Complexities of border governance and security along the Ghana–Burkina Faso border: insights from the Upper East Region

Introduction: Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated. The Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana recorded 70 case-patients in 2014 with a case fatality of 10%. Furthermore, there have been series of out outbreaks of bacterial meningitis in the region. The study reviewed meningitis surveillance data to assess the progress towards interruption of meningitis transmission and identified opportunities for surveillance improvement in the UER. Methods: This involved records review and secondary data analysis of all reported meningitis cases in the Region from 2010 to 2014. Data quality was assessed: described by person, place, time, causative agents involved and identified opportunities for system improvement. Results: Of 1142 suspected cases of meningitis recorded at the health facilities and communities in the UER, 352(30.8%) were confirmed cases of various forms of Bacterial meningitis. Majority of the cases (50.7%) were males. The age group 0-9 years was mostly 491(43.0%) affected. There were 146 deaths, giving a case fatality rate of 13.0%. The identified etiological agents were Neisseria meningitides (Nm W135) 50.3%, Streptococcus pneumonia (41.7%), Neisseria meningitides (Nm A) 1.7%, Neisseria meningitides (Nm Y 5%), Haemophilus Influenzae Type B1.5%. Majority of the case-patients were observed in 2010 (34.7%) and 2012 (44.2%) between February and April (%). The Kassena Nankana Municipal recorded the highest number of cases 234(20.5%) and the Bulsa South District recorded no case of bacterial meningitis cases. 69 (6%) of case-patients had no lumber puncture done. Time spent before presentation of case-patients to the health facilities had no significant association with the outcome of the infection (p= 0.319). Conclusions: There has been a consistent outbreak of Bacterial meningitis in the Upper East Region that involved many cases-patients with some mortality. More bacterial meningitis cases were recorded in children compared to adults. Lumber puncture was not performed in all case-patients. Many case-patients were recorded in the first quarter of the year with the majority in the Kassena Nankana District. There is an urgent need to review the management of meningitis, coupled with enhanced strategies in prevention of occurrences of the disease in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

There has been an increasing concern about effects of global warming on rainfall. Negative impacts on rainfall affect the environment and socio-economic activities of nations, globally. Rainfall characteristics at the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana in terms of temporal and spatial variability are investigated from 1981 to 2016 using rainfall data from Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) and Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station. Using cumulative residual analysis, Mann–Kendall (MK), Sen’s slope, wavelet transform (WT) and principal component analysis (PCA) tests, the rainfall variability in UER was examined. Results showed that 1981, 1999, 2002 and 2013 were years of major changes in rainfall variation. The MK and Sen’s slope showed that 55.71% of UER have decreasing monthly rainfall with 27.34% significant trend. Months April, May and June showed decreasing rainfall trends. Months July, August and September showed significant increasing rainfall trend. WT revealed a significant variation in the annual rainfall. PCA revealed that the spatial variability of rainfall in UER is very diverse with 33.76% of the variability located in the northeastern part. The findings serve as benchmark in providing in-depth understanding of rainfall variation in UER for water resource managers, agriculturalists and drought mitigation.

If the public procurement function especially in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is ethically conducted, the obvious end result would be prudent use of state resources, transparency within the public procurement process and value for money in all government contracts. This has become pertinent since increasingly significant proportions of government expenditure in developing countries goes into public procurements. This study therefore sought to explore the determinants of procurement ethics among public institutions in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data from 210 practicing public procurement officials across selected public institutions. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed as a factor reduction tool to filter out the factors that significantly influence ethical procurement practices among staff of public institutions. The study results showed that transparency, professionalism, integrity and political influence were the major determinants of ethical procurement practices in public institutions within the Upper East Region of Ghana. The study established that transparency, professionalism, integrity and political influence were the major determinants of ethical procurement practices within public institutions in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The findings of this study will serve as a guide for procurement professionals and managers to improve ethical procurement behavior. Training programmes should be tailored towards improving transparency, professionalism, integrity and minimize political influence.

