Expansion and Consolidation of the Educational Activities of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Mission at Asante Bekwai in Ghana from 1932-1955: Achievements and Challenges

The article focuses on the activities of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church at Asante Bekwai, a popular traditional township in Ashanti Region of Ghana.  Historical documents such as archival data from Public Records and Archival Administration (PRAAD) Office in Kumasi, files at SDA Educational Unit, Kumasi, log books and board of governors’ meeting minutes of some SDA Schools in Ashanti constituted the major sources of information for the study. Secondary sources including books, scholarly writings and oral interviews with persons of considerable knowledge about the early activities of the Mission were also utilised to augment the discussions. The major findings of the study were that the SDA Church at Asante Bekwai utilized the favourable local conditions there to promote theological studies, teacher and secondary education; contingent on the philosophy of idealism, which largely stressed on moral development and character training.  However, financial difficulties, which impeded the provision of adequate infrastructure and other educational equipment,  were the major obstacles which confronted  the educational efforts of the Mission  during the period. It was therefore anticipated that the Church from 1955 onwards would take measures to surmount the challenges. Key Words: Asante Bekwai, SDA Mission, Bekwai SDA Training College, Missionaries, Jesse Clifford

Performance evaluation of formulated de-emulsifier samples and a commercially available sample in the de-emulsification of a Nigerian crude oil emulsion

ABSTRACT The de-emulsification of water-in-oil emulsion of Ogharefe crude oil sample was studied by using formulated polyester based de-emulsifier sample A and a commercially available de-emulsifier sample C. The bottle test method was used to screen the de-emulsifier samples using the crude oil emulsion. The performance of the de-emulsifiers was expressed in terms of percentage of water separated from 100 ml samples of emulsions. For both the formulated and commercial deemulsifiers, the performance increased with increased concentration of the de-emulsifiers, separation time and operating temperature. The effect of the operating temperature was much higher and there was a linear relationship (R 2 ranging from 0.96 to 0.99) between performance and temperature.The performance of the best of the formulated de-emulsifiers, sample A, was better than that of the commercial de-emulsifier under all the conditions of this study-the volume of water expelled by sample A was 5 times that of the commercial one at 30

Asante Bekwai United Schools’ Arts and Crafts Centre: a Model of Technical/Vocational Education (TVE) Curriculum Diversification and Utilization of local Expertise in colonial Ghana (1940-1950)

The paper discusses the general organization and operation of Asante Bekwai United Schools’ Arts and Crafts Centre as a model of TVE in the country during the 1940s.  In particular, it focuses, inter alia, on the positive consequences of judiciously utilizing the “top-down change” and “bottom-up change” to use the words of  Fullan (2007) in TVE educational policy formulation and implementation in colonial Ghana.  This feat was achieved through the leadership efforts of  the British colonial administration, the four missionary bodies then  at Asante Bekwai (namely the Methodist Mission, the English Church Mission, the Catholic Mission and the Seventh-day Adventist Mission) the Asante Bekwai traditional authority and the Achimota College in Accra.  It further discusses the nature of the curriculum of the Centre and its utilization of local expertise in the teaching and learning process   It further discusses the effects of the income generation activities at the Centre.  In this endeavour, a critical analysis of relevant historical information retrieved from the Public Record and Archives Department (PRAAD) office in Asante Region of Ghana was undertaken by the authors. The study, inter alia, revealed that the collaboration between the Centre and stakeholders greatly contributed to the steady progress of the Centre. It was again observed   that the curriculum of the Centre was quite versatile; capable of equipping its beneficiaries to acquire relevant skills for productive livelihoods. The vibrant nature of the Centre was also evident by the fact that the income that was generated from the activities was used to procure some tools for the Centre. Undoubtedly, such an educational initiative was bound to grapple with teething challenges and it was anticipated that such challenges would be quickly addressed for smooth progress of the Centre. Future studies into such challenges and their remedies are thus encouraged. Keywords: Asante Bekwai; Arts and Crafts; mat weaving; pottery, curriculum, Achimot

Bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of common isolates of neonatal sepsis, Ho Municipality, Ghana-2016

