IntroductionIntestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in school children are a public health problem in most developing countries.Methods and principal findingsA cross sectional survey was conducted from May to July 2016 with school children living in overcrowded urban slums in Accra, Ghana. A simple random sample of 300 children aged 2–9 years was collected. The study used structured pre-tested questionnaire and stool tests to obtain information on epidemiological, sanitation habits, employment and education status of parents and children. Data were analysed using appropriate descriptive, univariate and multivariable logistic tools of analyses. The mean age of participants was 6.9 years and 49% were males and 51.3% were females. Giardia lamblia was found in males (10.95%) and females (7.79%). Very low prevalences for Schistosoma mansoni, Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia species, and Entamoeba coli were detected. Whilst children from mothers (62.2%) and fathers (55.6%) with no education were often infected, a few children from fathers (22.2%) and mothers (6.7%) with no jobs were infected. Most of the infected children’s (93.7%) parents did not have any knowledge of IPIs. The educational and employment status of the mothers [p = 1.0 and p = 0.422] was not significant, however, the family size was a predisposing factor (p = 0.031) for parasitic infections.ConclusionsIntestinal parasites were prevalent in children from overcrowded families and with no knowledge of IPIs. Educative programmes on IPIs, improving hygiene, and application of supportive programmes to elevate socioeconomic conditions may help reduce the burden of intestinal parasite carriage in children.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the prevalence and establish some risk factors associated with the acquisition of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in school children in Accra, Ghana.ResultsThe overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 15%. Giardia lamblia (10%) and Schistosoma mansoni (1.7%) were the common parasites found. Out of the 15% students postive for intestinal parasites, 13.6% had single parasites and 1.3% had double parasitic infections. Children between the ages of 4–5 and 6–7 years (20% each) had the most parasitic infections. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was not significantly related to gender (p = 0.1451), and source of drinking water (p = 0.8832). However, a statistically significant association between children infected with parasites and close proximity to domestic animals or pets was observed (p = 0.0284). Continuous education on personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and deworming of domestic animals or pets are required to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites in school children in Accra.

Food-related rural enterprises are increasingly offering products with labels such as 'quality', 'green', or 'ethical' and 'sustainability' to justify high premiums for their products.  Thus, environmental quality attributes are becoming prevalent and important business strategy for rural food-related enterprises in the selected communities  Adoption of environmental quality attributes as a source of competitive advantage is influenced to a large extent by resources provided by government agencies and existing institutional framework towards sustainability and regional competitiveness.  Implications for rural enterprise competitiveness and future research on the interphase between sustainability and rural enterprise competitiveness highlighted *Highlights (for review) Click here to view linked References Understanding the role of environmental quality attributes in food-related

As food production becomes increasingly integrated, globalized and competitive, small-scale food-related enterprises in many European countries are struggling to market and monetize their products. Although these struggles have been well documented, few studies have considered the ways in which food-related entrepreneurs in rural contexts are adapting to and overcoming these challenges. In particular, little is known about how they differentiate and add value to their products. This article focuses on the development and implementation of new and hybrid commercial strategies by food-related entrepreneurs in three rural communities in Denmark. These strategies add experiential elements to the longstanding practice of commodifying myths associated with rural settings and identities. Although harnessing culture and experiences to sell things is nothing new, we demonstrate that some Danish entrepreneurs are responding to market competition by tweaking and extending these concepts. In particular, it is argued that entrepreneurs use different experiences with varying levels of intensity and consumer engagement for different purposes. Whereas passive experiences such as storytelling are used to educate consumers about the specific qualities of products, more active and participatory experiences are sold as add-ons and standalone products. The findings contribute to our understanding of food-related entrepreneurship in rural contexts, consumption, value creation and the experience of economy more broadly.

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This paper examines the causes of widespread maize production failure in Ghana during the 2020 minor growing season. A mixed-methods approach was used to study smallholder maize farmers in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality to provide a holistic understanding of the factors behind the maize production failure and to inform policy interventions. The results show that the decline in maize grain yield was caused by the failure of the minor season rains and, more importantly, the destruction of maize plants by fall armyworms. Other factors including poor soils and inadequate farm inputs contributed minimally to the observed maize failures. The agronomic practices adopted by the farmers to mitigate crop failures were undermined by their inability to master the onset and cessation of rainfall, the ineffectiveness of pesticides to control the fall armyworms and financial challenges. It is recommended that the government promotes and supports rainwater harvesting to address the impacts of drought and pests on food crop production. Furthermore, to ensure sustainable food production, a combination of indigenous knowledge and scientific farm practices are crucial to accurately forecast the weather and to control the fall armyworms.

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