Coastal Ghana Research Articles

Prevalence of peripheral blood parasitaemia, anaemia and low birthweight among pregnant women in a suburban area in coastal Ghana.

IntroductionMalaria and anaemia have adverse effects in pregnant women and on the birth weight of infants in malaria endemic areas. P. falciparum malaria, the most virulent species continues to be a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was carried out to establish the prevalence of pregnancy-associated malaria and its associated consequences including maternal anaemia and low birthweight (LBW) deliveries and placental malaria among pregnant women in a sub-urban area in coastal Ghana.MethodsA facility-based investigation was carried out among 320 pregnant women seeking antenatal care in a hospital in suburban coastal Ghana. Information on the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) were collected using a structured questionnaire at enrolment. Venous blood was collected for microscopy and screening for Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Haemoglobin concentration was obtained from an automatic blood analyzer. Placental smears and birth weight measurements were taken at delivery.ResulsThe prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia was 5%. The mean haemoglobin (Hb) level at registration was 11.44g/dL (95% CI 11.29 – 11.80). Placental blood parasitaemia and low birthweight were 2.5% and 3% respectively. ITN possession was 31.6% with 5.4% usage. The IPTp coverage was 55%.ConclusionThe prevalence of malaria and anaemia among the pregnant women were low at enrolment. Placental blood parasitaemia and LBW at delivery were also low. These are clear indications of the high coverage of the IPTp. Increase in ITN use will further improve birthweight outcomes and reduce placental malaria.

Prevalence of peripheral blood parasitaemia, anaemia and low birthweight among pregnant women in a suburban area in coastal Ghana

Prevalence of peripheral blood parasitaemia, anaemia and low birthweight among pregnant women in a suburban area in coastal Ghana

Habitat use pattern of three species of egrets in a small coastal lagoon in Ghana

The foraging and pattern of habitat use of Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis, Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Great Egret Egretta alba were studied in Sakumo II Lagoon in Ghana to determine the extent of utilisation of non-fish resources by these species, which compete with humans for fisheries resources. The species were counted in grassland and marginal water areas of the lagoon on the assumption that individuals found in the grassland area feed on non-fish resources, whereas those in marginal water forage on fish and possibly aquatic invertebrates. Average numbers of E. gularis and E. garzetta making use of the grassland were higher than those utilising the water, indicating preference for the grassland area. Egretta alba did not show a preference for either habitat. Catch per unit effort and swallow rates of each species were similar in grassland and water habitats, with the exception of E. alba, which recorded a higher swallow rate in grassland. It was concluded that the grassland habitats of Sakumo II Lagoon are important for ardeids, and that non-fish resources constitute an important food for ardeids in coastal Ghana, contrary to previous observations.

Conversion to Islam and the Promotion of ‘Modern’ Islamic Schools in Ghana

AbstractThis article analyzes the transformation of Islamic education frommakaranta(schools for the study of the Qurʾān) to what are called English/Arabic schools, which combine Islamic studies with a British curriculum taught in the English language. These schools were initially founded in coastal Ghana during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, primarily by missionaries who had converted from Christianity and had had English-language education or by agents of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission based in London. The purposes of these schools were to provide instruction to allow young people to be competitive in the colonial, Christian-influenced social and economic structure, and to promote conversion to Islam among the coastal populations. New Islamic missionary organizations developed throughout the colonial and postcolonial eras to fulfill these purposes, and English/Arabic schools were integrated into the national educational system by the end of the twentieth century. Indigenous and transnational governmental organizations competed by establishing schools in order to promote Islamic ideas and practices and to integrate Ghanaian Muslims into the wider Muslim world.

