BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Rapid diagnostic Test (RDT) kits are the preferred assays for HIV testing in many countries. Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, Know Your Status Campaigns, Blood-Safety, Voluntary Counseling and Testing are major strategies adapted to control transmission of the virus and the pivot of these interventions is either screening or diagnosing individuals through testing. There are reports of inconsistent sensitivity and specificity with whole blood and serum samples collected from the same individual. Little is known about the diagnostic characteristics of First Response HIV-1-2 RDT kit, used as a single test kit in national HIV prevention and control programmes. The debate has always centered on choosing between whole blood and serum in a case where a single test kit that runs on only blood specimen will be used for testing. The variations in specificities and sensitivities with whole blood and serum samples imply that some individuals who might be true positives will be missed and elude care. This study determined the best blood-based specimen type (whole blood or serum) that improves performance of First Response HIV RDT kit in detecting HIV-specific antibodies.MethodsA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 280 HIV infected and non-infected patients from May 2015 to June 2015. Blood samples from each participant were separated into whole blood and serum, and tested on First Response HIV-1-2 kits (Premier Medical Corporation Ltd., Kachigam, India) using Electro-chemi-luminescence assay (ECLIA) as reference assay.ResultsFirst Response HIV-1-2 RDT kit showed 100 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity with whole blood specimen and 100 % sensitivity and 82.86 % specificity with serum specimen for the detection of HIV-1. The positive and negative predictive values were 100, 100 and 85.35, 82.86 % for whole blood and serum respectively.ConclusionWhole blood specimen(s) from an individual have higher specificity, positive and negative predictive values than serum. Whole blood is the primary specimen to use on First Response HIV-1-2 RDT kit when screening peripheral blood for HIV-1-specific antibodies.
The coastal wetland zones of Lake Wamala are experiencing a noticeable shoreline retreat leading to loss of its resources and ecological services. This henceforth, calls for sustainable wetland resource management by clearly dissecting and understanding the prime cause of such losses. The study employed community-based participatory approach to capture stakeholder perceptions and knowledge on wetland resources in six villages namely; Mityana Town, Naama, Nkonya, Buzibazi, Mpongo and Lusalira. The study sought to find out the causes of wetlands degradation, impacts and mitigation strategies, needed to avert loss of such resources. Temperature data from Mubende Meteorological Station were compared using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and the average change in temperature was determined using SAS JMP 10 Software. Variability in rainfall was determined using the coefficient of variation (CV) calculated as a ratio to the mean and expressed as a percentage. Findings attributed climate induced factors as key bottlenecks to wetland resource loss. Findings further highlight increase in human population among other human-induced factors as cause of destruction and alteration of resources in the area. Results prove the derailing nature of wetland resources around Lake Wamala significantly affected livelihoods. In order to avert this trend, prudent measures such as formulation of feasible policy framework to govern and regulate activities in the area, co-management through local community and government partnership, capacity-building programs among relevant stakeholders to enhance awareness about wetlands and its ecological benefits in our quest to improve human welfare in the face of the changing climate.
Addressing undesirable changes associated with the driving forces of land use cover change are critical to sustainable land management, and the future modeling of land use systems in developing countries. The study accentuates local drivers of land use cover change in Southwestern Ghana using a mixed-method approach. The approach aided in identifying key land-use drivers, using different research strategies for comparisons through confidence level analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process. We used expert interviews, existing literature and geostatistical tools to ascertain the driving forces triggering such unprecedented changes. Landsat imagery 5 MSS, 4 and 5 TM, 7 ETM + and 8 OLI/TIRS were acquired from the United States Geological Survey’s website. Land-use analysis revealed a decline in forests (− 82.41%) and areas covered by waterbodies (− 27.39%). A fundamental drift in built-up (+ 1288.36%) and farmlands/shrubs (+ 369.81%) areas were also observed. The contribution rate of change analysis revealed built-environment and increasing population contributed the most to surface temperature and land-use change. A steady increase in surface temperature can be attributed to the undesirable changes associated with land-use systems over the past 50 years. Socio-economic development in Southwestern Ghana is fuelling interest in studies related to land use cover change. Biophysical, cultural and technological factors are considered key drivers despite the “medium-to-very low confidence” in results generated. They could potentially impact climate-sensitive sectors that significantly modify land-use systems from the pessimists’ and optimists’ perspectives. Standpoints established through this study will enrich basic datasets for further studies at the continental level. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12665-022-10481-y.
