This paper suggests that, just as the world community is concerned with ‘vaccine nationalism’ in ... more This paper suggests that, just as the world community is concerned with ‘vaccine nationalism’ in the acquisition and distribution of vaccines, it should also be concerned with ‘vaccine tribalism’ in the respective African nations. This call is made because, African nations do not have impressive records of ethical distribution and apportionment of scarce resources, be it the delivery of healthcare services, medical doctors, or the national wealth, jobs, and the siting of national projects. Ethnocentric considerations, cronyism, big-man-ism, power, often trump ethical values of beneficence, non-malfeasance, equity, and fairness.
From the 12th of March 2020, Ghana took bold steps against Covid-19, aimed at controlling the spr... more From the 12th of March 2020, Ghana took bold steps against Covid-19, aimed at controlling the spread among the population, protecting against community infections, treating those with the disease and ensuring public trust in the healthcare delivery system. This cross-sectional survey, assessed the effectiveness of Ghana’s risk communication, legal framework and response approaches to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The first part was a Cross-Sectional approach. The authors used data collected on-line via a self-reported questionnaire between 16th March and 16th April from [127] participants. Differences in mean scores and other factors associated with awareness; as a function of risk communication; to Covid-19, knowledge of safety protocols, and practices towards the disease, were conducted using univariate and multivariate data analytical methods. The second approach was a literature review of Ghana’s legal framework existing prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 and those enacted by Parliament...
The 1992 Constitution provides explicit instructions to the citizens of Ghana to defend it. That ... more The 1992 Constitution provides explicit instructions to the citizens of Ghana to defend it. That is to say, the citizens are inured with the correlative constitutional right to acquire arms, to keep and to bear them in anticipation of national defense. Despite this charge, the legislative framework has, for a considerable length of time, placed administrative restrictions on gun ownership that undermine the constitutional grant to citizens to even acquire arms. The National Commission on Small Arms and regional conventions such as Ecowas Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, have confusing nomenclature and idiosyncratic definition for legal and illicit gun ownership that complicate the right to bear arms. This investigation attempts to show to what extent the constitutional mandate had been overlooked and encroached upon, and how the encroachment can be clawed back to enhance Article 3 rights of the citizens under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
This study considers de-radicalization hypothesis in relation to the youth of Sub-Saharan Africa ... more This study considers de-radicalization hypothesis in relation to the youth of Sub-Saharan Africa and the purported retraining from engagement in violent extremism. The hypothesis assumes a waning or reduction in youth radicalism in Sub-Saharan Africa. This change is reported to be due to the reduced opportunities for recruitment into violent extremist groups, through proselytization in the virtual or real world. The instigators are Muslim Clerics, or Jihadist agents, or even through 'Self-radicalization'. The reduced effect is, apparently, attributed to the successes garnered by the international war on terror. For proof of concept of youth radicalism, and therefore, deradicalism, a review of the reported motivations of the youth to jihadist causes was conducted. This was to assess if those motivations are still prevalent in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa's. If so, can the argument be sustained that, once there was active radicalism and now, there is de-radicalism? The evidence on de-radicalization of the youth even in Europe and in Sub-Saharan Africa as reported by observers and security organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and else, is not compatible with the quantum of the youth from Sub-Saharan Africa believed to have been radicalized. Among other weaknesses it fails to establish a baseline, and, thereafter, the percentage of change of those de-radicalized.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, bodybuilders have been demonized as Vigilantes who are not violence averse... more In Sub-Saharan Africa, bodybuilders have been demonized as Vigilantes who are not violence averse, and who cause election violence. The situation is more complex and does not provide a straight forward cause and effect approach. This is an investigation into the relationship between bodybuilding and political party vigilantism and the role these actors play in election violence. The author used mixed methodology of analytical literature review and ethnographical investigative tool. Observer-Participant studied 16 bodybuilders in an Accra City Gym to determine if bodybuilding predisposes one to Political Party Vigilantism and consequently to election violence. Prompted by the generally known fact that some recreational and professional athletes' use Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids, AAS for performance enhancement and image improvement, the association between AAS and increased aggression and violence was reviewed (Hoskin & Ellis, 2015). The investigation appears to suggest that the national media may be justified for painting some bodybuilders as testosterone driven, thrill seekers who morph into vigilante groups with the propensity for violence (Beaver et al., 2008; Piacentico, Kotzalidis, del Casale et al., 2015). This finding was not sustained by other researchers (Bahsin, Storer, Berman et al., 1996; Yates et al., 1999). In the national situation, the youth appear to use bodybuilding as part of their healthseeking needs, although there are aspects of bodybuilding that may not contribute to overall good health, such as the injection of steroids for muscle mass. Those recruited into Political Party Vigilante Groups join through peer recommendation, Political Party affiliation, personal choice and direct employment by "strongmen and financiers" in the Political Parties. A more objective approach to reporting on, and understanding of bodybuilding and its association with vigilantism or election violence should be adopted. Political Party vigilantism appears to be an effect of systemic economic malaise and under-development, which ought to be addressed by central government through progressive investment in education and employment opportunities.
