Lessons learned from scaling up a community-based health program in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana

Landcover change is an observed natural change dynamics at both the local and regional levels. However, its scales are exacerbated by human interaction with its natural environment. The study examines these spatio-temporal changes in landcover and the level to which the change is accompanied by fragmentation of the identifiable cover types in the Talensi and Nabdam districts in Northern Ghana. The research uses digital classification of Landsat satellite imagery for 1999 and 2007 to produce the cover types which results in good accuracy levels of 66.39% and 63.03% respectively. Fragmentation analysis of the landscape was computed using FRAGSTATS® software for categorical maps obtained from the classified landcover maps for the two years. All cover types increased marginally. However, Bare areas decreased by as much as 17.17% and that of water decreased from 3% to 1%. The changing landscape involving conversions within and among various cover types is accompanied by fragmentation in all classes but more pronounced in the Bare class. The Bare class type which has more patches corresponds to the class with increased cover size and rather strangely decreases in the mean path size.

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Soil Amendments and Rotation Effects on Soybean and Maize Growths and Soil Chemical Changes in Northern Ghana

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2017/4270284 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. A. L. Kanton ◽

S. S. J. Buah ◽

A. Larbi ◽

A. M. Mohammed ◽

J. K. Bidzakin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Amendments ◽

Block Design ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

East Region ◽

Continuous Maize ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Phosphorus And Potassium ◽

Benefit Cost

A four-year field trial was conducted at Bonia in the Upper East Region of Ghana to evaluate soybean-maize rotation amendment systems. The treatments included soybean without amendment, inoculated soybean, inoculated soybean with fertisol, inoculated soybean with phosphorus and potassium (P, K), inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol, inoculated soybean with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, K), and continuous maize. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Inoculation negatively affected yields by 2% and 14% in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Soil amendments with P, K or N, P, K increased yields within 45–51%, fertisol increased by 95%, and integration of P, K and fertisol recorded 76% increment of inoculated soybean. Yields of maize increased by 1%, 20%, 25%, 43%, 44%, and 46% under inoculated soybean, inoculated soybean with N, P, K, inoculated soybean with P, K, inoculated soybean with fertisol, soybean without amendment, and inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol, respectively. Maize after inoculated soybean with fertisol and maize after inoculated soybean with P, K and fertisol consistently scored higher benefit-cost ratio across the two years of experimentation. Thus, the two systems are conceivable for recommendation to the farmers in northern Ghana.

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Sustainability and Scaling-Up Analysis of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition: Lessons Learned from Burkina Faso

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/156482651303400306 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 338-348 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Yassinmè Elysée Somassè ◽

Paluku Bahwere ◽

Samia Laokri ◽

Nazia Elmoussaoui ◽

Philippe Donnen

Keyword(s):

Burkina Faso ◽

Scaling Up ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Acute Malnutrition ◽

Community Based

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Challenges experienced by midwives working in rural communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana: a qualitative study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-021-03762-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Peter Adatara ◽

Philemon Adoliwine Amooba ◽

Agani Afaya ◽

Solomon Mohammed Salia ◽

Mabel Apaanye Avane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Maternal Mortality Ratio ◽

Physical Space ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Maternal Deaths ◽

East Region ◽

Upper East Region

Abstract Background In 2017, a total of 295,000 women lost their lives due to pregnancy and childbirth across the globe, with sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia accounting for approximately 86 % of all maternal deaths. The maternal mortality ratio in Ghana is exceptionally high, with approximately 308 deaths/100,000 live births in 2017. Most of these maternal deaths occur in rural areas than in urban areas. Thus, we aimed to explore and gain insights into midwives’ experiences of working and providing women-centred care in rural northern Ghana. Methods A qualitative descriptive exploratory design was used to explore the challenges midwives face in delivering women-centred midwifery care in low-resource, rural areas. A total of 30 midwives practicing in the Upper East Region of Ghana were purposefully selected. Data were collected using individual semistructured interviews and analysed through qualitative content analysis. Results Five main themes emerged from the data analysis. These themes included were: inadequate infrastructure (lack of bed and physical space), shortage of midwifery staff, logistical challenges, lack of motivation, and limited in-service training opportunities. Conclusions Midwives experience myriad challenges in providing sufficient women-centred care in rural Ghana. To overcome these challenges, measures such as providing adequate beds and physical space, making more equipment available, and increasing midwifery staff strength to reduce individual workload, coupled with motivation from facility managers, are needed.

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Application of GIS and Remote Sensing in Determining Trends in Wind Energy Potential and Its Uses for Designing Development Strategies in Ghana

Applied Research Journal of Environmental Engineering ◽

10.47721/arjee202003021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Nurideen Abdulai ◽

Leslie Donkor ◽

Dennis Asare

Keyword(s):

Wind Speed ◽

Wind Energy ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Energy Potential ◽

Weighted Interpolation ◽

East Region ◽

Wind Potential ◽

Wind Energy Potential ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Mechanized Agriculture

