reader Service Sections of the three libraries. The study found that failure to observe library regulations, keeping overdue materials, eating in the library, littering, reserving seats unjustifiably, and hiding of books for the purpose of monopoly are examples of delinquent acts practiced by library users. According to the participants, the main reasons for delinquent acts are inadequate orientation to users, insufficient copies of books, and indiscipline among library users. The respondents further reported that these actions led to a reduction in library resources and low patronage. To curb deviant behaviors in libraries, the study recommends the adoption of pragmatic approaches including massive orientation for users, imbibing positive library culture that fosters respect, bolstering commitment and cooperation among library users and the staff, increasing library budgets as well as finding more creative ways of acquiring more copies of books, such as using Open Educational Resources (OERs), belonging to consortia and building and/or enhancing existing Institutional Repositories (IR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to examine the agentic role of the physical spaces (e.g. landing beach, fish market and fish processing kitchen) within which fishery tasks are undertaken as they entangle with human, non-human, and discursive forces to co-create gendered subjectivities in fisher couples' decision-making and practices. The paper is based on larger ethnographic study on fisher couples' decision-making and practices in Ghana's Western region, using participatory ethnographic observation including photo elicitation, vignettes and 38 in-depth interviews. Findings from the study indicate that the fish landing beach (consisting of sea water and sandy coast) played active roles in the kinds of tasks men and women could perform. The ability of the sea water to wet women's long dresses, coupled with their menstrual body and discourse of women as unclean worked together to limit women's ability to engage in activities, such as fishing. In terms of fish processing and trading, the study showed that the enclosed nature of fish processing kitchen served as a protective force which prevented public scrutiny of couples' household practices to allow for husbands to help their wives in fish processing and storage. In instances of disagreement, the bedroom played a protective role where couples settled their differences on somewhat equal ground. Tracing the agentic and constitutive role of spaces, shift our focus from a purely social understanding of gender towards a holistic view of the multiple and complex pathways through which the environment and matter combine with discourses to co-create continuous and flexible (re)iterations of gender emergences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the existing health inequalities disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. It explores the impact of COVID-19 pandemic response measures to "curb the spread" on informal sector workers in Ghana. In Ghana, like many other developing countries, the informal sector was impacted by a higher risk of exposure to the COVID-19 infection and the slew of pandemic response measures, for example, lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, as well as guidelines around social distancing implemented by their governments. Given the high level of precarity that undergirds work in the informal sector and the intersectional forces that contribute to and maintain their marginality—class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and geographic location—this paper creates a space for dialogue about the unintended consequences of pandemic response measures on the livelihood security of informal sector workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the moderating influence of library size on the relationship between library space attributes and learning satisfaction. Employing a quantitative methodology, a sample of 196 university library users in Ghana was selected to investigate the perceived impact of repurposed library spaces on learning satisfaction. The author conducted an empirical analysis to examine how organizational size (the total number of workers at a particular location) moderates the association between library space attributes (including access and linkages [physical location and proximity to campus resources], usage patterns [highlights the hours when users are most active and displays when a specific app is utilized during the day], sociability [the propensity and corresponding abilities to look for friendship, interact with others, and take part in social activities], and comfort [a state of physically ease and freedom from pain or constraint]) and the learning satisfaction of users. The research, administered through a closed-ended questionnaire, underscored the significant influence of access and linkages, usage patterns, sociability, and the physical environment on users' satisfaction levels. These four library space attributes together accounted for 13.1% of the variance in learning satisfaction, according to a multiple regression study conducted with SPSS version 27. Nevertheless, moderation analysis showed that there was no statistically significant relationship (p = 0.3370) between the characteristics of the library space and learning satisfaction through organizational size. The paper recommends adaptations to library designs to better align with the evolving learning needs of university library users in Ghana. A notable suggestion is the transformation of university libraries into dynamic physical spaces known as "learning commons" on campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is still regarded as a public health issue in developing nations. This paper aims to discuss the epidemiology of anthrax in Africa, the current outbreaks in Ghana and Nigeria, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of anthrax, challenges associated with the transmission of the disease to both countries and recommendations to reduce this current outbreak and curb future outbreaks in Africa. Online databases (PubMed, and Google Scholar) and Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture report were used to provide detailed information on the paper. On June 1, 2023, two suspected human cases of anthrax were reported, via a letter sent to all stakeholders in the country, with one death in Binduri District, Upper East region of Ghana. The cases were due to the consumption of dead cattle. Four cattle were reported dead at the time, and eleven suspected human cases were identified through contact tracing. Afterward, on July 17, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria announced the first case of anthrax disease in Nigeria. The National Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the case from samples collected from a suspected livestock farm in Niger State, Nigeria. No human case has been reported. Short conclusion: Anthrax poses significant challenges to public health and requires cooperation between nations, especially in regions like Ghana and Nigeria, where animal movement and ecological changes can impact disease transmission. Challenges attributed to the spread of anthrax in both countries were discussed, focusing on the role of government and the general public in addressing this public health concern. Given the endemicity of certain transboundary animal diseases such as anthrax in sub-Saharan Africa, the control of animal movement across intra- and international borders in the region needs to be tightened. Regulations governing the transboundary movement of animals should be based on the World Organisation of Animal Health Terrestrial Code and should be strictly enforced to prevent ongoing and future outbreaks in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Performance problems in the public sector (PS) necessitate adaptation due to the sector's uniqueness. Purposeful leadership (PL) may resolve PS adaptive performance (AP) problems. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of PL on AP. Using data from three large PS organisations in Ghana, this research explores the relationship between PL and AP through job satisfaction (JS) and organisational identification (OI). It also explores the moderating effect of organisational integrity (IN) on the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships. Design/methodology/approach: This paper created and tested a research model using the responses of 875 public servants in Smart PLS 4. Contract fulfilment and perceived organisational support functioned as control factors influencing JS (an intervener). Perceived procedural justice and psychological need satisfaction serve as control factors for OI (another intervener). Age, sex, tenure, education and job position were used as control variables in AP. To assess the role of moderation, we utilised the product indicator approach, and to estimate the role of mediation, we used variance accounted for (VAF). A significance level of 5% was established. Findings: As anticipated, this study found that PL and AP had a significantly positive connection (t = 2.229, p = 0.000, β = 0.138). Both JS (VAF = 27.37%) and OI (VAF = 39.21%) partially mediated this connection. IN positively moderated the PL–JS (t = 4.249, p = 0.000, β = 0.165) and PL–OI (t = 3.704, p = 0.002, β = 0.099) connections. Research limitations/implications: This paper provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the PL–AP relationship, how this relationship is facilitated and how the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships are strengthened. It provides a roadmap for upcoming scholars to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to broaden the field of leadership. It will be insightful to show how JS and OI jointly mediate this relationship and the potential mediating role of job embeddedness in further studies. Practical implications: Human resource (HR) practices in PS organisations, such as selecting, leadership enhancement initiatives, promotions, training and performance evaluations, must be guided by a "values-driven strategy" if leadership is to find, cultivate and keep employees capable of devising innovative strategies to manage unforeseen circumstances at work. The leaders are required to demonstrate the values of their organisations in order to set up a role model. Social implications: This study highlights the obstacles that purposeful leaders have the potential to mitigate, as well as the prospects that they might offer. It shows the essence for PS organisations to uphold and maintain high integrity standards as their hallmark. Originality/value: This paper is the first to create and test a research model that shows the relationship between PL and AP. It also shows the different mechanisms (JS and OI) that make this effect possible, as well as the good work environment (i.e. IN) that allows the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships to grow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The government of Ghana since independence has undertaken steps to develop educational infrastructure setup. This notwithstanding, the educational sector is beset with challenges such as low-quality education and low enrolment rates in Senior High Schools (SHS) of children from large households, among others. Given the myriad of challenges bedevilling the education sector, there have been calls for collaboration among public leaders to promote education. The paper, therefore, examines traditional leaders' roles in promoting quality education in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: Through a desk review approach, the study examines the role of traditional leaders in promoting quality education in Ghana. This approach was adopted due to its flexible nature. Findings: The study found that traditional leaders have provided educational materials and resources to deprived schools. They have established scholarship schemes for needy but brilliant students, promoted gender parity in education, constructed educational facilities and promoted a healthy teaching environment. Practical implications: The paper provides stakeholders in Ghana's educational sector with the opportunity to review educational policies and include traditional leaders to influence educational policies. The recommendations call for support from the GETFUND and Scholarship Secretariat of Ghana to assist community-initiated projects and scholarship schemes established by traditional leaders. Originality/value: The paper provides evidence to support the importance of traditional leadership, which has come under criticism from a democratisation perspective in contemporary times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government implemented education access policies occupy a prominent place in the discourse on access to education. Education access issues have, thus, been examined almost exclusively from macro-level structural perspective. The micro-politics that take place behind the scenes after structural access issues have been resolved is minimally broached. Drawing on qualitative data from first generation educated women in Ghana and their mothers, this paper addresses the dark underbelly of girls' access to education, and the resistance activities undertaken by women to ensure that girls who become causalities of non-enrolment decisions are enrolled. Thus, the paper is guided by two questions. How do girls who become casualties of non-enrolment decisions go to school? How does the resistance activities women take against such non-enrolment decisions enable access for girls? In presenting the roles played by different actors such as mothers and kins, this paper makes an argument that, through women's resistance activities such as subverting the norms, covert diplomacy, and infractions of gendered rules in decision-making, women resist structural distribution of norms that exclude them from decision-making before girls can go to school unimpeded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Social inclusion of people living with serious mental illness is widely promoted. However, only limited consideration has been given to the meanings of social inclusion within different settings and the ways in which it is envisioned, negotiated, and practised. In this paper, we explore meanings and practises of social inclusion from the perspectives of people living with serious mental illness and their families in Ghana and Palestine and how this is shaped by differing political and socio-cultural contexts. Methods: This paper draws on comparative ethnographic research including participant observation and interviews with people living with mental illness and family members in Ghana and the occupied Palestinian territory. Data were triangulated and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants described experiences of social inclusion and participation within communities, home and family life, friendships and social life, and work and livelihoods. This revealed how such experiences were variously shaped by differing political contexts and socio-cultural norms and expectations within the two settings. These in turn intersected with aspects such as gender roles, age, and socio-economic status. Aspirations for inclusion included greater awareness and understanding within society, accompanied by opportunities and support for meaningful inclusion at the political as well as community level. Conclusion: Findings point to the value of a contextual understanding of social inclusion, taking account of the impact of the wider socio-cultural, political, and economic environment. They also point to the need for an intersectoral approach, beyond communities and mental health services, to provide meaningful opportunities and support for social inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Church's place in modern life has gone a lot beyond its original purpose of giving spiritual advice through religious groups. Through participant observation and a review of the literature, this paper examined how the Church, especially The Church of Pentecost (CoP), has changed over time in modern Ghana to promote patriotism and instil moral values in modern Ghana through its two flagship programmes-"National Development Conference 2023" and the "All Ministers Conference 2023". The findings of the research revealed that morals, unity, and national growth were emphasised at these conferences. There were teachings, prayers, workshops, and the raising of the Ghanaian flag as a symbol of how important it is to work together across party lines for national growth. The study highlighted key recommendations, including employing a holistic approach, promoting patriotic songs, fostering collaboration, upholding moral values, emphasizing the national flag, and transcending partisanship. The study concluded that media influence, equality, punctuality, and unity are essential in fostering patriotism and moral values for Ghana's growth and development. The paper contributes to the proactive role of the church in nurturing patriotism and moral values, providing valuable insights into nation-building and societal cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, global attention to carbon emissions has increased, becoming one of the main drivers of global climate change. Accurate prediction of carbon emission trends in small and medium-sized countries and scientific regulation of carbon emissions can provide theoretical support and policy references for the effective and rational use of energy and the promotion of the coordinated development of energy, environment, and economy. This paper establishes a grey prediction model using the classical Logistic mathematical model in a determined environment to investigate the carbon emission system. At the same time, we use the basic principle of fractional-order accumulation to establish a grey prediction model with fractional-order Logistic and obtain the parameter estimation and time-response equation of the new model by solving the model through the theory related to fractional-order operators. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to complete the optimization process of the order of the fractional order grey prediction model and obtain the optimal model order. Then, the new model is applied to predict carbon emissions in five medium-emission countries: Ethiopia, Djibouti, Ghana, Belgium, and Austria. The new model shows better advantages in the validity analysis process, and the simulation results indicate that the new model proposed in this paper has stronger stability and better simulation and prediction accuracy than other comparative models, proving the model's validity. Finally, the model is used to forecast the carbon emissions of these five countries for the five years of 2021–2025, and the results are analyzed, and relevant policy recommendations are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines and suggests a strategy of knowledge-sharing for poverty eradication among rural women in Ghana. It adopted the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative research approach, with the primary data gathered from 111 rural participants in Tintang, Tongnoli, and Nagbali. Face-to-face interviews, focus-group discussions, and observations were employed for data collection. The paper develops a knowledge-sharing strategy for poverty eradication among rural women, emphasizing collaborative knowledge needs assessment and active participation in decision-making by both rural women and stakeholders. This strategy advocates for the adoption, refinement, and repackaging of indigenous knowledge at the local, national, and international levels to enhance rural women's knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization in the fight against poverty. Research on knowledge management in Ghana has focused on knowledge-sharing practices in public and private organizations for competitive advantage; this paper focuses on knowledge sharing for sustainable development, with a specific focus on poverty, thus adding to the body of knowledge on knowledge management of poverty eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peki is an Ewe-speaking community in present-day southeastern Ghana. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this community became a hub for the trade in enslaved people. To take charge of the Atlantic economy, the Peki invited the North German Missionary Society to their community in 1847, intending to use them to gain direct access to European merchants on the coast. They also established a franchise of the influential Dente deity of Krachi at Dzake, one of eight Peki settlements. This paper explores the archaeology of the Dente shrine and its role in the historical memory of the Peki community's entanglements in the Atlantic trade. We employ archaeological, historical, and ethnographic evidence to show how the Peki elites leveraged African indigenous spiritualism to control the post-abolition trade in people. We highlight how contemporary memories of the Atlantic trade in Peki have been constructed through selective processes of remembering and silencing in the face of burgeoning roots and heritage tourism in Ghana. The paper underscores the contradictory roles of an African indigenous religious institution in the complex and syncretic responses to the Atlantic trade in people. It helps us to understand the distinctive power-building strategies that a local community of the West African hinterland adapted to survive in the shadows of expansionist states during the Atlantic trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses 'law' and 'religion' as a co-dependent dyad, and argues that the academic study of religion should see the concept of law as both an analytical category and an object of study. To this end, it argues for a broader understanding of law. It demonstrates that the understanding of law as secular state law, commonly used in analysis, is part of both religious and legal history. Anti-, intra-, and interreligious polemics and agendas were, after all, vital in the genesis and global proliferation of this understanding of law. In a second step, the paper performs an empirical analysis of legal practices within a religious organisation: the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast/Ghana. Two cases from one of this church's courts in the 1950s are analysed to showcase how religious actors contributed to the fashioning of the dyad of religion and law as a global phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In establishing the Christian faith on African soil, the first missionaries to Africa came along with the Bible. They were determined to share the word of God with the indigenous Africans. This was undertaken effectively; however, it came at a cost. In an attempt to produce translated versions of the Bible for the natives, they ended up producing translations, some of which did not reflect the thoughts of the indigenous people. This has called for an enterprise whereby these texts need to be retranslated and interpreted to reflect the thoughts of the indigenous people. Mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics in Ghana has been advantageous to this enterprise since it seeks to remedy the situation by examining the mother-tongue translations and making proposals for retranslations and interpretation. This has attracted some scholars to come up with a methodology and approaches that would be appropriate in this direction. This paper seeks to assess and evaluate the use of the mother-tongue interpretation, as well as its methodology and approaches in Ghana in the light of African biblical hermeneutics. Though this enterprise is recommendable to African exegetes, it is a special area of biblical studies in search of a standard methodological approach. The paper calls for much attention to how the mother-tongue interpretation could bring the meaning of the text closer to the culture of the Ghanaian reader—however, not at the expense of neglecting the cultural milieu of the original author in which the text was couched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When seeking to increase their tax revenues, policy makers face a likely tradeoff between decreasing personal income tax rates (making formalizing more attractive and potentially contributing to revenue) and alternatively raising tax rates (potentially slowing down the formalization of the economy if people prefer informal employment). Evidence on formal versus informal earnings and job characteristics in different sectors is limited in African countries, and in particular very little is known about the impact of tax changes on the extent of informality. This paper therefore estimates the personal income tax responsiveness of the extensive margin of formality, i.e. the propensity to be a formal as opposed to an informal worker, for Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, using repeated cross-sections of household data and applying grouping estimator techniques. Perhaps because of labour demand constraints and other frictions, the paper finds non-significant relations between the formal employment share and the formal-informal earnings differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that mostly affects populations in tropical and subtropical countries. In Ghana, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form of the disease affecting communities of the Volta Region. Conventional parasitological method (microscopy) is the commonly used test for CL diagnosis in many endemic countries, but has low sensitivity in chronic cases. Therefore, there is a clear need for a sensitive and easy-to-use point-of-care diagnostic method like an isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow (RPA-LF) test, suitable for use in austere and low-resource settings for the identification of CL cases. This study compared the efficacy of RPA-LF test with quantitative PCR (qPCR) in detecting Leishmania in suspected CL cases from the Volta Region. Methods: Twenty-five participants between 5 and 14 years were enrolled in the study from whom a total of 26 samples were obtained. Lesion samples were collected using FTA® filter papers applied to ulcerated lesions for molecular diagnosis. DNA isolated from filter papers was used for both the RPA-LF test and qPCR. Results: Twenty-two participants (88%) presented with one or two ulcerated active lesions per individual, while the rest of them had plaques or dried lesions. Among the 26 samples, 19/26 (73%) had concordant results when comparing the two diagnostic methods. Conclusion: Data from this study suggest that the RPA-LF test can be used in addition to a conventional parasitological diagnostic test (microscopy) to detect CL cases in communities of