Climate-induced migration and climate immobility in Ghana: A socio-ecological mixed method study

Vegetation variation offers significant information for environmental planning, management, sustainability and prompts caution of ecosystem degradation, particularly for the semiarid regions. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) discloses the coverage growth situation, biomass and photosynthesis strength of vegetation and land-cover alterations. Wavelet was used to decompose NDVI time series into subseries at various timescales. This study used a multi-resolution analysis in association with Mann–Kendall and Sen’s Slope at 95% confidence interval to determine the trends in vegetation dynamics at the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana. GIMMS NDVI3g time series was used to evaluate the performance of the vegetation at seasonal, interannual and intraannual timescale from 1982 to 2015. The results showed that the variability in NDVI in the region is annually significant. At the seasonal level, the whole surface area showed negative vegetation trend. In terms of the intraannual changes, 11.76% of the surface area showed critical patterns. At the interannual scale, results revealed that 4.40% of the surface area demonstrated significant patterns, while 95.60% indicated nonsignificant pattern. Overall, there was negative performance in the vegetation growth from 1982 to 2015. The 16.6% decrease in vegetation dynamics can be attributed to anthropogenic activities. The results from this study would benefit and provide helpful assistance to water resources managers, agricultural and ecological development officers for sustainable planning of UER.

The study gives an overview of the use of indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) and water management interventions in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana, and suggests research and development options to improve water management in the region. Water management practices were investigated in 16 villages in the region, using participatory methods and tools. Data were gathered in two phases: the first phase covered the use of ITK by farmers; and the second phase was an in-depth study into the use and management of interventions like dams, dugouts, and boreholes. During the study, the various stakeholders interviewed consisted of farmers and organisations such as governmental, non-governmental and research institutions with influence on water management. A typology of water management intervention in the study area was constructed. Resource flow, indicating the influence of interventions on internal and external flows within the crop-livestock-fishery system, was identified to create a clear understanding of the complex interactions within the system. Research and development options emerging from the analysis of the data were screened and prioritised to obtain the most suitable options for development. The chosen options indicated the importance of more effective use of available water as well as more efficient storage of water at the catchment level. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 38, 2005: 29-42

Oesophagostomum species are strongylid nematode parasites of monkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, camels and antelopes. Human infections were considered zoonotic. Studies in the northeastern parts of Ghana suggested that the human infections might be common but focally distributed. Factors determining the focal distribution are not known. The relationship between the human and animal infections is also not known. It is also not known whether the animal infections are focal in distribution. In the present study, two communities known to be endemic to the human infection (Kulbia and Kologo) and two other communities known to be non-endemic to the human infection (Kalbiong and Gbeogo) in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana were selected. Prevalences and intensities of Oesophagostomum infection and other related strongylid nematode infections in ruminants and pigs were determined and compared. Faecal samples from cattle, sheep, goats and pigs were collected, processed by coproculture and examined under the microscope for larvae of the different strongylid nematodes. The results show no significant Original Research Article Ahiabor et al.; ARRB, 7(1): 1-22, 2015; Article no.ARRB.2015.101 2 differences in prevalence of infection between the human endemic and human non endemic communities (P = 1.00) during the rainy season and (P =.134) in the dry season. However, there were significant differences in the intensity of infection between the two types of communities only during the dry season (P = .032). Other strongylid nematodes observed were Necator sp., Strongyloides sp. and Trichostongylus sp.

Parasites in cross-bred pigs in the Upper East Region of Ghana

BackgroundIn Ghana, limited evidence exists about the geographical accessibility to health facilities providing tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic services to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, we aimed to assess the geographic accessibility to public health facilities providing TB testing services at point-of-care (POC) in the Upper East Region (UER), Ghana.MethodsWe assembled detailed spatial data on all 10 health facilities providing TB testing services at POC, and landscape features influencing journeys. These data were used in a geospatial model to estimate actual distance and travel time from the residential areas of the population to health facilities providing TB testing services. Maps displaying the distance values were produced using ArcGIS Desktop v10.4. Spatial distribution of the health facilities was done using spatial autocorrelation (Global Moran’s Index) run in ArcMap 10.4.1. We also applied remote sensing through satellite imagery analysis to map out residential areas and identified locations for targeted improvement in the UER.ResultsOf the 13 districts in the UER, 4 (31%) did not have any health facility providing TB testing services. In all, 10 public health facilities providing TB testing services at POC were available in the region representing an estimated population to health facility ratio of 125,000 people per facility. Majority (60%) of the health facilities providing TB testing services in the region were in districts with a total population greater than 100,000 people. Majority (62%) of the population resident in the region were located more than 10 km away from a health facility providing TB testing services. The mean distance ± standard deviation to the nearest public health facility providing TB testing services in UER was 33.2 km ± 13.5. Whilst the mean travel time using a motorized tricycle speed of 20 km/h to the nearest facility providing TB testing services in the UER was 99.6 min ± 41.6. The results of the satellite imagery analysis show that 51 additional health facilities providing TB testing services at POC are required to improve geographical accessibility. The results of the spatial autocorrelation analysis show that the spatial distribution of the health facilities was dispersed (z-score = − 2.3; p = 0.02).ConclusionThere is poor geographic accessibility to public health facilities providing TB testing services at POC in the UER of Ghana. Targeted improvement of rural PHC clinics in the UER to enable them provide TB testing services at POC is highly recommended.

