Drawings and Traditional Ghanaian Adinkra Symbols: Proposal Drawings of Emmanuel Ofosu Kwateng Architectural Designs

Adinkra Symbols are multifaceted by virtue of proliferating of ideas and exploration springing up across its symbolism and philosophy. The proliferating of ideas and exploration of Adinkra symbolic motifs has to lead the symbols to be amalgamated into several disciplined in academics such as drawing. However, drawing now has liberated from the traditional sense of supporting other disciplines to a medium of expression now, for this proposal drawing studies. This study reviews recent drawings of Architectural Designs by Emmanuel Ofosu Kwateng, a 21 years of age student of the University of Education, Winneba which adopts drawing as a medium to explore the multifaceted of Adinkra symbols in his Architectural Designs. Showing Emmanuel Ofosu Kwateng experimentation of adapting Ashanti’s Adinkra symbols in Architectural Designs this paper investigates how traditional Ashanti’s Adinkra Symbols and its visual culture is restaged and detoured in contemporary art-space to create artworks that not only bear cultural identity but possesses qualities that define contemporary art in both drawing and Architecture. The results to this search show that the philosophy and visual studying of Ashanti Adinkra Symbol exist in hybrid nature that can be appropriate into several disciplines for multifaceted form in contemporary art since it enables the re-invention of Ashanti Adinkra symbol for rich visual culture in contemporary art practices and techniques. This appropriated version of Ashanti’s Adinkra symbols in an Architectural Designs situate Emmanuel Ofosu Kwateng practices into the minimalist approach to simplicity as the symbols already exist in simple forms. The proposal drawings conferred here explain the practices of contemporary art in the 21st century can refer to cultural philosophies and symbols to produce new visual forms of realities reflecting 21st-century artistic development.Keywords: Proposal drawing, Adinkra symbol, Studio practice, Architectural design, and Minimalism art.DOI: 10.7176/ADS/80-02Publication date: January 31st 202

Evaluation of viral haemorrhagic fever surveillance system with focus on Ebola virus disease, Bawku municipality- Upper East Region, Ghana, 2011- 2015

Background: We evaluated the Viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) surveillance system from 2011 to 2015 in the Bawku Municipality, Upper East region, Ghana to determine whether the goals of the surveillance system are being met and to assess the performance of the system attributes.Design: Descriptive secondary data analysis.Setting: Bawku MunicipalityData Source: Review VHF surveillance records, interviewed community-based surveillance volunteers (CBSVs) and reviewed vital events registers. We also assessed the system attributes by reviewing records and interviewing key stakeholders involved in VHF surveillance system with focus on Ebola using checklist and semi structured questionnaire developed based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.Main outcome measure: System attributes of the VHF surveillance systemResults: Population under surveillance was 105,849. The system required detail information about suspected cases. However, it had a simple and clear standard case definitions, and was well integrated with the IDSR. There is a regular and timely flow of information. The system captured 155 suspected cases nationwide from 2011 to 2015 and all tested negative. Of these, Upper East Region reported 10 suspected cases including 4 suspected cases from Bawku Municipality.Conclusion: The VHF surveillance system achieved its objectives. However, poor data quality, inadequately trained surveillance officers, and inadequate financial support are threats to the effectiveness of the system.Keywords: Viral haemorrhagic fever, surveillance system evaluation, attributes, Bawku Municipality, GhanaFunding: This work was supported by Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP), University of Ghan

Upsurge in meningitis cases in Jirapa district, 2017, Upper West - Ghana

Introduction: Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges. In the first eight (8) epidemiological weeks of 2017, Jirapa District, Upper West Region, Ghana recorded 41 suspected cases with six deaths and this had exceeded the alert threshold of 5 suspected cases per 100,000 population per week. We therefore conducted an epidemiological investigation, assessed surveillance and epidemic response and helped implement control measures. Methods: We conducted a descriptive study in Jirapa District 21st to 25th March, 2017. We reviewed patient records from January to March with clinicians, response and surveillance assessment and searched for cases. The case definition was any person living in Jirapa District and reporting with or without fever of acute onset with neck stiffness, poor sucking (in infants), bulging fontanelles (in infants), altered consciousness, other signs of meningeal irritation/inflammation from 1st January to 25th March, 2017. Descriptive analysis was performed and expressed as frequencies and proportions with Microsoft Excel, 2016. Results: Sixty-one cases were recorded, of which 10 were confirmed with seven deaths (CFR=70%). Most were female 32 (53.33%) and majority, 21 (34.4%) below age 10 years. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the causative organism in all the 10 samples. Although the number of reported meningitis cases and the CFR were high, the epidemic threshold of 10 suspected cases per 100,000 population per week was not crossed. There was an active surveillance and effective rapid response team in the district conducted health education and contact tracing when the number of cases were increasing. Conclusion: Jirapa District saw an increase in the number of reported meningitis cases in 2017. An active surveillance system and effective rapid response team in the district prevented a potential outbreak. Communities were educated on risk factors, preventive measures to reduce spread and the need for early reporting

Protracted cholera outbreak in the Central Region, Ghana, 2016

Objective: On 24th October 2016, the Central Regional Health Directorate received report of a suspected cholera outbreak in the Cape Coast Metropolis (CCM). We investigated to confirm the diagnosis, identify risk factors and implement control measures.Design: We used a descriptive study followed by 1:2 unmatched case-control study.Data source: We reviewed medical records, conducted active case search and contact tracing, interviewed case-patients and their contacts and conducted environmental assessment. Case-patients' stool samples were tested with point of care test kits (SD Bioline Cholera Ag 01/0139) and sent to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Laboratory for confirmation.Main outcomes: Cause of outbreak, risk factors associated with spread of outbreakResults: Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa caused the outbreak. There was no mortality. Of 704 case-patients, 371(52.7%) were males and 55(7.8%) were aged under-five years. The median age was 23 years (interquartile range: 16-32 years). About a third 248(35.2%) of the case patients were aged 15-24 years. The University of Cape Coast subdistrict was the epicenter with 341(48.44%) cases. Compared to controls, cholera case-patients were more likely to have visited Cholera Treatment Centers (CTC) (aOR=12.1, 95%CI: 1.5-101.3), drank pipe-borne water (aOR=11.7, 95%CI: 3.3-41.8), or drank street-vended sachet water (aOR=11.0, 95%CI: 3.7-32.9). Open defecation and broken sewage pipes were observed in the epicenter.Conclusion: Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa caused the CCM cholera outbreak mostly affecting the youth. Visiting CTC was a major risk factor. Prompt case-management, contact tracing, health education, restricting access to CTC and implementing water sanitation and hygiene activities helped in the control.Keywords: Cholera outbreak, Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa, Cholera treatment center, Water sanitation and hygiene, Cape Coast MetropolisFunding: This work was supported by Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP), University of Ghan

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways