Region Of Ghana Research Articles

Residential renewable energy adoption. Does financial literacy matter?

Clean energy production systems are the most effective and sustainable ways of protecting the natural environment from pollution. Sadly, fossil fuels remain a significant energy source in most emerging economies primarily due to financial challenges. Using Ghana's renewable energy policy initiatives as a case analysis, the study adopted a multiple-stage random sampling approach to sample household heads (N = 413) across two regions in Ghana to assess the adoption of renewable energies' impact of financial literacy among urban households by applying the two-stage residual inclusion technique. The study's findings depict that household income and RE cost are more significant variables impacting RE adoption, whereas the focal study variable, i.e., financial literacy, has some positive effect but at a lower level than these two variables (household income and RE cost). The heterogeneous analysis regarding household income level shows that financial literacy increases the ability to adopt renewable energy in high-income households than low-income households, confirming the significant impact of household income on RE adoption. The study results imply that policymakers in low-income countries should provide tax incentives for importers of renewable energy products/appliances and subsidize the prices for consumers to improve renewable energy technology use. Also, the provision of job opportunities and income diversification strategies education to improve household incomes should be a priority. Moreover, financial literacy through financial education programs in the formal education sector and the mass media to improve citizens' financial skills and knowledge should be prioritized. These recommendations have the potential to advance the financial and economic wellbeing of citizens in facilitating renewable energy transition.

Achieving universal reproductive health coverage for deaf women in Ghana: an explanatory study of knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices

BackgroundThe first world conference on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in 1994 helped create the awareness that reproductive health is a human right. Over the years, attempts have been made to extend services to all persons; however, lapses persist in service provision for all in need. Recently, countries have been encouraged to target minority groups in their reproductive health service provision. However, studies have rarely attempted to develop deeper insights into the experiences of deaf men and women regarding their knowledge of SRH. The purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the knowledge of deaf persons regarding services such as knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted for this study. In the first quantitative phase, 288 deaf persons recruited from three out of the 16 regions in Ghana participated in this study. They completed a 31-item questionnaire on the main issues (knowledge of contraceptive methods, pregnancy and safe abortion practices) addressed in this study. In the second phase, a semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from 60 participants who took part in the first phase. The key trend emerging in the first phase underpinned the interview guide used for the data collection. While the quantitative data were subjected to the computation of means, t-tests, analyses of variance, correlations and linear regressions to understand the predictors, the in-depth interviews were analysed using the thematic method of analysis.ResultsThe results showed a convergence between the quantitative and qualitative data. For instance, the interview material supported the initial findings that deaf women had little knowledge of contraceptive methods. The participants offered reasons explaining their inability to access services and the role of religion in their understanding of SRH.ConclusionThe study concludes by calling on policymakers to consider the needs of deaf persons in future SRH policies. The study limitations and other implications for future policymaking are discussed.

Off-Farm Employment and Agricultural Credit Fungibility Nexus in Rural Ghana

This study examined the impact of off-farm employment on rural household agriculture credit fungibility (CF) using survey data collected from four regions in Ghana; however, the study paid more attention to agriculture credit received from different sources. By employing the endogenous switching regression (ESR) model, we solved the endogenous issue of off-farm employment. The econometrics model result revealed that off-farm employment negatively influences the household’s probability of practicing agriculture CF. Our results discovered the importance of off-farm employment on agriculture CF and recommended policy implications capable of alleviating agriculture CF.

Assessing fish farm economic performance and access to financial services nexus: Empirical evidence from Ghana

This study assesses the factors influencing of access to financial services (AFS) and its impact on fish farm economic performance by employing a multiple-stage random sampling approach to sample 131 fish farms from two regions in Ghana. We accounted for the selection bias issue using the endogenous treatment regression model. The results reveal that factors such asgender, education, fish farm size, asset ownership, off-farm work, and distance influence farmers' access to financial services. The result also showed that AFS improves fish farm economic performance. Moreover, we observe that female farmers and high-income households with access to financial services have higher fish yields and net returns than their counterparts. The study’s findings have provided evidence that AFS can be a transmission route in the efforts to enhance aquaculture development in the nation. Our results serve as a call to the government and policymakers to provide strategies and methods to make financial services accessibility easy and straightforward.

