Confessions of a Sex Tourist--Motorcycling in Ghana, Africa--Part 1

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Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Want to Read saving… Error rating book. Light Falling on Bamboo by Lawrence Scott 3. Aelred's Sin by Lawrence Scott 3. Night Calypso by Lawrence Scott 3. Witchbroom by Lawrence Scott 3. Cracker Cop by Lawrence Scott 4. Double V by Lawrence Scott 4. Leaving by Plane Swimming back Underwater: And other Stories by Lawrence Scott 3. Records were also reviewed at some health facilities and at district levels.

In and , case fatality rates 1. Males were mostly affected. The most affected age group was In , Predictive value positive was Cholera peaked in March and April The Government of Ghana funded the system.

The system is sensitive, simple, stable, flexible, acceptable and representative. It was also useful and data quality was relatively good. Predictive Value Positive was also good. The surveillance system is achieving its set out objectives. The system is sensitive, simple, stable, flexible, and acceptable. Predictive value positive was good. E-waste disposal effects on the aquatic environment: The volume of e-waste is growing around the world, and, increasingly, it is being disposed of by export from developed to developing countries.

This is the situation in Ghana , and, in this paper we address the potential consequences of such e-waste disposal. Herein, we describe how e-waste is processed in Ghana , and what the fate is of e-waste-chemical contaminants during recycling and storage. Finally, to the extent it is known, we address the prospective adverse effects of e-waste-related contaminants on health and aquatic life downstream from a large e-waste disposal facility in Accra , Ghana.

In developing countries, including Ghana , e-waste is routinely disassembled by unprotected workers that utilize rudimentary methods and tools. Once disassembled,e-waste components are often stored in large piles outdoors. These processing and storage methods expose workers and local residents to several heavy metals and organic chemicals that exist in e-waste components. The amount of e-waste dumped in Ghana is increasing annually by about 20, t.

The local aquatic environment is at a potential high risk, because the piles of e-waste components stored outside are routinely drenched or flooded by rainfall, producing run-off from storage sites to local waterways. Both water and sediment samples show that e-waste-related contaminant shave entered Ghana 's water ways. The extent of pollution produced in key water bodies of Ghana Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon underscores the need for aquatic risk assessments of the many contaminants released during e-waste processing.

Notwithstanding the fact that pollutants from other sources reach the water bodies, it is clear that these water bodies are also heavily impacted by contaminants that are found in e-waste. Our concern is that such exposures have limited and will continue to limit the diversity of aquatic organisms. There have also been changes in the abundance and biomass of surviving species and changes in food chains.

Urbanization is a common occurrence in both developed and developing worlds. Similar to occurrences in other developing world cities, Accra 's urbanization is marked by fast, unplanned and uneven growth into mostly peripheral lands Grant and Yankson ; Yeboah ; Ghana Statistical Service GSS Such trends in urbanization in places where data on the urbanization process is seriously inadequate and infrequent, Rakodi a; Ohadika ; Fasona and Omojola pose a major challenge to urban planning and management Henderson , and affect the livelihood base of several peri-urban households.

Properly monitoring the urbanization process in the developing world and understanding its effects on people's lives depends on the availability of useful and up-to- date data Weber and Puissant ; Mundia and Aniya that could be obtained using new and robust analytical techniques Yang In addition, in the urban environment, differences in rates of urbanization, income, employment status, and gender dynamics across neighborhoods suggest that the impacts of increasing urbanization on peri-urban livelihoods are likely to vary across peoples and places.

Against this backdrop, this dissertation uses Accra as a case study to, first, measures the nature and extent of urban expansion using a non-conventional technique, and then analyzes neighborhood - and gender-differentiated impacts of increasing urbanization on household livelihoods in peri-urban Accra.

Improving urban visibility through fractal analysis of street edges: Streets are a representation of cities, and the image of a city is a reflection of its home country. Although attempts to ensure harmonious spatial and environmental development in Ghanaian settlements date back to the colonial era, these efforts have minimal physical manifestation in the urban fabric of the city of Accra.

The Independence Arch of Ghana , an important landmark in the urban fabric and history of Accra , lacks the striking vista and approach it deserves. This paper introduces the Chemical composition and sources of particle pollution in affluent and poor neighborhoods of Accra , Ghana.

The highest levels of air pollution in the world now occur in developing country cities, where air pollution sources differ from high-income countries. We analyzed particulate matter PM chemical composition and estimated the contributions of various sources to particle pollution in poor and affluent neighborhoods of Accra , Ghana. Outside Harmattan, biomass combustion, which was associated with higher black carbon, potassium, and sulfur, accounted for between Other sources were sea salt, vehicle emissions, tire and brake wear, road dust, and solid waste burning.

Reducing air pollution in African cities requires policies related to energy, transportation and urban planning, and forestry and agriculture, with explicit attention to impacts of each strategy in poor communities. Such cross-sectoral integration requires emphasis on urban environment and urban poverty in the post Development Agenda.