The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, a "flagship" program of Ghana, has been praised as a ... more The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, a "flagship" program of Ghana, has been praised as a Sub-Saharan Africa's "miracle cure" for poverty alleviation because it gives US$4.00-6.00 a month to a single beneficiary household. In any other regions of the world, the paltry sum would not be praiseworthy. This paper reviewed the literature on the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty program to identify the reported gains by beneficiaries. Using government's own publication on LEAP, the author sought to determine evidence of exclusion of the extreme poor, and to find if the alleged gains under LEAP have improved the social inclusion and functionings of the beneficiary households by reducing the alleged social exclusion, chronic poverty and deprivation or by improving social solidarity and equal opportunities for the beneficiaries. Internet search of pertinent literature was conducted, with hand searching of grey literature produced by the Ghana Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and others on the matter. The pertinent papers that addressed the research questions were read and briefed for analyses. The published literature reveals that the program has not significantly improved the capabilities, functionings and being of beneficiaries, though there is a plethora of anecdotal reportage about improvements in their lives. In rural Ghana poverty is not the basis for social exclusion, though disability is. The loose eligibility criteria reward undeserving recipients of LEAP. The government of Ghana and its development partners need to conduct monitoring and evaluation exercise of the program to assess the contributions, if any. They also need to have a working definition of social exclusion, social isolation and solidarity in order to identify the types of exclusions that should inform How to cite this paper: Norman, I.
It is often said the Ghana Police force is corrupt without collaborating evidence. There is very ... more It is often said the Ghana Police force is corrupt without collaborating evidence. There is very little attempt to differentiate specific branches of the force from each other. There are those, whose Standard Operating Procedures involves road traffic duties, and those whose SOPs do not expose them to driver inducement to bribes. We conducted baseline, cross-sectional nationwide study to determine the incidence of the police collecting money from drivers to support or rebut the perception and the reality of police corruption with specific attention to only traffic related corrupt practices. This study therefore relates only to the narrow issue of traffic-stop-driver-Police-bribery-and-corruption. The High Police such as the Bureau of National Investigation and the Economic and Organized Crime Office, were excluded as not forming an intrinsic part of the police force engaged in mundane road traffic police functions. We found evidence that supported the research question: That the Ghana Police engages in active intimidation of drivers, extract and demand for money from drivers of all classifications for cause and without cause. The traffic Police conduct these activities in the most blatant and public manner. These activities have contributed to the lessening of respect for the profession, the rule of law, and the general public belief that justice in Ghana correlates to size of expenditure to bribe law enforcement operatives. Road traffic corruption undermines road safety programs, national efforts to reduce money laundering or cross-border movement of terrorists and narcotics drug smuggling cells. This may have a linkage to the rising road traffic fatalities in significant ways. National action to arrest the diminishing respect for the Police is also needed.
Prevalence of Neck Wrist and Back pain (NWBP) among solid waste collectors (SWCs) of Zoom Lion Co... more Prevalence of Neck Wrist and Back pain (NWBP) among solid waste collectors (SWCs) of Zoom Lion Company (ZL) is 44.7%, 48.2% and 73.5% respectively, irrespective of pre-existing periodic pains. It was established that 42/340 (12.4%) SWCs of ZL had neck pain before joining ZL, whilst 298/340 (87.6%) developed neck pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.001). Again, 32/340 (9.4%) had wrist pain before joining ZL, whilst 308/340 (90.6%) developed wrist pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.000). Finally, SWCs who had back pain before joining ZL were 71/340 (20.9%) whilst 269/340 (79.1%) developed back pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.000). These outcomes indicate that SWCs are predisposed to such NWBPs. Zoom Lion, needs to conduct periodic health checks of their staff to determine the degree of NWBPs experienced by their workers and help to relieve the workers of the economic burden of managing the pain.
The concept of "African democracy" invokes James and Stuart Rachels' (2003) treatise against "Cul... more The concept of "African democracy" invokes James and Stuart Rachels' (2003) treatise against "Cultural Relativism". That is to say, it is generally assumed that there is democracy relative to Africa and therefore, there is a concept of "African Democracy Relativism". Due to this, democracy in Africa oughts to be different from democracy everywhere else. "Choice" as an ethical value subsists and emanates from autonomy and freedom. When people are free in the democracy, they also have the freedom of "choice" in their functionings. There are many limitations on the right to choose in Africa due to the general limitations placed on freedoms. This paper proposes that there is but one type of democracy in the world, which offers individuals the same kind of freedom of choice and wellbeing, provided it is also accepted that the African is an indivisible part of the universal man or woman. What may have given rise to the erroneous concept of an "African democracy type" is the general assumption that Africa is familiar and understands democratic principles. It was further mistakenly assumed that Africa considered all human beings as equal based on some resplendent intellectual expositions on democracy, which was accepted and known to all. Therefore, all had equal rights, freedom of choice and privileges before the law and man, and that "due process" was part of the mundane administration of justice articulated in a systematic and reviewable medium such as a tablet, stone, book or film or other archival systems. Africa's unwritten history is subject to the revisionist manipulation, prevarication, and unsupported by the cultural norms of the respective nations. These concepts as used in this paper would be defined and discussed accordingly and present a different view point on this matter, using Ghana as a case.
