Navigating Conflict and Health in Bawku, Ghana: Implications for Resolution and Management

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to evaluate how conflicts are resolved and how they affect people's ability to access health care in Bawku, Ghana. Specific objectives were to assess factors that affect the management of the Bawku conflict and to evaluate the consequences of the conflict on health services in the Bawku region. The residents living in different locations of Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana comprised the target population, which was 144,189 persons. Forty-five (45) respondents were selected using an expert purposive sample methodology with an explanatory sequential design in a mixed method approach. The study was guided by the Protracted Social Conflict Theory. Basic statistical techniques were used in data analysis. The study used questionnaires and interview guides as its main methods for gathering data during the month of July 2023 in the Bawku region. The findings are presented through tables and charts. According to the findings, the Bawku War made it very difficult for residents to get access to medical facilities and services. The worst effects were seen in terms of casualties, wounds, and disruptions to regular life. In addition, the research identifies the best and most frequently used mechanisms for conflict resolution, which include the employment of the military and law enforcement, traditional councils, and houses of chiefs. Furthermore, the study concluded that the ethnic ties of the Mamprusis and Kusasis to other ethnic groups in these nations could potentially lead to the spread of the Bawku conflict to neighboring countries, particularly Togo and Burkina Faso. The study recommends a decrease in hostilities and, potentially, advocates for the complete cessation of political interference in the conflict resolution process in Bawku, located in the Upper East Region of Ghana.