Full Text Available Studies on environmental radioactivity in tropical Africa are scarce. The estimated total absorbed dose rate in air D, radium equivalent activity Raeq, external hazard index Hex, annual gonadal dose equivalent AGDE and annual effective dose equivalent AEDE indicated no significant radiological risks from the sediment radioactivity concentrations.

Application of the Environmental Risk from Ionising Contaminants Assessment and Management tool ERICA confirmed that the potential dose rates to biota from the sediment radioactivity concentrations are unlikely to pose appreciable ecological risks. The radioactivity levels are compared with levels reported in sediments from other coastal areas of the world. Facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use in Accra , Ghana: The use of complementary and alternative medicine including herbal medicine is increasing in many countries including Ghana. However, there is paucity of research on the perspectives of patrons of herbal medicine regarding the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use.

This study sought to investigate the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine among Ghanaian adults who use one form of herbal medicine or the other. The study employed an inductive exploratory qualitative approach. It was conducted at a private herbal clinic in Accra. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 16 participants. Data collection was through individual face-to-face interviews and these were transcribed and analysed using content analysis procedures. It was realized that the factors that enhanced the use of herbal medicine included use of convincing information to enhance the initiation of herbal medicine use, effectiveness of herbal medicine, personal preference for herbal medicine, perceived ineffectiveness of western medicine and integration of spirituality in herbal medicine.

The factors that hindered herbal medicine use included negative perceptions and attitudes about herbal medicine, poor vending environment, poor knowledge of vendors, high cost of herbal products at credible herbal clinics and inconsistent effectiveness of some herbal products. Participants desired that the national health insurance scheme will cover the cost of herbal medicine to alleviate the financial burden associated with herbal medicine use. Although some Ghanaians patronize herbal medicine, the negative perceptions about herbal medicine resulting from deceitful producers and vendors call for enhanced education and monitoring to ensure that effective herbal products are used.

Heavy metals in vegetables sampled from farm and market sites in Accra metropolis, Ghana. This study reports for the first time in Ghana long-term monitoring of heavy metal contamination of vegetables. As reliable residue data analysis resulting from monitoring programs in foods is of great value to the general populace; this could address the possible risk of heavy metal exposure to human health.

In all, a total of vegetables cabbage Brassica oleracea , carrot Daucus carota , cucumber Cucumis sativus , green pepper Capsicum annuum and lettuce Lactuca sativa were purchased from farm production and market sites within Accra Metropolis, Ghana. Samples were subjected to acid digestion and analyzed with atomic absorption spectrometer AAS. All the vegetables studied contained at least two 2 or more metals; Elevated concentrations of these metals were also observed in vegetables from markets compared to the farms except As, Cd, Co and Fe.

Ni and Cr were undetected in vegetables from farms, however their maximum concentrations 1. Additionally, the significant metal increases in vegetables from the markets could be due to atmospheric depositions and mode of handling by both farmers and buyers. On the other hand, studies of the soils from the various farm sites had varying mean concentrations of heavy metals, Fe However, all the metal levels in the soil were below EU limits, except As Consumer attitudes towards vegetable attributes: Considering the inappropriate use of synthetic pesticides on vegetables in West Africa, the rationale behind this research was to assess the extent to which consumers can function as demanders of risk reduced vegetables and hence act as innovators towards vegetable safety.

Using the cases of Kumasi and Accra in Ghana , the study examined possible consumer responses to product certification that communicates freedom from pesticides e. Generally, search attributes such as the fresh and healthy appearance of a vegetable were found to be central to consumer choice. While consumers stress the importance of health value, they are mostly unaware of agro-chemical risks related to vegetable consumption. The kaya business is known to pose significant health-related risks to female migrants. This study sought to explore the health-related concerns of female head porters in the Mallam Atta market, Accra , Ghana.

A qualitative study was conducted in which twenty female head porters at the Mallam Atta market in Accra were interviewed. A thematic analysis was performed and the emerging themes were presented and supported with quotations from the respondents. Poor accommodation and eating habits, harsh working conditions, and lack of knowledge about health conditions exposed the respondents to several health-related concerns like neck pains, skin rashes, malaria, cholera, and stomach ache among other infections. The popular means of seeking health care was through purchasing drugs from pharmacies or drug peddlers instead of health facilities.

Financial constraints, lack of faith in the National Health Insurance Scheme, and long waiting periods at the health facilities militated against seeking appropriate health care at the hospitals and clinics. Full Text Available Background. Full Text Available The need to minimise consumer risk, especially for food that can be consumed uncooked, is a continuing public health concern, particularly in places where safe sanitation and hygienic practices are absent.

The use of wastewater in agriculture has been associated with disease risks, though its relative significance in disease transmission remains unclear. This study aimed at identifying key risk factors for produce contamination at different entry points of the food chain. Over produce and ready-to-eat salad samples were collected from fields, markets, and kitchens during the dry and wet seasons in Accra , Ghana , and over soil and irrigation water samples were collected.