Principle-based ethics appears to be recent addition to Sub-Saharan Africa's rights profile, alth... more Principle-based ethics appears to be recent addition to Sub-Saharan Africa's rights profile, although universal principles of morality have been part of the region from time immemorial. In this regard, periodic review of how principle-based ethics is being integrated into the health-seeking behavior of Sub-Saharan Africa is essential to the capabilities and functionings of the people. Whether the Hohfeldian incidents should be applied to Sub-Saharan Africa in measuring the degree of autonomy, capacity and informed consent, given the limited actual and medical education. Whether ethical concepts of "responsibility" and "paternalism" should be more promoted and if so, what happens to their "functionings" and "being"?
JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports
The main objective of this qualitative review is to synthesize the best available evidence on fac... more The main objective of this qualitative review is to synthesize the best available evidence on facilitators and barriers of modern contraception use among reproductive-aged (15-49 years) women living in sub-Saharan Africa [SSA].The specific review questions are.
Introduction: Malaria remains one of the top five killer diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and... more Introduction: Malaria remains one of the top five killer diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and its burden is skewed towards pregnant women and children under five. Insecticide Treated Bed-Net (ITN) usage is considered one of the most cost-effective, preventive interventions against malaria. This study sought to assess ownership, usage, effectiveness, knowledge, access and availability of ITNs among mothers with children under five in the Hohoe municipality. Methods: in August 2010 a cross-sectional survey was carried out in 30 communities, selected using the WHO 30 cluster sampling technique. In the selected communities, mothers/caregivers with children under five years were selected using the snowball method. Data were collected through questionnaires and direct observation of ITN. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data collected. Results: A total of 450 mothers/caregivers were interviewed and their mean age was 30 ± 7 years. ITN ownership was 81.3%, and usage was 66.4%. The majority (97.8%) of the mothers/caregivers said ITNs were effective for malaria prevention. Awareness about ITNs was high (98.7%) and the majority (52.9%) had heard about ITNs from Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Clinic and antenatal care ANC clinic (33.6%). Over 60% of the ITNs were acquired through free distribution at RCH clinics, clinic and home distribution during mass immunization sessions. The majority of the mothers/caregivers (78.6%) knew the signs and symptoms of malaria, what causes malaria (82.2%) and who is most at risk (90%). Conclusion: Behaviour change communication strategies on ITN use may need to be further targeted to ensure full use of available ITNs.
The Economic and Organized Crime Office, (EOCO) is an agency designed to address critical nationa... more The Economic and Organized Crime Office, (EOCO) is an agency designed to address critical national security and public health challenges. These include organized crime activities, official and institutional bribery and corruption among others. Despite this mandate, EOCO appears to have lost the ability to police the economy of Ghana in the face of rampant reported and actual cases of massive corruption in government institutions and agencies. This paper poses the perplexing question as to whether EOCO has already agreed to play the umpire role as official and institutional corruption insidiously becomes the new national sport, pervasive and ubiquitous. Under EOCO law, it is designed to operate on hunches and suspicions; it is to develop its eavesdropping and spying skills so as to be able to apprehend the wrong doer before he/she completes the commission of the malfeasance. It appears the mere suspicion, the mere hunch that a crime is about to be committed or is being committed seems to be enough probable cause to deplore the police and subpoena powers on the suspect and correlative persons as provided for in the Second Schedule to L.I. 2183 of the EOCO Operations. The Act and the LI are more concerned with sophisticated crimes, and aim to engage in pre-crime interventions, espionage of certain classes of people in civil society and continuous monitoring. To realize these ends, they are given extrajudicial powers such as search and seizure of personal communications and effects without the production of a warrant guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It is therefore vexatious that corruption has taken over the image of Ghana in quick step against unprecedented swooping powers given to EOCO to breach; for the public good, the civil and constitutional rights of companies and citizens bent on committing serious crime.
