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A long essay or dissertation or thesis involving personal research, written by postgraduates of University of Ghana for a university degree.
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Item Deliberation for Development: Ghana ’s First Deliberative Poll(Journal of Deliberative Democracy, 2019) Chirawurah, D.; Bawah, A.; Fishkin, J.; et al.This article poses the problem of public consultation in developing countries and applies a solution in Ghana as a test case. It describes the theoretical rationale for deliberative consultation with random samples, describes specific criteria for success, and then assesses an application under the challenging conditions of a developing country. It builds on notions of “deliberative democracy,” and shows how they can be practically realized in an African context through “Deliberative Polling” (DP). The challenge is that the context is one of the poorest parts of one of the poorest countries in Africa. Rather than consulting just stakeholders, or self-selected populations, or using conventional surveys, DP’s have the advantage of consulting random samples with deliberation in depth in confidential surveys so that the opinion changes can be evaluated at the individual level, free of social pressures for consensus. Is this practical in this context? A DP was conducted in Tamale, Ghana on issues of water, sanitation, hygiene, and food security. Criteria for success for DPs that have been applied in highly developed countries are discussed and then applied in Ghana under challenging conditions.Item Road Traffic Accidents In Ghana: Examining Road User Attitude and Behaviour(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Abdul – Lateef, A.Abstract Road traffic accident (RTA) has become a major developmental challenge in Ghana. It is the second leading cause of death in the country after malaria, and also come with immeasurable economic and public health effects. This qualitative study based on grounded theory method and comprising in-depth interviews was used to examine the road user attitude and behaviour in relation with road traffic accidents in Ghana. 27 adult participants (male: n = 19; female: n = 8; age range: 18-50 years) consisting of traffic police officers (n = 11), drivers (n = 4), motor riders (n = 4), and pedestrians (n = 8) were purposively sampled, and interviewed using semi-structured interview guides. Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) road is not meant for only transport, 2) commitment to road traffic law enforcement, 3) knowledge of traffic rules and regulations, and 4) fatigue. The study concluded, with a substantive grounded theory - the small picture theory, that the complex interaction among social relations, social need, and the now effect, combine to render road traffic law enforcement ineffective and resulting in the ultimate failure of road traffic interventions in the country. The findings of this study are very significant for stakeholders in the road traffic management in their quest to make Ghana a country with the safest road transportation system in Africa.Item The Centre For Plant Medicine Research And The Dynamics Of Traditional Medicine In Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Ntewusu, D.A.With the increasing demand for evidence-based practise, quality research is crucial to inform decision-making in traditional medicine practices. Therefore, there has been a growing corpus of knowledge on the establishment and functions of traditional medicine research Centres across the globe. However, the available scholarship has concentrated more on Asia, and other parts of the world, than on Africa, including Ghana. This study, therefore, set out to examine how the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, located at Mampong - Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana, has contributed to the national trajectory of traditional medicine development and practice. In furtherance of the main objective, the study specifically focused on: providing an assessment of the origin, organisational structure, management, and functions/ activities of the Centre and how these have changed over time; examining the changing state policies on traditional medicine in Ghana and their implication for the mandate of the Centre; and interrogating the extent to which the Centre has influenced the development and practice of traditional medicine in Ghana. The qualitative method of social research was used with constructionist grounded theory driving data collection and analysis. Through purposive and theoretical sampling methods, participants were drawn from the Centre, clients of traditional medicine, practitioners of traditional medicine, Herbal Medicine Department at KNUST, Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate (TAM-D), Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and people of Mampong. The theory of social change underpinned the study as it dealt with transformations in traditional medicine. The study has shown that the development of traditional medicine in Ghana is intertwined with the Centre’s establishment and evolution. As a state-owned institution, all the policies on traditional medicine in the country have found expression through its activities. From financing plant medicine research to the formulation of policies for traditional medicine development, the Centre has been actively involved and seen as driving the change. Consequently, its activities have led to significant transformations in the mode of providing traditional medicine in Ghana. Links with institutions and agencies such as the MOH, TAM-D, TMPC, FDA, WHO, and the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners, among others, enabled the Centre to provide services to the general public. It has also led to standardisation, training of practitioners, and many more, albeit criticisms that the ‘over scientification’ in the practice of traditional medicine initiated by the Centre tends to marginalise the involvement of some healers. As the main game-changer in the industry, the Centre itself has gone through the change. It has evolved from learner to teacher in applying traditional medical knowledge in the context of modern science and technology (from ‘obi-kyerɛ to kyerɛ-obi’). Some practitioners have also transformed their practices through the Centre’s influence by adopting modern scientific processes in line with biomedical practice and technology. However, the transformation has not occurred uniformly across the country. Embedded in the change are continuities with the distant past. Based on this, the study duly categorised practitioners in Ghana into three as transformers, semi-transformers and non-transformed. Participants mentioned how healers in various communities, including some who have worked at the Centre, have contributed to research and given out recipes for product formulation without receiving any credit or recognition from the Centre/scientists. This development has engendered mixed feelings among practitioners leading to tensions and conflicts between the Centre and stakeholders. The social inequality between the two groups, aggravated by the over-concentration of scientific product development processes, fuels these tensions and conflicts. The fact that scientific achievements remain the exclusive preserve of scientists despite the evident contributions made by healers perpetuates conflicts between the two groups. This has adversely affected collaborations between the Centre, traditional healers, and communities. These issues show how the Centre reflects the struggle between healing knowledge in herbal lore and Western hegemonic knowledge in health care delivery.Item Democratic Elections As A Determinant Of Good Governance In Africa: A Comparative Study Of The Gambia And Ghana(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Frempong, D.A.Democratic elections and democratic governance in Africa have been major issues of debate for scholars around the world, focusing on arguments surrounding the nature that democracy in Africa should take in terms of the western style of democracy or developing Africa’s unique democracy. As a contribution to this conversation, this study discusses the conduct and implications of democratic elections and the state of democratic governance in Africa, using Ghana and the Gambia as case studies. Within the framework of democratic governance, the study adopts a comparative approach based on an exploratory research which employs qualitative methods to achieve the objectives of the research. It relies on both primary sources of data, including interviews, and secondary sources of data, including data from institutions such as Electoral Commissions from both countries under study, to conclude that elections are a central indicator but not the only indicator of democratic governance in Africa. Based on other indicators such as the existence of rule of law, accountability, representation, pluralism and participation in governance, the study further concludes that both countries still have a long way to go in terms of its practice of democratic governance. To this end, the study identifies some challenges that should be addressed by both countries to improve upon its practice of democratic governance, including inadequate accountability, low levels of participation by the citizens in local governance, the proliferation of party-sponsored violence, ineffective law enforcement system, and ineffective representation of the people.Item Factors Associated With Non-Adherence To Anti Diabetic Medications Among Diabetic Patients In Some Selected Polyclinics In The Ablekuma Sub Metropolitan, Accra, Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2019-12) Abdul-Tawab, A.ABSTRACT Non- adherence to anti diabetic medication amongst diabetic patients has become a global issue. This has led to so many co-morbidities associated with diabetes hence increasing the morbidity and death related to it. Despites these issues studies examining non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications amongst type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients is rare. This study sought to examine non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications amongst type 2 DM patients in some selected polyclinic in the Ablekuma Sub-Metropolitan namely Mamprobi and Dansoman polyclinics. Using a structured questionnaire 179 type 2 diabetics were interviewed. Non-adherence to medications was measured using the morisky medication adherence scale. The results showed that about 70.4 % had poor glycaemic control with their fasting blood sugar (FBS) above 7.0mmol with prevalence of non-adherence being 66.5 % which means that most of the patients had poor adherence and this has negative implications on the management of patients with diabetes. There was significant association between non adherence to medical regimen and religion (p=0.002), educational level (p<0.001), occupation (p<0.001) and monthly income (p<0.001) but there was no significant linkage with age, sex and marital status. In addition, religion, occupation, educational background and income had significant association with non-adherence to medication but there was no significant association between marital status, age, sex. This study showed that non-adherent patients had a 1.26 increased chance of having poor glycemic control (i.e. FBS of more than 7. 