Ending Literacy Poverty: The Role of Early Childhood Educators and Caregivers in Developing Oral Language

Oral literacy development is the basis for other language skills, lifelong learning, and acquisition of indigenous knowledge. The oral literacy skills of language lay a solid foundation for other skills. This paper aims at exploring the teacher role of oral literacy facilitation in the early grades. The paper is a qualitative type. Thematic explanatory and descriptive approach were used. Population for the study was all primary schools in a deprived district of Volta Region in Ghana. Fifty early grade classrooms were purposively selected in four circuits in the district for data collection. Observation, interview, and focus group discussion were the data collection instruments. It was found that teacher talk time in lesson delivery is high as compared to learner talk time. Low usage of Teaching and Learning Resources (TLRs) in lessons was evident. Inadequate professional capacity of the use of TLRs is a factor that requires attention. It was found that many strategies are available for oral literacy development in the classroom. The paper concludes that, teachers do not purposefully teach oral literacy at the early grade levels. Consequently, learners acquire less vocabulary and comprehension skills. Learners struggle along the levels of education to acquire lexical competency in many fields. The paper suggests a review of the content of the Colleges of Education curriculum to include courses in oral literacy development. It also recommends a purposeful use of the Professional Learning Community of the Standard Based Curriculum to continuously equip teachers with knowledge and skills of classroom practices to develop oral literacy skills. The supervision unit of Ghana Education Service should be resourced to monitor and coach teachers to facilitate oral literacy in early grade classrooms. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to involve children in oral interactive activities at home.

The Geographical Distribution of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Services Within Government and Faith Based Hospitals in Ghana

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is generally a very safe and effective diagnostic and interventional modality in the current practice of medicine. To plan a comprehensive equitable gastrointestinal endoscopy service, the geographical distribution of this essential facility needs to be mapped.Methods: This study was a cross sectional situational survey of gastrointestinal endoscopy services within government and faith based health facilities in Ghana. Information on the availability of GI endoscopy services as at December 2016 was obtained by interviewingdoctors from the various regions in Ghana. Five (5) doctors working in different hospitals were interviewed per region.Results: Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy service was available in 3 out of the 4 teaching hospitals and only one regional hospital (Sunyani) in Ghana. The upper east, Upper west and Volta regions have no GI endoscopy services within any government or faithbased facility. The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) complemented government effort with GI endoscopy units at 4 district hospitals located in the Eastern, Central, Brong Ahafo and Volta regions.Conclusion: The distribution of gastrointestinal endoscopy services within government and faith based facilities is uneven. There is an urgent need to establish these services equitably across Ghana.

Sustaining Consumer E-Commerce Adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do Trust and Payment Method Matter?

The long-term sustainability of e-commerce usage for improving quality of life is dependent on several factors. Presently, trust and payment methods have emerged as critical factors influencing e-commerce adoption. Consequently, this study investigates the UTAUT determinants of consumer e-commerce adoption in Ghana by focusing on the mediating and moderating roles of trust and payment method. The study employs the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to estimate the survey response of 535 purposively selected respondents from six regions in Ghana. The results corroborate a direct relationship between the UTAUT variables and e-commerce adoption. However, the payment method suggests no moderating effect on trust and e-commerce adoption connection. Nevertheless, trust significantly mediates the UTAUT variables and e-commerce adoption. Finally, the mediation was highest between social influence and trust but lowest between effort expectancy and trust. This challenges practitioners and managers of e-commerce platforms to consider the mediating role of trust to improve adoption and the sustainable usage of e-commerce.

Factors influencing the implementation of TB screening among PLHIV in selected HIV clinics in Ghana: a qualitative study

BackgroundDecreasing the burden of Tuberculosis (TB) among PLHIV through TB screening is an effective intervention recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, after over a decade of implementation in Ghana, the intervention does not realize the expected outcomes. It is also not well understood whether this lack of success is due to implementation barriers. Our study, therefore, sought to examine the factors influencing the implementation of the intervention among people living with HIV (PLHIV) attending HIV clinics at district hospitals in Ghana.MethodsThis was a qualitative study conducted from 6th to 31 May 2019 in three regions of Ghana. We conducted 17 in-depth interviews (IDIs – comprising two regional, six districts and nine facility TB/HIV coordinators) and eight focus group discussions (FGD – consisting of a total of 65 participants) with HIV care providers. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided the design of interview guides, data collection and analysis. All responses were digitally audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for coding and analysis using the Framework Approach. Participants consented to the interview and recording.ResultsThe main barriers to TB screening relate to the low commitment of the implementers to screen for TB and limited facility infrastructure for the screening activities. Facilitators of TB screening include (1) ease in TB screening, (2) good communication and referral channels, (3) effective goals and feedback mechanisms, (4) health workers recognizing the need for the intervention and (5) the role of chemical sellers.ConclusionsKey barriers and facilitators to the intervention are revealed. The study has shown that there is a need to increase HIV care providers and institutional commitment towards TB screening interventions. In addition, cost issues need to be assessed as they are drivers of sustainability. Our study also advances the field of implementation science through CFIR to better understand the factors influencing the implementation.