Objective: We investigated middle class' contribution to corruption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We asse... more Objective: We investigated middle class' contribution to corruption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We assessed the effect of how the upward mobility of the middle class would be driven, if the underlying socioeconomic conditions were to be improved. The third inquiry focused on whether the people appeared conflicted, where they seemed to have two separate personalities of "one for Caesar" and the "other for God" in the conduct of their official and professional duties. We finally assessed if exposure to a good dose of ethics would mitigate corrupt practices. Method: Using Ghana as the case study, we conducted a review of the literature on corruption in Sub-Sahara to assess if the phenomenon was growing with the middle class. These included published research on corruption and on the middle class in Sub-Sahara Africa. Grey literature, various government commissions' report after investigations into allegations and cases of corruption, as well as reports of the national Public Accounts Commission and those of the Controller Accountant General's available to the public on the internet was reviewed. All the findings were grouped into their respective units and the issues summarized and interpreted. Result: The middle class are the gate-keepers of policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. They control service delivery and occupy middle to upper level management positions in public and private enterprises. They provide the bulk of the academic and intellectual resources and capacities for education. The effect of their conduct in professional roles may substantially contribute to the erosion of responsible moral conduct and professional ethics in the delivery of services and in the lives of the population. Discussion: The middle class is engaged in a deadly game of "catching up with the Mensahs". Whatever Mensah has, even if he acquires it illegally and through corrupt means, everyone in Mensah's neighborhood irrespective of religion, social antecedents and professional ethics, wants to be just like Mensah. Conclusion: Such conduct does not consider the moral and legal duty of care of the
Background: Malaria and anaemia continue to adversely impact the health of children in Ghana. Hoh... more Background: Malaria and anaemia continue to adversely impact the health of children in Ghana. Hohoe is an area of intense and prolonged, seasonal malaria transmission. In 2006, malaria control programme activities which provided Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) to resident children under five years and Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) for the management of malaria were introduced into the Hohoe Municipality. Before the introduction of the control programme, baseline surveys were carried out in communities in the Hohoe municipality to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia, malaria parasite density, gametocytaemia and ITN ownership and use in June and November 2006 ahead of the intervention programme. Similar surveys were conducted in 2010 after the intervention to assess changes in the earlier indicators in the same communities. This report presents an evaluation of the intervention by comparing findings before and after the malaria control interventions. Methods: In 2010, two communitybased surveys were carried out in thirty communities among children aged five years and below. The first one was at the beginning of the rainy and high malaria transmission season in June and the other was in November at the end of the rainy season. The surveys were to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia and ITN ownership, use and effectiveness among children less * Corresponding author. M. Kweku et al. 181 than 5 years. Data were collected in the form of interviews using questionnaire and collection of biological samples. Findings were compared to those similar surveys conducted in the same communities and age groups in 2006. Pr-testi was used to analyze two sample tests for proportions and t-test was used for means. Findings: Malaria prevalence decreased by 20% [9.0% vs. 7.2%; p = 0.0.40], fever decreased by 47.8% [2.3% vs. 1.2%; p = 0.008] and anaemia decreased by 32.9% [7.8% vs. 5.3%; p = 0.002]. ITN ownership increased by 67.9% [20.8% vs. 64.8%; p < 0.001], ITN use increased by 64.2% [15.1% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.001] and ITN effectiveness increased by 41.7% [20.0% vs. 34.3%; p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia reduced by 17.9% [2.8% vs. 2.3%; p = 0.223]. Gameto-cytaemia decreased by 82.5% [0.8% vs. 0.14%; p = 0.002. Similarly data comparing 2006 and 2010 post-rainy season showed that malaria prevalence decreased by 16.8% [40.4% vs. 33.6%; p < 0.001], fever decreased by 14% [5.0% vs. 4.3%; p = 0.347] and anaemia decreased by 64.2% [12% vs. 4.3%; p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia also reduced by 69.5% [10.5% vs. 3.2%; p < 0.001] and gametocytaemia decreased by 78.5% [0.8% vs. 0.17%; p = 0.008]. Conclusion: This study suggested that there was an association between the current intervention and reduction in the prevalence of malaria, fever and anaemia. High parasite density and gametocytaemia prevalence have also significantly reduced over the five years of the introduction of the control measures. There has also been a significant increase in the ownership and use of ITNs.
Ghana is confronted with persistent environmental challenges such as its inability to recycle its... more Ghana is confronted with persistent environmental challenges such as its inability to recycle its domestic and industrial waste. Ghana has no adequate waste treatment plant in any of its leading cities or towns and a general lack of best environmental practices, although there are currently plans to install state of the art waste management plant in the capital city. The Central Government does not adequately resource the municipal governments with the constitutionally allocable portions from the centrally planned budget to be able to provide services such as sanitation, refuse collection, road maintenance and related functions to improve the health of the environment and thus the communities. The public-private-partnership meant to supplement municipal environmental waste and sanitation management has been co-opted by central government operatives so much so that they appear as if they are inseparable and integral part of the municipal governments. Due to such close association and other systemic failures, the public-private-partnership in the industry is fraught with allegations of cronyism, renting seeking behaviors, and sweetheart arrangements. As a result, the arrangements do not function efficiently or effectively, except in very limited city spaces in the central business districts and neighborhoods with large expatriate presences together with high ranking government functionaries. Generally, the public health of the population is compromised. The lack of good programs and operations in Ghana's environmental practices has led to the outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera resulting in morbidity and mortality among the population on a yearly basis. Cholera, an internationally reported disease, is a significant killer in Ghana today. In many nations in the 21 st Century, this disease does not even feature in the list of threats to the health of the public. Malaria continues to be a major public health saboteur disease. There appears to be official denial about the lack of real improvements towards the Millennium Development Goal 7. This paper attempts to provide photographic evidence about the situation on the ground in the capital city of Ghana, Accra; and to raise the alarm that the veracity of Ghana about its progress towards MDG 7 may be in serious doubt.