Characterization of macro-benthic fauna for ecological health status of the Fosu and Benya lagoons in coastal Ghana

This study conducted a comparative analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Fosu and Benya lagoons in Ghana, based on the anthropogenic effect on the two lagoons. Salinity, oxygen, temperature, conductivity, turbidity and pH were measured, invertebrate richness and species densities were determined. The AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) and multivariate statistics were used to determine the different responses of fauna to pollution. The fauna were categorized into five ecological groups based on the degree of tolerance of the different species to pollution: disturbance-sensitive species; disturbance-indifferent species, disturbance-tolerant species, second-order opportunistic species; and first-order opportunistic species. The Fosu Lagoon supported more pollution tolerant species, whereas the Benya Lagoon had more species that were sensitive to organic enrichment under relatively unpolluted conditions. Chironomus sp., which is adapted to virtually anoxic conditions, was the most abundant in the Fosu Lagoon whereas Nemertea sp. was the most abundant in the Benya Lagoon. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 7 taxa in the Fosu Lagoon was 1,359 and 92.35%, respectively. The numerical and relative abundance (%) of all 34 taxa in the Benya Lagoon was 2,459 and 87.52%, respectively. Expectedly, the level of dissolved oxygen in the less saline Fosu Lagoon was higher than that in the more saline Benya Lagoon. The reduced photoperiod and photosynthetic activities of aquatic plants might account for this trend. There is a need to implement comprehensive monitoring and management initiatives for sustaining the ecological health of coastal lagoons in Ghana in order to support the many people that depend upon these ecosystems for their livelihood.

Characterization of malaria transmission by vector populations for improved interventions during the dry season in the Kpone-on-Sea area of coastal Ghana

BackgroundMalaria is a major public health problem in Ghana. We present a site-specific entomological study of malaria vectors and transmission indices as part of an effort to develop a site for the testing of improved control strategies including possible vaccine trials.MethodsPyrethrum spray catches (PSC), and indoor and outdoor human landing collections of adult female anopheline mosquitoes were carried out over a six-month period (November 2005 - April 2006) at Kpone-on-Sea, a fishing village in southern Ghana. These were morphologically identified to species level and sibling species of the Anopheles gambiae complex further characterized by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect Plasmodium falciparum mosquito infectivity and host blood meal sources. Parity rate was examined based on dilatation of ovarian tracheoles following dissection.ResultsOf the 1233 Anopheles mosquitoes collected, An. gambiae s.l. was predominant (99.5%), followed by An. funestus (0.4%) and An. pharoensis (0.1%). All An. gambiae s.l. examined (480) were identified as An. gambiae s.s. with a majority of M molecular form (98.2%) and only 1.8% S form with no record of M/S hybrid. A significantly higher proportion of anophelines were observed outdoors relative to indoors (χ2 = 159.34, df = 1, p < 0.0000). Only An. gambiae M molecular form contributed to transmission with a high degree of anthropophily, parity rate and an estimated entomological inoculation rate (EIR) of 62.1 infective bites/person/year. The Majority of the infective bites occurred outdoors after 09.00 pm reaching peaks between 12.00-01.00 am and 03.00-04.00 am.ConclusionAnopheles gambiae M molecular form is responsible for maintaining the status quo of malaria in the surveyed site during the study period. The findings provide a baseline for evidence-based planning and implementation of improved malaria interventions. The plasticity observed in biting patterns especially the combined outdoor and early biting behavior of the vector may undermine the success of insecticide-based strategies using insecticide treated nets (ITN) and indoor residual spray (IRS). As such, novel or improved vector interventions should be informed by the local malaria epidemiology data as it relates to vector behavior.

Correlates of Revenue among Small Scale Women Fish Processors in Coastal Ghana

The objective of this study was to analyse the factors that influence revenue generation among women in fish processing in coastal Ghana. Primary data was collected using a well structured questionnaire administered on 746 women who process fish in selected communities in Central, Greater Accra and Western Regions. Using weekly revenue as the outcome variable, the multinomial logit regression (MLR) and ordinary least squares (OLS) were used to predict and estimate the correlates of revenue generated from fish processing. The results show that higher levels of savings are likely to influence higher levels of revenue. Fish smoking and frying produces more revenue with reference to drying and salting. Furthermore, hours spent in business are also likely to increase revenue relative to low levels of revenue. The findings also indicate that at all levels of revenue, experience matters. Moreover, formal account ownership does not significantly influence revenue at all levels. The derived policy implications are to design strategies that will increase women potential in revenue generation in the informal sector.

Maritime Cultural Resource Investigation, Management, and Mitigation in Coastal Ghana

Four field seasons of maritime archaeological research in coastal Ghana offer insights into submerged cultural heritage, but also highlight serious concerns for its preservation and protection. A discussion of cultural heritage legislation and its ineffective implementation, as well as imminent and potential threats to submerged cultural heritage frames the argument for the mitigation and protection of submerged sites in coastal Ghana. Work on the Benya Lagoon vessel and the Elmina Wreck site is presented here as both documentation and mitigation in terms of the context of threats to submerged heritage in coastal Ghana, and preventative mitigation is proposed for its protection.

