Welcome to UGSpace
UGSpace is the institutional repository of the University of Ghana. UGSpace is an open access electronic archive for the collection, preservation and distribution of digital materials.
- facilitate the deposit of digital content of a scholarly or heritage nature
- and ultimately share, preserve and promote the intellectual output of the University in a managed environment.
Communities in UGSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
- Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.
- Grey literature consists of research and information produced outside conventional publishing channels, such as reports, policy briefs, working papers, and conference materials. It offers valuable insights and data that complement peer-reviewed sources, supporting research, policy, and practice.
- The J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives preserve Ghanaian and African cultural heritage through music, oral traditions, photographs, and audiovisual collections. Guided by Professor Nketia’s vision that African traditional arts must be collected, preserved, practiced, and continually inspire creative expression, the Archives serve as a living resource for scholarship, teaching, and innovation
- «
- 1 (current)
- 2
- 3
- »
Recent Submissions
Opulation Dynamics, Land Use/Cover Change and Flood Risk in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA).
(University of Ghana, 2022) Letsa, C.B.
Flood disasters have become universal, causing damage to human lives and
properties. The occurrences of flood disasters also impede social and economic growth.
Accra is facing floods and flood disasters annually with impacts on the poor and
vulnerable which cannot be overemphasized. The relationship between population
growth and land use/land cover (LULC) changes is well-documented. However, there
is a dearth of knowledge on their joint effect on flood disaster risk in Ghana. Using a
quantitative approach, this study examined the impact of changes in population growth
and LULC on future flood risk of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). The
GAMA is an agglomeration of districts which are typically low-lying, coastal, and
urbanized. The seven selected districts are Adenta, Ashaiman, Kpone Katamanso, La
Dade-Kotopon, Ledzokuku-Krowor and Tema. Data used were multiple, including a
cross-sectional survey, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing
such as Landsat and NASA imagery, weather data, i.e., rainfall and temperature data
from the Ghana Meteorological Authority and population census data from the Ghana
Statistical Service (GSS). The land use/ land cover classes were determined using an
unsupervised land use/land cover classification of historical Landsat imageries in an
ERDAS software environment. Furthermore, an Ordinary Least Square (OLS)
regression model was executed in ArcGIS to obtain the predictors of flood risk. In
forecasting future flood risks, three scenarios- trend, liberalization, and self-sufficiency - were built based on assumptions on changes in LULC, population and economic
growth. The Modules for Land Use Change Simulations (MOLUSCE) was used to
project changes in LULC. This data used together with projected population, economic
growth, and other predictors of flood risk in the OLS were used to forecast flood risk.
Presently, almost half (45.2%) of GAMA is prone to high flood risk. Predictors of flood risk included population, slope, rainfall, built-up spaces (human
settlements), areas covered by impervious surfaces, wealth, and proximity of a building
(human settlement) to a water body. In 2010, there was a 15.7% increase in the
population of GAMA. Between 1990 and 2020, built-up area coverage increased by
31.9%. In the future, there is a possibility of exacerbated flood risk in GAMA given
high population growth, rapid uncontrolled urbanization, and poor land use practices.
Flood risk was forecasted for 2030, 2040 and 2050 and on average, medium flood risk
was dominant. However, comparatively, under the trend scenario, high flood risk will
be relatively pervasive in the future. Most parts of GAMA are likely to encounter
medium flood risk which has the highest likelihood under the liberalization scenario.
Low flood risk is more likely to be experienced under the self-sufficiency scenario
especially at later dates as there were assumptions of high economic growth and
prioritization of sustainability of the environment. This study has shown that there is
high population growth in GAMA. There was evidence of accelerated changes in LULC
visible in the spatial analysis of the city. The impact of changes in population growth
and LULC might be dire if efficient planning of the urban space of GAMA is not
expedited. Therefore, based on the forecast, the impacts of flood disasters in GAMA
can be lowered in the future by employing appropriate policies and strategies for
population growth and LULC. The improvement in land use by penalizing poor land
use practices and promoting the building of space-saving accommodation types are
recommended.