Drivers of adoption intensity of pond aquaculture: The case of Ghana

Ponds contribute just about 7% to Ghana’s total aquaculture production. This is partly attributable to low rate of adoption, small holdings and low adoption intensity. Thus, this study generates empirical data on determinants of pond aquaculture adoption intensity among farmers in the study area. A total of 356 respondents were selected from five regions of Ghana using multi-stage sampling. A Two-Stage Heckman regression revealed that adoption and intensity of adoption are positively influenced by gender, extension service, membership of farmer-based group, knowledge of pond aquaculture, fish price and freehold land while the transition ecological zone of Ghana showed a negative relationship with both adoption and intensity (farm size). A Poisson regression showed that adoption intensity (by number of management innovations) is significantly and positively influenced by education, income, extension service, membership of a farmer group, labour and total pond area but negatively correlated with household size and distance from farm to nearest commercial town. The average adoption level of management innovations is 50% with water quality management innovations being the least adopted. We recommend policy interventions to facilitate: increased extension contacts (especially in the transition zone of Ghana); promotion of pond farmers associations; adoption of more management innovations; institutional support in the areas of awareness, capacity building, financing (e.g. “smart subsidies”), and easy access to suitable land and inputs to accelerate the participation of more women and the youth in pond aquaculture.

The professed effect of stigma on community psychiatric nurses in the Greater Accra region of Ghana

BackgroundStigma is a major factor that inhibits Mental Health Nurses work, especially Community Psychiatric Nurses, in terms of productivity. Even though mental health services have improved drastically, because of decentralization of mental health care, a lot more people still have reservations when it comes to mental health nurses particularly Community Psychiatric Nurses. The purpose of the study was to explore the professed effects of stigma on CPNs in the Southern part of Ghana.MethodsThe study was carried out in three district hospitals (Ga South, Ga Central and Okaikoi) all in the Accra Metropolis. The aim of the study was to describe how stigma affects Community Psychiatric Nurses. A qualitative descriptive exploratory design was adopted for the study. The purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants. Data was saturated with 12 participants, aged between 25 and 40 years. The audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim and afterwards analyzed using thematic and content analysis.ResultsThe findings gathered from participants revealed that Community Psychiatric Nurses experienced various effects of stigma, such as low productivity, depression, and anger. Most of the participants recounted how stigmatization had affected their work both in the hospital setting and in their communities.ConclusionThe study showed that Community Psychiatric Nurses carried out their activities with much difficulty, because of their poor image. They stressed the need for recognition and support from employers, stakeholders and the general community so as to boost confidence and morale with the resultant effect of better healthcare delivery.

Perceptions on Data Quality, Use, and Management Following the Adoption of Tablet-Based Electronic Health Records: Results from a Pre–Post Survey with District Health Officers in Ghana

PurposeAn electronic health record (EHR) system known as the e-Tracker was introduced in community health facilities in Ghana and numerous advantages were expected for clinical staff, as evidenced by previous literature. However, little is known about public health officials’ views, specifically in low-resource settings. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of district health officers on data quality, use, and management following the adoption of tablet-based electronic health records in Ghana.MethodsA pre- and post-survey was conducted in two regions of Ghana that adopted the e-Tracker for the entire districts during the early stages of the national rollout. Sociodemographic information, internet connection environment, and perceptions on data quality, use, and management were measured. McNemar’s test and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test were performed to identify changes in perceptions. Chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U-test were used to find any statistical differences in demographic characteristics between the two regions.ResultsTwenty-four out of 25 districts in Volta and 24 out of 26 districts in Eastern regions participated in both pre- and post-surveys, with a total of 73 participants. In terms of efficiency in data management, the district health officers reported reduced time commitment in data validation and aggregation. Within less than a year, however, no statistically significant improvement was found in data quality and the use of electronic data for relevant tasks.ConclusionA new EHR system in low-resource settings can rapidly improve efficiency in data management from the public health officials’ perspectives. Further impact evaluation is warranted to assess the long-term effect of the EHR system.

Treatment outcomes and associated factors among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Ashanti Region, Ghana: a retrospective, cross-sectional study

ObjectiveAlthough several studies have assessed treatment outcomes of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) in Ghana, very little has been done in the area of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). The aim of this study...

Vouchers for Improving Sanitation: A Step toward Stopping Open Defecation.

Vouchers for Improving Sanitation: A Step toward Stopping Open Defecation.

