Towards Secure and Decent Work for Migrant Youth in Ghana

Poverty and poor livelihood prospects are driving tens of thousands of young people from rural northern regions to southern cities in Ghana in the hope of achieving better jobs and greater social mobility. However, while some are realising their ambitions, the majority face precarious living situations and uncertain work trajectories which result from the limited opportunities open to them in the informal sector. Based on evidence on young migrants in Ghana, the government needs to extend awareness campaigns to young people in the north on the risks associated with city work, and enforce laws to protect migrant workers in order to prevent their exploitation.The MasterCard Foundatio

The growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler guinea fowls (Numida meleagris) fed on diets containing RE3™ probiotics

The increasing abuse of antibiotics in production of food animals has led to development of resistant strains of bacteria (and other microbiota) which are responsible for several infectious diseases in animals and in humans. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of RE3TM, a third-generation probiotic used in place of a conventional antibiotics (to minimise incidence of antimicrobial resistance in livestock and human consumers), on growth performance and some carcass characteristics of guinea fowls. One hundred and twenty guinea fowl keets of mixed sexes with an average weight of 28.3±0.364g were used for the study conducted in a Completely Randomised Design. There were 4 treatments in which RE3TM was incorporated at; 0.0ml/kg feed (Diet 1; Control), 1.0ml/kg feed (Diet 2) ,1.5ml/kg feed (Diet 3) and 2.0ml/kg feed (Diet 4); each treatment had 30 birds. The feeding trial covered the entire meat production phase (starter, grower and finisher) which lasted for 84 days. Feed and water were given ad libitum. At maturity (12 weeks old), a total of thirty-six (36) birds (9 from each treatment, comprising 5 males and 4 females across the treatments) were selected, weighed and slaughtered. Carcass and viscera weights were taken, carcasses were then sectioned into primal cuts after 24-hour chilling at 4°C. Breast muscles from sampled carcasses were grilled for sensory evaluation by a trained panel, whilst the thigh muscles were subjected to proximate analyses. Data obtained were analysed for statistical significance using the one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Test, of the GenStat Statistical Package (Discovery Edition, VSN, 2012). Results obtained showed higher (p < 0.05) growth rates and lower feed conversion ratio for birds on the diets with 1.0 ml of RE3TM per Kg feed The carcass and body parts characteristics assessed however, showed no significant differences (p > 0.05), except for the thighs which were heavier (p < 0.05) in birds on the RE3TM supplemented diets, compared with those on the control diets. The use of RE3™ probiotics, up to 2.0ml/kg feed for guinea fowls, had no adverse effects on the growth of the birds, but it reduced the cost of providing medication for the birds. Fat content in the meat reduced, as inclusions of RE3TM increased in the diets. It is recommended that relevant Government authorities and other stakeholders should aid in promoting the use of probiotics, instead of antibiotics in livestock production to minimise possible antibiotic residue in meat

Pedagogies for critical thinking at universities in Kenya, Ghana and Botswana: the importance of a collective 'teaching culture'

While critical thinking is widely regarded as a key outcome of higher education, research has shown that in practice it is only developed when certain conditions are in place, relating to the pedagogical approach, the nature of the curriculum and the level of challenge, amongst other factors. This article reports on findings from a four-year mixed methods study in Botswana, Ghana and Kenya, aiming to investigate the factors underpinning the successful development of critical thinking amongst undergraduate students. A two-stage critical thinking assessment was conducted with students in 15 sites, showing that only some of the institutions were ensuring significant gains in students’ critical thinking, even when endorsing learner-centred methods. The study points to the central importance of teaching orientations amongst lecturers, involving a deep shift in approaches to knowledge, and a facilitation rather than a transmission approach

Brachial Flow-Mediated Dilation and Incident Atrial Fibrillation The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Objective—It is unknown whether endothelial dysfunction precedes atrial fibrillation (AF) development. The objective of this study was to examine the association of brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) with incident AF. Approach and Results—A total of 2936 participants (mean age, 61±9.9 years; 50% women; 66% nonwhites) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with available ultrasound brachial FMD measurements who were free of baseline AF were included in this analysis. Baseline (2000–2002) FMD was computed from the percentage difference (%FMD) in brachial artery diameter and maximum diameter during measured vasodilator response. AF was ascertained from hospitalization data including Medicare claims during a median follow-up of 8.5 years. Probability-weighted Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to compute hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between FMD as a continuous variable (%FMD values per 1-SD increase) and incident AF. Incident AF was detected in 137 (4.7%) participants. Those with %FMD values below the sex-specific median value (median %FMD; men, 3.6%; women, 4.2%; incidence rate per 1000 person-years, 7.3; 95% confidence interval, 5.9–9.0) were more likely to develop AF than people whose %FMD values were above the median value (incidence rate per 1000 person-years, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 3.4–5.8; log-rank P=0.0043). In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, each 1-SD increase in %FMD values (SD, 2.8%) was associated with less incident AF (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.99). These results were consistent across subgroups stratified by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Conclusions—Smaller brachial FMD values are associated with higher rates of AF, sugge

