Near vision spectacle coverage and barriers to near vision correction among adults in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana

Purpose: To determine the near vision spectacle coverage and barriers to obtaining near vision correction among adults aged 35 years and older in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana.Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study design was adopted and 500 out of 576 participants aged 35 years and older were examined from 12 randomly selected clusters in Cape Coast, Ghana. All participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination which included: distance and near visual acuities measurements and external and internal ocular health assessments. Distance and near refractions were performed using subjective refraction technique. Information on participants’ demographics, near vision correction status, near visual needs and barriers to acquiring near vision correction were obtained through a questionnaire administered as part of the study.Results: The mean age of participants was 52.3±10.3 years of whom 280 (56%) were females and 220 (44%) were males. The near vision spectacle coverage was 25%, 33% “met need” for near vision correction in the presbyopic population, and 64% unmet need in the entire study population. After controlling for other variables, age (5th and 6th decades) and educational level were associated with “met need” for near vision correction (OR=2.7 (1.55-4.68), p =0.00, and OR=2.36 (1.18-4.72), p=0.02 respectively). Among those who needed but did not have near vision correction, 64 (26%) did not feel the need for correction, 55 (22%) stated that they were unaware of available interventions, and 53 (21%) found the cost of near vision correction prohibitive.Conclusion: There was a low near vision spectacle coverage in this population which suggests the need for strategies on health education and promotion to address the lack of awareness of spectacle need and cost of services.Keywords: Presbyopia, near vision, spectacle coverage, unmet needs, Ghan

Sustaining Community-Based Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Learning Platforms at Work in Freetown, Sierra Leone

In Freetown, Sierra Leone, despite the progress in the official response to the COVID-19 outbreak, there remain concerns about the limited involvement of local communities and the use of bottom-up participatory approaches in the response. While the official response has been characterised by restrictive public health measures such as partial lockdowns and the declaration of a state of a public health emergency, for the urban poor, the implications have been wide-ranging including the deepening of inequalities, especially among residents in slum-like informal settlements who already suffer from pre-COVID-19 structural challenges and vulnerabilities. This includes challenges linked to health systems fragility, environmental risks and uncertainties around livelihoods in the informal economy, which forces many to live from hand to mouth. Ultimately, these vulnerabilities challenge the acceptance and compliance of the restrictive state-led health measures, which puts them at risk of infections. To address these structural inequalities and foster an inclusive dialogue, a City Learning Platform, comprising the Freetown City Council, local community residents and their groups, and a few non-governmental organisations have been working creatively to respond to the COVID-19 challenges faced by the urban poor. But, while this alternative bottom-up approach has allowed the coordination of response to address community-level priorities more effectively, how well the platform has been able to successfully sustain the interest and commitments of vulnerable groups and to build their capacities, co-create knowledge and explore new opportunities has yet to be understood. This article highlights the strategic value of Community Learning Platforms in sustaining local responses to the pandemic. It also explores how social protection measures are shaped into the local response and help tackle deeply entrenched inequalities in the communities. The article additionally reflects on the challenges and opportunities for using the Community Learning Platforms in the COVID-19 response

Assessment of Water Quality from Hand Dug Wells in Kurmin Siddi, Kaduna State

Communication in Physical Sciences 2020, 5(2): 198-204 Authors: Ibrahim Usman, Williams N. Kaigama, Thankgod Daniel and Abu E. Benjamin Received 17 April 2020/Accepted 20 May 2020 After considering the necessity for portable water and hand dug wells as the common source of water, physicochemical and biological analysis was carried out on water samples collected from four hand-dug wells located within Kurmin Siddi settlement in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Mean values of the measured parameters were Turbidity (2.50±0.01  to  4.90±0.20  NTU) Hardness(61.99±0.02  to 83.70±0.01     mg/L), conductivity    (0.06±0.83  to 1.66±0.32µS/cm6),   pH(6.30±2.27   to  8.21±0.24)and total coliform count (9 to 26). The analysed parameters were compared with WHO (2002) requirements for drinking/portable water. Although all the measured parameters were within WHO standards, the total coliforms count is above the standard which indicate that the water is not suitable for drinking except it is treated