Abstract Background Globally, 4 million neonates die annually, with one-third of such deaths occurring as a result of infections. In 2011, there were 7.2million deaths in children below 5 years globally, and a proportion of 40% of these deaths occurred in neonates. Sepsis was reported to account for one-third of these deaths. Presently, multidrug antibiotic resistance is rapidly increasing in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), particularly in developing countries and poses a threat to public health. The change in these organisms has been reported to vary across regions, between health facilities and even within the same facility. Continuous surveillance is required to inform antibiotic choice for neonatal sepsis management. We identified the common causative organisms of neonatal sepsis and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in the Ho municipality. Method A cross sectional study was conducted in the Ho municipality from January to May, 2016. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data from mothers of neonates with clinically suspected of sepsis. Clinical data of both mothers and neonates were extracted from case notes. A 2 ml volume of blood was also taken from neonates and dispensed into a 20 ml mixture of thioglycollate fluid broth and tryptone soy broth for culture and antibiotic susceptibility pattern determined. Results Out of the 150 clinically suspected neonatal sepsis cases, 91 (60.7%) were males. The Median gestational week was 38 (IQR: 36–39) and Median birthweight was 3.0 kg (IQR 2.5–3.4). The prevalence of culture positive sepsis was 17.3% of the 150 suspected cases. A total of 26 different pathogens were isolated, of which gram positive organisms had a preponderance of 18 (69%) over gram negative organisms 8 (31%). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common 14 (53.8%) isolate identified. There was a single isolate (4%) each of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli identified. All the isolates identified showed 100% resistance to ampicillin. Conclusion The prevalence of culture proven sepsis was 17.3% and Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common isolate identified. Pathogens isolated were resistant to the first line drugs for management of neonatal sepsis. Hence, the need for a review of first line drug for empirical treatment in neonatal sepsis

Financial viability of processing broiler chicken into cut parts in Ashanti region of Ghana

This study assessed the financial viability of establishing a 500-bird processing facility to process broiler chicken into cut parts such as thighs, wings, breasts and drumsticks in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Using data from key informants from Ghana’s poultry industry, the study estimated the net present value (NPV), benefit–cost ratio (BCR), internal rate of return (IRR) and the payback period. At a discount rate of 30%, the NPV, BCR, and IRR were estimated to be GH₵ 581,537.95 (US$116,307.59‬), 1.06, 303$ −15,625.7) is recouped in less than a year, reinforcing the project’s viability. However, sensitivity analyses show that the investment ceases to be viable when either the project cash outflow is increased by 9% or cash inflows reduced by 9%. Based on these findings, the study proffers recommendations to help reduce inefficiencies in resource allocation and utilization and enhance project viability

Additional file 1: of Bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of common isolates of neonatal sepsis, Ho Municipality, Ghana-2016

Data spreadsheet. (XLSX 25 kb

Comparative efficacy of low-dose versus standard-dose azithromycin for patients with yaws: a randomised non-inferiority trial in Ghana and Papua New Guinea

Summary: Background: A dose of 30 mg/kg of azithromycin is recommended for treatment of yaws, a disease targeted for global eradication. Treatment with 20 mg/kg of azithromycin is recommended for the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. In some settings, these diseases are co-endemic. We aimed to determine the efficacy of 20 mg/kg of azithromycin compared with 30 mg/kg azithromycin for the treatment of active and latent yaws. Methods: We did a non-inferiority, open-label, randomised controlled trial in children aged 6–15 years who were recruited from schools in Ghana and schools and the community in Papua New Guinea. Participants were enrolled based on the presence of a clinical lesion that was consistent with infectious primary or secondary yaws and a positive rapid diagnostic test for treponemal and non-treponemal antibodies. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either standard-dose (30 mg/kg) or low-dose (20 mg/kg) azithromycin by a computer-generated random number sequence. Health-care workers assessing clinical outcomes in the field were not blinded to the patient's treatment, but investigators involved in statistical or laboratory analyses and the participants were blinded to treatment group. We followed up participants at 4 weeks and 6 months. The primary outcome was cure at 6 months, defined as lesion healing at 4 weeks in patients with active yaws and at least a four-fold decrease in rapid plasma reagin titre from baseline to 6 months in patients with active and latent yaws. Active yaws was defined as a skin lesion that was positive for Treponema pallidum ssp pertenue in PCR testing. We used a non-inferiority margin of 10%. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02344628. Findings: Between June 12, 2015, and July 2, 2016, 583 (65·1%) of 895 children screened were enrolled; 292 patients were assigned a low dose of azithromycin and 291 patients were assigned a standard dose of azithromycin. 191 participants had active yaws and 392 had presumed latent yaws. Complete follow-up to 6 months was available for 157 (82·2%) of 191 patients with active yaws. In cases of active yaws, cure was achieved in 61 (80·3%) of 76 patients in the low-dose group and in 68 (84·0%) of 81 patients in the standard-dose group (difference 3·7%; 95% CI −8·4 to 15·7%; this result did not meet the non-inferiority criterion). There were no serious adverse events reported in response to treatment in either group. The most commonly reported adverse event at 4 weeks was gastrointestinal upset, with eight (2·7%) participants in each group reporting this symptom. Interpretation: In this study, low-dose azithromycin did not meet the prespecified non-inferiority margin compared with standard-dose azithromycin in achieving clinical and serological cure in PCR-confirmed active yaws. Only a single participant (with presumed latent yaws) had definitive serological failure. This work suggests that 20 mg/kg of azithromycin is probably effective against yaws, but further data are needed. Funding: Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases