Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is associated with increased risks of maternal and foetal complications. The WHO recommends a package of interventions including intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), insecticide-treated nets and effective case management. However, with increasing SP resistance, the effectiveness of SP-IPT has been questioned. Intermittent screening and treatment (IST) has recently been shown in Ghana to be as efficacious as SP-IPT. This study investigates two important requirements for effective delivery of IST and SP-IPT: antenatal care (ANC) provider knowledge, and acceptance of the different strategies. Structured interviews with 134 ANC providers at 67 public health facilities in Ashanti Region, Ghana collected information on knowledge of the risks and preventative and curative interventions against MiP. Composite indicators of knowledge of SP-IPT, and case management of MiP were developed. Log binomial regression of predictors of provider knowledge was explored. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with fourteen ANC providers with some knowledge of IST to gain an indication of the factors influencing acceptance of the IST approach. 88.1% of providers knew all elements of the SP-IPT policy, compared to 20.1% and 41.8% who knew the treatment policy for malaria in the first or second/third trimesters, respectively. Workshop attendance was a univariate predictor of each knowledge indicator. Qualitative findings suggest preference for prevention over cure, and increased workload may be barriers to IST implementation. However, a change in strategy in the face of SP resistance is likely to be supported; health of pregnant women is a strong motivation for ANC provider practice. If IST was to be introduced as part of routine ANC activities, attention would need to be given to improving the knowledge and practices of ANC staff in relation to appropriate treatment of MiP. Health worker support for any MiP intervention delivered through ANC clinics is critical.
Climate change is a serious threat to the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly in mountainous areas because they are very sensitive to such changes. In this study, we assessed the household determinants to climate change adaptation drawing from a case study of agricultural adaptation in the Mount Rwenzori area of South Western Uganda. The study identified the major adaptation practices that are adopted by farmers to cope with the impacts of climate change and using available on-farm technologies. A total of 143 smallholder farmers were sampled and interviewed using field based questionnaires, field observations, and key informant interviews. Data was cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS and Stata software for descriptive statistics. Thereafter, a Multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the drivers of farmers' choice for adaptation practices, factors influencing the choice of adaptation, and barriers. The major adaptation practices that were identified included; use of different crop varieties, tree planting, soil and water conservation, early and late planting, and furrow irrigation. Discrete choice model results indicated the age of the household head, experience in farming, household size, climate change shocks, land size, use of agricultural inputs, landscape position (location), and crop yield varied significantly (p > 0.05), which influenced farmers' choice of climate change adaptation practices. The main barriers to adaptation included inadequate information on adaptation methods and financial constraints, leading us to conclude that contextual adaptation practices are more desirable for adoption to farmers. Adapting to climate change needs support from government and other stakeholders, however the implementation is more successful when appropriate and suitable choices are employed.
The main attributes of waste as a fuel are water content, calorific value, and burnable content. The study was conducted to evaluate the energy recovery potential of solid waste generated in Akosombo. A total of twelve (12) samples were collected from the township in December, 2012 (dry month) and May, 2013 (Wet month). Samples were w e i g h e d a n d s e g r e g a t e d i n t o o r g a n i c a nd inorganic components. The organic component was thoroughly mixed, shredded and sieved for analysis at Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Laboratory, Accra. Proximate analysis was conducted to obtain the chemical characteristics of the solid waste. Dulong's Equation was used to determine the heating values with the data obtained from the ultimate analysis. The study obtained moisture contents of 58 and 36% for the wet and dry months respectively that shows the prospects of bio-chemical conversion for the wet month and thermo-chemical conversion for the dry month. The study obtained high percentage organic matter (70%) that can support both conversions. The calorific values ranged between 1.39 × 10 4 to 2.99 × 10 4 kJ/kg making it suitable for thermo-chemical conversions. The study reveals that the types of solid waste generated in Akosombo have substantial organic matter, moisture content and calorific value or energy content, making them suitable for energy generation. It is therefore recommended that thermal plants that can convert solid waste into fuel should be provided to harness the potentials of waste in the country.
The indiscriminate burning of vegetation is a common practice in the Guinea savanna of Ghana. Burning begins at the onset of the dry season (November) and lasts until the end (April). This study investigated the effects of time of burning on tree diversity and density in the Mole National Park, Ghana. A total of 36 (10 m x 10 m) quadrats were randomly demarcated in three treatments of early and late dry season burning and non-burning study plots. Samples were taken in March, a few weeks after the late burning period. Twenty seven different species belonging to fourteen families were recorded in all the treatments. Most of the species identified belonged to the families Combretaceae, Fabaceae and Leguminoceae. Vitellaria paradoxa, Terminalia avicennioides, Combretum adenogonium and Combretum molle were the most common and abundant in all treatments. Late burning plots recorded the lowest diversity amongst the three treatments. Non-burning plots had higher tree density than burnt plots. Early burning treatment recorded more diverse individual species but had the lowest density. Higher tree densities would enhance carbon sequestration. However, ecosystem resilience is also dependent on the diversity of biotic communities among other factors. Sustainable land use practices including protections of trees on farms and prescribed early dry season burns could be an option to contribute to the mitigation of climate change in the region. Late dry season fires are a threat to tree species populations and should be discouraged.
Remittances have become an important source for socio-economic equalizing and leveraging for many households and nations of the developing world. The
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