the Volta Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous international and national policy documents promoting girls' and women's empowerment and participation in community sports, the actual access to sport for women and girls is still restricted in several countries. This paper explores the situation in Ghana. Through the analytical lens of Cooky and Messner's theory of 'the unevenness of social change', we analyse the cultural and structural barriers that prevent girls and women from participating in sport in Ghanaian communities. The data material is document analysis, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with male and female officials representing state-funded regional and district sports organisations as well as non-state sports organisations in Ghana. The findings reveal that cultural barriers, rooted in deep-seated cultural norms and structural hindrances that undermine gender-inclusive policies, contribute to the limited participation of girls and women in community sport. Furthermore, the interplay between these cultural and structural factors leads to gender-specific practices and fewer women in leadership positions. Based on our analyses, we suggest that structural changes (enforcing and implementing gender policies) can result in cultural changes (positive gender equality outcomes) over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly discourse and global policies advocate policy integration across sectors, including land use and transportation. However, African cities lack best practices for transport and land use integration. This paper employed a 'plan quality evaluation framework' and key informant interviews to assess the quality of decentralized plans of the Kumasi Metropolis regarding integrating transportation planning considerations. The integration of transport considerations into the goals and policies of the KMA's plans was weak. Although coordination and implementation arrangements were strong, provisions for monitoring and evaluation were inadequate. Institutional fragmentation, poor inter-departmental coordination, and resource constraints were integration hurdles that needed immediate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When young people engage with climate change education, they are often left feeling disempowered and daunted. But past research has shown that there are ways to design and deliver climate change education that can be empowering and enabling. The delivery of climate change education was further challenged in 2020 by the shift to online learning driven by the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions. However, the challenges of the pandemic context also offered an opportunity to engage new audiences and establish new collaborations in climate change education. In this paper, we explore how the shift to online research, collaboration and education can also be harnessed to develop interdisciplinary coastal adaptation training for young people interested in better understanding the complexities of our coastal environments. The resulting 'More than Maps' framework draws on qualitative and quantitative data collected over a two‐year programme focused on the design and delivery of an international climate change research capacity building workshop series, across the United Kingdom, Ghana, Jamaica and Australia. Carried out by an interdisciplinary team of early career researchers and established academics, 15 workshops were developed on coastal adaptation research methods, targeting a range of 'young' audiences who are and will continue to be impacted by climate change. Building on reflections from the workshops' design and delivery, we developed a scalable framework to aid researchers in sharing open‐access, replicable methods for studying climate change mitigation and adaptation. This work demonstrates that our workshop participants had increased confidence, sought to apply learned methods to other contexts, and wanted to share this knowledge with others. We conclude that the COVID‐19 online workspace facilitated rather than hindered the international collaboration and delivery of these coastal adaptation research methods workshops, and we provide best practice tips to researchers delivering climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a debilitating parasitic disease that has been prevalent in various parts of the world, including China and Ghana. This paper explores the historical context of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana and China, as well as the fights towards eliminating the disease in both countries. The review also covered the strategies employed by the Chinese government to eliminate lymphatic filariasis and the key lessons that Ghana can learn from China's success. The discussion highlights the importance of political commitment, multisectoral collaboration, tailoring control strategies to local contexts, adopting a comprehensive approach, and emphasising health education and community mobilisation. By adopting these lessons and fostering a robust national strategy, engaging diverse stakeholders, and ensuring active community involvement, Ghana can work towards achieving lymphatic filariasis elimination, improving public health, and fostering sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1950s, many Ghanaians identified with African Americans as they read about events involving American racial violence in Ghanaian newspapers. Yet the transnational connections appearing in those periodicals varied in depth, intensity, and sincerity depending on their political or commercial connections. This study analyzes the reactions in key Ghanaian newspapers, such as those affiliated with Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, the British-owned Daily Graphic, and the Ashanti Pioneer, to key moments in 1950s American race relations, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the events in Little Rock, and the infamous 'Orange Juice' incident involving discrimination against the Ghanaian minister of finance. By demonstrating that the Pioneer more often covered the personal angles of such events, while the tones of CPP-affiliated papers and even the Daily Graphic vacillated based on changing political needs, this study both shows the complicated nature of transnational racial identifications as they flowed west across the Atlantic and reveals the promises and limits of Ghanaian connections to members of the African diaspora during the decolonizing period in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities have an inviolable right to equitable access and participation in tertiary education and support systems are known to be indispensable in making this right a reality. This article presents the voices of students with disabilities regarding aspects that influence their successful access and participation in tertiary education in Ghana. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study with data collected through interviews with 12 students with disabilities in three public universities. From the perspective of these students, successful inclusion of people with disabilities in tertiary education in Ghana is influenced by enrolment practices, the built environment, teaching and learning approaches, and assessment provisions. The context influenced provisions and support provided. Attitudes of the university community and lack of knowledge of inclusive practices such as Universal Design play a role in students' access and participation. Comprehensive awareness-raising on disability and inclusive practices is recommended to address this issue. This paper explores inclusion practices in three Ghanaian public universities focussing on the combined voices of students with disabilities. The context of the three universities influences the provisions and support available for people with disabilities. The students with disabilities involved in the study reported that access to the university environment and support for academic engagement impact their university experience. The attitude of the university community is a factor in ensuring access, participation and success of people with disabilities in higher education. Creating awareness of disability issues within the university community is pivotal in building and sustaining inclusive culture. The application of universal design principles is essential to improving access and participation of people with disabilities in higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have indicated that the risk of malaria, particularly its association with anaemia in pregnant women, increases when treated bed nets are not used. This paper utilizes a statistical mechanical model to investigate whether there is a statistical relationship between the presence or absence of anaemia in pregnant and non-pregnant women and their decision to sleep under treated bed nets. Data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS), which includes both rural and urban malaria-endemic areas in Ghana, were employed in this study. A total of 2,434 women, comprising 215 pregnant and 2,219 non-pregnant participants, were involved. Among these, 4.76% of the pregnant and anaemic women and 45.89% of the non-pregnant and anaemic women slept under treated bed nets, while 0.86% of the pregnant and anaemic and 6.82% of the non-pregnant and anaemic women did not. The findings revealed that, in the absence of social interaction, non-anaemic pregnant women have a lower prevalence of choosing to use bed nets compared to their anaemic counterparts. Additionally, non-pregnant anaemic women showed a positive private incentive (30.87%) to use treated bed nets, implying a positive correlation between anaemia and the choice to sleep in a treated bed net. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that both pregnancy and anaemia status have a relationship with the use of treated bed nets in Ghana, especially when social interactions are considered. The interaction strength between non-pregnant and anaemic women interacting with each other shows a negative estimate (-1.49%), implying that there is no rewarding effect from imitation. These insights are crucial for malaria prevention and control programs, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance the use of treated bed nets among both pregnant and non-pregnant women in Ghana's malaria-endemic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local climate change impacts hit hard at smallholder farmers in developing countries due to their overreliance on rain-fed farming. Whilst ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to climate change holds an answer to smallholder farmers' adaptation needs, there are inadequate empirical results from the field to support formulation of effective adaptation strategies. Hence, this paper aimed at investigating EbA practices adopted by farmers, in North-Western Ghana to ameliorate local climate change impacts, with emphasis on benefits and associated challenges. The study methods were cross-sectional survey, mixed methods, and case study approach, with all data collected in the Wa West District of Ghana. Data were gathered using questionnaire, focus group discussion (FGD) and interviews. Data from the questionnaire were entered into SPSS version 20 to analyze associations between the variables using cross-tabulation. Descriptive statistics, in the form of percentages and frequencies, were then generated from the survey data and integrated with the qualitative information in the presentation of results. Also, statistical significance of the relationships was analyzed using chi-square test. Chi-squared tests were done to determine associations between socio-economic and environmental factors, and challenges and benefits associated with the adoption of EbA practices. This was necessary to give further insights to inform policy-related decisions aimed at addressing EbA adoption challenges. The results revealed that farmers use a combination of practices rather than single practice. Farmers integrated crops and trees and keep local breed of farm animals. Benefits of EbA included improvements in soil fertility leading to high crop yield and availability of food and income. Challenges of adopting EbA were the long timespan for benefits of most EbA practices to begin to accrue, lack of extension information and increasing cost of hired labour. It is recommended that tree integration should emphasis trees with multiple benefits and compatible with food crops. For the achievement of food security policy objectives, agroforestry promotion should focus on the integration of fruit tree crops and food crops to address hunger and increase farmers' incomes. Mobile extension technology should be exploited by government for the provision of EbA-specific information to farmers to bridge the extension services gap. Climate change policy of government should include the planting of non-fruit trees as windbreaks to provide multi-purpose benefits including provision of stakes for yam farmers, live-fencing and firewood for women. There is the need for government policy objectives to include EbA by farmers under the flagship 'planting for food and jobs' programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is unlikely to achieve sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 on maternal and neonatal health due to perceived sub-standard maternal and newborn care in the region. This paper sought to explore the opinions of stakeholders on intricacies dictating sub-standard emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) in health facilities in Northern Ghana. Methods: Drawing from a qualitative study design, data were obtained from six focus group discussions (FGDs) among 42 health care providers and 27 in-depth interviews with management members, clients and care takers duly guided by the principle of data saturation. Participants were purposively selected from basic and comprehensive level facilities. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke's qualitative thematic analysis procedure. Results: Four themes and 13 sub-themes emerged as root drivers to sub-standard care. Specfically, the findings highlight centralisation of EmONC, inadequate funding, insufficient experiential training, delay in recruitment of newly trained essential staff and provider disinterest in profession. Conclusion: Setbacks in the training and recruitment systems in Ghana, inadequate investment in rural health coupled with extent of health provider inherent disposition to practice may be partly responsible for sub-standard obstetric care in the study area. Interventions targeting the afore-mentioned areas may reduce events of sub-standard care. What is already known on this subject?: Quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care is sub-standard in sub-Saharan Africa. What this study adds?: Sub-standard emergency obstetric and newborn care in rural Ghana may be due to hitches in placement, training and recruitment processes, centralisation of EmONC, inadequate funding, insufficient experiential training, delay in posting of newly trained essential staff and provider disinterest in profession. Adequate and timely resourcing of health facilities and standardisation of admission procedures into schools may reduce events of sub-standard care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For close to two decades, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) has been preparing to launch a second monetary union within the ECOWAS region. This study aims to determine the impact such a unionised monetary regime will have on financial stability as represented by the nonperforming loan ratios of Ghana in a counterfactual framework. Design/methodology/approach: This study models nonperforming loan ratios as dependent on the monetary policy rate and the business cycle. The study then used historical data to estimate the parameters of the nonperforming loan ratio response function using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. The estimated parameters are further used to estimate the impact of several counterfactual unionised monetary policy rates on the nonperforming loan ratios and its volatility of Ghana. As robustness check, the Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator (LASSO) regression is also used to estimate the nonperforming loan ratios response function and to predict nonperforming loans under the counterfactual unionised monetary policy rates. Findings: The results of the counterfactual study reveals that the apparent cost of monetary unification is much less than supposed with a monetary union likely to dampen volatility in non-performing loans in Ghana. As such, the WAMZ members should increase the pace towards monetary unification. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the existing literature by explicitly modelling nonperforming loan ratios as dependent on monetary policy and the business cycle. The study also settles the debate on the financial stability cost of a monetary union due to the nonalignment of business cycles and economic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on qualitative data to examine gendered dynamics of remitting and remittance use in households in northern Ghana. The findings indicate that remitting and remittance use are shaped by the interaction of social norms on household provisioning and agency of household members. While social norms on gender roles and conjugality tend to shape patterns of remitting, the household context and the agency of the individual household members sometimes interact to produce remitting behaviours that are not consistent with the general patterns in the community. Gender roles prescribed by the conjugal contract may change when one partner migrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving urban food security before and after COVID-19 lockdown among urban households' in Ghana is key. This paper compares the pre-and post-COVID-19 lockdown food security status of urban dwellers in lockdown cities of the Greater part of Accra in Ghana using the Rasch and ordered logit model. From a sample of 340 respondents, the study found a significant difference in household food security status and predictors of food security. Prior to COVID-19 households were 'High food secure' (36.4%), but post-COVID-19 lockdown made more households 'Very low food secure' (12.35%). To combat post-COVID-19 lockdown food insecurity in urban agriculture is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of participation in innovation platforms (IPs) on smallholder maize farmers' welfare in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana using data collected from 477 rural farm households. We employed the doubly robust inverse probability weighted regression adjustment method (IPWRA) and propensity score matching (PSM) approach to examine the impact of IP participation on yield, income, and per capita consumption expenditure. The empirical results show that age, farming experience, farm size, land ownership, and credit access are the main determinants of participation in IPs in Ghana. In addition, the results show that participation in IPs increases yields and household income and reduces per capita expenditure of smallholder maize farmers in Ghana. Furthermore, the advantages of engaging in the IPs go beyond the traditional extension service delivery approach. This highlights the importance of policymakers and agricultural development agencies in developing nations to establish policies that encourage the establishment of IPs and promote their involvement among small-scale farmers, resulting in better living standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncontrolled urban expansion is a characteristic feature of many cities of the global South. In this paper, we focus on how urban road infrastructure investments largely financed through bilateral and multilateral loans and grants inadvertently drive urban sprawl within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), Ghana. To do this qualitatively, we critically review the 1991 GAMA Strategic Plan along with other related documents and expert interviews. Based on the findings, we argue that GAMA's growth trajectory runs counter to its spatial plans progressively instituted to achieve integrated urban land use management and resilience. Consequently, this has resulted in mere expansion of road corridors without consideration for policy recommendations regarding traffic management, land use planning, housing densification and infilling measures. We conclude that initiatives for urban planning and its sustainability in the global South, specifically for Accra, need to reflect on the implications of the infrastructure turn, especially the contributory factor of road corridors expansion to urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of marginalization in nursing and the health sector in Ghana can be traced to colonialism and how a colonial era laid a solid foundation for inequities and entrenched disparities, as well as the subsequent normalization of marginalizing acts, in the health sector, particularly for women. Drawing upon varied literature over a 60‐year period and perspectives from feminist theory, this paper considers the lasting impact of Ghanaian women's historical position during the colonial era and within the patriarchal system that ensued. Through this process, it becomes possible to shed light on the crucial role that colonialism has played in women's experiences, perspectives, and health‐seeking behaviors, and the manner in which it has created a healthcare sector that marginalizes women's health. Although women possess valuable knowledge which should be an asset to consider when providing healthcare services, marginalization of that knowledge has become normalized across society and the healthcare system. There is an urgent need to disrupt and challenge this normalization, and to advocate empowerment and recognition of women's valuable knowledge and experiences, providing women a voice in health decision‐making discourses and in the research processes by which we understand and develop healthcare. Through this, healthcare in Ghana could become more empowering, inclusive, and responsive to the unique experiences and needs of Ghanaian women. By understanding something of the historical origins of women's health marginalization within colonialism, nurses can begin to appreciate women's knowledge and integrate it into healthcare strategies that are more gender‐sensitive and equitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implications of climate change are dire for household food security and poverty reduction in rural northern Ghana, where agriculture is mainly rain-fed. This paper explores how smallholder farmers interface indigenous and scientific practices for crop farming in northern Ghana. This is necessary because much attention of research has mostly focused on how farmers adapt to climate change through indigenous knowledge with little focus on how they interface scientific and indigenous knowledge and practices for crop farming. The study adopted mixed method research approach, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data. A household survey was conducted with 305 household heads using a questionnaire to generate quantitative data. Qualitative data were also generated through in-depth interviews with 29 participants, 18 focus group discussions and field observations. The results showed that smallholder farmers were interfacing farm topographies and distances for sustainable farming; combining use of indigenous and scientific sources of weather and agricultural information and combining use of indigenous and improved crop varieties to diversify crop cultivation. The paper concludes that there is good interface of indigenous and scientific practices in crop farming in northern Ghana. It advocates for participatory approach to effectively interface indigenous and science-based practices to achieve climate-resilient agriculture and food security in Ghana. The paper contributes to the understanding of interfacing indigenous and scientific practices and the need to strengthen efforts at integrating local modern practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I reflect on the contribution of Ghanaian nationalist women towards the independence struggle and post-independence nation building (1950–1970), and their erasure from the mainstream history of Ghana. I rely on the literature on women's political participation in Ghana and the scholarship on memorializing people for meritorious service in Ghana to explore women as victims of historical erasure. I also deploy other sources like the national currencies, commemorative dates, and naming of monuments to highlight the relative weight we attach to women's and men's political contribution to nation building. I argue that despite women's frontal roles, including movement making, organizing prowess, founding parties, leading civil disruptions, and even funding the independence of Ghana, state-led commemorative acts and memorializing practices belie women's effort and historize men as founders of Ghana. Such de-historizing is often endorsed by male-led political regimes. To ameliorate this masculinization of the memorializing concern, the paper proffers guidelines to enable a fairer memorializing practice. This includes acknowledging the gender biases in our memorializing practices, researching the unnamed leading women, making their information mainstream, renaming our already named monuments to include leading women, and embossing their portraits on our national currencies alongside the men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the multinomial endogenous treatment effect approach to analyze the impact of innovation choices on the income of 230 fish workers in the Greater Accra and Central regions of Ghana, while the Kendall's ranking technique is applied to analyze the constraints to innovation. Findings show that technological and non-technological innovations available to fish workers have positive impacts on their income. Specifically, savings, credit access, and support service are identified to have positive impacts on income while gender and membership of a fish workers' association have negative impacts on income. The most pressing constraints to innovation faced by female fish workers are cultural/ethnic restrictions, social exclusion, and time constraints. On the other hand, a high dependency ratio and discrimination in access to resources are the most pressing constraints faced by male fish workers. The paper recommends that stakeholders should continue to offer support services to fish workers. In addition, lending institutions should make credit accessible at lower interest rates. Interventions