Use of Agricultural Information Sources and Services by Farmers for Improve Productivity in Kwara State

This study was carried out to investigate the use of agricultural information sources and services by farmers for improve productivity in Kwara state, Nigeria. The objectives of the study was to determine the information sources and services available to farmers in Kwara State and assess the purpose for which farmers in kwara state utilize available information sources and services. The study adopted the survey design in a population of 55,522 farmers from whom 447 were sampled in six local government areas, which were made up of two from each of the three senatorial districts in the State. Questionnaire and interviews were used to generate data, which were descriptively analysed to answer the research questions. The results showed that the information sources and service mostly used by the farmers included relations, fellow farmers, town criers, television, mobile phones, film shows, radio, etc. The need for information made the farmers to use it for crop and animal production; pests, diseases and weed control; fishing; disaster control and mitigation, fertilizer procurement and application; post-harvest technology; sourcing for labour; agricultural credit; etc. The study therefore recommended that Kwara State Government should train extension workers on how to use information communication technology such as mobile phone on how to subscribe for agricultural information and also there is a need to extend agricultural extension services to all the local government areas through established centers where farmers can obtain required information on agricultural productivity, marketing of farm produce and post harvest technology to increase their productivity

Use of Agricultural Information Sources and Services by Farmers for Improve Productivity in Kwara State

This study was carried out to investigate the use of agricultural information sources and services by farmers for improve productivity in Kwara state, Nigeria. The objectives of the study was to determine the information sources and services available to farmers in Kwara State and assess the purpose for which farmers in kwara state utilize available information sources and services. The study adopted the survey design in a population of 55,522 farmers from whom 447 were sampled in six local government areas, which were made up of two from each of the three senatorial districts in the State. Questionnaire and interviews were used to generate data, which were descriptively analysed to answer the research questions. The results showed that the information sources and service mostly used by the farmers included relations, fellow farmers, town criers, television, mobile phones, film shows, radio, etc. The need for information made the farmers to use it for crop and animal production; pests, diseases and weed control; fishing; disaster control and mitigation, fertilizer procurement and application; post-harvest technology; sourcing for labour; agricultural credit; etc. The study therefore recommended that Kwara State Government should train extension workers on how to use information communication technology such as mobile phone on how to subscribe for agricultural information and also there is a need to extend agricultural extension services to all the local government areas through established centers where farmers can obtain required information on agricultural productivity, marketing of farm produce and post harvest technology to increase their productivity

A comparative study of magnetic chitosan (Chi@Fe3O4) and graphene oxide modified magnetic chitosan (Chi@Fe3O4GO) nanocomposites for efficient removal of Cr(VI) from water

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Magnetic chitosan (Chi@Fe3O4) nanocomposite was synthesized and modified with graphene oxide (Chi@Fe3O4GO) and the potential of both materials as adsorbents was assessed for the removal of chromium (Cr(VI)) from water. The physico-chemical characteristics of magnetic nanocomposites were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The synthesized adsorbents exhibited varied Cr(VI) removal efficiency at solution pH 2. The reaction kinetics correlated well with the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 142.32 and 100.51 mg g−1 for Chi@Fe3O4 and Chi@Fe3O4GO, respectively. Analysis of thermodynamic parameters suggested that the reaction occurred spontaneously and was endothermic in nature. Reusability studies showed that the adsorbents can be reused for up to four cycles of regeneration. Fixed bed column experiments revealed that the adsorption performance of Chi@Fe3O4 was affected by the flow rate, adsorbent loading and influent metal ion concentration. The results suggest that the prepared adsorbents have the potential to be used in removing Cr(VI) ions from contaminated water

Growth and performance analysis of Amaranthus hybridus L. Enriched with organic (sugarcane bagasse-based) fertilizer