The common law on Patient's access to medical records in Ghana was articulated in a High Court ca... more The common law on Patient's access to medical records in Ghana was articulated in a High Court case: Vaah vs. Lister, 2010. The case established that patient's right to medical records was protected by the constitution like the right to informed consent, equity and social justice. It was therefore part of the fundamental human rights and freedoms. We disagree with the position of the court. We investigated whether the constitution guarantees patient's access to medical records and whether the right of access to medical records is a fundamental human right? What is the responsibility of the patients to the hospitals or physicians who maintain and protect the records? In the more recent Data Protection Act of 2012, access to personal data appears as a privilege and therefore not the same as the substantive right of privacy. This investigative study consisted of literature and documentary review of cases, the 1992 Constitution, selected medico-legal writings from Ghana and other Common-law jurisdictions on production of patient records. An electronic Internet search was conducted with carefully designed phrases like, "patient medical records", "patient access to medical records", and "hospital's refusal to release medical records" and the result analyzed. The study revealed there was no substantive right of access to medical records. Issues of equity imbedded in the Physician-Patient relationship are skewed in favor of the patient. The lack of national legislation on Health Records complicates matters. Depending on the jurisdiction, patient's access to medical records may be characterized as substantive right or a privilege. This is often supported by statute law. The interpretation of case law should take into consideration the relative and competing rights of the patient and the physician in terms of patients' access to medical records since both contributed to the creation of that record. The national law on Health Information should be developed to assign roles and responsibilities to both the patient and the hospital/physician. Care needs to be paid to what exactly the (Constitution of Ghana, 1992)
By 2003, 350,000 persons lived with HIV/AIDS in Ghana with an average drop of 15,640 over 8 years... more By 2003, 350,000 persons lived with HIV/AIDS in Ghana with an average drop of 15,640 over 8 years. In 2011, approximately 224,878 persons lived with HIV/AIDS, which is expected to drop to 221,884 by 2015. We think the estimated 2994 drop over 4 years is pedestrian. We attribute the lackluster performance to the haphazard HIV and AIDS, STI Policy from 2004 through 2013. We considered the Ghana HIV/AIDS and STI Policy published (NACP/GHS, 2013) "as is" to isolate the gaps in the policy, looking at the provision of judicial and legal mechanisms for testing, treatment and counseling. We also investigated the national policy on partner notification, names reporting, and expedited partner therapy, in the case of MSM and young people as provided for in the policy. Finally, we looked at issues affecting stigmatization and discrimination. The investigation consisted of the review of the Revised National HIV and AIDS, STI Policy of August 2004 through 2013. We also undertook a documentary review of publications on the topic. There are systemic problems in the policy design, which has weakened the thrust of the national control program. The policy is unsystematic and inconsistent with international best practice in combating communicable diseases. It may not maximize the number of persons who are aware of their HIV status. It may not increase the number of HIV infected persons who receive care, and may not prevent new infections. It is unlikely that by 2015 even the low 2994 drop over four years would be sustained particularly with the current rationing of ART drugs in the nation. Recommendations are made to, perhaps, inform policy.
This paper suggests that, just as the world community is concerned with ‘vaccine nationalism’ in ... more This paper suggests that, just as the world community is concerned with ‘vaccine nationalism’ in the acquisition and distribution of vaccines, it should also be concerned with ‘vaccine tribalism’ in the respective African nations. This call is made because, African nations do not have impressive records of ethical distribution and apportionment of scarce resources, be it the delivery of healthcare services, medical doctors, or the national wealth, jobs, and the siting of national projects. Ethnocentric considerations, cronyism, big-man-ism, power, often trump ethical values of beneficence, non-malfeasance, equity, and fairness.
From the 12th of March 2020, Ghana took bold steps against Covid-19, aimed at controlling the spr... more From the 12th of March 2020, Ghana took bold steps against Covid-19, aimed at controlling the spread among the population, protecting against community infections, treating those with the disease and ensuring public trust in the healthcare delivery system. This cross-sectional survey, assessed the effectiveness of Ghana’s risk communication, legal framework and response approaches to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The first part was a Cross-Sectional approach. The authors used data collected on-line via a self-reported questionnaire between 16th March and 16th April from [127] participants. Differences in mean scores and other factors associated with awareness; as a function of risk communication; to Covid-19, knowledge of safety protocols, and practices towards the disease, were conducted using univariate and multivariate data analytical methods. The second approach was a literature review of Ghana’s legal framework existing prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 and those enacted by Parliament...
