Conference Proceedings and Papers
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Conference proceeding is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the conference. They are the written record of the work that is presented to fellow researchers.
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Item Exploring the burden on family caregivers in providing care for their mentally ill relatives in the Upper East Region of Ghana(PLOS Glob Public Health, 2024) Daliri, D.B.; Afaya, A.; Tienbia Laari, T.T.; Abagye, N.; Aninanya, G.A.Caring for the mentally ill involves numerous challenges, including financial difficulties, stigma, and psychosocial issues, among others. Unpaid family caregivers must endure these challenges as they continue their care for their relatives with mental illness. Despite these burdens and their concomitant effects on both the patients and their caregivers, there is no evidence of this burden in the Bolgatanga municipality. This study explored the burden on family caregivers providing care for mentally ill relatives in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. The study employed a phenomenological research design. Fifteen family caregivers were purposively sampled from two secondary-level health facilities. In-depth interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 12 pro software was used for data analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted follow ing Braun and Clarke’s approach. The study identified three themes including social, physical, and psychological burdens. Under social burden, financial challenges and stigma were identified, weight loss was identified as a physical burden, and poor concentration as a psychological burden. These themes represent the challenges encountered by the family caregivers as they provided care for their mentally ill relatives. There is a need to provide support for family caregivers including respite, formation of support groups, and financial support to alleviate family caregivers of the burdens they endure. Additionally, it is imperative to integrate mental health services into the national health insurance scheme to alleviate the financial burden on family caregivers.Item The Effects of Digital Banking Platforms on the Profitability of a Bank: The Case of a Private Bank in Ghana(International Congress on Information and Communication Technology, 2023) Owusu, A.Businesses are adapting digital technologies to reach bigger markets, reduce operational costs, improve financial performance or profitability, and gain competitive advantage. The banking sector in Ghana is a very competitive one with most banks adapting one or more forms of digital banking products to facilitate their current operations, gain competitive advantage, and achieve future business goals. While many studies have accessed the impact of digital banking solutions on the profitability of financial institutions mostly in developed economies, the same cannot be said about developing economies. There is, therefore, the need to add to the body of knowledge on how digital banking solutions impact the profitability of banks in developing countries. This paper was underpinned by the updated DeLone and McLean IS success model and used a qualitative approach with purposive sampling of 28 staff and customers to assess a private bank’s digital banking platforms through thematic data analysis. The findings show that system usage and user satisfaction which results in net benefits are positively influenced by information quality, system quality, and service quality. It is therefore concluded that the deployment and use of digital banking solutions improve the profitability of banks. Other implications are also discussed.Item Labour intensive public works and agricultural off-season employment: A case study of Ghana social opportunity programme(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Osei-Akoto, I.; Bawakyillenuo, S.; Owusu, G.; Offei, E.L.The Labour Intensive Public Works (LlPW) of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) was initiated by the Government of Ghana to provide targeted rural poor households access to local employment and income-earning opportunities during agricultural off-seasons. The key objectives of the programme were to protect households and communities against external shocks and; rehabilitate and improve productive and social infrastructure such as roads, dams and schools. The initiative was to mainly mitigate the effects of extreme poverty, particularly during agriculture off-seasons. This study assessed the impact of the L1PW project on labour force participation and employment generation during the off season in agriculture in Ghana. Panel data from two rounds of survey were used for this analysis and propensity score matching technique was used for the estimation of the average treatment effect. The results show that labour force participation increased by 7% in the lean season among beneficiary households relative to the non-beneficiaries. Paid employment among beneficiary households increased by 9.4% relative to the non-beneficiary households and the number of days spent in a week on paid work by beneficiary households increased by 30.8%. The average income received by L1PW beneficiary households from paid work was GHC 48.57 higher than the amount received by non-beneficiary households. The paper shares interesting results on sustainability of such innovative programmes that seek to lessen the burden of unemployment or under-employment in deprived