The study was carried out to determine the growth and performance analysis of A. hybridus enriched with organic and inorganic fertilizer in Odi, Bayelsa State, between February and March 2017. The study adopted a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three replications. Data were obtained for plant height, number of leaf, stem girth, leaf width, leaf length and weight of plant on ten (10) plants that were randomly sampled. The results obtained 49 days after planting (DAP), showed significant differences (p<0.05) in plant height (80.07 cm), leaf length (33.94 cm), leaf width (12.43 cm), stem girth (7.20 cm) and mean number of leaves (38.80) respectively in treatment A (Organic). Similarly, plants in treatment A also recorded more weight than other treatments with weight of 5.5 kg. Based on the findings, sugarcane bagasse-based organic fertilizer may be recommended for maximum growth and returns of A. hybridus and other cropsKeywords: Amaranthus hybridus, Organic fertilizer, Inorganic fertilizer, Od

Epidemiology and visual outcomes of ocular injuries in a low resource country

Background: Ocular injury is a major cause of ocular morbidity and unilateral visual impairment and represents a considerable public health concern especially in low resource societies. Objective: To evaluate the epidemiology and visual outcomes of ocular injuries in southern Ghana Methods: A retrospective hospital-based case series was conducted. Information on new cases of ocular injuries were retrieved and parameters including time between injury occurrence and reporting to the clinic, presenting visual acuity (VA), and the best corrected final VA were investigated and visual outcomes were assessed Results: Most (50.2%) of the patients reported to the hospital after a day of sustaining an ocular injury; workplace injuries, older patients and farm-related injuries were most likely to report after a day of sustaining an injury. A significant proportion (40.4%) of patients reported with good presenting vision (6/6-6/18) which increased to 56.7% after treatment; 45.3% of patients reported with visual impairment (<6/18) and reduced to 42.4% after treatment. Farming (AOR = 4.5, p = 0.02), reporting after a day of sustaining injury (AOR = 78, p< 0.001), workplace injuries (AOR = 3.1, p = 0.007) and roadside injuries (AOR = 3.1, p = 0.02) were associated with poor visual outcomes. Initial VA 6/18 or better was the highest predictor of good visual outcome Conclusion: There is a shift in the pattern of ocular injury occurrence from work-related to home- related

Near vision spectacle coverage and barriers to near vision correction among adults in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana.

Purpose: To determine the near vision spectacle coverage and barriers to obtaining near vision correction among adults aged 35 years and older in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study design was adopted and 500 out of 576 participants aged 35 years and older were examined from 12 randomly selected clusters in Cape Coast, Ghana. All participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination which included: distance and near visual acuities measurements and external and internal ocular health assessments. Distance and near refractions were performed using subjective refraction technique. Information on participants\u2019 demographics, near vision correction status, near visual needs and barriers to acquiring near vision correction were obtained through a questionnaire administered as part of the study. Results: The mean age of participants was 52.3\ub110.3 years of whom 280 (56%) were females and 220 (44%) were males. The near vision spectacle coverage was 25%, 33% \u201cmet need\u201d for near vision correction in the presbyopic population, and 64% unmet need in the entire study population. After controlling for other variables, age (5th and 6th decades) and educational level were associated with \u201cmet need\u201d for near vision correction (OR=2.7 (1.55-4.68), p =0.00, and OR=2.36 (1.18-4.72), p=0.02 respectively). Among those who needed but did not have near vision correction, 64 (26%) did not feel the need for correction, 55 (22%) stated that they were unaware of available interventions, and 53 (21%) found the cost of near vision correction prohibitive. Conclusion: There was a low near vision spectacle coverage in this population which suggests the need for strategies on health education and promotion to address the lack of awareness of spectacle need and cost of services

Klason Method: An Effective Method for Isolation of Lignin Fractions from Date Palm Biomass Waste

Klason lignin extraction method is one of the robust techniques for isolation of lignin from lignocellulosic palm biomass waste for future production of High Value Chemicals (HVCs). To elucidate the mechanism of hemicellulose and cellulose glycosidic bond distraction, lignocellulos