This paper is purported to determine the wind energy potential of Ghana for 2010 and 2018 using GIS and RS technologies and how the result could be used to develop a country strategy that benefits the ordinary Ghanaian. In doing this, two different wind potential maps of Ghana were generated for 2010 and 2018 using data from Ghana meteorological Unit and Windfinder respectively. Moreover, the Inverse Distance Weighted interpolation of winds peed was used to generate the maps at different hub heights for 2010 and 2018. The results indicate that, the 2010 wind map showed wind speed is highest (8m/s) in the southernmost part of Ghana (i.e. Coastal part of Greater Accra and Volta Regions) at 10m high while the wind map of 2018 showed that wind speed is highest (9m/s) in the Upper East Region of Ghana at 10m high. As wind energy is untapped in Ghana, we advised that Government should further explore the results for the Upper East Region in ascertaining that it was not influenced by Trade winds and apply to different sectors of the economy through appropriate institutional regulations. The wind energy in Northern Ghana should be dedicated to mechanized agriculture, augmenting electricity tariffs for the poor in those areas and extending electricity to rural communities that do not have access to the national grid under the rural electrification project. Meanwhile, the wind energy generated from the southern part of Ghana should be dedicated mostly to commercial and industrial activities. Keywords: Wind Energy Potential, mechanized agriculture, industrial application, GIS, RS

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Challenges Experienced by Midwives Working in Rural Communities of the Bongo District in the Upper East Region of Ghana. A Qualitative Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-78724/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Adatara ◽

Philemon Adoliwine Amooba ◽

Agani Afaya ◽

Solomon Mohammed Salia ◽

Mabel Apaanye Avane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Maternal Mortality Ratio ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Maternal Deaths ◽

Midwifery Care ◽

East Region ◽

Service Training ◽

Upper East Region

Abstract IntoductionGlobally, a total of 295 000 women lost their lives due pregnancy and childbirth in 2017, with sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia accounting for approximately 86% of all maternal deaths. Currently the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in Ghana is uncceptably high with about 308 deaths/100,000 live births in 2017 and most of these maternal deaths occur less in urban areas than in rural areas. As midwives play a vital role in maternity care and in the reduction of MMR, this study therefore sought to explore and describe challenges experienced by midwives working in rural communities in the Bongo District of the Upper East region of Ghana.MethodsA qualitative descriptive exploratory design was used to gain better insight into midwives’ experiences of working and providing women-centred midwifery care in rural areas of Ghana. A total of 30 midwives providing midwifery care in rural areas of the Upper East region of Ghana for at least three years were purposefully selected for this study. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews and analysed through qualitative content analysis. ResultsFive main themes emerged from the data analysis. These thematic areas included inadequate infrastructure (lack of bed and physical space), lack of logistics, shortage of midwifery staff, lack of motivation, and limited in-service training opportunities.ConclusionThe study concludes that although the rural midwives perform a multidisciplinary function in providing midwifery care in rural northern Ghana, they experience a myriad of challenges in providing midwifery care. There is the need for the Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders to motivate midwives working in rural areas through policy interventions such as rural incentive allowances, supportive supervision and in-service training opportunities for midwives in order to encourage them to accept posting to rural areas of Ghana to improve maternal and child health care.

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Factors facilitating and constraining the scaling up of an evidence-based strategy of community-based primary care: Management perspectives from northern Ghana

Global Public Health ◽

10.1080/17441692.2014.981831 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 366-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Abigail R. Krumholz ◽

Allison E. Stone ◽

Maxwell A. Dalaba ◽

James F. Phillips ◽

Philip B. Adongo

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Care Management ◽

Scaling Up ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Community Based ◽

Primary Care Management

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Strategies of Survival: The Well-being of Builsa Women in the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal ◽

10.14738/assrj.417.3649 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (17) ◽

Author(s):

Eunice Abbey

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

East Region ◽

Upper East Region

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Exploring Factors Influencing Perinatal Outcomes among Adolescent Pregnancies in Northern Ghana-The Case of Kassena-Nankana Municipality in the Upper East Region

International Journal of Medical Research Professionals ◽

10.21276/ijmrp.2016.2.5.015 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Matthew Naakiyab Laari ◽

Alexander Suuk Laar

Keyword(s):

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

East Region ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Adolescent Pregnancies

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Abattoir-based prevalence and distribution of porcine cysticercosis in northern Ghana inferred from Kumasi Abattoir

Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development ◽

10.47881/224.967x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 82-89

Author(s):

Francis ADDY ◽

Edward MASEKO ◽

Osman DUFAILU

Keyword(s):

Taenia Solium ◽

Wide Distribution ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

North East ◽

Porcine Cysticercosis ◽

East Region ◽

Upper East Region ◽

Sub Saharan

Taenia solium cysticercosis is a cosmopolitan foodborne disease that is neglected in many endemic tropical societies. The disease situation is less understood in parts of sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana, meanwhile useful surveillance data are needed from all endemic localities for designing effective intervention strategies. The present study estimated abattoir-based prevalence and distribution of T. solium cysticercosis in pigs from northern Ghana. A survey was carried out at the Kumasi abattoir to screen for cyst infection and localization sites, and evaluate the handling of infected carcasses. Taenia solium cysticercosis infection was noted in pigs at the abattoir, drawn from all five Regions of northern Ghana. Generally, porcine cysticercosis had 9.73% prevalence across the Regions with the Upper East Region (10.10%) being noted as a key focus of the cestode. Animals from the Upper West, Savannah, Northern and North East Regions also recorded a prevalence range of 8.25 – 12.12%. The results indicate considerable prevalence of T. solium cysticercosis that was in wide distribution in pig in northern Ghana and point to a public health threat in cities where such infected pigs are slaughtered.

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