Fabric Construction Techniques as Interventions to reducing Girl-child Truancy in Ghana. A case of Trabuom Roman Catholic JHS

Ghana as a developing country needs to educate its citizens especially the girl-child for her to become an important personality in the society in which she lives. In view of that, the government since 1992 introduced the FCUBE (Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education) in the country. This policy is to enable every child of school going age to get access to education. In spite of the provision made for the children in the country, only few girls at Trabuom in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana attend school. Those who attend school do not complete the Junior High School. Although, the District Directorate of Education know the low enrollment level of girls at the Trabuom Roman Catholic School, very little has been researched into. The study sought to introduce some fabric construction techniques such as macramé and crocheting as interventions to reduce girls truancy in school. The qualitative research design was adopted and participatory action research method was employed. In all 45 students between the ages of 12 to 16 years were sampled for the study using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using interviews, observations and focus group discussions. The data were analyzed and discussed accordingly. The findings indicate some of the girls do not attend school due to poverty, teenage pregnancy, negative parental attitude towards girl’s education and sexual harassment by some male teachers. The use of some fabric construction techniques such as macramé and crocheting could significantly help increase the enrollment of girls in school.

Advancement of Collaborative Technologies in Health and Wellness

Abstract The emergence of digital solutions such as collaborative technologies have presented prominent positive aspects of how these digital innovations can lead to an improved integration of care by means of information channels and deliver healthcare that is more effective, efficient, targeted and person-centred and also reduce errors and the length of hospitalization in the health facilities. Aim: To assess the advancement of collaborative technologies in health and wellness in the St. Patrick’s Hospital at Offinso, in the Offinso South Municipality of Ashanti region of Ghana. Methodology: The study is a descriptive study and it employed a quantitative approach using semi-structured questionnaire designed using google form to collect the data online. The research population for this study consists of staff from the various departments at the hospital comprising the managers, heads of department and health professionals (end users) which included doctors, pharmacist, records officers, laboratory technicians, administrative and IT staff and all others who used the system in the health facility. Result: The study revealed that there is high cost of acquisition of collaborative technologies especially at the initial stage. Also, the study results show that unwillingness of team members to collaborate is a challenge to the use of collaborative technologies. Conclusion: The expectation of Collaborative technologies at St. Patrick’s Hospital have been met and the use of collaborative technologies has been very beneficial to the staff especially those who use them often.

Determinants of evidence use by frontline maternal, newborn and child health staff in selected health facilities in Ghana

BackgroundThe current paper examines the level of use of evidence and factors affecting the use of evidence by frontline maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and reproductive and child health (RCH) staff in practice decisions in selected health facilities in Ghana.MethodsData on use of evidence and its correlates was collected from 509 frontline healthcare staff drawn from 44 health facilities in three regions in Ghana. Means were used to examine the level of use of evidence, whiles cross-tabulations and Partial Least Squares-based regression were used to examine factors associated with the use of evidence in practice decisions by frontline MNCH/RCH staff.FindingsThe findings suggest a high level of use of evidence by frontline MNCH/RCH staff in practice decisions (score of 3.98 out of 5), albeit that evidence use is skewed towards the use of practice guidelines and policies. For the antecedents of evidence use, attitude had the highest score (3.99), followed by knowledge (3.8), access to evidence (3.77) and organizational structure (3.57), using a threshold of 5. The regression results indicate that attitudes and knowledge of frontline MNCH/RCH staff, organizational structure (strongest association), years of experience, being a male and working in a mission health facility are significantly positive correlated with evidence use, whiles working in a private health facility or in the post-natal clinic is negatively correlated with the use of evidence.ConclusionWe argue that any effort to improve the use of evidence by frontline MNCH/RCH staff in practice decisions should focus on improving attitudes and knowledge of staff as well as challenges related to the structure of the organisation. Given however that the score for attitude was relatively high, emphases to improve evidence use should be on access to evidence and organizational structure in particular, which had the lowest score even though it has the strongest association with the use of evidence.

Investigating the interconnectedness among elements of face-to-face tutorials in distance education