The 1992 Constitution provides explicit instructions to the citizens of Ghana to defend it. That ... more The 1992 Constitution provides explicit instructions to the citizens of Ghana to defend it. That is to say, the citizens are inured with the correlative constitutional right to acquire arms, to keep and to bear them in anticipation of national defense. Despite this charge, the legislative framework has, for a considerable length of time, placed administrative restrictions on gun ownership that undermine the constitutional grant to citizens to even acquire arms. The National Commission on Small Arms and regional conventions such as Ecowas Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, have confusing nomenclature and idiosyncratic definition for legal and illicit gun ownership that complicate the right to bear arms. This investigation attempts to show to what extent the constitutional mandate had been overlooked and encroached upon, and how the encroachment can be clawed back to enhance Article 3 rights of the citizens under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
This study considers de-radicalization hypothesis in relation to the youth of Sub-Saharan Africa ... more This study considers de-radicalization hypothesis in relation to the youth of Sub-Saharan Africa and the purported retraining from engagement in violent extremism. The hypothesis assumes a waning or reduction in youth radicalism in Sub-Saharan Africa. This change is reported to be due to the reduced opportunities for recruitment into violent extremist groups, through proselytization in the virtual or real world. The instigators are Muslim Clerics, or Jihadist agents, or even through 'Self-radicalization'. The reduced effect is, apparently, attributed to the successes garnered by the international war on terror. For proof of concept of youth radicalism, and therefore, deradicalism, a review of the reported motivations of the youth to jihadist causes was conducted. This was to assess if those motivations are still prevalent in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa's. If so, can the argument be sustained that, once there was active radicalism and now, there is de-radicalism? The evidence on de-radicalization of the youth even in Europe and in Sub-Saharan Africa as reported by observers and security organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and else, is not compatible with the quantum of the youth from Sub-Saharan Africa believed to have been radicalized. Among other weaknesses it fails to establish a baseline, and, thereafter, the percentage of change of those de-radicalized.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, bodybuilders have been demonized as Vigilantes who are not violence averse... more In Sub-Saharan Africa, bodybuilders have been demonized as Vigilantes who are not violence averse, and who cause election violence. The situation is more complex and does not provide a straight forward cause and effect approach. This is an investigation into the relationship between bodybuilding and political party vigilantism and the role these actors play in election violence. The author used mixed methodology of analytical literature review and ethnographical investigative tool. Observer-Participant studied 16 bodybuilders in an Accra City Gym to determine if bodybuilding predisposes one to Political Party Vigilantism and consequently to election violence. Prompted by the generally known fact that some recreational and professional athletes' use Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids, AAS for performance enhancement and image improvement, the association between AAS and increased aggression and violence was reviewed (Hoskin & Ellis, 2015). The investigation appears to suggest that the national media may be justified for painting some bodybuilders as testosterone driven, thrill seekers who morph into vigilante groups with the propensity for violence (Beaver et al., 2008; Piacentico, Kotzalidis, del Casale et al., 2015). This finding was not sustained by other researchers (Bahsin, Storer, Berman et al., 1996; Yates et al., 1999). In the national situation, the youth appear to use bodybuilding as part of their healthseeking needs, although there are aspects of bodybuilding that may not contribute to overall good health, such as the injection of steroids for muscle mass. Those recruited into Political Party Vigilante Groups join through peer recommendation, Political Party affiliation, personal choice and direct employment by "strongmen and financiers" in the Political Parties. A more objective approach to reporting on, and understanding of bodybuilding and its association with vigilantism or election violence should be adopted. Political Party vigilantism appears to be an effect of systemic economic malaise and under-development, which ought to be addressed by central government through progressive investment in education and employment opportunities.
The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, a "flagship" program of Ghana, has been praised as a ... more The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, a "flagship" program of Ghana, has been praised as a Sub-Saharan Africa's "miracle cure" for poverty alleviation because it gives US$4.00-6.00 a month to a single beneficiary household. In any other regions of the world, the paltry sum would not be praiseworthy. This paper reviewed the literature on the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty program to identify the reported gains by beneficiaries. Using government's own publication on LEAP, the author sought to determine evidence of exclusion of the extreme poor, and to find if the alleged gains under LEAP have improved the social inclusion and functionings of the beneficiary households by reducing the alleged social exclusion, chronic poverty and deprivation or by improving social solidarity and equal opportunities for the beneficiaries. Internet search of pertinent literature was conducted, with hand searching of grey literature produced by the Ghana Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and others on the matter. The pertinent papers that addressed the research questions were read and briefed for analyses. The published literature reveals that the program has not significantly improved the capabilities, functionings and being of beneficiaries, though there is a plethora of anecdotal reportage about improvements in their lives. In rural Ghana poverty is not the basis for social exclusion, though disability is. The loose eligibility criteria reward undeserving recipients of LEAP. The government of Ghana and its development partners need to conduct monitoring and evaluation exercise of the program to assess the contributions, if any. They also need to have a working definition of social exclusion, social isolation and solidarity in order to identify the types of exclusions that should inform How to cite this paper: Norman, I.