Trading Activities and Lived Experiences of Chinese Immigrant Traders in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2022) Narh, C.
In the last two decades, international migration has seen an unprecedented increase, especially
between South-South economies. As a result, Chinese citizens are increasingly migrating to Ghana
to engage in trading activities with the expectation of consolidating their gains in international
trade volumes. However, in recent times, there have been rising tensions between Ghanaian traders
and Chinese immigrant traders which require a critical understanding of the trading experiences
of Chinese immigrant traders, as well as the Ghanaian trading community to align trade interests
for mutual benefits. This study therefore examines the trading activities and lived experiences of
Chinese immigrant traders based on the attitudes that Ghanaian traders have towards Chinese
immigrant traders.
Using random, purposive, and snowballing sampling techniques to select 529 participants from
Accra and Kumasi, the study used a mixed-method approach to examine the influence of trading
activities on lived experiences of Chinese immigrant traders. Based on the logistic regression
analysis, the study results show that the most important factors influencing the lived experiences
of Chinese immigrant traders are retail trading activity, economic incentives, length of stay in
Ghana, level of education and location. Considering trading activity, the study finds that Chinese
retailers are 32% less likely to have a “very good” relationship with Ghanaian traders. This finding
is indicative of the prevalence of tensions between Ghanaian and Chinese traders. Aside from
retailing, factors such as quality of goods, price competitions, and fronting are associated with the
rising tensions between Ghanaian and Chinese traders. Thus, the study concludes that trading
activity (i.e., retail or wholesale) play a significant role in shaping lived experiences of Chinese
immigrant traders.
Susceptibility to Terrorism: Exploring the Case of Ghana in an Insecure Region
(University of Ghana, 2022) Mole, A.M.K.
Although the surge in terrorism has resulted in a corresponding rise in scholarly interests and
academic research, the focus has been on terrorism-embattled territories with parameters under
investigation straddling the reasons why those countries experience terrorism and violent
extremism to the political and socio-economic effects of terrorism. Very scant attention has
been paid to countries that have not experienced terrorism and more especially the sources of
their immunity to terrorism. As a result, there is a wealth of ignorance and poverty of
knowledge on the sources of stability unlike instability from terrorism, which benefits from
expost explanations. The purpose of this study therefore, is to seek to identify and empirically
examine the sources of Ghana’s resilience to terrorism and violent extremism, relative to her
peers in the West African Sub-region. In effect, the question underpinning this study is, why is
Ghana less prone to terrorism than her peers in the same region even though they share similar
political, socio-economic and demographic characteristics? To yield better insights into the
phenomenon under discussion, the study addressed four research questions; (a) is Ghana
exposed to the risk of terrorism and violent extremism? (b) why is Ghana less prone to terrorism
compared to other countries in the West African sub-region? (c) how is Ghana responding to
the threats of Violent Extremism and Terrorism (P/CVET)? (d) how do the chosen responses
and mechanism impact Ghana’s P/CVET effort?
Methodologically, the study employed a mixed method of data collection and analysis. Data
for the study was obtained from multiple sources which included surveys, focus group
discussions, expert interviews, and documentary reviews. The study analysis was guided by
the research objective/questions and anchored on the Relative Deprivation (RD) theory as the
theoretical framework.
Based on the analysis of the data gathered and the ensuing discussions, the study concludes that,
Ghana’s history and culture of peace; Absence of an overarching religious authority; A thriving
democracy and the rule of law; The role and authority of traditional leadership in Ghana; State
presence and participatory local governance system and presence of a vibrant media among
others are the factors on which Ghana’s resilience to the risk and threats of terrorism is
anchored. It also emerged that, Ghana over the years has developed and adopted several
domestic and externally sponsored measures respectively, in response to the threat of terrorism
and violent extremism. These measures are manifested in legal and policy frameworks,
multilateral co-operations, and domestically inspired counter-terrorism strategies. The study
makes an inconclusive verdict on the impact of the responses on Ghana’s apparent immunity to
terrorism. It nevertheless identifies a number of ways the responses can prop up Ghana's ability
to address the underlying drivers of terrorism while remaining relevant in the international war
against terrorism.
