Residents In Ghana Research Articles

Does health insurance status influence healthcare-seeking behavior in rural communities? evidence from rural Ghana

IntroductionNational health insurance programs are considered important mechanisms for ensuring equity in access to and utilization of healthcare services by removing financial barriers associated with seeking treatment in healthcare facilities. Although studies on health insurance schemes in many low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have demonstrated a significant relationship between health insurance status and healthcare-seeking behavior, data on the influence of this health financing policy on the decision to seek formal healthcare among rural inhabitants remains limited. Underpinned by the Andersen-Newman behavioral model of healthcare use, this study examined the influence of health insurance status on healthcare-seeking behavior among rural dwellers in Ghana. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 460 rural residents in Ghana from 8th September to 5th December 2022. Chi-square tests were used to study the significance level and association between healthcare-seeking behavior and selected independent variables. A multiple logistic regression model was fitted to test the association between health insurance status and healthcare-seeking behavior, introducing other selected explanatory variables as controls. ResultsThe mean age of the respondents was 29.6 ± 6.8 years. A little above half (53.1 %) disclosed having insurance, whereas 46.1 % stated they were without coverage. Regarding healthcare-seeking behavior, the most commonly chosen treatment source was traditional healers (37.2 %), followed by the public healthcare system (28.3 %) and self-treatment (18.2 %). The private healthcare system was the least preferred, with only 16.3 % opting for it. While the bivariate analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between health insurance status and healthcare-seeking behavior (p-0.001), the logistic regression model results showed that health insurance status was not an independent predictor of healthcare-seeking behavior (p = 0.069). ConclusionIt could, therefore, not be concluded that the respondents with health insurance coverage were more likely than the uninsured to use formal healthcare providers as their most frequent source of treatment during illness. This study provides vital information for policymakers aiming at increasing access to and utilization of facility-based formal care in rural and remote settings.

Separate your waste: A comprehensive conceptual framework investigating residents' intention to adopt household waste separation

Households generate the largest amount of solid waste worldwide. Thus, solid waste management is essential to achieve a sustainable and high-quality environment. Separating household waste increases waste diversion and provides raw materials for recycling. Therefore, this research incorporated the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with place identity, information publicity, and place dependence to investigate residents' intentions to adopt household waste separation (HWS) in Ghana. The research also analyzed the moderating effect of information publicity on the relationship between TPB constructs and residents' household waste separation adoption intention. Using data from 385 sampled residents in Ghana, analysis was performed with the help of partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings of this study support the suitability of an integrated model. Subjective norms, information publicity, perceived behavioral control, and attitude directly and positively forecast motivating residents' intentions to adopt household waste separation. Information publicity moderates the association between subjective norms, past behavior, and residents' intention to adopt household waste separation. Place identity and place dependence indirectly influence residents' intention to adopt household waste separation through TPB constructs and past behavior. Excitingly, accurate and reliable information publicity can boost the influence of attitude on motivating residents' intentions to adopt household waste separation. Based on the findings, relevant advice for waste management organizations to boost the adoption of residents' household waste separation and promote household waste separation intention is recommended.

‘We are at the mercy of the floods!’ : Extreme weather events, disrupted mobilities, and everyday navigation in urban Ghana

This paper examines how extreme weather events affect the mobility of low‐income urban residents in Ghana. Bringing together scholarship on extreme weather and mobilities, it explores the differential impact of flooding on their everyday lives as they navigate the cities of Accra and Tamale. A range of qualitative methods were drawn on, including semi‐structured interviews, focus group discussions, and follow‐along‐participant observations in selected communities of both cities. Three key themes emerged: disrupted road and transport infrastructure, everyday mobility challenges, and coping/adaptive strategies. In flooding conditions, residents experienced difficulties leaving/returning home, engaging in income‐generating activities, and accessing transport services and other key urban infrastructure. Conceptually, the paper reveals how disruption to urban residents’ daily movements and activities (re)produces new forms of mobilities and immobilities, which have three relational elements: postponed, improvised and assisted. Throughout the analysis, we show how these mobilities/immobilities vary by age and gender: all urban residents, (though women in particular), experience postponed mobility; young people especially engage in improvised mobility; and children and the elderly are in greatest need of assisted mobility. The paper thus contributes to scholarship on extreme weather events and mobility by providing a more spatially nuanced understanding of the multi‐faceted domains in which flooding, socio‐economic conditions and adaptive strategies intersect to influence urban mobility in resource poor settings.

