Research Articles

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A research article reports the results of original research, assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, and is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The faculty publications through published and on-going articles/researches are captured in this community

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 196
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    Human resource mobilisation and management in health systems of Africa: a comparative study of health insurance scheme and health facilities in Ghana
    (Inderscience, 2022) Kipo-Sunyehzi, D.D.
    This paper analyses the human resource mobilisation and management in the health systems of Africa. It compares five health organisations from public-private sectors in terms of how they mobilise and manage human resources in the implementation of Ghana's health insurance scheme. It adds to comparative research on HRM practices and organisational culture in a developing world context. It makes two unique contributions: from public-private organisational perspectives and employees/workers and clients perspectives on HR practices to improve workers skills/knowledge and meet clients' health needs. A multi-actor research methodology was adopted with in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, on-site direct observations and documents with a sample size of 107. The results reveal some ironies in public-private organisational behaviour, faith-based, profit-client oriented styles of HRM practices and how such factors affect clients' access to services. It found organisations with more bureaucracies/red tape and professionalism were the least preferred as clients experienced more waiting times.
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    Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a chimpanzee adenovirus vectored Ebola vaccine in children in Africa: a randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial
    (Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2020-03-19) Koram, K.A.; Tapia, M.D.; Sow, S.O.; Mbaye, K.D.; Thiongane, A.; Ndiaye, B.P.; Ndour, C.T.; Mboup, S.; Keshinro, B.; Kinge, T.N.; Vernet, G.; Bigna, J.J.; Oguche, S.; Asante, K.P.; Gobert, P.; Hogrefe, W.R.; De Ryck, I.; Debois, M.; Bourguignon, P.; Jongert, E.; Ballou, W.R.; Koutsoukos, M.; Roman, F.; Zaire EBola Research Alliance group
    Background: During the large 2013-16 Ebola virus outbreak caused by the Zaire Ebola virus, about 20% of cases were reported in children. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to evaluate an Ebola vaccine in children younger than 6 years. We aimed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a monovalent, recombinant, chimpanzee adenovirus type-3 vectored Zaire Ebola glycoprotein vaccine (ChAd3-EBO-Z) in a paediatric population. Methods: This phase 2, randomised, observer-blind, controlled trial was done in a vaccine centre in Mali and a university hospital centre in Senegal. Healthy children were randomly assigned through a web-based system (1:1; stratified by age group, gender, and centre) to receive ChAd3-EBO-Z (day 0) and meningococcal serogroups A,C,W-135,Y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-TT; month 6), or MenACWY-TT (day 0) and ChAd3-EBO-Z (month 6). The study was observer-blind from study start until interim day 30 analysis and became single-blind as of interim analysis. Primary outcomes assessed were serious adverse events (up to study end, month 12), solicited local or general adverse events (7 days post-vaccination), unsolicited adverse events (30 days post-vaccination), haematological or biochemical abnormalities, and clinical symptoms of thrombocytopenia (day 0-6). As secondary endpoints, we evaluated anti-glycoprotein Zaire Ebola virus antibody titres (ELISA) pre-vaccination and 30 days post-vaccination. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02548078. Findings: From Nov 11, 2015, to May 9, 2016, of 776 children screened for eligibility, 600 were randomly assigned (200 [33%] in each age strata: 1-5, 6-12, 13-17 years), 300 (50%) to the ChAd3-EBO-Z/MenACWY-TT group and 300 (50%) to the MenACWY-TT/ChAd3-EBO-Z group; all were included in the total vaccinated cohort. Post-day 0 vaccination, the most common solicited injection site symptom was pain (127 [42%] of 300 in the ChAd3-EBO-Z/MenACWY-TT group vs 60 [20%] of 300 in the MenACWY-TT/ChAd3-EBO-Z group); the most common solicited general adverse event was fever (95 [32%] of 300 in the ChAd3-EBO-Z/MenACWY-TT group vs 28 [9%] of 300 in the MenACWY-TT/ChAd3-EBO-Z group). Unsolicited adverse events post-day 0 vaccination were reported by 41 (14%) of 300 participants in the ChAd3-EBO-Z/MenACWY-TT group and 24 (8%) of 300 MenACWY-TT/ChAd3-EBO-Z recipients. Serious adverse events were reported for two (1%) of 300 children in each group; none were considered vaccination related. No clinical symptoms of thrombocytopenia were reported. At day 30, anti-glycoprotein Ebola virus antibody geometric mean concentrations (GMC) in the ChAd3-EBO-Z/MenACWY-TT group were 1564 (95% CI 1340-1826) for those aged 13-17 years, 1395 (1175-1655) for 6-12 years, and 2406 (1942-2979) for 1-5 years. Anti-glycoprotein Ebola virus IgG antibody responses persisted up to 12 months post-vaccination, with a GMC of 716 (95% CI 619-828) for those aged 13-17 years, 752 (645-876) for 6-12 years, and 1424 (1119-1814) for 1-5 years. Interpretation: ChAd3-EBO-Z was immunogenic and well tolerated in children aged 1-17 years. This study provides the first ChAd3-EBO-Z data in a paediatric population. Further development should focus on multivalent approaches including Sudan and Marburg strains, and heterologous prime-boost strategies, for instance using modified vaccinia Ankara-based vaccine to boost the immune response.
