The lion in Ghana: its historical and current status

El león en Ghana: su situación pasada y presenteHistóricamente, la población de león (Panthera leo) en Ghana ha sido poco estudiada y su situación actual está poco documentada. Tras los últimos intentos infructuosos de encontrar indicios de la presencia de la especie, son numerosos los autores que opinan que la población de león en Ghana está prácticamente extinguida. En un intento por recabar más datos, desde 2005 hemos venido realizando estudios sobre esta especie en los parques más importantes de Ghana y otras zonas protegidas del país, que se han centrado principalmente en el Parque Nacional de Mole (MNP). Asimismo, hemos examinado los datos publicados con el fin de reconstruir la historia de la presencia del león en el país. Si bien nuestra investigación no aportó datos inequívocos, se recabó información circunstancial que sugiere que aún podría existir una pequeña población de león en el MNP y sus zonas circundantes.Historically, the lion (Panthera leo) population in Ghana has been little studied and its status is poorly documented. Currently, after recent unsuccessful attempts to find signs of the presence of the species, many authors believe that the Ghanaian lion population is most likely extinct. In an attempt to gather more data, since 2005 we have been carrying out lion surveys in the most important parks and other protected areas of Ghana, mainly focusing on Mole National Park (MNP). We have also been extensively reviewing the literature in an attempt to reconstruct the history of the presence of the lion in the country. Although our research has not provided unequivocal evidence of the presence of the lion, we have collected circumstantial evidence that suggests that a small lion population might still be present in MNP and its surrounding areas.El león en Ghana: su situación pasada y presenteHistóricamente, la población de león (Panthera leo) en Ghana ha sido poco estudiada y su situación actual está poco documentada. Tras los últimos intentos infructuosos de encontrar indicios de la presencia de la especie, son numerosos los autores que opinan que la población de león en Ghana está prácticamente extinguida. En un intento por recabar más datos, desde 2005 hemos venido realizando estudios sobre esta especie en los parques más importantes de Ghana y otras zonas protegidas del país, que se han centrado principalmente en el Parque Nacional de Mole (MNP). Asimismo, hemos examinado los datos publicados con el fin de reconstruir la historia de la presencia del león en el país. Si bien nuestra investigación no aportó datos inequívocos, se recabó información circunstancial que sugiere que aún podría existir una pequeña población de león en el MNP y sus zonas circundantes

The Implications of Climate Change on Food Security and Rural Livelihoods: Experiences from Northern Ghana

Climate change has become a developmental issue across the world. This paper examines the implication of climate change on food security and rural livelihoods in northern Ghana. It focuses on the effect of climate change on the principal coordinates of food security and livelihoods of households in northern Ghana. Participant observations and key informant interviews were the main data collection methods employed. The main finding is that communities that hitherto never experienced floods and droughts are now faced with the realities of these natural phenomena and these are adversely affecting food security and household livelihoods. It is recommended that government and its development partners need to adopt a holistic approach to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in northern Ghana if the MDGs are to be achieved. Key Words: Climate Change, Food Security, Livelihoods, Northern Ghana, Social Safet

Nutritional modelling for enhanced livestock productivity in the rangelands of northern Ghana in response to pasture improvement with an adapted tropical legume species