All samples were analysed for E. Finally, critical exposures associated with microbial quality of produce were assessed through observations and interviews. Prepared salad from street food vendors was found to be the most contaminated 4. Key risk factors identified for produce contamination were irrigation water and soil at the farm level. Storage duration and temperature of produce had a significant influence on the quality of produce sold at markets, while observations revealed that the washed water used to rinse produce before sale was dirty.

The source of produce and operating with a hygiene permit were found to influence salad microbial quality at kitchens. This study argues for a need to manage produce risk factors at all domains along the food chain, though it would be more effective to prioritise at markets and kitchens due to cost, ease of implementation and public health significance. Occupational hearing loss of market mill workers in the city of Accra , Ghana. Noise induced hearing loss NIHL is an irreversible sensorineural hearing loss associated with exposure to high levels of excessive noise. Prevention measures are not well established in developing countries.

This comparative cross sectional study aims to determine the prevalence of hearing loss in both a group of high risk workers and a control group and to assess their knowledge of the effects of noise on hearing health. A total of market mill workers and controls employed within markets in the city of Accra , Ghana , were evaluated using a structured questionnaire and pure tone audiometry. The questionnaire assessed factors including self-reported hearing loss, tinnitus, knowledge on the effects of noise on hearing health and the use of hearing protective devices.

Pure tone audiometric testing was conducted for both mill workers and controls. Noise levels at the work premises of the mill workers and controls were measured. Symptoms of hearing loss were reported by 24 The prevalence of hearing loss in the better hearing ears of the mill workers and controls was The majority of mill workers did not use hearing protection. Full Text Available Noise induced hearing loss NIHL is an irreversible sensorineural hearing loss associated with exposure to high levels of excessive noise.

Social and environmental factors are increasingly recognized for their ability to influence health outcomes at both individual and neighborhood scales in the developing urban world. Yet issues of spatial heterogeneity in these complex environments may obscure unique elements of neighborhood life that may be protective or harmful to human health. Resident perceptions of neighborhood effects on health may help to fill gaps in our interpretation of household survey results and better inform how to plan and execute neighborhood-level health interventions.

We evaluate differences in housing and socioeconomic indicators and health, environment, and neighborhood perceptions derived from the analysis of a household survey and a series of focus groups in Accra , Ghana. We then explore how neighborhood perceptions can inform survey results and ultimately neighborhood-level health interventions.

Eleven focus groups were conducted across a socioeconomically stratified sample of neighborhoods in Accra , Ghana. General inductive themes from the focus groups were analyzed in tandem with data collected in a household survey of 2, women. In-depth vignettes expand upon the three most salient emergent themes. Household and socioeconomic characteristics derived from the focus groups corroborated findings from the survey data.

Focus group and survey results diverged for three complex health issues: Three vignettes reflecting community views about malaria, health-care access, and sense of personal agency in promoting good health highlight the challenges facing community health interventions in Accra and exemplify how qualitatively derived neighborhood-level health effects can help shape health interventions. Cooking fuel choices and garbage burning practices as determinants of birth weight: Full Text Available Abstract Background Effect of indoor air pollution IAP on birth weight remains largely unexplored but yet purported as the most important environmental exposure for pregnant women in developing countries due to the effects of second-hand smoke.

We investigated the associations between the determinants of indoor air quality in households and birth weight. Methods A cross-sectional study of mothers and their newborns using postnatal services at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital located in Accra , Ghana was conducted in to collect information on characteristics of indoor environment and other potential determinants of fetal growth.

Birth weight was recorded from hospital records. Results Household cooking fuel choices and garbage burning practices were determinants of birth weight. The estimated reductions in birth weight was not statistically significant. Applying the ordinal scale exposure parameter nonetheless revealed a significant exposure-response relationship between maternal exposures from charcoal use and garbage burning, and birth weight. Sensitivity analysis performed by restricting the analysis to term births produced similar results.

Pattern of Breast Diseases in Accra: Review of Mammography Reports. One hundred and eighty radiologic request forms for mammographic evaluations and their corresponding reports from the study period were reviewed. The mean age of the study Characterization and sources of air particulate matter at Kwabenya, near Accra , Ghana. Gravimetric, reflectometric and elemental analyses have been carried out on airborne particulate matter sampled in a semi-rural area of Kwabenya, near Accra-Ghana. The PM 10 aerosols were sampled using a Gent sampler, size segregating the aerosol into coarse PM The data and derived information were generated from days of sampling spanning a period of about 14 months, 28 th December to 12 th February The particulate matter PM at Kwabenya was dominated by the coarse particulates and showed low levels during the Rainy season and high levels during the Harmattan period.

