Book Review: Refiguring women, colonialism, and modernity in Burma

Review of Refiguring women, colonialism, and modernity in Burma by Chie Ikey

Event planning: Crafting the perfect Chale Wote Street Art Festival atmosphere; How event planners are making a memorable event

The thesis centers around the planning of an art festival known in Ghana known as Chale Wote Street Art Festival hosted every year in August in the Jamestown community, The objective of this study was to understand and explore how event planners of the Chale Wote Street Art Festival can create and host it continuously even with the economic challenges that affect the everyday lives of organisations, people and ever-changing tourist needs. The study used the Event Management Body of Knowledge ‘EMBOK’; A framework that consists of a variety of facets that represents the fundamentals of events management. (Silvers 2007), as the model on which the study was based, this model shows how an overall event is planned and hosted. The thesis used the qualitative research approach as its research design, it used the snowballing sampling method and the convenience sampling methods to draw put a sample size of 10 tourists and 1 event organizer for the data collection. The data collection method was through, interviews, whiles data was analyzed using content analysis and Microsoft Excel 2021. With the analysis, conclusions and recommendations drawn based on the theories from the EMBOK model, the study found that event planners can continuously host the event due to the combination of stakeholders and the support of the community over the years

Measuring effectiveness and efficiency of governmental programmes in developing countries : significance, techniques and challenges

This article discusses the significance, techniques and challenges of measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of governmental programmes and highlights the need for developing countries, particularly in Africa, not just to monitor, but also evaluate and utilise findings. A shift from implementation of monitoring to results-based monitoring and evaluation (RBM&E) in public sector management has put governments globally under pressure to show tangible results produced by programmes they initiate. Governmental programmes are results-based, designed and deployed to achieve specific external social objectives. RBM&E involves performance monitoring and evaluation, that is, tracking programmes, comparing their initial results with targets, providing feedback and facilitating corrective action, and establishing why programme outcomes and impacts are, or are not, being achieved. Therefore, it is essential to improving service delivery, achieving effectiveness, efficiency and providing value for money. The article also examines techniques of assessing programme effectiveness and efficiency. Creation of the Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation within the South African Presidency is seen as signalling a new attitude to effectiveness and efficiency measurement in government. Challenges to measuring programmes’ effectiveness and efficiency are highlighted as well as the sporadic use of evaluation in Africa. The need for an entrenched evaluation culture in the public sectors of African countries, which tend to have a not-so-successful record of programme performance, is argued as essential for widespread successful management of governmental programmes. Greater focus

Performance of Syphilis Sentinel Surveillance in the context of endemic Treponematoses: experience from Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Use of treponemal tests to screen for syphilis (caused by Treponema pallidum pallidum) poses challenges with infection status classification, especially in settings where other treponemal infections are endemic. This study aimed to determine the validity of the syphilis surveillance testing strategy implemented since 2004 using two treponemal tests, and estimate the seroprevalence of active syphilis infection in Ghana where yaws (caused by Treponema pallidum pertenue) is endemic. METHODS: We retested sera from the 2007 HIV sentinel survey (HSS) using a traditional algorithm, quantitative rapid plasma reagin test followed by qualitative Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay. The adjusted seroprevalence of active syphilis was calculated by applying the proportions of active syphilis within identified categories of HSS samples during the retesting, to the entire population of HSS samples. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each proportion, and the t-test was used to assess differences in proportions. RESULTS: Of 2,214 samples that were retested, 203 (9.2%) had active syphilis infection, 21 (0.9%) were biological false reactions, 640 (28.9%) were past or treated syphilis infections, and 1,350 (61%) were uninfected. The current syphilis testing strategy overestimated the seroprevalence of active syphilis infection by a third (HSS versus traditional algorithm: 6.0% (95% CI: 5.6-6.3) vs. 4.5% (95% CI: 4.2-4.8); p < 0.001), and had low positive predictive value (16.8%) for detecting active syphilis infection. More than half (51.9%) of HSS syphilis positive cases were actually past/treated treponemal infections, possibly previous exposure to yaws. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to review the current syphilis sentinel surveillance testing strategy in Ghana in the context of concurrent endemic treponematoses, to better inform policy

Estimating the uptake of maternal syphilis screening and other antenatal interventions before and after national rollout of syphilis point-of-care testing in Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the uptake of maternal syphilis and HIV screening, intermittent preventive treatment for malaria, and tetanus toxoid administration in three regions of Ghana, before and after the rollout of syphilis point-of-care tests (POCTs). METHODS: Antenatal register records were reviewed in 15 selected health facilities over an eight-month period, 16 months apart. Register records had been evaluated using the maternal record booklets as a gold standard in a separate prior survey. RESULTS: In the evaluation study, the sensitivity of register data was low, ranging from 33.3% for tetanus toxoid administration to 53.8% for syphilis serology. In total, 8282 antenatal client records (4141 in each period) were reviewed. Less than a third of pregnant women received any single intervention at either period (ranging from 17.8% for tetanus toxoid to 29.8% for HIV testing). Overall, HIV screening had a marginal absolute increase of about 2% while the remaining interventions experienced non-significant absolute decreases of 4.1 to 11.1%. When adjusting for under-recording, syphilis screening uptake was 50% before and 33.6% after the introduction of POCTs. CONCLUSION: Use of POCTs for syphilis did not result in increased uptake. Routine monitoring of antenatal interventions using the antenatal register may result in underestimation of their uptake