Based on the findings, the study recommended among other things, that in order to prevent the
risk factors from exploding into full-blown terrorism, the Government should prioritize
addressing the underlying political and socio-economic drivers such as corruption, erosion of
trust in institutions, poverty, unemployment and the perception of political marginalisation and
exclusion. The study also recommends that the Government work closely with multilateral
partners to strengthen the Accra initiative by addressing issues such as financial constraints,
language barrier and political will in order to minimise geo-political threats of terrorism.
Impact Of Iron Supplementation Among Anemic Voluntary First-Time Blood Donors: Results From The BLOODSAFE Pilot Trial In Ghana
(Transfusion, 2024-11-15) Dei-Adomakoh, Y.; Olayemi , E.; Yawson, A.E.; et al.
Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), an adequate supply of safe blood
for transfusion is a major developmental challenge. In Ghana, deferral from
blood donation for anemia accounts for nearly half of the ineligible blood donors.
We conducted a longitudinal two-arm parallel-group non-inferiority trial to test if
iron supplementation among blood donors with iron deficiency (ID) or anemia
could increase their hemoglobin levels to near those without ID or anemia.
Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to collect par ticipants' sociodemographic and medical information after written informed
consent was obtained. Blood samples were analyzed for full blood count
(FBC), serum ferritin, malaria rapid test, and a peripheral blood smear. The primary outcome was hemoglobin level after 4 months comparing anemic
donors who received iron supplementation to the standard of care participants,
nonanemic donors who did not receive iron supplementation. All donors
received nutritional counseling.
Results: Adherence to low-dose iron supplementation three times a week was
poor. Hemoglobin levels in the iron supplementation arm were not close
enough to those in the control group after 4 months of iron supplementation
to declare non-inferiority. However, non-inferiority was met when the 4 month
hemoglobin comparison was restricted to female donors.
Conclusion: After 4 months of iron supplementation, hemoglobin levels in
the iron supplementation group did not sufficiently match those in the control
group to declare non-inferiority. Data from this pilot trial informed and shaped
the design of a larger randomized control type 1 pragmatic effectiveness implementation hybrid trial which is currently ongoing.
The Association Between Exposure To A Radio Campaign On Nutrition And Mothers’ Nutrition- And Health-Related Attitudes And Minimal Acceptable Diet Of Children 6–36 Months Old: A Quasi-Experimental Trial
(Public Health Nutrition, 2024-07-30) Appiah, B.; Saaka, M.; Appiah, G.; Asamoah-Akuoko, L.; Samman, E.; Forastiere, L; Yeboah-Banin, A.A.; et al.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a radio campaign involving serial 10-minute
drama episodes, 10-minute on air discussion of each episode by trained community
health workers and 30-minute phone-ins from listeners in improving mothers’
nutrition- and health-related attitudes (HNRAs) and children’s minimum acceptable
diet (MAD).
Design: A two-arm quasi-experimental trial with a pre-post design was used to
quantify the effect of a radio campaign on nutrition before and immediately after the
6-month intervention. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis was performed to
assess the intervention’s effect.
Setting: Saboba district (intervention) and Central Gonja (comparison district) of
northern region of Ghana.
Participants: At baseline, a total of 598 mothers with children aged 6–22 months were
randomly selected from the intervention (n 298) and control (n 300) districts. At
endline (6 months post-intervention), 252 mother–child dyads in the intervention
district and 275 mother–child dyads in the control district were followed up.
Results: The radio campaign was significantly and positively associated with a change
in health- and nutrition-related attitudes (HNRA) over time, with DID in mean attitudes
significantly improving more over time in the intervention district than the control
(DID = 1·398, P < 0·001). Also, the prevalence of MAD over time in the intervention
district was significantly higher than the control district (DID = 16·1 percentage points,
P = 0·02) in the presence of food insecurity.
Conclusions: The study indicates that a radio campaign on nutrition is associated with
improved mothers’ HNRA and children’s MAD. Communication interventions on child
nutrition targeting low-resource settings should consider this innovative approach.