The mass concentration for the measuring period were in the following ranges; coarse PM Additional information about the ambient air was obtained through the subsequent determination of elemental concentration using energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence EDXRF analysis and black carbon BC concentration through the b lack smoke method. The following elements were identified and quantified in the fine fraction: The elemental concentrations in the two fractions vary from season to season.

Using simple correlation analysis some elements correlate, the elemental correlations also vary from season to season, for example during the Harmattan S, CI, V, Br and Sr correlated very.

Experiences of pregnancy and motherhood among teenage mothers in a suburb of Accra , Ghana: The proportion of teenage girls who are mothers or who are currently pregnant in sub-Saharan African countries is staggering. There are many studies regarding teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and family planning among teenagers, but very little is known about what happens after pregnancy, ie, the experience of teenage motherhood.

Several studies in Ghana have identified the determinants of early sexual activity, contraception, and unsafe abortion, with teenage motherhood only mentioned in passing. Few studies have explored the experiences of adolescent mothers in detail with regard to their pregnancy and childbirth. This qualitative study explores the experiences of adolescent mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and care of their newborns. This qualitative study was based on data from focus group discussions and indepth interviews with teenage mothers in a suburb in Accra.

Participants were recruited from health facilities as well as by snowball sampling. Some of the participants became pregnant as a result of transactional sex in order to meet their basic needs, while others became pregnant as a result of sexual violence and exploitation. A few others wanted to become pregnant to command respect from people in society.

In nearly all cases, parents and guardians of the adolescent mothers were upset in the initial stages when they heard the news of the pregnancy. One key finding, quite different from in other societies, was how often teenage pregnancies are eventually accepted, by both the young women and their families.

Also observed was a rarity of willingness to resort to induced abortion.

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Special programs should be initiated by the government and the various. Participation, politics, and panaceas: Full Text Available Water governance debates have increasingly recognized the importance of adaptive governance for short- and long-term sustainability, especially with respect to increasing climate unpredictability and growing urbanization.

A parallel focus on enhancing community participation pervades international development recommendations and policy literature. Indeed, there are often implicit and explicit connections made between the participatory character of water governance institutions and their adaptive capacity. The social-ecological systems literature, however, has also urged caution with respect to embracing panaceas, with increasing calls to be attentive to the limitations of proposed "solutions.

Drawing on interview data, participant observations, and a survey of individuals, we explored what participatory spaces have been opened or foreclosed as well as the possibilities for adaptive urban water governance in Accra. Applying insights from recent debates about panaceas, we argue that discerning the potential and limits for sustainable resource governance and associated development goals requires that participatory mechanisms be subjected to systematic and contextual analysis.

When urban taps run dry: Intraurban differentials in safe drinking water in developing cities have been exacerbated by rapid population growth that exceeds expansion of local water infrastructure. In Accra , Ghana , municipal water is rationed to meet demand, and the gap in water services is increasingly being filled by private water vendors selling packaged "sachet" water. Sachets extend drinking water coverage deeper into low-income areas and alleviate the need for safe water storage, potentially introducing a health benefit over stored tap water.

We explore correlates of using sachets as the primary drinking water source for women in 37 census areas classified as slums by UN-Habitat, and links between sachet water and reported diarrhea episodes in a subset of children under five. We find that neighborhood rationing exerts a strong effect on a household's likelihood of buying sachet water, and that sachet customers tend to be the poorest of the poor.

Sachet use is also associated with higher levels of self-reported overall health in women, and lower likelihood of diarrhea in children. We conclude with implications for sachet regulation in Accra and other sub-Saharan cities facing drinking water shortages. Sachet water consumption and health effects in low income neighborhoods of Accra , Ghana. We explore correlates of using sachets as the primary drinking water source for 2, women in 37 census areas classified as slums by UN-Habitat, and links between sachet water and reported diarrhea episodes in a subset of children under five.

Sachet water quality and brand reputation in two low-income urban communities in greater Accra , Ghana. Sachet water has become an important primary source of drinking water in western Africa, but little is known about bacteriologic quality and improvements to quality control given the recent, rapid evolution of this industry. This report examines basic bacteriologic indicators for 60 sachet water samples from two very low-income communities in Accra , Ghana , and explores the relationship between local perceptions of brand quality and bacteriologic quality after controlling for characteristics of the vending environment.

These results contrast with much of the recent sachet water quality literature and may indicate substantial progress in sachet water regulation and quality control. Sexually active adolescents in Ghana are increasingly at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. As a primary agent of socialization, the family can exert a strong influence on adolescent sexual behaviour. Therefore, to aid in the design and implementation of effective prevention programmes, it is important to understand the role of the family in influencing sexual behaviour among school-going adolescents.

A sample of students Analytical techniques utilized included logistic regression and chi-square. Twenty-five percent of the participants reported being sexually experienced, and Of the sexually experienced students, This study investigated the effects and solutions of work and family conflict among female bankers in Accra Metropolis.