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a major constraint to poultry production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, information on Newcastle disease in guinea fowls is scant in Ghana. This study seeks to detect circulating antibodies against ND and the risk factors for occurrence in guinea fowls in the Upper East region of Ghana. Sera was obtained from guinea fowls from households, live bird markets, and slaughter points in different locations in the Upper East region. The sera were evaluated for antibodies against Newcastle disease using the Haemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test. Questionnaire was administered to the farmers to assess risk factors such as vaccination status, management system, and contact with wild birds. Almost half, 213/431 (49.4%, 95% CI = 44.6–54.2) of the guinea fowls were seropositive. The seroprevalence was 46.2% in live bird markets, 36.63% in households, and 52.7% at slaughter points. A seroprevalence of 49.7% was observed in adults and 45.7% growers. There was a 53.4% prevalence in males and 43.9% in females. Antibodies to ND were found circulating in guinea fowls in the Upper East region. We recommend that guinea fowls be made an important component element in the ND surveillance for an effective monitoring and control in the region.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major cause of liver related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epidemiologic data on seroprevalence, viremia prevalence and risk factors remain limited in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, HCV-related deaths are estimated to have increased since 2015. Risk factors associated with HCV infection in Ghana are not well described. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with hepatitis C virus infection in the Upper East Region located in the northern part of Ghana. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 9 communities in the Upper East region of Ghana. A total of 1,769 participants aged ≥12 years were screened for HCV antibody (anti-HCV) using rapid diagnostic testing (RDT). Seventy-four participants undertook HCV RNA testing after a positive anti-HCV result. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine risk factors associated with HCV seropositivity. The anti-HCV prevalence was 8.4%, with 149 out of 1,769 testing anti-HCV positive. Mean age (±SD) of seropositive persons was 45.4 (±16.3) years. The highest anti-HCV seroprevalence was amongst persons aged 60 years and above. Forty-four out of 74 (59.5%) seropositive cases had viremic infection and the estimated viremic prevalence in the screened population was 5.0%. Predictors of HCV seropositivity were age (OR 1.03 95% CI 1.01–1.04), history of female genital mutilation or circumcision (OR 1.63 95% CI 1.04–2.55), sexual activity (OR 2.57 95% CI 1.38–4.79), positive maternal HCV status (OR 10.38 95% CI 4.13–26.05) and positive HIV status (OR 4.03 95% CI 1.35–12.05). In conclusion, the Upper East Region demonstrates a high Hepatitis C antibody prevalence. Almost 60% of individuals have viremic infection, however the cost of RNA testing is a barrier to virological diagnosis. There is a need to educate the population about HCV-associated risk factors to reduce HCV transmission and burden of disease.

The global food crisis led to upward trends in food prices across the world. The millions of impoverished people living in developing countries including Ghana were the worst affected by the phenomenal increases in world food prices. This paper examines the implications of the global food crisis on the trends of food prices in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The data used for the analyses were average monthly prices of some selected grain cereals, grain legumes, vegetables, and root and tuber food items consumed in the region. The data were gathered from the Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The analyses revealed that on the average, the prices of food items grew over 200 percent during the last twenty years. However, the all time record high increase in food prices in the Upper East Region of Ghana was recorded in 2008 which is estimated as over 100 percent. It is concluded that the global food crisis among other things translated positively in terms of prices in the Upper East Region of Ghana. This has had negative effects on the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals especially on the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger in the area where over 80 percent of the people are said to be poor. It is recommended that farmers in the area should be supplied with subsidized farm inputs and credit facilities to help boost their production levels to help mitigate the effects of hunger, malnutrition and poverty on the vulnerable – women, children and the physically challenged.