PurposeFace-to-face tutorial sessions remain an integral part of the delivery mode of distance education in Ghana. It is sometimes used as the sole mode of delivery of educational content in some distance education institutions. This study, therefore, investigated the interconnectedness of elements of face-to-face tutorials among distance education students.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the positivist approach and used descriptive research as a design. Simple random and stratified sampling techniques were used, and a sample of 1,491 students was drawn from a population of 44,001 across all regions of Ghana. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics.FindingsThe study found that collaborative learning, counselling, self-directed learning, motivation and critical thinking had strong interrelationships as elements of face-to-face tutorials.Research limitations/implicationsThis quantitative study was limited to the views of students on the elements of face-to-face tutorials. It was envisaged, however, that the views of the tutors and administrators who conducted the face-to-face tutorials could have enriched the findings of the study. In addition, adopting a mixed design approach where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the participants could have given an in-depth and enriched perspective of the current study.Practical implicationsManagement of distance education institutions need to focus on these important elements and their inter-relationships as they might lead to improved academic and social progress among students. In addition, institutions must also organise orientations and seminars for course facilitators and new students on the need to develop commitments towards the elements of face-to-face tutorials as requirement so as to succeed on their course of study.Originality/valueThis is a novel approach that will help improve the understanding of students on the importance of the activities they engage in during face-to-face tutorials. It would also help managers of institutions using face-to-face tutorials to focus on these important elements that might lead to improved academic work among students.

Social Studies Teachers’ Competence in Assessing Learning Outcomes in Affective Domain

The main purpose of this study was to examine Social Studies teachers’ competence in teaching and assessing learning outcomes in affective domain in senior high schools in the Aowin Municipality in Western North Region in Ghana. A quantitative approach was used in this study as it allowed the researchers to carry out an objective analysis and generate factual knowledge through measurement. The survey design was used for the study. The study population constituted Social Studies teachers in the 40 Junior High Schools in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region of Ghana. Simple random and convenient sampling techniques were used to select the schools and respondents for the study. The simple random sampling was used to select 20 schools to participate in the study. This was to provide an equal opportunity for each school to participate in the study. From these selected schools, a convenience sampling technique was used in selecting forty (40) teachers (two from each school in the Aowin Municipality where Social Studies is offered as a core subject. The main instrument used for the study was structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics in the form of percentages was used to analysis the data in this study. The study concluded that Social Studies teachers hardly teach and assess directly in the affective outcome, hence the affective domain is neglected in the teaching and learning of the subject. It is recommended that the universities and other training institutions should strengthen the teaching on the use of the techniques for assessing the affective domain. In-service training courses should also be organised regularly for social studies teachers on the use of the techniques for the assessment of affective domain.

Nationwide Surveillance of Pfhrp2 Exon 2 Diversity in Plasmodium falciparum Circulating in Symptomatic Malaria Patients Living in Ghana.

Reports of increasing false-negative HRP2-based rapid diagnostic test results across Africa require constant monitoring of factors associated with these false-negative outcomes, as failure of this diagnostic tool will have severe consequences on malaria treatment and control programs. This study characterized the extent of genetic diversity in the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (Pfhrp2) gene in P. falciparum isolates from symptomatic malaria patients across the regions of Ghana. Exon 2 of Pfhrp2 was amplified from gDNA using polymerase chain reaction. All Pfhrp2-negative samples were subjected to Pf18S rRNA and Pfmsp2 gene amplifications. The amplified Pfhrp2 exon 2 fragments from clonal samples were sent for commercial Sanger sequencing. The type and number of PfHRP2 repeats, classified based on repeat types previously reported, were estimated from the sequence data and compared among geographical regions. About 81% (2,333/2,890) of the original microscopy positive DBS were available and used in this study. The Pfhrp2 exon 2 amplification was successful in 98.5% (2,297/2,333) of the tested samples, with band size ranging from 400 bp to 1,050 bp. A total of 13 out of the 24 previously reported repeat types were identified among the samples, with three samples lacking both type 2 and type 7 repeat motifs. This study suggested that the genetic diversity of Pfhrp2 exon 2 identified in P. falciparum circulating in symptomatic malaria patients in Ghana is unlikely to influence the sensitivity and specificity of HRP2 RDT-based diagnosis.

Facilitative Supervision: Implementation and Contribution to Sustainability in Primary Healthcare Provision in the Upper West Region in Ghana,

Purpose –– This paper examines how Facilitative Supervision (FS) which focuses on mentoring, joint-problem solving and two-way communication between the supervisor and the supervisee has evolved to play a pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Access to basic quality health care is a key development goal (SDG). in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Methods –– It employed semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observation to generate primary data to achieve its purpose. Thematic and content-of-voices analyses were adopted for the data analysis. Findings –– The study revealed improvement in maternal and child health care as facilities recorded high attendance for antenatal and child immunization in the study area. It was also discovered that, FS has helped both supervisors and supervisees become more confident and disciplined than before as they equipped themselves with latest and updated knowledge in their areas of work. Conclusion/Recommendation –– The paper recommends that FS should be adequately resourced and that stakeholders should improve road conditions and networks leading to and from health facilities to ease supervision, and organize trainer-of-trainers capacity building programmes, for adequate number of the supervisors.