communities during the lean agricultural season while creating vital infrastructure for eco nomic growthItem Outgrower schemes and value chains: Gendered employment in the blue skies agriculture model(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Yaro, J.A.; Teye, J.; Torvikey, G.D.Current debates on agriculture investments in Africa have shifted a little from the Malthusian and Boserupian schools of thought to model interrogation. But, these contemporary narratives also do little linkage between the value chain systems and its livelihood impacts for men and women. Drawing on qualitative interviews, the study explores the gendered segmentation and segregation of work in Ghana's largest fruit processing company, Blue Skies and its outgrower farms. The study found that whilst a significant number of outgrowers were men, the absence of women in the outgrower scheme is compensated for by their dominant presence on the farms and the factory. The study concludes that though the business model practised by Blue Skies is a good one, two significant caveats exist: casualization of labour and the sheer absence of women in the outgrower scheme which have gendered implications for livelihood outcomes and security.Item Natural resource governance in Ghana: bridging the theory and practice gap(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Alidu, S.; Armah, R."Yen a ra Asaase Ni ", a popular patriotic song from Ephraim Amu celebrates the great wealth bestowed on the country by nature. Like this song, the national colours of Ghana (specifically the yellow in between the Red and Green) celebrate the mineral wealth of the country. Indeed, the name "Ghana", given after independence, is borrowed from an old empire thought to be rich in gold. Contemporary Ghana is endowed with mineral deposits such as gold, diamond, manganese and bauxite. There are also unexploited economic deposits of iron ore, limestone, kaolin, feldspar and silica sands. Despite the blessing, lack of capacity, legal policies and institutions has impeded Ghana's effort to maximize benefits from these resources. Recognizing the potential of Small Scale Mining (SSM) to national development, the Government of Ghana initiated the regularization of Small Scale Gold Mining in 1989 with the promulgation of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law, PNDCL218. This decision aimed to provide technical support to SSM, capturing all the minerals produced into official channels; generating employment and regulating the industry in such a way that the miners operate in an environmentally friendly manner. However, the existence of these legal frameworks mismatches the ongoing practice, especially the activities of "galamsey" operators. This paper seeks to interrogate the gap between theory and practice and its causes. Using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews of experts, it will argue that until theory matches practice it will be difficult to benefit from our natural resources without heavy losses on the environment and humans.Item The shift from traditional window systems to new window designs in Ghana: sociological and energy efficiency issues in Ga East and Awutu Senya East municipalities(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Bawakyillenuo, S.; Agbelie, I.S.K.The challenge of reducing carbon emissions for the purpose of climate change mitigation requires both supply-side and demand-side energy efficiency measures and conservation. On the demand side, buildings worldwide account for about 30-40% of the total energy demand, thereby forming the largest sectoral consumer of electricity. Hence, the building sector offers a great opportunity for energy conservation and energy efficiency drives if certain behavioural patterns were to change. An important element of the building, which often influences energy consumption, is the window. Window types used in Ghana have evolved over time from traditional wooden to modern louvre blades and glazed (sliding-glass) windows. This paper therefore seeks to investigate the economic and energy efficiency dimensions of the shift from traditional to new window designs in Ghana as well as the sociological underpinnings of this shift. Evidence abounds from the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data gathered for the 2014 Energy Surveys in the Ga East and Awutu Senya East Municipalities in Ghana that most people use new window designs mainly due to comfort and aesthetic reasons. The analyses reveal that, while more wooden and louvre blade windows users depend mostly on natural ventilation systems and to a little extent fans, glazed window users depend mostly on fans and air conditioners. In consequence, glazed windows users spend more on electricity compared to users of other windows types. These findings have implications regarding the current architectural designs in Ghana taking into account the need for efficient energy consumption and climate change mitigationItem Understanding the reasons behind pregnancy terminations and the link with method safety(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Biney, A.A.E.; Atiglo, Y.D.Studies allude to induced abortion as a contributor to Ghana's fertility decline, especially since contraceptive use levels have not proportionally increased, other proximate determinants do not fully exp la in the discrepancy. If induced abortions are a means through which Ghanaian women control their births, it behoves us to understand the reasons behind their pregnancy terminations and the link to