Low digestibility and crude protein concentrations in native pastures compels some nomadic livestock herders in the rangelands of northern Ghana to burn mature and dry forage to encourage regrowth with better nutritive characteristics. This practice, however, typically leads to pasture scarcity in the dry season (Nov-Apr) so that animals lose weight sometimes leading to mortalities. One possible solution to this problem is to introduce an adapted legume with the aim of increasing protein and dry matter intake during the dry season. Currently, there are no data to support this proposition and provide estimates of likely responses of livestock to the introduction of a legume in this grazing system. The main objective of this study was to use the Grazfeed® program to estimate the potential increase in productivity of lambs in response to incorporation of an adapted tropical legume in native Hyperthelia dissoluta (Yellow thatching grass) pastures typical of northern Ghana. Modelling was conducted for unimproved pasture (0% Legume) and improved pasture (30% legume) for both the dry season (November –April) and wet season (May–October). Values for crude protein (CP) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) were as reported by Skerman and Riveros (1990) (Table 1). Values used for green and dead pasture mass of unimproved pasture ranged from 0 to 1.5 and 1.0 to 1.5 T DM/ha, respectively, in the dry season and 1.0 to 3.5 and 0.5 to 1.0 T DM/ha, respectively, in the wet season. Values used for green and dead pasture mass of improved pasture ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 and 1.0 to 2.0 T DM/ha, respectively, in the dry season and 1.0 to 4.0 and 0.5 to 1.0 T DM/ha, respectively, in the wet season. Lambs were classed as 'small Merino' at 20kg liveweight and an average age of 6 months with 1.5 cm fleece as this was the closest match to the Djallonke breed commonly farmed in Ghana. Modelling suggested acceptable weight gains from native pastures could be expected in the wet and early dry seasons, but with weight loss occurring late in the dry season. This is consistent with observations. Modelling suggested that pasture improvement would result in positive weight gains year round with the largest benefit occurring in the dry season. The study concluded that improving native pastures by incorporating an adapted legume at an average 30% of total dry matter would significantly enhance the productivity of livestock in the rangelands of northern Ghana and would avoid the need for the burning of native pastures in the dry season

Willingness to undergo HIV testing in the Kintampo districts of Ghana

Background: HIV testing is currently a major prevention intervention and remains an entry point to early treatment, care and support. Uptake is  however low and alternative approaches are currently being adopted.Objective: An HIV module was incorporated into the routine survey of the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS) to assess the willingness of adults living in the Kintampo North and South districts to undergo HIV testing.Design: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional household survey.  Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify predictors of the willingness to undergo HIV testing.Participants: Respondents were community members aged 15 to 49 years and selected from randomly generated household listings from the KHDSS.Results: A total of 11,604 respondents were interviewed, 10,982 (94.6%) of respondents had good general knowledge on HIV/AIDS. Among those with knowledge about HIV/AIDS, 10,819 (98.5%) indicated their willingness to get tested for HIV. Rural residents were more willing to undergo HIV testing than urban dwellers Odds ratio=1.42 (95% Confidence interval:1.03, 1.96; P-value=0.031). Respondents with primary education were more likely to go for testing relative to those without any education OR=2.02 (95% CI: 0.87, 4.70; P-value=0.046).Conclusion: Expressed willingness to test for HIV is high in this population. Exploring community and population-based interventions to HIV testing and counseling could increase uptake of HIV testing services and should be considered. The underlying motivations need to be explored in order to translate willingness into actual testing.Key words: HIV/AIDS, Routine survey, Willingness to test, Logistic regression, Ghan

Facilitators and Barriers to Uptake of an Extended Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Programme in Ghana: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers and Community Health Workers.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is currently recommended for children under five in areas where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. We explored children's caregivers' and community health workers' (CHWs) responses to an extended 5-month SMC programme. METHODS: Thirteen in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions explored optimal and suboptimal 'uptake' of SMC to examine facilitators and barriers to caregivers' uptake. RESULTS: There did not appear to be major differences between caregivers of children with optimal and sub-optimal SMC uptake in terms of their knowledge of malaria, their perceptions of the effect of SMC on a child's health, nor their understanding of chemoprevention. Caregivers experienced difficulty in prioritising SMC for well children, perceiving medication being for treatment rather than prevention. Prior to the study, caregivers had become accustomed to rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) for malaria, and therefore blood testing for malaria during the baseline survey at the start of the SMC programme may have positively influenced uptake. Facilitators of uptake included caregivers' trust in and respect for administrators of SMC (including CHWs), access to medication and supportive (family) networks. Barriers to uptake related to poor communication of timings of community gatherings, travel distances, absence during SMC home deliveries, and limited demand for SMC due to lack of previous experience. Future delivery of SMC by trained CHWs would be acceptable to caregivers. CONCLUSION: A combination of caregivers' physical access to SMC medication, the drug regimen, trust in the medical profession and perceived norms around malaria prevention all likely influenced caregivers' level of uptake. SMC programmes need to consider: 1) developing supportive, accessible and flexible modes of drug administration including home delivery and village community kiosks; 2) improving demand for preventive medication including the harnessing of learnt trust; and 3) developing community-based networks for users to support optimal uptake of SMC

Predictors of abortions in Rural Ghana: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Abortion continues to be used as a method of family planning by many women. The complications of unsafe abortions are a major contributor to maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. This study explored the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on abortions in 156 communities within the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS) area located in the middle part of Ghana. METHODS: A survey on Sexual and Reproductive Health among a representative sample of females aged 15-49 years was conducted in 2011. They were asked about the outcome of pregnancies that occurred between January 2008 and December 2011. Data on their socio-demographic characteristics including household assets were accessed from the database of the KHDSS. Univariate and multivariate random effects logistic regression models were used to explore the predictors of all reported cases of abortion (induced or spontaneous) and cases of induced abortion respectively. RESULTS: A total of 3554 women were interviewed. Of this total, 2197 women reported on the outcomes of 2723 pregnancies that occurred over the period. The number of all reported cases of abortions (induced and spontaneous) and induced abortions were 370 (13.6%) and 101 (3.7%) respectively. Unmarried women were more likely to have abortion as compared to married women (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.21-2.58], p = 0.003). Women aged 20-29 years were 43% less likely to have abortion in comparison with those within the ages 13-19 years (aOR = 0.57, 95% CI [0.34-0.95], p = 0.030). Women with primary, middle/junior high school (JHS) and at least secondary education had higher odds of having abortion as compared to women without education. Compared with the most poor women, wealthiest women were three-fold likely to have abortion. Unmarried women had higher odds of having induced abortion as compared to married women (aOR = 7.73, 95% CI [2.79-21.44], p < 0.001). Women aged 20-29 years, 30-39 years and 40-49 years were less likely to have induced abortion as compared to those 13-19 years of age. CONCLUSION: Extra efforts are needed to ensure that family planning services, educational programs on abortion and abortion care reach the target groups identified in this study

A typical Kawasaki syndrome in COVID-19 infection: a case report of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child (MIS-C)

The emergence of COVID-19 by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 has seen evolving data reporting infrequent infection in children and mostly mild disease for children who contract the infection. A severe form of COVID-19 in children recently reported in Europe and North America describes a multisystem inflammation syndrome in children (MIS-C), presenting as toxic-shock-like and Kawasaki-like syndromes. Data on MIS-C in Africa is being documented with recent reports from South Africa and Nigeria in black children, but information on MIS-C in Ghana is yet to be characterized. We report the first case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child who tested PCR positive to SARS-CoV2 in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. The case describes a 10-year-old boy who reported Kawasaki-like syndrome without shock but with moderate respiratory distress requiring supportive acute care without the need for intensive care

A review of breeding objectives, genomic resources, and marker-assisted methods in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), one of the most important grain legume crops for direct human consumption, faces many challenges as a crop. Domesticated from wild relatives that inhabit a relatively narrow ecological niche, common bean faces a wide range of biotic and abiotic constraints within its diverse agroecological settings. Biotic stresses impacting common bean include numerous bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases and various insect and nematode pests, and abiotic stresses include drought, heat, cold, and soil nutrient deficiencies or toxicities. Breeding is often local, focusing on improvements in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses that are particular challenges in certain locations and needing to respond to conditions such as day-length regimes. This review describes the major breeding objectives for common bean, followed by a description of major genetic and genomic resources, and an overview of current and prospective marker-assisted methods in common bean breeding. Improvements over traditional breeding methods in CB can result from the use of different approaches. Several important germplasm collections have been densely genotyped, and relatively inexpensive SNP genotyping platforms enable implementation of genomic selection and related marker-assisted breeding approaches. Also important are sociological insights related to demand-led breeding, which considers local value chains, from farmers to traders to retailers and consumers