Government Communication and Behavioral Change amidst COVID-19: Role of Awareness and Fear & Panic

The study sought to assess the effect of government communication on the behavioral change of citizens amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mediating role of awareness in this relationship. The moderating role of fear & panic in the relationship between awareness and behavioral change was also ascertained. The study was based on 304 residents in Ghana. Descriptive analysis was first conducted using SPPS software (v.23). After which Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was run to estimate the path coefficients, using Amos software (v.23). It was concluded that, government communication had a significant positive effect on behavioral change. Further, government communication had a significant positive effect on COVID-19 awareness, while awareness subsequently had a significant positive effect on behavioral change among the citizens. Awareness was found to partially mediate the relationship between government communication and behavioral change. Finally, it was concluded that, although fear & panic had a direct positive effect on behavioral change among citizens, it negatively moderated the relationship between awareness and behavioral change.

Social capital, access to healthcare, and health-related quality of life in urban Ghana

ABSTRACT This study examines the status and relationship amongst social capital, access to healthcare and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of urban residents in Ghana. It also explores the moderating role of social capital in the association between access to healthcare and HRQoL of urban residents in Ghana. Data from 1,233 adults were derived from a cross-sectional survey on social epidemiology in five regions and were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression models. Approximately 24.1% of the respondents had low access to healthcare. We found that 41.8% and 10.1% of them rated their health as average and poor, respectively. Access to healthcare (B = 0.777, p < .001) and bridging social capital (B = 0.281, p < .01) were positively associated with HRQoL. However, linking social capital was negatively related to HRQoL (B = −0.199, p < .01). Bridging social capital (B = 0.435, p < .01) positively moderated the association between access to healthcare and HRQoL. The study expands our understanding of social determinants of health outcomes. It proffers that universal health coverage interventions in urban Ghana should actively but cautiously leverage available social resources to improve population health.

Coping strategies adapted by Ghanaians during the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown: A population-based study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and control measures adopted by countries globally can lead to stress and anxiety. Investigating the coping strategies to this unprecedented crisis is essential to guide mental health intervention and public health policy. This study examined how people are coping with the COVID-19 crisis in Ghana and identify factors influencing it. This study was part of a multinational online cross-sectional survey on Personal and Family Coping with COVID-19 in the Global South. The study population included adults, ≥18 years and residents in Ghana. Respondents were recruited through different platforms, including social media and phone calls. The questionnaire was composed of different psychometrically validated instruments with coping as the outcome variable measured on the ordinal scale with 3 levels, namely, Not well or worse, Neutral, and Well or better. An ordinal logistic regression model using proportional odds assumption was then applied. A total of 811 responses were included in the analysis with 45.2% describing their coping level as well/better, 42.4% as neither worse nor better and 12.4% as worse/not well. Many respondents (46.9%) were between 25-34 years, 50.1% were males while 79.2% lived in urban Ghana. Having pre-existing conditions increased the chances of not coping well (aOR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.15-3.01). Not being concerned about supporting the family financially (aOR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.06-2.68) or having the feeling that life is better during the pandemic (aOR = 2.37, 95%CI: 1.26-4.62) increased chances of coping well. Praying (aOR: 0.62, 95%CI: 0.43-0.90) or sleeping (aOR: 0.55, 95%CI: 0.34-0.89) more during the pandemic than before reduces coping. In Ghana, during the COVID-19 pandemic, financial security and optimism about the disease increase one's chances of coping well while having pre-existing medical conditions, praying and sleeping more during the pandemic than before reduces one's chances of coping well. These findings should be considered in planning mental health and public health intervention/policy.

Postnatal care utilisation among women in rural Ghana: analysis of 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey

BackgroundMaternal mortality is high in Ghana, averaging 310 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017. This is partly due to inadequate postnatal care especially among rural communities. Ghana can avert the high maternal deaths if women meet the World Health Organisation’s recommended early postnatal care check-up. Despite the association between geographical location and postnatal care utilisation, no study has been done on determinants of postnatal care among rural residents in Ghana. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence and correlates of postnatal care utilization among women in rural Ghana.MethodsThe study utilised women’s file of the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Following descriptive computation of the prevalence, binary logistic regression was fitted to assess correlates of postnatal care at 95% confidence interval. The results were presented in adjusted odds ratio (AOR). Any AOR less than 1 was interpreted as reduced likelihood of PNC attendance whilst AOR above 1 depicted otherwise. All analyses were done using Stata version 14.0.ResultsThe study revealed that 74% of the rural women had postnatal care. At the inferential level, women residing in Savanna zone had higher odds of postnatal care compared to those in the Coastal zone [AOR = 1.80, CI = 1.023–3.159], just as among the Guan women as compared to the Akan [AOR = 7.15, CI = 1.602–31.935]. Women who were working were more probable to utilise postnatal care compared to those not working [AOR = 1.45, CI = 1.015–2.060]. Those who considered distance as unproblematic were more likely to utilise postnatal care compared to those who considered distance as problematic [AOR = 1.63, CI = 1.239–2.145].ConclusionsThe study showed that ethnicity, ecological zone, occupation and distance to health facility predict postnatal care utilisation among rural residents of Ghana. The study points to the need for government to increase maternal healthcare facilities in rural settings in order to reduce the distance covered by women in seeking postnatal care.

What influences home delivery among women who live in urban areas? Analysis of 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data.

In Ghana, home delivery among women in urban areas is relatively low compared to rural areas. However, the few women who deliver at home in urban areas still face enormous risk of infections and death, just like those in rural areas. The present study investigated the factors associated with home delivery among women who live in urban areas in Ghana. Data for this study was obtained from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. We used data of 1,441 women who gave birth in the 5 years preceding the survey and were dwelling in urban areas. By the use of Stata version 14.2, we conducted both descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses. We found that 7.9% of women in urban areas in Ghana delivered at home. The study revealed that, compared to women who lived in the Northern region, women who lived in the Brong Ahafo region [AOR = 0.38, CI = 0.17-0.84] were less likely to deliver at home. The likelihood of home delivery was high among women in the poorest wealth quintile [AOR = 2.02, CI = 1.06-3.86], women who professed other religions [AOR = 3.45; CI = 1.53-7.81], and those who had no antenatal care visits [AOR = 7.17; 1.64-31.3]. Conversely, the likelihood of home delivery was lower among women who had attained secondary/higher education [AOR = 0.30; 0.17-0.53], compared to those with no formal education. The study identified region of residence, wealth quintile, religion, antenatal care visits, and level of education as factors associated with home delivery among urban residents in Ghana. Therefore, health promotion programs targeted at home delivery need to focus on these factors. We also recommend that a qualitative study should be conducted to investigate the factors responsible for the differences in home delivery in terms of region, as the present study could not do so.

Socio-demographic factors modify awareness, knowledge, and perceived risk of glaucoma in rural and urban residents in Ghana: a population-based survey.

Purpose:To evaluate the awareness, knowledge and the perception of risks of glaucoma among rural and urban dwellers in Ghana, a high prevalent country, in order to provide information for health promotion planning.Method:In a population-based descriptive cross-sectional survey, 1200 adults were selected from household settings, using a two-stage cluster and simple systematic random sampling. Quantitative data collection, using interviewer-administered questionnaire, was employed. Descriptive statistics were performed using chi-square, ordinal univariate, multinomial and multivariate logistic regression models used to calculate odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) to identify predictive factors.Results:Overall, only 326 (27.2%, 95% CI = 24.6–29.7) indicated they were aware of glaucoma, whereas 331 (27.6%, 95% CI = 24.6–29.7) had ever undergone an eye screening. Low knowledge was demonstrated in 152 (46.6%, 95% CI = 41.2–52.0) and high knowledge in 99 (30.4%, 95% CI = 25.4–35.4) glaucoma-aware participants. Only 238 (19.8%, 95% CI = 17.6–22.1) of respondents presumed themselves to be at risk of developing glaucoma. Having eye examination (within the last 6 months) was positively associated with knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.413; 95% CI = 0.9–1.896) and awareness (AOR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.938–2.449). Three levels of education (no education (AOR = 0.041; 95% CI = 0.016–0.11), primary (AOR = 0.057; 95% CI = 0.018–0.179), and middle school (AOR = 0.254; 95% CI = 0.127–0.51)) were associated with low knowledge while all levels of education were inversely associated with awareness. Perceived risk of glaucoma was also influenced by area of residence (rural (AOR = 0.344; 95% CI = 0.21–0.57)), being young (18–24 years (AOR = 4.308; 95% CI = 2.36–7.88)) and having previously undergone screening for glaucoma (AOR = 13.200; 95% CI = 5.318–32.764).Conclusion:The main modifiers of glaucoma awareness and knowledge were education and previous eye examination, but awareness had additional factor of area of residence. Perceived risk of glaucoma was influenced by being young and living in urban areas.