by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and development agencies that aim to solve constraints of fish workers should be approached from a gender dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary research has gained traction globally for mapping pathways for sustainable urbanisation. The involvement of local communities is believed to central to knowledge co-production needed to address sustainability challenges. But working with local communities can be challenging. This paper is structured around the authors' personal reflections on undertaking transdisciplinary household energy conservation projects in Ghana and South Africa. The paper reflects on the assumptions and challenges of doing transdisciplinary research in urban Africa and suggests some guidelines for consideration when doing transdisciplinary projects. An inductive analysis of our reflections showed five key challenges: lack of integration, divergent problem identification, tensions in knowledge co-production, asymmetrical power relations, and distrust and managing expectations. We draw on our collective experiences to develop guidelines for conducting transdisciplinary research in urban Africa. These guidelines are not prescriptive but can be useful for a growing and broader audience interested in undertaking transdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which dengue virus has been circulating globally and especially in Africa is largely unknown. Testing available blood samples from previous cross-sectional serological surveys offers a convenient strategy to investigate past dengue infections, as such serosurveys provide the ideal data to reconstruct the age-dependent immunity profile of the population and to estimate the average per-capita annual risk of infection: the force of infection (FOI), which is a fundamental measure of transmission intensity. In this study, we present a novel methodological approach to inform the size and age distribution of blood samples to test when samples are acquired from previous surveys. The method was used to inform SERODEN, a dengue seroprevalence survey which is currently being conducted in Ghana among other countries utilizing samples previously collected for a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey. The method described in this paper can be employed to determine sample sizes and testing strategies for different diseases and transmission settings. Author summary: The historical circulation of dengue virus is still poorly understood in many parts of the world, and age-stratified seroprevalence surveys can provide the data to quantify population exposure to dengue and its transmission intensity. In this work, we developed a simulation-based method that can be used to identify the sample sizes and age-distribution of the samples needed to obtain informative estimates of dengue force of infection from existing blood samples. We apply this method to data obtained from a SARS-CoV-2 serological survey, previously conducted in three cities in Ghana. The methods and code developed in this paper can be used to design serological surveys for dengue and other pathogens when using existing blood samples with accompanying information on age and location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framed by Urie Bronfenbrenners' (1979) ecological systems theory, this paper analyses the contextual factors that facilitate commercial sex work among adolescent girls in a metropolis in Ghana. Focusing on contextual factors rather than individual perspectives, we examined the background of minors involved in sex trade by interviewing 15 juvenile prostitutes (aged 14–17) and several key stakeholders. We explored factors that cause them to engage in prostitution, such as dysfunctional family systems, peer and sibling influence, inadequate accommodation, media influence and fashionable trends, as well as poverty and survival dynamics. An innovative discovery presented in this paper is the strong presence of schools, and resultant young people, as well as tourist attractions and cultural celebrations such as festivals and funerals as drivers of juvenile prostitution in the study site. The paper concludes by recommending a multi‐sectoral approach to addressing juvenile prostitution challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses two interrelated questions: Do social protection policies generate feedback effects on state‐citizen relations? If so, how do such policies change the perception and interaction of both citizens and the state? The paper is based on an in‐depth mixed methods study on Ghana's Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty cash transfer programme (LEAP) conducted in two implementation districts. I find emergent positive resource and interpretive/policy learning effects on state‐citizen perceptions and interactions. This is evidenced in increased state presence in service provision and changing citizen recognition of the state as a legitimate provider of their welfare, with these impacts being higher among beneficiaries with previously limited access to or negative perception about the state. Notwithstanding, these effects may be limited, unsustainable or undermined partly due to the way in which LEAP is promoted and delivered as a clientelist resource. The paper highlights the ideational and relational impact of social protection by arguing that when implemented well, social policies can generate political feedback effects beyond their poverty reduction and human development impacts by fostering policy learning opportunities for reconfiguring the perceptions of and interactions between the state and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the sustainability dimensions reported on the websites of public and private universities in Ghana, an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach: The universities in Ghana were categorized under public and private universities. The top five under each category were chosen (by Edu Rank's ratings), and data was gathered from the websites of the sampled universities. Data analysis was conducted using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-G4) framework and sustainability tools for campus assessment. Findings were then analyzed through stakeholder theory's lens and organizational characteristics such as ownership, students' acceptance ratios, performance, size and age. Findings: This study's results show that the key aspects of sustainability disclosed on the websites of the sampled private and public universities in Ghana are more of economic and campus sustainability assessment indicators than the social and environmental dimensions. Contrary to the popular notion that private sector organizations do more sustainability reporting than those in the public sector, in the case of Ghana, the sampled public universities reported more than the privately owned universities. This study attributes the extent and variations of sustainability reporting among the public and private Ghanaian universities to the universities' characteristics such as students' acceptance ratios, performance, size, ownership and age. Practical implications: The findings from this study indicate that in improving the value of sustainability reporting, stakeholders of the educational sector in emerging economies should encourage universities to adopt the GRI-G4 framework and campus sustainability assessment indicators in disclosing their sustainability initiatives. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this paper is the first study to compare the extent and variations in sustainability reporting between public and private universities in an emerging economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer support has been proposed as a promising policy intervention for addressing adverse maternal and child healthcare (MCH) outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Existing reviews on peer support largely draw on evidence from high-income countries or focus on single services like breastfeeding, nutrition or postnatal care. In contrast, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical literature on peer support interventions across various MCH services in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we aim to understand how, why, for whom, and in what circumstances different forms of MCH peer support interventions contribute to improving healthcare outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This review follows five iterative steps for undertaking realist reviews (1) defining the review scope; (2) developing initial programme theories; (3) searching for evidence; (4) selecting and appraising evidence; and (5) extracting, analysing and synthesising evidence. Four databases–Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE–were repeatedly searched between March and June 2021. From a large volume of records retrieved from the database and citation search, 61 papers have been selected for