Language Acculturation and Social Capital Among Migrants in James Town, Accra

This study examines the relative effects of language acculturation on social capital accumulation in the context of a poor urban neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. Acculturation is a fluid concept with multiple dimensions. Generally, it has been described as the extent to which migrants adopt the customs and values of their host populations. The fluidity of the concept has led to different ways of measurement. While a number of studies have assessed acculturation using dimensions such as assimilation, integration, marginalization, and separation to understand migrants lived experiences, there is paucity of research on the impact of language acculturation on social capital formation. Language barrier has been found to be associated with adaptation difficulties among migrants while higher language competency is associated with well-being factors such as lower anxiety and depression. In this study, in the internal migration context, we examine if Ga language competency predicts social capital accumulation among 301 migrants. Using a semi-structured survey questionnaire, we elicited information about migrants' fluency in the Ga language and social capital variables from which a social capital index was created. Using Chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA, at the bivariate level we fitted an ordinal logit regression model. We found that better Ga language fluency is associated with higher social capital. Religiosity (the extent to which the individual practices their religious beliefs) and marital status were significant predictors of social capital. It was concluded that low and high language acculturation was linked to poor and high self-rated health status of migrants in Jamestown. Keywords: Blended mode, online, Sakai LMS, interactivity, student learning DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/68-06 Publication date:May 31st 202

Prediction of Uranium Transport in an Aquifer at a Proposed Uranium In Situ Recovery Site: Geochemical Modeling as a Decision-Making Tool

Roll fronts are some of the most important uranium deposits and are quite common in the United States. Generally, a roll front has an oxidized zone and a reduced zone, the latter being the zone of high mineralization and a target for in situ recovery (ISR) mining. The challenge remains the gathering of information to enable making informed decisions regarding post-mining groundwater quality. In this study, potential uncertainties in uranium sorption on iron oxyhydroxides or hydrous ferric oxides (HFO) following mining were assessed, as these oxidized zones create a greater risk for future uranium transport than fully reduced zones. Using two different geochemical databases, uncertainties in predicting uranium sorption on HFO based on a post-recovery restoration scenario were studied. The scenario was assessed using one-dimensional PHREEQC geochemical modeling simulations with respect to: uranium, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and iron hydroxide concentrations. The results of the simulations showed that uranium concentrations in solution are likely to be controlled by the amount of HFO available for sorption and the concentration of uranium-carbonate complexes formed in the solution. The presence of calcium, through the dissolution of calcite, was found to reduce the adsorption of uranium onto HFO as the resulting uranium-calcium-carbonate complexes are quite soluble. Overall, the simulations provide a procedure for predicting down-gradient uranium concentrations based on ultimate restoration levels at uranium ISR sites. This is important for risk assessment, regulatory enforcement, and decision making

Using telehealth to support community health workers in Uganda during COVID-19:a mixed-method study

Background: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a local consortium in Uganda set up a telehealth approach that aimed to educate 3,500 Community Health Workers (CHW) in rural areas about COVID-19, help them identify, refer and care for potential COVID-19 cases, and support them in continuing their regular community health work. The aim of this study was to assess the functioning of the telehealth approach that was set up to support CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: For this mixed-method study, we combined analysis of routine consultation data from the call-center, 24 interviews with key-informants and two surveys of 150 CHWs. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method of analysis. Results: Between March 2020 and June 2021, a total of 35,553 consultations took place via the call center. While the CHWs made extensive use of the call center, they rarely asked for support for potential Covid-19 cases. According to the CHWs, there were no signs that people in their communities were suffering from severe health problems due to COVID-19. People compared the lack of visible symptoms to diseases such as Ebola and were skeptical about the danger of COVID-19. At the same time, people in rural areas were afraid to report relevant symptoms and get tested for fear of being quarantined and stigmatized. The telehealth approach did prove useful for other purposes, such as supporting CHWs with their regular tasks and coordinating the supply of essential products. The health professionals at the call center supported CHWs in diagnosing, referring and treating patients and adhering to infection prevention and control practices. The CHWs felt more informed and less isolated, saying the support from the call center helped them to provide better care and improved the supply of medicine and other essential health products. Conclusions: The telehealth approach, launched at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided useful support to thousands of CHWs in rural communities in Uganda. The telehealth approach could be quickly set up and scaled up and offers a low cost strategy for providing useful and flexible support to CHWs in rural communities.</p

The Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale: comparison scores from 27 sites in 22 countries

Abstract Household survey data from 27 sites in 22 countries were collected in 2017–2018 in order to construct and validate a cross-cultural household-level water insecurity scale. The resultant Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale presents a useful tool for monitoring and evaluating water interventions as a complement to traditional metrics used by the development community. It can also help track progress toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 ‘clean water and sanitation for all’. We present HWISE scale scores from 27 sites as comparative data for future studies using the HWISE scale in low- and middle-income contexts. Site-level mean scores for HWISE-12 (scored 0–36) ranged from 1.64 (SD 4.22) in Pune, India, to 20.90 (7.50) in Cartagena, Colombia, while site-level mean scores for HWISE-4 (scored 0–12) ranged from 0.51 (1.50) in Pune, India, to 8.21 (2.55) in Punjab, Pakistan. Scores tended to be higher in the dry season as expected. Data from this first implementation of the HWISE scale demonstrate the diversity of water insecurity within and across communities and can help to situate findings from future applications of this tool

The Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale: Comparison scores from 27 sites in 22 countries