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    Report of the 1st African Enteric Viruses Genome Initiative data and Bioiniformatics workshop on whole genome analysis of some African rotavirus strains held in Bloemfontein, South Africa
    (Vaccine, 2020-07-22) Dennis, F.E.; Nyaga, M.M.; Sabiu, S.; Ndze, V.N.; Jere, K.C.
    The University of the Free State - Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Unit, Bloemfontein, South Africa, hosted a data and bioinformatics workshop from 19 to 22 June 2018. The workshop was coordinated by the African Enteric Viruses Genome Initiative (AEVGI) with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The event introduced technologies in NGS and data analysis with focus on the rotavirus (RV) genome. The workshop fostered interactions and networking between professionals, scientific experts, technicians and students. The courses provided an overview of RV diarrhoea and its burden in Africa, while highlighting the key resources and methodologies in NGS and advanced bioinformatics in deciphering vaccine impact. It was concluded that, despite the reported significant decline in RV associated-diarrhoea mortality and morbidity in Africa due to RV vaccine impact, the need for continuous surveillance and genomic characterization to better understand the ever-changing dynamics of RV strains is imperative.
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    Mediation role of diversity climate on leadership and job satisfaction in the Ghanaian public sector
    (World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2020-05-15) Anlesinya, A.; Mickson, M.K.; Malcalm, E.
    Purpose This study examines the mediation role of diversity climate in the relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership and job satisfaction from the two-factor perspectives of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfactions among local government servants in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The study uses cross-sectional data from 322 employees in local government service of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region using purposive and stratified sampling methods. Bootstrapping method of mediation estimated using structural equation modelling is employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The results find a differential effect of leadership behaviours on intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, where transformation and transactional leadership relate positively to intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction respectively. Furthermore, the empirical findings reveal that diversity climate has mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and intrinsic job satisfaction, implying that diversity climate is an important process through which transformational leadership behaviours can elicit intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants. Surprisingly, however, diversity climate does not serve as an important transmission mechanism in the relationship between transactional leadership and extrinsic job satisfaction. Practical implications This means that public sector leaders or managers can improve intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants and by extension public sector employees by creating an ideal climate for diversity by transforming the work environment through leadership, specifically, transformational leadership behaviours. Originality/value Although studies abound on the link between leadership behaviours (transformational and transactional) and job satisfaction, the mediating effect of diversity climate as a mechanism in this relationship is very scarce and rare to find. Hence, our study has made original contributions to theory and practice by highlighting the role of diversity climate in converting leadership behaviours, specifically; transformational leadership into creating intrinsically satisfied workers in the public sector
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    Improvement of overall survival in the Collaborative Wilms Tumour Africa Project
    (Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 2020-05-11) Renner, L.; Chagaluka, G.; Paintsil, V.; Weijers, J.; Chitsike, I.; Borgstein, E.; Kamiza, S.; Afungchwi, G.M.; Kouya, F.; Hesseling, P.; Molyneux, E.; Israels, T.
    The Collaborative Wilms Tumour (WT) Africa Project implemented an adapted WT treatment guideline in six centres in sub-Saharan Africa. The primary objectives were to describe abandonment of treatment, death during treatment, event-free survival (EFS) and relapse following implementation. An exploratory objective was to compare outcomes with the baseline evaluation, a historical cohort preceding implementation.
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    Tourism and economic wellbeing in Africa
    (Positive Tourism in Africa, 2019-04-25) Ebo, H.; Ogechi, A.; Olaniyi, E.
    The importance of tourism as a driver of economic growth and development in countries is well explored in the literature. In this chapter, we extend this line of research by incorporating the concept of economic wellbeing to tourism research in Africa. The chapter explores the effect of tourism on economic wellbeing for 44 African countries for the period 1995-2015 using fully modified least square method. The empirical evidence shows there is a strong, positive and statistically significant relationship between tourism and economic wellbeing, indicating that increased tourism is associated with increased economic wellbeing. The evidence also indicates bi-directional causal linkages between tourism and economic wellbeing in the short and long run, implying that tourism leads to economic wellbeing while economic wellbeing also leads to the expansion of tourist activities both in the short and long run. The chapter therefore contributes to a deeper understanding of tourism as an important factor for the economic wellbeing of destination countries.