0mmol.) due to non-adherence. Finally, the study showed that non adherence increased the chance of having poor glycemic control.Item A Delphi Study to Identify and Prioritize Nutrition Research for Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020-12) Quaye, A.Background: Nutrition is both a maker and marker of development. Addressing the emerging challenges malnutrition pose especially in Africa and in Ghana requires multisectoral policies based on trustworthy research. Ghana has implemented a range of nutritional interventions. Howbeit, the impact of these interventions has been minimal. A major reason is that policies are often developed and implemented based on single sector mandates without strong evidence based research to support it, and the lack of nutrition research priorities linked with the policymaking process disengages research from the policy. This study, therefore, aims to identify and prioritize policy and program relevant research questions as part of a national nutrition research agenda. Method: a two-round Delphi was used to seek the opinion of expert panelists on what nutrition research question they consider relevant for the country. A total of 66 and 56 panel members selected through purposive sampling participated in the first and second rounds respectively. Data was collected online as a google form link or digital copy in MS word document format via email. A total of 38 questions (for round one) and 66 questions (for round two) were presented to the panel members to indicate which question was relevant for nutrition research in Ghana. Results: Of the 38 questions presented to expert panelists in the first round, 35 (95%) were frequently (>75% responses) selected by panel members as relevant nutrition research questions. In the second round, consensus was achieved for 61 (88.4%) of the 69 (including the 35 that achieved consensus in round 1) questions presented to panel members. 23 questions of the total 61 questions presented were ranked by expert panel members as top research questions expert panelist further prioritized these questions into 10 using a prioritization criteria. Conclusion: the expert panel members identified ten research questions as the top priority nutrition research for Ghana. The main barriers identified for the effective nutrition research implementation in Ghana were lack of interaction between researchers and policymakers and lack of funding. Availability of nutrition policy and political will were seen as the opportunities that exist for accelerating nutrition research in Ghana. Recommendation: The top ten identified research questions should be used by Ghana Health Service and other relevant decision making institutions for nutrition in Ghana. Additionally, there is a need for a national framework to ensure that policymakers make input regarding nutrition research agenda-setting to enhance the linkage between policymakers and researchers.Item The Electoral Commission and Free and Fair Elections in Ghana’s Fourth Republic: A Case Study of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Opoku - Tawiah, A.The 1992 broached election of Ghana saw the transformation of its’ EMB from INEC to EC and its success in conducting free and fair elections over the years has placed Ghana on high pedestal as the beacon of democracy in Africa. However, this achievement could not have been possible without the help of IPAC – a stakeholder consultation forum. Although IPAC is not backed by law and faces many challenges, it has made impact in Ghana’s democratic dispensation and attracted a replication in other African countries. This study attempted to assess IPAC’s contribution to free and fair elections in Ghana with the aid of Goodwin-Gill (1994)’s indices of free and fair elections as a framework. This study further investigates the challenges informal institution faces and how these problems can be solved. Additionally, this study assess whether the EC still desires IPAC. Findings from the study showed that IPAC has contributed to the indices of free and fair elections although it faces some challenges and that despite in IPAC from time to time the EC still desires IPAC and thus continually engage IPAC.Item An Examination of the Effects of US Immigration Policies on Ghana and Ghanaian Migrants (2016-2019)(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Adeola, A.A.The United States immigration policies, particularly under President Trump, towards Africa and Ghana has attracted some attention both in scholarship and policy discourse. The Trump administration’s deportation of some Ghanaians migrants and the associated tension that ensued between the US and Ghana, over the former’s visa restriction on some sections of the Ghanaian populace are important events for intellectual inquiry. This study, therefore, focused primarily on exploring the implications of President Trump’s immigration policies towards Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in the US. This study is qualitative research and relied on secondary data including books, journal articles, newspapers, and official websites of state institutions, among