Household survey data from 27 sites in 22 countries were collected in 2017–2018 in order to construct and validate a cross-cultural household-level water insecurity scale. The resultant Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale presents a useful tool for monitoring and evaluating water interventions as a complement to traditional metrics used by the development community. It can also help track progress toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 ‘clean water and sanitation for all’. We present HWISE scale scores from 27 sites as comparative data for future studies using the HWISE scale in low-and middle-income contexts. Site-level mean scores for HWISE-12 (scored 0–36) ranged from 1.64 (SD 4.22) in Pune, India, to 20.90 (7.50) in Cartagena, Colombia, while site-level mean scores for HWISE-4 (scored 0–12) ranged from 0.51 (1.50) in Pune, India, to 8.21 (2.55) in Punjab, Pakistan. Scores tended to be higher in the dry season as expected. Data from this first implementation of the HWISE scale demonstrate the diversity of water insecurity within and across communities and can help to situate findings from future applications of this tool

Urban but off the grid: the struggle for water in two urban slums in greater Accra, Ghana

This paper seeks to understand the daily lived struggles for water in two slum settlements in Greater Accra, Ghana. Poor infrastructure and governance leave the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) unable to fulfill the demand for water production in the capital city Accra, thus resulting in chronic intermittency of the urban water supply, and a high percentage of households purchasing water from neighbors and alternative sources such as sachet water, water kiosks, and water tankers. Utilizing theoretical insights from informality discourse, we examine household-level water access and the impacts of water supply disruption on daily lives by analyzing the emergent themes of eight focus group discussions (FGDs) about water access that were conducted in two slum settlements in Greater Accra. We observed intricate effects of water interference on daily lives, including negative perceptions about the government's role in improving water access. The emergent themes from the FGDs included: (1) disruptions of individual and family livelihoods, (2) perceived disenfranchisement from quality water, (3) deprivation in an excluded space, and (4) the effect of exclusion on water rationing. These findings help us better understand the daily lived experiences of residents' struggle for water security in a rapidly developing city and could have ramifications for slum upgrading projects that aim to improve human health and well-being

Piped water flows but sachet consumption grows: The paradoxical drinking water landscape of an urban slum in Ashaiman, Ghana

Packaged “sachet” water has become the primary drinking water source for millions of West Africans despite ongoing controversy over inadequate management of the new waste streams created by all the plastic wrappers. While recent literature from Ghana has shown that municipal water rationing and lower socioeconomic status tend to drive sachet consumption at the metropolitan scale, some low-income communities with a reliable piped water supply still exhibit diverse drinking water-seeking behaviours. This paper explores the drinking water landscape of one poor, informal community in Ashaiman, Ghana, as a case study of the individual- and community-level factors that shape household drinking water decisions. Using the results of a water questionnaire completed by 95 households and the transcripts of four focus groups, our findings suggest that, after controlling for demographics, sachet water consumption is associated with proxies for higher disposable income and lack of knowledge about household water treatment methods, while social processes and attitudes toward water quality do not seem to drive drinking water decisions. This community presents a paradoxical drinking water landscape, as poverty abounds despite excellent piped water access, and low-income households with slightly greater means tend to opt for packaged water as opposed to being driven to it by piped water shortages. These nuances in drinking water purchasing behaviour can inform policy and planning for drinking water provision in urban slums across the region. •This research explores drinking water perceptions in Old Tulaku, an urban slum in Ashaiman, Ghana.•The study synthesizes results from 4 focus groups and survey data from 95 households.•Sachet water consumption is associated with socioeconomic and knowledge factors.•Drivers of water-seeking behaviour are complex and can inform water provision policy

COVID-19 and water access in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana’s free water directive may not benefit water insecure households

COVID-19 has brought global attention to the critical role of water in managing infectious outbreaks. Although Sub-Saharan Africa could become a COVID-19 hotspot, some are optimistic that given the right strategies and interventions the region can contain the pandemic. One such interventions is Ghana\u27s directive to provide free water to domestic users for six months to ensure that water insecure households do not compromise appropriate hygiene and sanitation during COVID-19. We highlight in this commentary how the complex geographies of water provision in the region could undermine the overall benefits of such initiatives, especially to poor and water insecure households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]</p

Self-reported functional, communicative, and critical health literacy on foodborne diseases in Accra, Ghana

Abstract Background Although substantial progress has been made in reducing total mortality resulting from foodborne diseases, diarrheal illness are still the second most common illnesses among children. In Ghana, foodborne diseases have consistently been among the top 20 causes of outpatient illness over the last couple of decades. This study, therefore, examines health literacy on foodborne diseases and the relative effects of health literacy on self-rated health. Methods Foodborne diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality globally. A mixed-method approach was used for this study. A survey questionnaire and an in-depth interview guideline were administered to samples of 401 and 30 individuals, respectively. We undertook reliability and validity analyses. ANOVA and chi-square tests were undertaken to assess bivariate association between health literacy and demographic variables as well as health status. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine the relative effects of health literacy on self-rated health status controlling for individual characteristics. Results The instrument was internally consistent (Cronbach alpha = 0.744) and valid. On health literacy, 40% of the respondents reported not to require help when they are given information on foodborne diseases to read by a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Approximately 60% of respondents need help with completing or filling out hospital documents. Educational level was found to be positively related to functional health literacy. Ordinal logit regression models showed that health literacy is a predictor of self-rated health after controlling for demographic variables. Conclusion Functional literacy is relatively low in the community. There is a positive association between educational level and functional health literacy. The study has also demonstrated the direct positive relationship between health literacy and health status controlling for covariates. Subsequent studies will need to examine multiple level dimensions of health literacy with direct link between specific foodborne diseases and health literacy