the abortion methods they ultimately use. This paper uses data from the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey and qualitative interviews conducted in 2008 with patients at Korle Bu and Tema Hospitals. Women who had ever terminated a pregnancy were purposively selected and interviewed at the two major hospitals. Additionally women who had aborted a pregnancy five years preceding the nationally representative survey were also administered questionnaires about their abortion experiences. The results showed that women underwent abortions for five reasons namely, financial constraints, and to space/limit births, .... Most women who underwent abortions for the latter did so using safe methods. The findings also suggested that women terminated pregnancies mainly to space/limit births and for financial and health reasons. However those who had abortions for health and non- readiness reasons were significantly more likely to use safe methods compared to those who lacked the finances to keep their pregnancies. The paper proposes that strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies that result in pregnancy terminations must be intensifiedItem Women's educational level and quality of antenatal care utilization(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Agyekum; Wiredu, M.Provision and access to quality antenatal care for women have been a problem in Sub-Saharan Africa and developing countries. Quality antenatal care is critical in enabling women and health workers identify risks and danger signs during pregnancy. The extent to which women's educational level affects their uptake and quality of antenatal care is uncertain. The study seeks to measure the influence of women's educational attainment on quality of antenatal care using the clinical component proposed by Donabedian. Data used in the study were from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Factor analysis was used to compute a variable for quality of antenatal care. The main independent variable was women's educational level. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the effect of women's education on quality of antenatal care. The results of the study showed that education had no influence on quality of antenatal care utilization. However, other utilization and demographic factors such as age and ethnicity were found to be significant predictors of quality of antenatal care. Therefore, all women irrespective of their level of education should be encouraged not just to attend antenatal care clinics but utilize the required services provided. Attention should focus on health providers to increase supply-side factors in improving levels of utilization and service quality. Emphasis on policy should also be on ethnicity as there are cultural dimensions that affect quality of antenatal care utilization.Item Life after deportation: A case of involuntary returned migrants in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Assuman, D.S.The study examines the migration experiences and livelihoods of deported migrants in Accra and Takoradi, within the framework of DFID's Sustainable Livelihood framework and Cassarino's conceptual framework. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews and field observations. The findings of the study indicate that most deportees were engaged in low paid jobs, and also had a short period of stay abroad, hence could not invest in the home country. This invariably affected their preparation towards return. Even though they were irregular migrants at the various destinations, majority of them still maintained close ties with relatives and friends in Ghana, and also remitted them as much as their meager resources would allow. Their impromptu and 'empty handed return,' coupled with the harsh economic situation in the home country, have made life almost unbearable for the majority of them. The study revealed that there are no well-organized and institutionalized support programs by either state or non-state actors in Ghana for deportees, making it very difficult for them to re-integrate into the home society. Unsurprisingly, many of those who could not adjust and reintegrate into the Ghanaian society are planning to re-migrate. A number of policy recommendations were proposed, based on the findings of the study, to help improve the livelihood of deportees to prevent remigrationItem What is the assurance that Liberia is safe? Factors motivating Liberian refugees to remain in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Dako-Gyeke, M.; Adu, E.Despite the currently peaceful state of Liberia, several thousands of Liberian refugees still remain in Ghana. This raises concern for debates and dialogue about what peace or political stability means to a refugee after civil war. This study therefore explored factors motivating Liberian refugees to remain in Ghana. Using a qualitative research design, 40 participants (females and males) were purposively recruited at a Refugee Camp in Ghana. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) and sixteen in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted. The FGDs and IDIs were audio-taped, transcribed, coded and analyzed thematically based on the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that the motivating factors related to: insecurity in Liberia, infrastructural challenges and unfavorable socioeconomic situation in Liberia, and resettlement opportunities in Ghana. Based on the findings of the study, implications are discussed for policy and social work practice