Of His Bones are Coral Made: Submerged Cultural Resources, Site Formation Processes, and Multiple Scales of Interpretation in Coastal Ghana

Of His Bones are Coral Made: Submerged Cultural Resources, Site Formation Processes, and Multiple Scales of Interpretation in Coastal Ghana. Syracuse University, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/006...

Men’s and women’s migration in coastal Ghana

This article uses life history calendar (LHC) data from coastal Ghana and event history statistical methods to examine inter-regional migration for men and women, focusing on four specific migration types: rural-urban, rural-rural, urban-urban, and urban-rural. Our analysis is unique because it examines how key determinants of migration- including education, employment, marital status, and childbearing-differ by sex for these four types of migration. We find that women are significantly less mobile than men overall, but that more educated women are more likely to move (particularly to urban areas) than their male counterparts. Moreover, employment in the prior year is less of a deterrent to migration among women. While childbearing has a negative effect on migration, this impact is surprisingly stronger for men than for women, perhaps because women's search for assistance in childcare promotes migration. Meanwhile, being married or in union appears to have little effect on migration probabilities for either men or women. These results demonstrate the benefits of a LHC approach and suggest that migration research should further examine men's and women's mobility as it relates to both human capital and household and family dynamics, particularly in developing settings.

Relating bee activity to pollination of Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. in Ghana

SummaryLuffa aegyptiaca (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) is a plant of economic importance in Ghana and in other parts of the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Cultivation of the plant in Ghana has reduced over the last two decades, so it now mostly grows in the wild. A survey was conducted in coastal Ghana to provide baseline information about pollinators of the plant, to inform decisions on the conservation of it and its pollinators. Apis mellifera, three species of Xylocopa and two of Amegilla were identified among the flower visitors as likely pollinators. Preliminary measures of the efficiency of these visitors as pollinators were made and the relationship between visitor behaviour and the phenology of the plant was studied. Flowers were open for about 10 h, and over 80% of female flowers received pollen within the first 3 h of opening. Out of 120 female flowers observed, A. mellifera visited 49.2%, Xylocopa spp visited 35.8% and Amegilla spp visited 15%. Xylocopa spp visited flowers early in the day, were most active during the period that most flowers received pollen, and deposited pollen on stigmas of all female flowers they visited. Whilst a single visit by Xylocopa spp or Amegilla spp. could leave enough pollen for fertilization and fruit formation, multiple visits by A. mellifera might be required for successful pollination to occur. These results suggest that Xylocopa and Amegilla are more efficient pollinators of L. aegyptiaca than A. mellifera. The importance of these findings for the conservation of the plant and its associated insect species are discussed.

Public Perception of Environmental Issues in a Developing Setting: Environmental Concern in Coastal Ghana*

OBJECTIVE: Balancing environmental quality with economic growth in less developed settings is clearly a challenge. Still surprisingly little empirical evidence has been brought to bear on the relative priority given environmental and socioeconomic issues among the residents themselves of such settings. This research explores such perceptions. METHODS: We undertake survey research with 2500 residents of coastal Ghana on policy issues, focusing on environmental topics. RESULTS: Our analyses reveal a significant amount of environmental awareness, with education and political engagement consistently predicting higher levels of concern. In addition, environmental issues are deemed important even when considered relative to other socioeconomic issues. CONCLUSION: In the end, we argue that our work sheds light on global environmentalism and the ways in which local populations in less developed settings prioritize social and environmental concerns. This work also has important policy implications since insight on local perceptions may help buttress policy responses designed to cope with global change.