Using triangulatory mixed method design, a structured questionnaire was randomly administered to female bankers and 15 female Bankers who were interviewed were also sampled by using convenient sampling technique. Highly active antiretroviral therapy and employment status in Accra Demographic charac-teristics were tested as predictors of immunological response while on HAART using hierarchical linear models.

Subjects comprised a convenience sam-ple of adult HAART patients receiving therapy for at least 9 months. The treatment offered consisted of Impact of rapid urbanization on mosquitoes and their disease transmission potential in Accra and Tema, Ghana. The total of 75 mosquito species recorded in Accra have declined to 28 species. Contributing factors to this decline and the reduction in prevalence of malaria and bancroftian filariasis in Accra presently include extensive water pollution and a fairly high daily mosquito mortality due to several factors including loss of natural adult resting places, use of mosquito repellents and the probable increase of Anopheles arabiensis population.

Presently low yellow fever incidence is due inter alia to loss of its feral vectors and reduced intradomiciliary breeding of Aedes aegypti L although more common species like A. However because of ready availability of human blood, spill-over of viruses from reservoir hosts to man will be rare. Ipso factor, malaria is the most common mosquito-borne disease with centripetal distribution of prevalence. Living with Familiar Hazards: Full Text Available The paper explores demographic characteristics, migration history, and impact of flooding on households and communities.

The main objective is to explore the different ways in which floods impact households and communities in Accra. Specifically, the paper analyzes how floods alter the set of resources available to households and communities. The results indicate that urbanization and governmental policies have rendered more people, especially the poor and recent migrants, homeless. These homeless people have become more vulnerable to flooding than the average Accra resident. The results also show that the homeless community contrast with the fixed community in terms of socio-economic characteristics, degree of social cohesion, and physical location.

The paper concludes that the unchanging pattern of vulnerability shows the inability of a society to cope and adjust to familiar hazards. Advancing obstetric and neonatal care in a regional hospital in Ghana via continuous quality improvement. To reduce maternal and neonatal death at a large regional hospital through the use of quality improvement methodologies. In , Kybele and the Ghana Health Service formed a partnership to analyze systems and patient care processes at a regional hospital in Accra , Ghana. A model encompassing continuous assessment, implementation, advocacy, outputs, and outcomes was designed.

Key areas for improvement were grouped into "bundles" based on personnel, systems management, and service quality. Primary outcomes included maternal and perinatal mortality, and case fatality rates for hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders. Implementation and outcomes were evaluated tri-annually between and Case fatality rates for pre-eclampsia and hemorrhage decreased from 3.

Inflammatory bowel disease at the korle bu teaching hospital , accra.

SummaryCase files of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD managed by the author in the Medical Department over the period - have been reviewed to identify some features of the disease that may aid improved diagnosis and management. The findings indicate that IBD may not be rare in the country and that there is usually a long delay in establishing the diagnosis.

It appears that, in Ghana , more males than females are affected and that most are fifty years of age or below. Malignant colonic change is uncommon but there is a high default rate among the patients. Cases managed in an Arab country, between and , have been compared. In that group more female than male patients were affected but the commonest age group affected was similar. The diagnosis was similarly delayed but no deaths were recorded as opposed to the Ghana patients.

Since Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD is a potentially treatable condition medical practitioners need increased awareness to avoid undue delay in diagnosis. Determination of radon in soil and water in parts of Accra , and generation of preliminary radon map for Ghana. The research was focused on determining the radon levels in soil and water in parts of Accra , generate a preliminary radon map for Ghana and estimate a pilot reference level for the country, using the data obtained from this research and collated data from other researchers.

The radon gas measurement was done with the passive method, using the SSNTDs which are sensitive to alpha particles emitted by radon. Cellulose nitrate LR — type II alpha particle detectors were used. The detectors were chemically etched in a 2. The images of the etched detectors were acquired by means of a scanner and then tracks counted with ImageJ software. The average soil radon concentration in the study area ranges from 0. The radon concentration in water from the study area ranges from 0. A strong negative correlation has been established between radon in soil and water in the study area.

The preliminary national average indoor, water and soil radon concentrations are Bqm"-"3, Accordingly, the pilot national indoor radon reference level for Ghana is set as Bqm"-"3. Seismic ground motion and hazard assessment of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, southeastern Ghana. The seismic ground motion of the Greater Accra Metropolitan area has been computed and the hazard zones assessed using a deterministic hybrid approach based on the modal summation and finite difference methods. The seismic ground motion along four profiles located in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area has been modelled using the earthquake of magnitude 6.

Synthetic seismic waveforms from which parameters for engineering design such as peak ground acceleration, velocity and spectral amplifications have been produced along the geological cross sections. From the seismograms computed, the seismic hazard of the metropolis, expressed in terms of peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity have been estimated. The peak ground acceleration estimated in the study ranges from 0. The presence of low velocity sediments gave rise to high peak values and amplifications.