The Deinstitutionalization of Psychiatric Hospitals in Ghana: An Application of Bronfenbrenner’s Social-Ecological Model

Institutionalization of people living with mental illness has evolved over the years, especially in the 19th and early 20th century. This has created over crowdedness in various psychiatric institutions, specifically in low and-middle-income countries, including Ghana. The objective of this study is to use Bronfenbrenner’s Social-Ecological Model (1979) to propose a process for deinstitutionalizing psychiatric services in Ghana while supporting a transition to community-based mental health care. Using the concept of Bronfenbrenner’s Social-Ecological Model, this article explores some benefits and difficulties with the concept of deinstitutionalization with regards to mental health care services in Ghana. Individuals living with mental illness will be more comfortable in various communities in Ghana where education on stigmatization and discrimination is heightened to subsequently prevent it. Education and intervention policies are required to intensify the campaign to win the support of all people in the community. Residents of Ghana should learn to say no to stigma and discrimination among people living with mental illness.

Households' source separation behaviour and solid waste disposal options in Ghana's Millennium City

Poor solid waste management has increasingly taken a hegemonic position in urban policy discourse in Ghana. Often, the discourse centers on free market principles and inflexible waste management laws that promote privatization and deregulation. Recently however, source separation is dominating discussions on policy alternatives. This study investigates determinants of households' source separation behaviour and solid waste disposal options among residents of Ghana's ‘Millennium City’- Accra using logit and multinomial logit regression models respectively. The logit regression estimates show that households' source separation behaviour is determined by gender, income, monetary incentives, attitude, compound house dummy, type of service provider and other household location variables. The multinomial logit estimates reveal that gender, age, age square, income, household size, employment, housing type, and attitude predicted household disposal options. We argue that to win the ‘garbage war’, source separation should be promoted by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as this may enhance positive attitudes towards proper waste management.

Factors influencing medical students and psychiatry residents in Ghana to consider psychiatry as a career option - a qualitative study.

Currently, Ghana has 14 actively practicing psychiatrists and about 26 psychiatric residents for a population of over 28 million people. Previous research suggests a lack of interest by Ghanaian medical students and medical graduates in considering psychiatry as a career option. To examine the perception of medical students and psychiatry residents in Ghana about the barriers which hinder Ghanaian medical graduates from choosing careers in psychiatry and how these barriers could be overcome. This was a cross-sectional qualitative study with data gathered using focus group discussion. Twenty clinical year medical students were selected through block randomization from the four public medical schools in Ghana and invited to participate in one of two focus group discussions. Also, four psychiatric residents were invited to participate in the focus group discussions. The main barriers identified by participants could be grouped under four main themes, namely: (a) myths and stigma surrounding mental health and patients, (b) negative perceptions of psychiatrists, (c) infrastructure and funding issues, (d) lack of exposure and education. To address the barriers presented, participants discussed potential solutions that could be categorized into five main themes, namely: (a) stigma reduction, (b) educating professionals, (c) addressing deficient infrastructure, (d) risk management, and (e) incentivizing the pursuit of psychiatry among students. Health policy planners and medical training institutions could consider implementing proposed solutions to identify barriers as part of efforts to improve the psychiatrist to patient ratio in Ghana.

Preferences for groundnut products among urban residents in Ghana

BACKGROUND This study identifies factors influencing preferences for common groundnut products using information about product perceptions from residents in Ghana's cities collected in 2011. In Ghana, domestically produced groundnuts, processed into a variety of groundnut products, are a vital source of protein and other nutrients. RESULTS Response summaries provide insights about eating frequency of various products, while a bivariate ordered probit model identifies factors influencing preferences for groundnut paste and roasted groundnuts. Attributes such as taste, protein content, and healthfulness are important for roasted groundnuts, while aroma, taste, and protein content are associated with a preference for groundnut paste. Large households prefer paste, while the less educated and those from households with children prefer roasted groundnuts. Adding a child (4 to 12 years old) increases probability of “liking very much” roasted groundnuts and additional adult at home changes that probability regarding groundnut paste. College-educated consumers prefer groundnut paste less than those with less education. Consumers from Tamale and Takoradi prefer roasted groundnuts and groundnut paste more than Accra households. CONCLUSIONS Taste and protein content are attributes of groundnut paste and roasted groundnuts preferred by consumers. Location is a significant factor shaping preference for roasted groundnuts and groundnut paste.

Assessing urban-rural differences in the relationship between social capital and depression among Ghanaian and South African older adults.