review. We will conduct a second search of the same database covering June 2021 to the present before the final extraction and synthesis. The final list of selected papers will be imported into NVivo 12 software and organised, extracted, analysed and synthesised iteratively to examine and illustrate the causal links between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of MCH peer support interventions in SSA. We have drawn on the existing literature on peer support in healthcare generally to develop initial programme theories. We will then use the empirical literature on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, inputs from a stakeholders' workshop in Ghana and a conference presentation to refine the initial programme theory. Discussion: The review will develop an explicit theory of peer support intervention in healthcare delivery and provide insights for developing evidence-informed policy on the intervention. Drawing lessons from the different national contexts and diverse areas of MCH in SSA, the review will provide an analytically generalizable programme theory that can guide intervention design and implementation. While focusing on MCH peer support interventions in SSA, the review contributes to evolving conversations on the use of theory for health policy planning and complex intervention design and implementation globally. Trial registration: PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42023427751. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, Ghana has made notable strides in adopting digital approaches to address societal challenges and meet demands. While the health sector, particularly the disease surveillance structure, has embraced digitization to enhance case detection, reporting, analysis, and information dissemination, critical aspects remain to be addressed. Although the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) structure has experienced remarkable growth in digitization, certain areas require further attention as was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic, recognized the importance of leveraging digital technologies to bolster the public health response. To this end, Ghana implemented various digital surveillance tools to combat the pandemic. These included the 'Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS)', the digitalized health declaration form, ArcGIS Survey123, Talkwalker, 'Lightwave Health information Management System' (LHIMS), and the 'District Health Information Management System (DHIMS)'. These digital systems significantly contributed to the country's success in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. One key area where digital systems have proved invaluable is in the timely production of daily COVID-19 situational updates. This task would have been arduous and delayed if reliant solely on paper-based forms, which hinder efficient reporting to other levels within the health system. By adopting these digital systems, Ghana has been able to overcome such challenges and provide up-to-date information for making informed public health decisions. This paper attempts to provide an extensive description of the digital systems currently employed to enhance Ghana's paper-based disease surveillance system in the context of its response to COVID-19. The article explores the strengths and challenges or limitations associated with these digital systems for responding to outbreaks, offering valuable lessons that can be learned from their implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reexamine the determinants of nonperforming loans through the impact of supervisory devices in credit risk management in Africa. The paper employs bank-specific, macroeconomic and institutional data for a panel of 14 universal banks over the period 2009 to 2020. We develop models that capture the role of regulatory supervision on credit risk. Findings from the Panels Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) and the system GMM shows that previous year's NPL and inflation significantly affect NPLs in the banking space of Gana. Bank size and financial development are inversely associated with NPLs. The interactive term of regulatory quality and government effectiveness on NPLs has net negative effect. This suggest that regulatory quality enhances the reductive effects of government effectiveness on NPLs. Our findings in general lends credence to the financial instability theory as NPLs in the Ghanaian context has been the outcome of activities of speculative borrowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale fisheries in Ghana are declining in response to the global fisheries crisis. The policies to curb this situation are dependent on the wellbeing of fishers in terms of material condition, quality of life, and transformative strategies for sustainable livelihoods. This paper employs survey data to investigate the wellbeing of fishers, using descriptives, principal-component analysis, and structural equation modelling. The results revealed that the summative effect of material condition, quality of life, and sustainability on fishers' wellbeing is low. Despite the low ranking of income (lower among men fishers than women fish processors), basic necessities, and government support, fishers are still motivated to work but claim that their children may one day be locked out of the industry. This paper addresses the gap in the literature by establishing the need to enhance educational facilities for the children of fishers, while complementing with investments that create job opportunities in the fishing communities. This may eventually reduce dependence on the sea for sustainable fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century that education is the ultimate support of human rights, and that access and participation remain key catalysts to accelerating equal educational opportunities for all, females continue to trail their male counterparts in educational outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa. This study focuses on the Ghanaian context and assesses the gender dimensions of student enrollment in higher education, highlighting the disparities therein. We adopt a typical case study design, and a mixed method approach, involving quantitative analysis of student enrollment data, qualitative interviews, and focus group discussions with administrators and students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. We find generally low female participation across all colleges of the university, except for the College of Health Sciences. We also find low female participation across three dimensions: qualified applicants, admissions, and enrollment. The causes of disparity in the dimensions of student enrollment are rooted in four main factors: institutional, socio-cultural, economic, and awareness of STEM policy and opportunities. The present findings have implications for the implementation of STEM and other gender policies at both the pre-tertiary and tertiary levels of education across sub-Saharan Africa. Plain Language Summary: How Far Is Progress? Gender Dimensions of Student Enrollment in Higher Education in Ghana: The Case of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology This paper examines the gender dimensions of higher education in Ghana between 2010-2020. It seeks to understand the extent of gender disparity in three key dimensions of student participation in higher education: qualified applicants, admissions, and actual enrolment. The paper also examines the causes of gender disparities across these three dimensions, and the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) policies intended to improve female participation in these areas of science. We use a typical case study research design, and a mixed-method approach involving quantitative analysis, interviews, and focus group discussions. We chose the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi as our typical case, to help examine in-depth, the trends and causal mechanisms underlying gender participation along the three dimensions. Our findings show that gender disparities continue to exist, with particularly wide disparities in some academic disciplines. Notwithstanding, the university seems to have made significant strides in bridging the gender gap in enrolment in the last five years of the study period. The full potential of STEM policies, however, remains underexplored, importantly because the targets of the policy, females, are largely unaware of the opportunities available to them to pursue higher education. We also report the socioeconomic and socio-cultural bottlenecks girls continue to face in their quest to attain higher education, and the key role female role models can play in improving gender parity in higher education. Given the limitations of single case studies, we recommend large-n or comparative designs in future research on the subject [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]