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The maximum peak ground accelerations estimated are located in areas with low velocity formations such as colluvium, continental and marine deposits. Areas in the metropolis underlain by unconsolidated sediments have been classified as the maximum damage potential zone and those underlain by highly consolidated geological materials are classified as low damage potential zone. The results of the numerical simulation have been extended to all areas in the metropolis with similar geological formation. Organochlorine pesticide residues in sardinella aurita from the coastal waters of Accra -Tema, Ghana and their potential health risks.

Sardinella aurita and seawater samples from the Accra -Tema coast of Ghana were analysed for organochlorine OC pesticides using gas chromatography GC with electron capture detection ECD. These residues were, however, below the detection limit in seawater samples. Leaf epidermal strips and transverse sections were mounted in Canada balsam and studied. The anatomical studies revealed numerous stomata on the lower epidermis of Azadirachta indica. The anatomical studies revealed the presence of thick cuticles, double-layered palisade mesophyll in most species and the presence of epidermal hairs in some species.

Ficus capensis showed the presence of cystolith in the lower epidermis whereas Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides showed the presence of mucilage gland in the upper epidermis. Epidermal cell of Chromolaena odorata are very large with undulating cell walls. The species studied had various adaptive anatomical features. The stomatal frequency of Azadirachta indica was very high. With the exception of Chromolaena odorata the stomatal frequencies of the species were relatively high.

The stomatal dimensions showed that most of the species maintained constant stomatal length during the study period except Griffonia simplicifolia that increased the stomatal width during the afternoon. Unlike Morinda lucida, Griffonia simplicifolia and Chromolaena odorata, that showed reduction in the breadth of stomata, the other species maintained constant stomatal width. Distance threshold for the effect of urban agriculture on elevated self-reported malaria prevalence in Accra , Ghana.

Irrigated urban agriculture UA , which has helped alleviate poverty and increase food security in rapidly urbanizing sub-Saharan Africa, may inadvertently support malaria vectors. Previous studies have not identified a variable distance effect on malaria prevalence from UA. This study examines the relationships between self-reported malaria information for 3, women surveyed in Accra , Ghana , in , and both household characteristics and proximity to sites of UA.

Malaria self-reports are associated with age, education, overall health, socioeconomic status, and solid waste disposal method. The odds of self-reported malaria are significantly higher for women living within 1 km of UA compared with all women living near an irrigation source, the association disappearing beyond this critical distance. Malaria prevalence is often elevated in communities within 1 km of UA despite more favorable socio-economic characteristics than communities beyond 1 km.

Neighborhoods within 1 km of UA should be reconsidered as a priority for malaria-related care. Factors influencing use of analgesics among construction workers in the Ga-Eastmunicipality of the Greater Accra region, Ghana. Analgesics also known as painkillers are widely used for pain relief. There are severe health implications associated with excessive use of analgesics. This is a cross-sectional study involving construction workers randomly sampled from 7 construction sites in the GEM.

A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses on knowledge of analgesics, types of analgesics used and factors influencing the use of analgesics. Chi-square test analysis was used to examine factors influencing analgesic use. The majority of workers were aged between 15 to 44 years Television and radio advertisements influenced use of analgesics peffects was inadequate.

Pharmacists and chemists involvement in education of clients of the side effects of analgesics is highly recommended to minimise misuse. The Food and Drugs Authority should regulate the proliferation of advertisements for analgesics in the media. Listening to women's voices: Women who survive severe obstetric complications can provide insight into risk factors and potential strategies for prevention of maternal morbidity as well as maternal mortality.

We interviewed 32 women, in an urban facility in Ghana , who had experienced severe morbidity defined using a standardized WHO near-miss definition and identification criteria. Women provided personal accounts of their experiences of severe maternal morbidity and perceptions of the care they received. The most common themes surrounding the traumatic delivery were the fear of dying and concern over the potential or actual loss of the baby.

For many women, the loss of a baby negatively influenced how they viewed and coped with this experience. Women's perceptions of the quality of the care highlighted several key factors such as the importance of information, good communication and attitudes, and availability of human i. Our results suggest that experiences of women with severe maternal morbidity may inform different aspects of quality improvement in the facilities, which in turn have a positive impact on future health seeking behavior, service utilization and reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality.

Decision-making for induced abortion can be influenced by various circumstances including those surrounding onset of a pregnancy. There are various dimensions to induced abortion decision-making among women who had an elective induced abortion in a cosmopolitan urban setting in Ghana , which this paper Extending the moral economy beyond households: Gendered livelihood strategies of single migrant women in Accra , Ghana. This article highlights how single migrant women SMW from rural northern Ghana generate livelihoods through the adoption of both market and non-market based strategies by extending and then prioritising moral obligations to community members beyond their immediate households instead of focusing on.

Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine including herbal medicine is increasing in many countries including Ghana. Methods The study employed an inductive exploratory qua Explanatory models of diabetes in urban poor communities in Accra , Ghana. The objective of the study was to examine explanatory models of diabetes and diabetes complications among urban poor Ghanaians living with diabetes and implications for developing secondary prevention strategies.