IntroductionResearch has demonstrated benefits of social capital on depression, but variations in this relationship by geographic characteristics such as urbanicity have rarely been investigated.MethodsUsing survey data on 4,209 Ghanaian and 3,148 South African adults aged 50 and above from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to extract dimensions of social capital from survey items. Structural equation models with the extracted factors were then used to estimate the associations between social capital and depression in each sample and assess differences between urban and rural settings with measurement and structural invariance tests.ResultsFactor analyses suggested three dimensions of social capital representing community engagement, sociability, and trust. Urbanicity did not substantially modify the effects of social capital on depression in either setting, but urban-rural differences in the measurement and level of social capital were observed. Urban Ghanaian older adults were less socially integrated and trusting than older rural residents (standardized mean difference: -0.28, -0.24, and -0.38 for community engagement, sociability, and trust, respectively) while urban South African older adults appeared less engaged in community activities but significantly more trusting and socially active informally than older rural residents (standardized mean difference: -0.33, 0.30, and 0.17 for community engagement, sociability, and trust, respectively). Moreover, while trust was associated with a lower risk of depression in South Africa overall, sociability and trust were associated with an increased risk of depression in Ghana.ConclusionsResults indicate that the composition and average levels of social capital differ between urban and rural older adult residents in Ghana and South Africa although urban-rural differences in the strength of the association between social capital and depression were not substantial. Furthermore, the associations between social capital and depression are context-specific and are not uniformly beneficial.

Microvascular and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes Ghanaian residents in Ghana and Europe: The RODAM study

AimsTo compare microvascular and macrovascular complication rates among Ghanaians with type 2 diabetes (T2D) living in Ghana and in three European cities (Amsterdam, London and Berlin). MethodsData from the multicenter Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM) study were analyzed. 650 Ghanaian participants with T2D (206 non-migrant and 444 migrants) were included. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between migrant status and microvascular (nephropathy and retinopathy) and macrovascular (coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke) complications with adjustment for age, gender, socioeconomic status, alcohol, smoking, physical activity, hypertension, BMI, total-cholesterol, and HbA1c. ResultsMicrovascular and macrovascular complications rates were higher in non-migrant Ghanaians than in migrant Ghanaians (nephropathy 32.0% vs. 19.8%; PAD 11.2% vs. 3.4%; CAD 18.4% vs. 8.3%; and stroke 14.5% vs. 5.6%), except for self-reported retinopathy (11.0% vs. 21.6%). Except nephropathy and stroke, the differences persisted after adjustment for the above-mentioned covariates: PAD (OR 7.48; 95% CI, 2.16–25.90); CAD (2.32; 1.09–4.93); and retinopathy (0.23; 0.07–0.75). ConclusionsExcept retinopathy, the rates of microvascular and macrovascular complications were higher in non-migrant than in migrant Ghanaians with T2D. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors did not explain the differences except for nephropathy and stroke.

Chronic kidney disease burden among African migrants in three European countries and in urban and rural Ghana: the RODAM cross-sectional study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major burden among sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations. However, differences in CKD prevalence between rural and urban settings in Africa, and upon migration to Europe are unknown. We therefore assessed the differences in CKD prevalence among homogenous SSA population (Ghanaians) residing in rural and urban Ghana and in three European cities, and whether conventional risk factors of CKD explained the observed differences. Furthermore, we assessed whether the prevalence of CKD varied among individuals with hypertension and diabetes compared with individuals without these conditions. For this analysis, data from Research on Obesity & Diabetes among African Migrants (RODAM), a multi-centre cross-sectional study, were used. The study included a random sample of 5607 adult Ghanaians living in Europe (1465 Amsterdam, 577 Berlin, 1041 London) and Ghana (1445 urban and 1079 rural) aged 25-70 years. CKD status was defined according to severity of kidney disease using the combination of glomerular filtration rate (G1-G5) and albuminuria (A1-A3) levels as defined by the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes severity classification. Comparisons among sites were made using logistic regression analysis. CKD prevalence was lower in Ghanaians living in Europe (10.1%) compared with their compatriots living in Ghana (13.3%) even after adjustment for age, sex and conventional risk factors of CKD [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-0.88, P = 0.002]. CKD prevalence was markedly lower among Ghanaian migrants with hypertension (adjusted OR = 0.54, 0.44-0.76, P = 0.001) and diabetes (adjusted OR = 0.37, 0.22-0.62, P = 0.001) compared with non-migrant Ghanaians with hypertension and diabetes. No significant differences in CKD prevalence was observed among non-migrant Ghanaians and migrant Ghanaians with no hypertension and diabetes. Among Ghanaian residents in Europe, the odds of CKD were lower in Amsterdam than in Berlin, while among Ghanaian residents in Ghana, the odds of CKD were lower in rural Ghana (adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.53-0.88, P = 0.004) than in urban Ghana, but these difference were explained by conventional risk factors. Our study shows important differences in CKD prevalence among Ghanaians living in Europe compared with those living in Ghana, independent of conventional risk factors, with marked differences among those with hypertension and diabetes. Further research is needed to identify factors that might explain the observed difference across sites to implement interventions to reduce the high burden of CKD, especially in rural and urban Ghana.