Purpose: This study holds significant importance as it delves into the degree to which small and micro tourist businesses (SMTBs), particularly small lodging businesses in the Upper East Region of Ghana, have adopted the concept of sustainability. This investigation is crucial for understanding the current state of sustainability in the tourism industry. Design/Methodology/ Approach: This study employed a purposive sampling technique and conducted a comprehensive survey of 196 lodging facility owner-managers. The responses of 144 participants were meticulously examined to gauge the level of sustainability embraced by their companies. A 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much so), was used to measure the responses. The statistical techniques of ANOVA and frequency analysis were employed to investigate and test the means of the variables and their significance across business categories. Findings: The findings revealed that, depending on the type of business, there are notable variations in the following areas: 1) attitude toward accepting sustainability; 2) application of sustainability for their enterprises; and 3) understanding of the obstacles to applying sustainability among owner-managers of lodging houses. Research Limitation/Implication: This study was only exploratory due to some practical constraints and methodological limitations that prevented the inclusion of a wide range of sectors. It also focused on SMTBs in only the Upper East Region of Ghana. Practical Implication: A policy foundation is necessary for small businesses to respond dynamically to changing business and social environment trends. For example, environmental marks in the manufacturing industry, environmental tourism management practices, and environmental tourism consumption experiences should be introduced and rewarded, and related promotion measures should be specified. Social Implication: The study recommends policy options for improving SMTB sustainability and how their establishments can impact the environment and society. Originality/Value: The study's originality is how SMBTs respond to environmental sustainability concerning their business characteristics at the local level. Secondly, the Upper East Region of Ghana has many tourism businesses; hence, there is a need to understand the concept of sustainable tourism specifically applied to business activities.

To assess whether supervision of primary health care workers improves their productivity in four districts of Northern Ghana. We conducted a time-use study during which the activities of health workers were repeatedly observed and classified. Classification included four categories: direct patient care; documentation and reporting; staff development and facility operations; and personal time. These data were supplemented by a survey of health workers during which patterns of supervision were assessed. We used logistic regression models with health facility fixed effects to test the hypothesis that supervision increases the amount of time spent providing direct patient care (productivity). We further investigated whether these effects depend on whether or not supervision is supportive. Direct patient care accounted for <25% of observations. In bivariate analyses, productivity was higher among midwives and in facilities with a high volume of care. Supervisory visits were frequent in those four districts, but only a minority of health workers felt supported by their supervisors. Having been supervised within the last month was associated with a significantly higher proportion of time spent on direct patient care (OR = 1.57). The effects of supervision on productivity further depended on whether the health workers felt supported by their supervisors. Supportive supervision was associated with increased productivity. Investments in supervision could help maximize the output of scarce human resources in primary health care facilities. Time-use studies represent an objective approach in monitoring the productivity of health workers and evaluating the impact of health-system interventions on human resources.

With an increasing world’s population and the quest to maintain food security, irrigation farming has been identified to play a vital role in food production. Food production in Sub-Saharan Africa is entirely rain-fed with irrigation playing a limited role. The situation is aggravated by the impact of climate change. This article investigates water conservation for dry season irrigation farming as an adaptation to climate change in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The specific objectives were to identify water conservation methods, challenges and adaptive/coping strategies adopted by smallholder farmers to ensure water security for food production in the Region. Primary data were obtained using questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. Secondary data were collected by obtaining documents and reports from key government institutions and climate data from Ghana Meteorological Agency. The data was analyzed using different methods of analysis. The questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science and the focus group discussions and interviews were analyzed manually using content analysis. The findings showed that there are many sources of water but these sources were impacted by climate change and usually get dried during the dry season. Erratic rainfall and increasing temperature were also observed to affect crop production and livestock rearing. As a result, various water conservation methods were practiced to promote irrigation farming. The study concludes that innovative water conservation methods should be explored, reduce the challenges confronting dry season irrigation farming as a way to boost food production and diversify the economy of rural farmers.