Twenty adults with type 2 diabetes were recruited from three poor communities in Accra. Qualitative data were obtained using interviews that run between 40 and 90 minutes. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically, informed by the 'explanatory model of disease' concept. Respondents associated diabetes and its complications with diet, family history, lifestyle factors smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and physical inactivity , psychological stress and supernatural factors witchcraft and sorcery. These associations were informed by biomedical and cultural models of diabetes and disease.

Subjective experience, through a process of 'body-listening,' constituted a third model on which respondents drew to theorise diabetes complications. Poverty was an important mediator of poor self-care practices, including treatment non-adherence. The biomedical model of diabetes was a major source of legitimate information for self-care practices.

However, this was understood and applied through a complex framework of cultural theories of chronic disease, the biopsychological impact of everyday illness experience and the disempowering effects of poverty. An integrated biopsychosocial approach is proposed for diabetes intervention in this research community. Urban Household Characteristics and Dietary Diversity: The world's population is increasingly becoming urbanized. If the current urban growth rate is to continue, new and unprecedented challenges for food security will be inevitable.

Dietary diversity has been used to ascertain food security status albeit at the multicountry and country levels. Thus, household-level studies in urban settings, particularly in sub-Sahara African, are few. Yet, it is imperative that assessments of food security are undertaken particularly in urban settings, due to the projected fast rate of urbanization and the challenges of attaining food security. To examine household characteristics and dietary diversity. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are undertaken.

Mean dietary diversity for all households is 6. Vegetables have the highest diversity, followed by cereal-based and grain products. Household characteristics that have statistically significant associations with dietary diversity include sex and level of education of household head, household wealth quintile, and source of food. The study brings to fore issues related to resource-disadvantaged entities of the urban system, namely, females, poor households, and the non-educated who have food insecurity problems.

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Special programs should be initiated by the government and the various responsible departments to address ignorance on sexual matters, and the challenges and risks associated with pregnancy and parenting by adolescents. Parenting techniques should be taught in sex education programs. Care decision making of frontline providers of maternal and newborn health services in the greater Accra region of Ghana.

Full Text Available To explore the "how" and "why" of care decision making by frontline providers of maternal and newborn services in the Greater Accra region of Ghana and determine appropriate interventions needed to support its quality and related maternal and neonatal outcomes. A cross sectional and descriptive mixed method study involving a desk review of maternal and newborn care protocols and guidelines availability, focus group discussions and administration of a structured questionnaire and observational checklist to frontline providers of maternal and newborn care.

Tacit knowledge or 'mind lines' was an important primary approach to care decision making. When available, protocols and guidelines were used as decision making aids, especially when they were simple handy tools and in situations where providers were not sure what their next step in management had to be.

Expert opinion and peer consultation were also used through face to face discussions, phone calls, text messages, and occasional emails depending on the urgency and communication medium access. Health system constraints such as availability of staff, essential medicines, supplies and equipment; management issues including leadership and interpersonal relations among staff, and barriers to referral were important influences in decision making.

Frontline health providers welcomed the idea of interventions to support clinical decision making and made several proposals towards the development of such an intervention. They felt such an intervention ought to be multi-faceted to impact the multiple influences simultaneously. Effective interventions would also need to address immediate challenges as well as more long-term challenges influencing decision-making.

A multi-faceted intervention is probably the best way to make a. Waste electrical and electronic Equipment E-Wastes management in Ghana: Ghana has relatively large volumes of e-wastes but inefficient recycling methods adopted by the informal sector causes both environmental contamination and potential loss of scarce metals. The control of pollution and management of e-wastes are twin challenges confronted by Ghana. The main objective of the study is to assess the extent to which the current methods employed in e-waste management in Ghana promote sound environmental management.

Interviews and field observations were used to collect and collate data from key stakeholders on sustainable e-wastes management in Ghana. The results of the field survey revealed that there were three main method of getting e-waste into the yard; house-to-house collection, business-to-business collection and e-waste from dump sites. The challenges of the scrap dealers identified include; rampant arrests and beatings of collectors, fluctuating prices of general scraps, transportation costs, lack of access to working capital as well as ethnic, political and religious difference among the scrap dealers.

Lead levels registered in the in the soil samples analyzed ranged from All the sampling sites showed very high. Levels and sources of particulate lead in air at Kwabenya, Accra , Ghana. I banned the production, importation, storage, sale and use of leaded gasoline in Ghana with effect from 1 st January The aim of this work is to find out the contribution of lead to the atmospheric aerosol two years after the coming into force of the ban.

The sampling was done using a Gent sampler with stacked filter units and the aerosol collected size fractionated into PM 2. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence EDXRF analysis was used to identify and quantify lead Pb and other elements in both the coarse and fine fractions. The average concentration of Pb in the ambient air was 1. The average total of both the coarse and fine fractions which is PM 10 was 2. Assessment of heavy metal contamination, levels in topsoil at selected auto-workshops in Accra , Ghana.