A new zoogeography of domestication and agricultural planning in Southern Ghana

Animal behaviour is vital for livestock choices, but is less researched in West Africa than economic considerations. An animal geography framework is applied to the socio‐economic context of livestock behaviour in coastal Ghana, assessing the shared ‘actant’ behaviour of people and animals, and the contribution of such a study to animal geography and agricultural knowledge. Data were gathered on cattle, sheep and goat behaviour and the impact of these on human livelihoods, perceptions and the socio‐environmental context. Animal behaviour was more important in the choice of livestock species, but economic considerations were more important in the decision to acquire animals. Goats had more incidents with people in village centres than sheep and cattle. Cattle had more incidents in farmland and grassland than goats and sheep. Women and young people were more affected by livestock behaviour. These findings increase the understanding of livestock zoogeography and livelihood decisionmaking, and contribute to animal geography by documenting the relevance of individualised gender‐ and age‐based human behaviour, as well as intra‐ and inter‐species animal behaviour to a shared actancy perspective, and a more dynamic zoogeography.

Nature and pattern of lagoon fisheries resource utilisation and their implications for waterbird management in coastal Ghana

Seasonal patterns in human fisheries resource utilisation and the capture characteristics of fish, swimming crabs and land crabs harvested from four coastal lagoons in Ghana between September 2005 and August 2007 are described. These are discussed in relation to sustainable management of the lagoons' fisheries for both human and waterbird use. With the exception of small pelagic foraging fish-eating birds, human fishing practices in the lagoons were in direct competition with crab- and fish-eating birds, because of the overlap of same-sized fish and crabs, and also in indirect competition because many of the exploited fish and crabs were immature. Fishing practices were also in direct competition with food foraging by invertebrate-eating birds. Intense exploitation of swimming crabs was linked to the use of drag nets, in comparison to the exclusive use of cast nets in some lagoons. In order to reduce the incidence of waterbird-human interactions and conflict during the energy-demanding phase of the birds' non-breeding season, it is recommended that the practice of closed seasons be extended to include crab fisheries and be strictly enforced at all Ramsar sites on the Ghanaian coast.

Urbanization and fertility: An event-history analysis of Coastal Ghana

In this article, we undertake an event-history analysis of fertility in Ghana. We exploit detailed life history calendar data to conduct a more refined and definitive analysis of the relationship among personal traits, urban residence, and fertility. Although urbanization is generally associated with lower fertility in developing countries, inferences in most studies have been hampered by a lack of information about the timing of residence in relationship to childbearing. We find that the effect of urbanization itself is strong, evident, and complex, and persists after we control for the effects of age, cohort, union status, and education. Our discrete-time event-history analysis shows that urban women exhibit fertility rates that are, on average, 11% lower than those of rural women, but the effects vary by parity. Differences in urban population traits would augment the effects of urban adaptation itself Extensions of the analysis point to the operation of a selection effect in rural-to-urban mobility but provide limited evidence for disruption effects. The possibility of further selection of urbanward migrants on unmeasured traits remains. The analysis also demonstrates the utility of an annual life history calendar for collecting such data in the field.

Community and household determinants of water quality in coastal Ghana

Associations between water sources, socio-demographic characteristics and household drinking water quality are described in a representative sample of six coastal districts of Ghana's Central Region. Thirty-six enumeration areas (EAs) were randomly chosen from a representative survey of 90 EAs in rural, semi-urban and urban residence strata. In each EA, 24 households were randomly chosen for water quality sampling and socio-demographic interview. Escherichia coli per 100 ml H2O was quantified using the IDEXX Colilert system and multi-stage regression models estimated cross-sectional associations between water sources, sanitation and socio-demographic factors. Almost three quarters, 74%, of the households have > 2 E. coli /100 ml H2O. Tap water has significantly lower E. coli levels compared with surface or rainwater and well water had the highest levels. Households with a water closet toilet have significantly lower E. coli compared with those using pit latrines or no toilets. Household size is positively associated, and a possessions index is negatively associated, with E. coli. Variations in community and household socio-demographic and behavioural factors are key determinants of drinking water quality. These factors should be included in planning health education associated with investments in water systems.