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    Central bank independence, elections and fiscal policy in Africa: Examining the moderating role of political institutions
    (International Journal of Emerging Markets, 2019-12-02) Agoba, A.M.; Abor, J.Y.; Osei, K.; Sa-Aadu, J.; Amoah, B.; Dzeha, G.C.O.
    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to primarily investigate the ability of independent central banks (central bank independence (CBI)) to improve fiscal performances in Africa, accounting for election years, and also to examine whether the effectiveness of CBI in improving fiscal performance is enhanced by higher political institutional quality. Design/methodology/approach – Using recent CBI data from Garriga (2016) on 48 African countries, 90 other developing countries and 40 developed countries over the period 1970–2012, the authors apply a two stage system GMM with Windmeijer (2005) small sample robust correction estimator to examine the impact of CBI and elections on fiscal policy in Africa, other developing countries and developed countries. Findings – The authors provide evidence that unlike in other developing countries and developed countries, CBI does not significantly improve fiscal performance in Africa. However, the effectiveness of CBI in improving fiscal performance in Africa is enhanced by higher levels of institutional quality. Although elections directly worsen fiscal performance in Africa, institutional quality enhances CBI’s effect on improving fiscal performance in election years across Africa, other developing countries and developed countries. Practical implications – The findings of the study are significant as they provide insight into the benefits of having strong institutions to complement independent central banks in order to control fiscal indiscipline in election years. Originality/value – The study is the first among the studies of CBI-fiscal policy nexus, to measure fiscal policy using net central bank claims on government as a percentage of GDP. In addition to the use of fiscal balance, this study also uses cyclically adjusted fiscal balance as a measure of fiscal policy. This is a critical channel through which independent central banks can constrain govern
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    Benevolence and Negative Deviant Behavior in Africa: The Moderating Role of Centralization
    (Journal of Business Ethics, 2019-11-16) Zoogah, R.B.; Zoogah, D.B.
    The growing interest in Africa as well as concerns about negative deviant behaviors and ethnic structures necessitates examination of the effect of ethnic expectations on behavior of employees. In this study we leverage insight from ethnos oblige theory to propose that centralization of ethnic norms moderates the relationship between benevolence expectations and negative deviant behavior. Using a cross-sectional design and data from two countries (Ghana: n = 328 and Botswana: n = 100) as well as moderation and cross-cultural analytic techniques, we find support for three-way interactions where the relationship between benevolence and negative deviant behavior is moderated by centralization and culture. We discuss the implications of the findings which support the dynamic perspective of management in Africa.
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    Factors Influencing Change in Behavior among Residents with Drug Addiction in a Mental Hospital in Ghana
    (Journal of Public Health, 2019) Asuman, D.; Ackah, C.G.; Fenny, A.P.; Agyire-Tettey, F.
    Aim Health and nutrition in early childhood are essential for survival, growth and adult life outcomes. As such, a number of global and national interventions have been pursued to improve early childhood health and nutrition. However, child malnutrition is pervasive and endemic across the sub Saharan Africa. This paper therefore assesses the nature and trends of socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting. The paper proceeds to decompose the causes of such socioeconomic-related inequalities over the period covered. Subjects and methods We used data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) for ten sub-Saharan African countries conducted between 2000 and 2016. The study employs an extension to the concentration index for binary health outcomes to measure socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and decompose the causes of inequalities in stunting using a generalized decomposition technique based on recentered influence function regressions. Results The results show substantial pro-rich inequalities in child stunting across sub-Saharan Africa. The incidence of stunting are concentrated among children living in households with low socioeconomic status. In spite of persistent declines in the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years across the study countries since 2000, trends in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting are mixed. We find significant contributions of child, maternal, and household characteristics to inequalities in child stunting. Conclusion The results suggest that there is the need to design and target nutrition-based interventions at children in low socioeconomic households. In addition, promoting female education and improving access to health and nutrition information will be key to improving child nutrition across the region.
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    Researching our shared heritage: What do we want to see today?
    (South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2019-09) Kodzo, G.
    Archaeology has contributed immensely to knowledge about Africa's cultural past. It has informed us about the foundations and character of behaviour among different communities of people, the processes by which humans and their culture have developed and transformed within variable temporal and spatial contexts, and about the nature and legacies of cross-cultural interactions and interconnections between Africans and other peoples of the world (Connah 2001; Phillipson 2005; Mitchell and Lane 2013). The discipline has become increasingly nuanced and sophisticated on the continent (Mitchell and Lane 2013; Connah 2013; Stahl 2004) with research results stimulating revisions and refinements of archaeological theory, methods and techniques globally. Some researchers who work on the African continent, including Ann Stahl (2004), Judy Sterner and Nicholas David (2008), andWazi Apoh and Kodzo Gavua (2016) have made appreciable attempts to reconcile their scientific research interests with the social, political, and economic issues of the nations in which they operate.