Training of Trainers (ToT) on Soil Carbon Sequestration and Crop Production Course Module

As part of the AICCRA project, the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted land Use (WASCAL) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) are tasked to to develop curricula and training materials to accelerate the mainstreaming Climate Information Services (CIS) and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) into University’s curricula in Africa. This report describes the activities of a training of trainers (ToT) workshop on Soil Carbon Sequestration and Crop Production course module developed by WASCAL as part of AICCRA curricula development activities. The training programmed was held at the Amonoo-Niezer Conference Centre, KNUST, KUMASI between 13th and 15th September, 2023. Forty-one (42) university lecturers, including nine women from three West African countries benefited from the training programme. The curricula consisted of four sessions on (i) Soils for Sustainable Crop Production, (ii) Climate Change and Crop Production, (iii) Soil Carbon Sequestration and (v) Spatial Estimation and Modelling of Soil Carbon. Four facilitators from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi took participants through each of the sessions. For each session, there was theoretical as well as practical training, where participants went to the field and laboratory for data collection and analysis respectively

Women, midwifery, and the state in colonial Ghana

textThis dissertation explores the British colonial government’s attempt to reconstruct women’s reproductive behaviors in colonial Ghana through the sites of maternal and infant welfare services and western midwifery education. In the early 1920s, the fear that the high maternal and infant mortality rates in the Gold Coast would have repercussive effects on economic productivity caused the colonial government to increasingly subject women’s reproduction to medical scrutiny and institutional care. I argue that female reproduction was selected as a site of intervention because the British colonial government conceived of it as a path of least resistance to social reconstruction, economic security, and political dominance. The five chapters have been designed to analyze colonial reproductive intervention as a socio-economic and political exigency of colonial rule. This dissertation speaks to the fact that cross-culturally, the female body has been politicized through narratives of power, culture, tradition, modernity, race, disempowerment, and empowerment.Histor

Sustainable partnerships for communication disability rehabilitation in Majority World countries. A message from the inside

Rehabilitation services for people with communication disabilities (PWCD) in many majority-world countries are extremely limited, with speech-language pathology little known. Collaborations between clinicians and services in majority- and minority-world countries provide important contributions to developing rehabilitation services in the majority world for PWCD. The effectiveness of such partnerships may be influenced by a number of elements within the relationship. This paper presents insights from a group of majority-world speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Ghana on establishing and maintaining links between majority- and minority-world services and clinicians. The framework of three sustainability dimensions (service environment, socio-cultural-political environment, and economic environment) is used to consider how SLP relationships across majority–minority worlds can be meaningful and lasting. Readers are encouraged to adopt the perspective of SLPs from within the country to consider the impact and sustainability of majority–minority world partnerships

Urinogenital schistosomiasis knowledge, attitude, practices, and its clinical correlates among communities along water bodies in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District, Ghana