Can a constructivist, community-based intervention increase student motivation to study history? A case study from Ghana

Student interest in studying history is in decline in Ghana, as it is in secondary schools in many other parts of the world. Can student interest be stimulated, and can they be better served, by a curriculum that includes a focus on community, belonging and co-creation? This article details a preliminary intervention of just such a learning unit in a high school in Central Region, Ghana. Using a framework aligned with the historically responsive literacy approach, this programme supported student-directed research into aspects of local and personal history. The evidence from this study suggests that student motivation did increase, justifying an expanded future study of greater length, with additional participants, and building on the lessons from this preliminary effort

Investigating the reading comprehension ability of Grade 9 (Form 2) learners at Bulawayo central district high schools in Zimbabwe

Reading ability is important in education, as it transcends all forms of learning. Poor reading ability usually means that a learner will encounter academic challenges and perform poorly at school. Grade 9 (form 2) learners in Zimbabwe were thought to have been disadvantaged during Zimbabwe’s economic turmoil from 2006 to 2008. There were so many disruptions and instances of absenteeism in government schools during that period that these learners, who were in grade R at the time, may not have received adequate reading instruction. The aim of the study was to investigate the reading comprehension levels of grade 9 (form 2) learners in Bulawayo Central District high schools in Zimbabwe to determine whether they were disadvantaged by the disruptions, and to what extent. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect data to establish the learners’ reading proficiency and to determine what factors influenced their reading proficiency. Forty-eight learners from government schools and 22 from private schools voluntarily wrote a reading comprehension test and provided narratives on their reading development. The test results were analysed using ANOVA and the narratives were analysed using content analysis. The test results showed that the reading comprehension level of the cohort of grade 9 (form 2) learners in government schools was below that expected for grade 4. The narratives of the government school learners were also fraught with errors, whereas private school learners wrote better narratives. The study therefore showed that the reading proficiency of the government school learners who were in grade R in 2008 was below the required level. The learners’ reading development seems to have been adversely affected by the national disruptions. Recommendations are made for interventions to improve the reading proficiency of grade 9 learners in government schools before they pursue tertiary education.https://perlinguam.journals.ac.za/pub/indexpm2020Unit for Academic Literac

Perceptions of workers on the benefits of institutional source sorting: A case of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR), Accra, Ghana

The management of solid wastes at the workplace in Ghana is characterised by mixed wastes pickup delays, dustbin overflows and leakage of plastic bags into the environment. Benefits from the pilot of source sorting as a mitigation measure at the workplace are unavailable in literature. Hence, the study employed descriptive statistical tools to assess the advantages of a piloted source sorting system at the CSIR-IIR. The sampled size was 100 staff with an 80% questionnaire recovery rate. The analysis of data showed that, the implementation of segregation at source transformed the social approach of workers towards waste management. Most workers (97.7%) preferred sorting their wastes at source irrespective of the location of the generation point. A congenial environment was created by the source separation infra­structure, which made staff worked better, (70% responses). The majority of staff (95.2%) confirmed the savings made by the Institute on the cost of landfilling. The sorting at source improved cleanliness of the compound (97.6% responses) and eliminated open-air burning of wastes (95.1% responses). In all, the source segregation was beneficial to the social, economic and environmental well-being of staff and management of the Institution

Cardiovascular risk markers in type II diabetes and hypertension at the Battor Catholic Hospital, Volta Region of Ghana

Background:Inflammation has been suugested to be associated with hypertension and type 2 diabetes; inflammation either precedes or is a consequence of the development of these diseases. This study sought to evaluate the role of inflammatory markers as cardiovascular risk factors and also determine their association with other potential risk factor variables among Ghanaian type 2 diabetes and hypertensive study participants undergoing medical care at the Battor Catholic Hospital in the Volta Region.Methods:This hospital-based case-control study was conducted between December 2012 and February 2013, involving 125 participants with hypertension, type 2 diabetes or both. The control group consisted of 62 age-matched healthy individuals. Socio-demographic data was captured  using a semi-structured questionnaire, anthropometric, haematological and biochemical variables were obtained using standard methods.Results:The levels of inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, ESR and WBC) with the exception of TNF-α were higher among the case participants  compared to the controls. The case participants were more likely to cluster at higher quartiles of inflammatory biomarkers whilst the reverse was observed among the control group.Conclusion:In this study among Ghanaians presenting with hypertension and type 2 diabetes,low-grade systemic inflammation in association with poor glycaemic control, haemodynamic dysregulation as well as disordered body fat distribution could be playing key roles in predisposing these individuals to future adverse cardiovascular outcomes