The research was conducted to assess the levels of contamination of heavy metals in the topsoil at selected auto-workshops in Accra to determine the anthropogenic and crustal contributions and the human heath risk associated with them. Soil samples collected from four auto-workshops were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Pollution indices; contamintion factor Cf index of geoaccumulation Igeo and pollution load index PLI were used to assess the contamination levels.

It revealed the extent of contamination at the auto-workshops for most of the elements which range from low to considerate contamintion. Lead Pb recorded the greatest contamination levels at the auto-electrical location. The results from the index of geoccumulation showed no pollution to highly pollution indicting high variations of pollution levels at different locations.

The results of the PLI in almost all locations ranged from moderately to extremely polluted. Noncancer effect on children and adults due to exposure to the topsoil were also estimated with some selected metal elements. The hazard quotient HQ evaluation, showed ingestion to be the route of exposure to soil dust that results in a higher risk for heavy metals, followed by dermal contact.

The effect due to inhalation of resuspended dust particles through the mouth and nose is relatively low. It was observed that, the auto-workshops are generally polluted with heavy metals and therefore posing ill-health effect to the humans and the environment. A Feasibility Study in Accra , Ghana. Use of drinking water sold in plastic bags sachet water is growing rapidly in west Africa. The impact on water consumption and child health remains unclear, and a debate on the taxation and regulation of sachet water is ongoing.

This study assessed the feasibility of providing subsidized sachet water to low-income urban households in Accra and measured the resultant changes in water consumption. A total of 86 children, months of age in neighborhoods lacking indoor piped water, were randomized to three study arms. The control group received education about diarrhea.

The third arm received vouchers for the same water sachet volume at half price plus education. Water consumption was measured at baseline and followed for 4 months thereafter. No change in water consumption was observed in the half-price arm, although the study was not powered to detect such differences.

In the free-sachet-voucher arm, estimated sachet water consumption increased by 0. The increase in sachet water consumption by children in the free-sachet-voucher arm shows that provision of fully subsidized water sachets might improve the quality of drinking water consumed by children. Further research is needed to quantify this and any related child health impacts. Beliefs about and treatment of mental disorders by traditional medicine-men in Accra , Ghana.

Traditional healing methods are considered central to mental health care in low-income countries such as Ghana , because they are perceived to be more easily accessible, more affordable and generally ascribe similar causal beliefs to those of the patients. However, not much is known about the work of traditional healers largely because their methods are shrouded in mysticism and secrecy. There is a need to understand the ideology and beliefs of traditional healers surrounding mental disorders, including knowledge about their practices in mental health care.

In this article, we discuss the causal beliefs and treatment methods of traditional medicine-men from Accra , Ghana. We also describe their diagnostic and treatment methods for mental disorders. Eight medicine-men, indigenous to the Greater Accra Region, were interviewed through individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed through thematic analysis. The medicine-men's beliefs about mental illness were dominated by supernatural ideas.

Mental illness was also seen as a form of punishment or resulting from envy, and there was a strong reliance on spiritual direction from the gods for diagnosis and treatment. These themes are discussed with emphasis on their potential implications for patients, as well as for collaborative efforts. In , the government of Ghana implemented a national user fee maternal care exemption policy through the National Health Insurance Scheme to improve financial access to maternal health services and reduce maternal as well as perinatal deaths.

Although evidence shows that there has been some success with this initiative, there are still issues relating to cost of care to beneficiaries of the initiative. A qualitative study, comprising 12 focus group discussions and 6 interviews, was conducted with 90 women in six selected urban neighborhoods in Accra , Ghana , to examine users' perspectives regarding the implementation of this policy initiative. Findings showed that direct cost of delivery care services was entirely free, but costs related to antenatal care services and indirect costs related to delivery care still limit the use of hospital -based midwifery and obstetric care.

There was also misunderstanding about the initiative due to misinformation created by the government through the media. We recommend that issues related to both direct and indirect costs of antenatal and delivery care provided in public health-care facilities must be addressed to eliminate some of the lingering barriers relating to cost hindering the smooth operation and sustainability of the maternal care fee exemption policy. Assessing the impact of sea-level rise on a vulnerable coastal community in Accra , Ghana.

Full Text Available Climate change and its associated sea-level rise are expected to significantly affect vulnerable coastal communities. Although the extent of the impact will be localised, its assessment will adopt a monitoring approach that applies globally. The topography of the beach, the type of geological material and the level of human intervention will determine the extent of the area to be flooded and the rate at which the shoreline will move inland.

Gleefe, a coastal community in Ghana , has experienced frequent flooding in recent times due to the increasing occurrence of storm surge and sea-level rise. This study used available geospatial data and field measurements to determine how the beach topography has contributed to the incidence of flooding at Gleefe.

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