ANTHROPOGENIC ENRICHMENT AND NUTRIENTS IN SOME TROPICAL LAGOONS OF GHANA, WEST AFRICA

As part of a larger study of demographic change in coastal Ghana, we measured the concentrations of major plant nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll in eight coastal lagoons with different land use and human population density. The purpose of our study was to relate human activities to water quality in coastal receiving waters. We also carried out preliminary measurements of stable nitrogen isotopes to quantify the contribution of sewage and fertilizer to fish production in the lagoons. Annual mean concentrations of ammonia, nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP), and water column chlorophyll a varied by factors of over 1400, 15, 315, and 125, respectively, among the eight small coastal lagoons in the Central and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana. Concentrations of ammonia (mean of ∼1 mmol/L) and phosphate (mean of ∼60 μmol/L) in Korle lagoon, near the capital city of Accra, may be the highest yet reported for an estuarine system. In most of the lagoons, nutrient concentrations throughout the study period were much lower than previously reported, perhaps due to analytical problems in earlier measurements. Dissolved inorganic nutrients varied markedly over the year but showed no evidence of a regular seasonal cycle such as commonly observed in temperate coastal systems. Nutrient concentrations did increase sharply and briefly in many lagoons during the wet season. Water column chlorophyll increased greatly during August and September. Since water column inorganic nutrients were very low during July, it is possible that the apparent bloom was stimulated by nutrients brought into the lagoons during coastal upwelling or that the elevated chlorophyll was itself brought into the lagoons from offshore. Human population densities in the watersheds of the lagoons were high and varied widely, from ∼150 individuals/km2 to almost 3300 individuals/km2. Ratios of watershed area to open lagoon area ranged from ∼30 to almost 2500, much higher than is common in most well‐studied estuaries and lagoons in the United States. We found a strong correlation between human population density and mean annual dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations among the wide range of systems studied. Mean annual DIN concentrations in the Ghana lagoons were higher than found in a number of temperate lagoons with similar population density. The relationship between population density and DIP and chlorophyll was weak. The latter may be due to toxic effects in Korle lagoon and abundant filter feeders in another lagoon. Stable nitrogen isotope ratios in two species of fish, a shrimp, and a crab varied consistently among the lagoons, with higher δ15N values indicative of human sewage in lagoons downstream of more densely populated watersheds.

The importance of unmanaged coastal wetlands to waterbirds at coastal Ghana

AbstractGhana's 550 km coastline has about 100 wetlands out of which five large ones are managed as Ramsar sites, the rest being unmanaged. Recent pollution and misuse of unmanaged wetlands have necessitated a study into their roles in the support of waterbirds. Waterbird survey on four wetlands between September 2005 and April 2006 revealed that 51 waterbird species make use of the managed compared to 44 in the unmanaged wetlands. Average numbers of waterbirds were higher on the managed wetlands (10,510 ± 4862) than on the unmanaged wetlands (1348 ± 602) (P &lt; 0.05) but mean population density of waterbirds (n/ha) was the same for both the managed (1860 ± 310) and unmanaged (1400 ± 220) (P &gt; 0.05) wetlands. The population densities of waterbirds belonging to guilds 1, 5 and 7 were significantly higher on the managed wetlands (P &lt; 0.05). In contrast, guilds 2 and 4 have significantly higher population densities on the unmanaged wetlands while the population density of guild 3 was the same (P &gt; 0.05). There was an indication that during mid and late periods of the nonbreeding season, the unmanaged wetlands altogether may support a larger number of waterbirds belonging to guilds 2, 3 and 4 than the five managed wetlands.

Contribution of animal source foods to total iron intake of children in coastal Ghana

Contribution of animal source foods to total iron intake of children in coastal Ghana

Household strategies in the face of resource scarcity in coastal Ghana: are they associated with development priorities?

In many developing regions, women and young girls spend several hours daily in the collection of natural resources. Still the link between these household resource strategies and stakeholder perceptions of development priorities remains unexplored. This project examines this association with survey data representative of the adult population from Ghana's Coastal Region. Although natural resource scarcity and the sustainability of resource use represent key development challenges, there are others (e.g., energy, sanitation, employment, and educational opportunities). As such, even in the face of natural resource scarcity, individuals may place greater importance on other dimensions of development, especially if household resource strategies are perceived as relatively efficient. The analytical focus here is on water and the results suggest that gender roles shape household water collection strategies, while also shaping these strategies' perceived opportunity costs. Specifically, Ghanian adults more often see drinking water provision as their primary development need when water sources are distant and/or when male household members collect water (particularly male heads). In the end, I argue that social science inquiry benefits by contextualizing social dynamics within environmental context, particularly within cultural settings in which human subsistence is intimately tied to the state of the natural environment.