others. The study used content analysis to analyze the secondary data obtained. The study found that the major immigration policies of President Obama include Secure Community Programme and Deferred Actions Against Childhood Arrivals – DACA on the one hand, while that of the Trump administration include, the Zero-Tolerance Policy, The Public Charge Act, Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The study further revealed that Republicans such as President Trump are Restrictionist in nature, thereby generally deprioritizing migrant resettlements. The study showed that there are the two main justifications for the implementation of US’ immigration Policies towards Africa under the Trump Administration. The First is to safeguard the national interest of America by protecting the American citizenry and secondly to fulfill a political campaign promise made during 2016 Presidential elections, in order to be re-elected to office in 2020. It was found that Ghana and some other African countries were directly affected by President Trump’s immigration policies that placed a US visa ban on some Muslim countries in Africa and visa restrictions for nationals of “recalcitrant countries”. The study recommends that an appreciation of US immigration policies, towards Africa, by Ghana is crucial to appreciating the changing trends, causes, effects, and suitable solutions in dealing with the US.Item Ghana-Cote D’ivoire Relations in Post ITLOS Maritime Boundary Judgement(University Of Ghana, 2019-07) Narh, G.A.M.K.The continent of Africa and natural resources are two things that are always placed together, be it negatively or positively. The vast wealth in natural resources has brought the continent to its knees due to the sheer violence and instability it caused in years past. In contemporary times, there have been newer discoveries such as oil, gas, uranium and others but this has led to some natural-resource-based boundary conflicts among some African states. A case in point is the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. This study sought to assess how the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) judgement has been implemented by the two states and assesses their reactions and relations after the verdict has been given and its directives operationalized. The study uses a qualitative approach as it explores the field of natural resource-based conflicts in Africa and specifically delves into the ITLOS judgement on the Ghana- Cote d’Ivoire dispute. The research findings include the fact that the implementation process for the judgement’s directives have been peaceful and this is related as normal state practice for countries that resort to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) settlement bodies. It also finds that the implementation process of the judgement has led to an upsurge in cooperation between the two states in multiple sectors yielding significant mutual benefits and greatly improving bilateral relations. The research recommended that the two states should focus on implementing all the directives of the judgement and must seek to secure sustainable bilateral cooperation.Item An Examination of Elite Consensus Towards National Development in Africa: A Case Study of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Armah, R.A.Consensually united elites are said to be very rare and as such limit the possibility for the spread of liberal democracy across the world. In Africa, Ghana presents itself as a case in point, not only because it is one of the most democratic countries in Africa but also the fact that political elites have been accorded the force behind this success. The study therefore examines the place of elite consensus in Ghana’s political landscape by examining the political parties, elections, the legislature and national development planning in the fourth republic. This analysis was made based on a wealth of knowledge provided by numerous scholars on the topic of elite consensus and how this concept is connected to democratic development. Within the Ghanaian political dispensation, based on some operational benchmarks, this study adopted self-perceptions expressed in qualitative, in-depth interviews with a limited number of political party executives, think-tanks, parliamentarians, civil servants and National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) officials. The study found out that political elites in Ghana are very united and as such depicts a horizontal integration of elites as explained by Higley and Burton. This has accounted for Ghana’s envious democratic strides. However, this consensus is only on issues affecting elites and not the citizens which are particularly indicative in Ghana’s legislature and national development planning since the start of the fourth republic. This finding goes against Higley and Burton’s vertically integrated elitism, which suggests a great cohesion between elites and the masses. This then confirms the hypothesis of the study which states that Ghana lacks an enduring elite consensus which has negatively affected national development. In light of these conclusions, the study prescribes some remedies in solving Ghana’s deficits on elite consensus towards national development in the long-run. They include having a third force in Ghana’s political arena, some constitutional amendments, effective civic education, procuring a national agenda on national development planning and effective conflict resolution mechanisms.
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