Factors associated with failure to screen for syphilis during antenatal care in Ghana: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: There is little data regarding the effect of ramping up new screening interventions on their uptake by target populations into routine care services in developing countries. This study aimed to determine patient-level factors associated with failure of pregnant women to get screened for syphilis during antenatal care, in the context of a national rollout of rapid syphilis point of care tests (POCTs) in Ghana. METHODS: An unmatched 1:2 case control study conducted among women admitted for delivery in two district hospitals in the Ashanti Region of Ghana from August to October 2010, 7 to 9 months after the introduction of POCTs in the region. Cases were women who had not been screened for syphilis during antenatal care and controls were women who had been screened. Patient-reported factors for being unscreened were examined using logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: 160 consecutive unscreened and 327 screened women were recruited. Most women had good knowledge of syphilis (58.7% among unscreened women vs. 64.2% among screened; P=0.24). Factors associated with failure to get screened were: attending antenatal care in a private health facility (adjusted OR, 11.09; 95% CI 5.48-22.48), previous adverse pregnancy outcome (adjusted OR, 1.98; 95% CI 1.22-3.23) and not being screened for HIV during the current pregnancy (adjusted OR, 2.78; 95% CI 1.50-5.13). The odds of being unscreened also increased with decreasing doses of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy received (P trend<0.001) and decreasing education level (P trend=0.02). CONCLUSION: Significant risk factors for not being screened, following the national rollout of syphilis POCTs, related to the type of health facility where antenatal care was received and some of the women's personal characteristics. Targeting of private medical facilities to include syphilis POCTs and support other neglected public health interventions should be a priority

Acceptability of intrapartum ultrasound by mothers in an African population

Intrapartum ultrasound is gaining high acceptance by many women as another method for assessing labour progression. Despite growing evidence of the effectiveness of ultrasound in labour, the acceptance of intrapartum ultrasound has not been previously investigated in black Africans. This study aimed to determine women’s acceptance of intrapartum ultrasound and their preference for transperineal ultrasound or digital vaginal examination (digital VE) in Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers who had had both digital VE and transperineal ultrasound during labour in a tertiary hospital. Information about their sociodemographic characteristics, experience with, and preference for ultrasound or digital VE in labour using a pretested structured questionnaire was obtained. Their experiences were categorised as ‘tolerable, ‘quite uncomfortable’ or ‘very uncomfortable’. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher’s exact test. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Altogether, 196 women were recruited into the study. The mean age of the women was 26.7 years (standard deviation, 4.6 years). Nearly half (47%) of the women had never delivered before. Significantly more women considered transperineal ultrasound to be more tolerable than digital VE (66% vs. 40%; p < 0.001). Almost all the women (97.5%) described their experience with transperineal ultrasound to be better than digital VE, and would choose transperineal ultrasound over digital VE in the future (98.5% vs. 1.5%; p < 0.001). The findings of this study are comparable to those of other related studies reported recently. This research confirms high acceptance of ultrasound in labour by mothers from different countries and across continents, implying that cultural differences do not influence women’s responses to and interest in intrapartum ultrasound. Most women found ultrasound in labour to be more tolerable than digital VE. Whenever possible, transperineal ultrasound should be provided as an alternative to digital VE during labour.N/

Systems Readiness for Improved Monitoring and Evaluation with Specific Reference to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Sector in Nigeria

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) is mandated by law to provide support services and creating conducive business environment that supports the transformation of both small and large scale industries in Nigeria. The FMITI mandate and task is facilitated through its subsidiary, the Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). This is against the background that the parastatal will facilitate development (if well supported) by triggering production, employment opportunities and growth. Especially in Nigeria, where the informal sector employs more people than the formal sector, but with declining affluences of micro and small businesses, questions must be asked concerning the effectiveness of the institution's programmes and policies in revitalising, sustaining as well as growing the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. In this paper, literature on monitoring and evaluation (M&amp;E), legislative framework linked to the functioning of small and medium business sector is extensively reviewed. Furthermore, this paper will critically evaluate SMEDAN mandate to provide support services that will transform the informal sector of the Nigerian economy using existing monitoring and evaluation systems of selected programmes and policies put in place by the agency to indicate readiness (or lack thereof) of the current system to further develop the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector of the economy. This paper adopts qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It is anticipated that findings from this research-based paper will present lessons which can be harnessed to better reposition monitoring and evaluation systems hence, ensure effectiveness of future programmes and policies that will generate employment opportunities through SMEDAN

Sonohysterography: Time to step up its use in gynaecologic imaging in west Africa

Sonohysterography is a simple, safe and convenient technique that is easily and rapidly performed in the ultrasound room; yet the technique seems to be underutilized in West Africa. We present two cases that weresuccessfully done in our centre followed by detailed description, uses and challenges of the technique, with the hope of encouraging clinicians and sonographers in the sub-region to step up its use. Two women were referred for evaluation of their endometrial cavities on account of increasingly heavy menstrual bleeding. Sonohysterography revealed intracavity uterine masses with hyperechoic focal thickening highly suggestive of endometrial polyps; histology confirmed the diagnosis of endometrial polyps. Sonohysterography is an affordable and feasible diagnostic modality for evaluating the endometrial cavity. Where equipment and skill permit, the technique should be used more often in the West African sub-region.Keywords: Sonohysterography, transvaginal sonography, gynaecologic imaging, West Afric