Background Adequate knowledge and proper practices coupled with knowledge of the burden of disease are necessary for the eradication of Schistosoma infection. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) as well as health outcomes related to Schistosoma haematobium infection at Kwahu Afram Plains North District (KAPND). Methods A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was carried out among 140 participants from four local communities in KAPND in August 2021. From these participants, 10ml of urine was collected for determination of the presence of S. haematobium and urine routine examination. In addition, 4ml of blood was collected and used for haematological examination. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis using IBM SPSS were used to describe and represent the data collected. Results The study reports a gap in knowledge about schistosomiasis in the study area with the majority indicating that they have not heard of schistosomiasis (60.7%), do not know the mode of transmission (49.3%), and do not know how the disease could be spread (51.5%). The overall prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis was 52.9%. This was associated with age, occupation, perceived mode of Schistosoma transmission, knowledge of Schistosoma prevention, awareness that schistosomiasis can be treated, frequency of visits to water bodies, and water usage patterns. In multivariate analysis, factors that remained significantly associated with S. haematobium infection were age 21–40 (OR  =  0.21, 95% CI: 0.06–0.76), 41–60 (OR  =  0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.52) and ≥ 60 (OR  =  0.02, 95% CI: 0.02–0.87), informal employment (OR  =  0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.69) and awareness of transmission by drinking water from river body (OR  =  0.03, 95% CI: 0.03–0.92). In Schistosoma infection, reduced haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, lymphocytes and eosinophils were observed. White blood cells, neutrophils, and monocytes were significantly elevated in infected states. Urine analysis revealed high pus cells and red blood cells counts among Schistosoma-positive participants. Conclusion Schistosoma infection is endemic among inhabitants in KAPND, and is associated with a gap in knowledge, awareness, and practice possibly due to inadequate education in the area. Poor clinical outcomes associated with Schistosoma infection have been demonstrated in the area. A well-structured public education, nutritional intervention, and mass drug administration will be necessary to eradicate this menace. Author summary Schistosomiasis is one of the leading neglected tropical diseases worldwide. Ghana is considered endemic to schistosomiasis and cited to be present throughout the whole country according to the 2015 World Schistosomiasis Risk Chart. Earlier studies have reported that individual and community perceptions of schistosomiasis are key factors that impact transmission rates and could help in planning and implementing control initiatives. In this study, we assessed community knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to schistosomiasis among inhabitants living along water bodies in the KAPND of Ghana. In addition, this study highlights the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of schistosomiasis in the area. We observed a gap in knowledge, attitude, and practice in the area. Consequently, a prevalence as high as 52.9% which was related to individual characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices was observed. Schistosoma infection was associated with poor clinical outcomes in the area. Infection prevalence observed in the area indicates intense exposure and alarming transmission possibly due to poor knowledge, attitude, and practices. Control interventions targeted at controlling infection in the communities are warranted and should focus on educating inhabitants on Schistosoma prevention strategies and mass drug administration

Prevalence and correlates of depression among students in a senior high school in Ghana: A school-based cross-sectional study

Objectives: Depression is one of the most widely reported mental health issues that affect adolescents globally. However, there is a dearth of data on its prevalence and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana, since previous studies have focused more on adult populations. This can hinder policies needed to champion mental health and mental health care in senior high schools. Hence, this study sought to assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study involving 289 students at the Manya Krobo Senior High School was conducted from December 2022 to February 2023. The students were selected using a two-stage random sampling method. A questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographics and individual characteristics. The primary outcome was depression, and this was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Summary statistics were presented as means, frequencies, and percentages. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depression and odds ratios presented with 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was considered at p -value < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the students was 16.6 (±1.2) with a range of 14–20 years. Over a quarter (26.3%) of the students reported financial difficulties. The prevalence of depression among the students was 68.9%. The factors associated with depression in this study were female sex (adjusted odds ratio: 1.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–2.97), age (adjusted odds ratio: 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.81), history of chronic health condition (adjusted odds ratio: 3.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.36–10.25), and financial difficulties (adjusted odds ratio: 2.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.15–4.63). Conclusion: This study shows that depression is rife among students at the Manya Krobo Senior High School, Manya Krobo District, Ghana. These findings call for pragmatic interventions such as strengthening counseling units and professional mental health services to ameliorate the impact of depression on the lives of students

sj-docx-1-smo-10.1177_20503121241229841 – Supplemental material for Prevalence and correlates of depression among students in a senior high school in Ghana: A school-based cross-sectional study

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-smo-10.1177_20503121241229841 for Prevalence and correlates of depression among students in a senior high school in Ghana: A school-based cross-sectional study by Nana Akua Sarfoah Obeng-Okon, Douglas Aninng Opoku, Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng, Joseph Osarfo, Obed Kwabena Offe Amponsah, Jennifer Ashilevi, Sheneil Agyemang, Frempong Bernard, Helena Addai-Manu and Aliyu Mohammed in SAGE Open Medicine</p