Cover Image, Volume 98, Issue 2

The cover image, by Ting Meng et al., is based on the Research Article Preferences for groundnut products among urban residents in Ghana, DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.8532. Photo Credit: Wojciech J Florkowski. image

Preferences for groundnut products among urban residents in Ghana.

The present study identifies factors influencing preferences for common groundnut products using information about product perceptions from residents in Ghana's cities collected in 2011. In Ghana, domestically produced groundnuts, processed into a variety of groundnut products, are a vital source of protein and other nutrients. Response summaries provide insights about the eating frequency of various products, whereas a bivariate ordered probit model identifies factors influencing preferences for groundnut paste and roasted groundnuts. Attributes such as taste, protein content and healthfulness are important for roasted groundnuts, whereas aroma, taste and protein content are associated with a preference for groundnut paste. Large households prefer paste, whereas the less educated and those from households with children prefer roasted groundnuts. Adding a child (4-12 years old) increases probability of 'liking very much' roasted groundnuts and an additional adult at home changes that probability regarding groundnut paste. College-educated consumers prefer groundnut paste less than those with less education. Consumers from Tamale and Takoradi prefer roasted groundnuts and groundnut paste more than Accra households. Taste and protein content are attributes of groundnut paste and roasted groundnuts preferred by consumers. Location is a significant factor shaping preference for roasted groundnuts and groundnut paste. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Review of Catastrophic Fires and Risk Communication, Ghana

Introduction: The incidence and prevalence of catastrophic fire outbreaks in Ghana appear to be very high. We wanted to review the data on the incidence and prevalence of catastrophic fires inall the administrative regions of Ghana in order to understand the situation better. It would also help to inform policy and interventions. Objective: We reviewed the statistics and other data of catastrophic fires in Ghana between 2004 and 2012. We identified the potential limitations for the existing national fire prevention system and provided suggestions for improvement. Method: We adopted the annual statistical data of the incidence of fire nationwide compiled by the National Fire Service “as is”. We relied on the Service’s field reports at the time of fire interventions and telephone and key informant interview to determine whether there was pre-event, event and post-event risk communication on the threat of fire within the affected sites. We also reviewed the National Emergency Master Plan, 1997; amended (2010) to assess whether it addressed fire emergencies. We conducted field visits to the Fire Service sub-stations within Accra City to assess the conditions on the ground. We also carried out documentary search on the internet to locate appropriate literature and summarized the findings into their respective units. Result: The result shows that catastrophic fire outbreak in Ghana occurred at least once a month at the cost of USD $16 m per year between 2004 and 2012. There is no coordinated fire risk communication and advocacy, which may have led to the low risk perception in the population affected. Discussion: The recurrence of industrial and domestic fires in Ghana suggests that the population may have low risk perception, which requires intensified public education on risk in general. Conclusion: Residents in Ghana are confronted with the existential threat of fires in all their walks of lives, which needs to be addressed. The incidence and prevalence of fire risk in Ghana should be of interests to all.

Joint Research Project on Infectious Diseases in West-African Subregion

A research collaboration project in Ghana has joined the MEXT program supported by the Japanese government since 2008. The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), the University of Ghana, and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) are core parties in the project, and researchers from other institutions also participate temporarily. Two TMDU faculty members are sent to Ghana to manage and implement joint research projects for virology and parasitology, which cover HIV, African trypanosomes, malaria parasites, and vector insects. Along with joint research, mutual exchange activities for young researchers and students have been promoted to develop human resources in tropical infectious disease research. Subjects in our project are all public health concerns both in Ghana and West-Africa and in other parts of the world. Our joint projects have strengthened and promoted global information networks on infectious diseases and the health and welfare of the residents of Ghana and Japan.