COVID-19 has presented unusual challenges for individuals, governments and societies across the globe. Several non-medical and non-pharmaceutical interventions have demonstrated to be critical in addressing the resultant impacts. One notable tool among these interventions is the application of technology in identifying infected persons or individuals coming into contact with those infected. Policy think-tanks have invested in geospatial technology and information systems to help resolve contact tracing inefficiencies to curtail the fast spread of the disease. This study highlights the extent of the application of geospatial technology in COVID-19 contact tracing in Ghana. Here, it was demonstrated that majority of young adults that form the greater part of Ghana’s population have access to digital devices which serve as primary catalysts in facilitating effective and efficient contact tracing. Case count of the pandemic continues to surge sharply from one month to the other since the first recorded case on March 12, 2020. A huge number of cases were recorded in the southern part of the country, as against cases recorded in the north. Mobility patterns depicted the migration of more people from regions with a high number of case count to regions with lower counts. We recommend a holistic and proactive approach to the use of smart mobile devices and applications in enhancing contact tracing. Privacy and data protection laws must be prioritized and supported by effective legislative and policy frameworks that serve as the legal basis for the management of personal information.
Addressing undesirable changes associated with the driving forces of land use cover change are critical to sustainable land management, and the future modelling of land use systems in developing countries. The study ascertains local drivers of land-use cover change in Southwestern Ghana using a mixed-method approach. The approach aided in identifying key land-use drivers, using different research strategies for comparisons through confidence level analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process. We used expert interviews, existing literature and geostatistical tools to ascertain the driving forces triggering such unprecedented changes. Landsat imagery 5 MSS, 4 and 5 TM, 7 ETM+ and 8 OLI/TIRS were acquired from the United States Geological Survey’s website. Land use analysis revealed a decline in forests (-334.8 km2yr−1.) and areas covered by waterbodies (-4.79 km2yr−1.). A remarkable increase in built-up (+137.93 km2yr−1.) and farmlands/shrubs (+131.97 km2yr−1.) areas were also observed. The contribution rate of change analysis revealed built-up areas and increasing population contributed the most to surface temperature and land use change. A steady increase in surface temperature can be attributed to the undesirable changes associated with land-use systems over the past 50 years. Socio-economic development in Southwestern Ghana is fuelling interest in studies related to land use cover change. Biophysical, cultural and technological factors are considered key drivers despite the “medium-to-very low confidence” in results generated. They could potentially impact climate-sensitive sectors that significantly modify land-use systems from the pessimists and optimists’ perspectives. Standpoints established through this study will enrich basic datasets for further studies at the continental level.
Changes in land cover have persisted throughout the history of mankind, and are the direct and indirect consequence of human actions to secure essential resources. Understanding direct and indirect factors that influence land use cover change (LUCC) is essential for modelling future LUCC in developing countries. The study analyses local drivers of LUCC in Southwestern Ghana using the mixed-method approach. The approach aided in identifying key drivers of LUCC, using different research strategies for comparisons through confidence level analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). We used expert interviews, literature review and geostatistical tools to ascertain causative factors triggering such unprecedented changes. Geospatial analysis depicted a decline in forests (-1.65 km2yr-1.) and areas covered by water bodies (-0.55 km2yr-1.). A remarkable increase in built-up (+25.77 km2yr-1.) and farmlands/shrubs (+7.4km2yr-1.) areas were also observed. Population growth, expansion of settlements and infrastructure, coupled with agricultural expansion are at the centre of the LUCC-environment nexus, based on the confidence level table. A steady increase in surface temperature can be attributed to the unprecedented LUCC over the past 50 years. Socio-economic development in Southwestern Ghana is fuelling interest in the relation between LUCC and environmental change. Biophysical, cultural and technological factors are also considered key drivers despite the “medium-to-very low confidence” in results generated. They could potentially impact climate-sensitive sectors that significantly modify land-use systems from the pessimists and optimist’s perspective. We, therefore, propose further analyses of LUCC drivers with medium to very low confidence levels.
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