It is often said the Ghana Police force is corrupt without collaborating evidence. There is very ... more It is often said the Ghana Police force is corrupt without collaborating evidence. There is very little attempt to differentiate specific branches of the force from each other. There are those, whose Standard Operating Procedures involves road traffic duties, and those whose SOPs do not expose them to driver inducement to bribes. We conducted baseline, cross-sectional nationwide study to determine the incidence of the police collecting money from drivers to support or rebut the perception and the reality of police corruption with specific attention to only traffic related corrupt practices. This study therefore relates only to the narrow issue of traffic-stop-driver-Police-bribery-and-corruption. The High Police such as the Bureau of National Investigation and the Economic and Organized Crime Office, were excluded as not forming an intrinsic part of the police force engaged in mundane road traffic police functions. We found evidence that supported the research question: That the Ghana Police engages in active intimidation of drivers, extract and demand for money from drivers of all classifications for cause and without cause. The traffic Police conduct these activities in the most blatant and public manner. These activities have contributed to the lessening of respect for the profession, the rule of law, and the general public belief that justice in Ghana correlates to size of expenditure to bribe law enforcement operatives. Road traffic corruption undermines road safety programs, national efforts to reduce money laundering or cross-border movement of terrorists and narcotics drug smuggling cells. This may have a linkage to the rising road traffic fatalities in significant ways. National action to arrest the diminishing respect for the Police is also needed.
Prevalence of Neck Wrist and Back pain (NWBP) among solid waste collectors (SWCs) of Zoom Lion Co... more Prevalence of Neck Wrist and Back pain (NWBP) among solid waste collectors (SWCs) of Zoom Lion Company (ZL) is 44.7%, 48.2% and 73.5% respectively, irrespective of pre-existing periodic pains. It was established that 42/340 (12.4%) SWCs of ZL had neck pain before joining ZL, whilst 298/340 (87.6%) developed neck pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.001). Again, 32/340 (9.4%) had wrist pain before joining ZL, whilst 308/340 (90.6%) developed wrist pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.000). Finally, SWCs who had back pain before joining ZL were 71/340 (20.9%) whilst 269/340 (79.1%) developed back pain after joining ZL (P-value = 0.000). These outcomes indicate that SWCs are predisposed to such NWBPs. Zoom Lion, needs to conduct periodic health checks of their staff to determine the degree of NWBPs experienced by their workers and help to relieve the workers of the economic burden of managing the pain.
The concept of "African democracy" invokes James and Stuart Rachels' (2003) treatise against "Cul... more The concept of "African democracy" invokes James and Stuart Rachels' (2003) treatise against "Cultural Relativism". That is to say, it is generally assumed that there is democracy relative to Africa and therefore, there is a concept of "African Democracy Relativism". Due to this, democracy in Africa oughts to be different from democracy everywhere else. "Choice" as an ethical value subsists and emanates from autonomy and freedom. When people are free in the democracy, they also have the freedom of "choice" in their functionings. There are many limitations on the right to choose in Africa due to the general limitations placed on freedoms. This paper proposes that there is but one type of democracy in the world, which offers individuals the same kind of freedom of choice and wellbeing, provided it is also accepted that the African is an indivisible part of the universal man or woman. What may have given rise to the erroneous concept of an "African democracy type" is the general assumption that Africa is familiar and understands democratic principles. It was further mistakenly assumed that Africa considered all human beings as equal based on some resplendent intellectual expositions on democracy, which was accepted and known to all. Therefore, all had equal rights, freedom of choice and privileges before the law and man, and that "due process" was part of the mundane administration of justice articulated in a systematic and reviewable medium such as a tablet, stone, book or film or other archival systems. Africa's unwritten history is subject to the revisionist manipulation, prevarication, and unsupported by the cultural norms of the respective nations. These concepts as used in this paper would be defined and discussed accordingly and present a different view point on this matter, using Ghana as a case.
Principle-based ethics appears to be recent addition to Sub-Saharan Africa's rights profile, alth... more Principle-based ethics appears to be recent addition to Sub-Saharan Africa's rights profile, although universal principles of morality have been part of the region from time immemorial. In this regard, periodic review of how principle-based ethics is being integrated into the health-seeking behavior of Sub-Saharan Africa is essential to the capabilities and functionings of the people. Whether the Hohfeldian incidents should be applied to Sub-Saharan Africa in measuring the degree of autonomy, capacity and informed consent, given the limited actual and medical education. Whether ethical concepts of "responsibility" and "paternalism" should be more promoted and if so, what happens to their "functionings" and "being"?
JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports
The main objective of this qualitative review is to synthesize the best available evidence on fac... more The main objective of this qualitative review is to synthesize the best available evidence on facilitators and barriers of modern contraception use among reproductive-aged (15-49 years) women living in sub-Saharan Africa [SSA].The specific review questions are.
Introduction: Malaria remains one of the top five killer diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and... more Introduction: Malaria remains one of the top five killer diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and its burden is skewed towards pregnant women and children under five. Insecticide Treated Bed-Net (ITN) usage is considered one of the most cost-effective, preventive interventions against malaria. This study sought to assess ownership, usage, effectiveness, knowledge, access and availability of ITNs among mothers with children under five in the Hohoe municipality. Methods: in August 2010 a cross-sectional survey was carried out in 30 communities, selected using the WHO 30 cluster sampling technique. In the selected communities, mothers/caregivers with children under five years were selected using the snowball method. Data were collected through questionnaires and direct observation of ITN. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data collected. Results: A total of 450 mothers/caregivers were interviewed and their mean age was 30 ± 7 years. ITN ownership was 81.3%, and usage was 66.4%. The majority (97.8%) of the mothers/caregivers said ITNs were effective for malaria prevention. Awareness about ITNs was high (98.7%) and the majority (52.9%) had heard about ITNs from Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Clinic and antenatal care ANC clinic (33.6%). Over 60% of the ITNs were acquired through free distribution at RCH clinics, clinic and home distribution during mass immunization sessions. The majority of the mothers/caregivers (78.6%) knew the signs and symptoms of malaria, what causes malaria (82.2%) and who is most at risk (90%). Conclusion: Behaviour change communication strategies on ITN use may need to be further targeted to ensure full use of available ITNs.
The Economic and Organized Crime Office, (EOCO) is an agency designed to address critical nationa... more The Economic and Organized Crime Office, (EOCO) is an agency designed to address critical national security and public health challenges. These include organized crime activities, official and institutional bribery and corruption among others. Despite this mandate, EOCO appears to have lost the ability to police the economy of Ghana in the face of rampant reported and actual cases of massive corruption in government institutions and agencies. This paper poses the perplexing question as to whether EOCO has already agreed to play the umpire role as official and institutional corruption insidiously becomes the new national sport, pervasive and ubiquitous. Under EOCO law, it is designed to operate on hunches and suspicions; it is to develop its eavesdropping and spying skills so as to be able to apprehend the wrong doer before he/she completes the commission of the malfeasance. It appears the mere suspicion, the mere hunch that a crime is about to be committed or is being committed seems to be enough probable cause to deplore the police and subpoena powers on the suspect and correlative persons as provided for in the Second Schedule to L.I. 2183 of the EOCO Operations. The Act and the LI are more concerned with sophisticated crimes, and aim to engage in pre-crime interventions, espionage of certain classes of people in civil society and continuous monitoring. To realize these ends, they are given extrajudicial powers such as search and seizure of personal communications and effects without the production of a warrant guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It is therefore vexatious that corruption has taken over the image of Ghana in quick step against unprecedented swooping powers given to EOCO to breach; for the public good, the civil and constitutional rights of companies and citizens bent on committing serious crime.
Objective: We investigated middle class' contribution to corruption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We asse... more Objective: We investigated middle class' contribution to corruption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We assessed the effect of how the upward mobility of the middle class would be driven, if the underlying socioeconomic conditions were to be improved. The third inquiry focused on whether the people appeared conflicted, where they seemed to have two separate personalities of "one for Caesar" and the "other for God" in the conduct of their official and professional duties. We finally assessed if exposure to a good dose of ethics would mitigate corrupt practices. Method: Using Ghana as the case study, we conducted a review of the literature on corruption in Sub-Sahara to assess if the phenomenon was growing with the middle class. These included published research on corruption and on the middle class in Sub-Sahara Africa. Grey literature, various government commissions' report after investigations into allegations and cases of corruption, as well as reports of the national Public Accounts Commission and those of the Controller Accountant General's available to the public on the internet was reviewed. All the findings were grouped into their respective units and the issues summarized and interpreted. Result: The middle class are the gate-keepers of policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. They control service delivery and occupy middle to upper level management positions in public and private enterprises. They provide the bulk of the academic and intellectual resources and capacities for education. The effect of their conduct in professional roles may substantially contribute to the erosion of responsible moral conduct and professional ethics in the delivery of services and in the lives of the population. Discussion: The middle class is engaged in a deadly game of "catching up with the Mensahs". Whatever Mensah has, even if he acquires it illegally and through corrupt means, everyone in Mensah's neighborhood irrespective of religion, social antecedents and professional ethics, wants to be just like Mensah. Conclusion: Such conduct does not consider the moral and legal duty of care of the
Background: Malaria and anaemia continue to adversely impact the health of children in Ghana. Hoh... more Background: Malaria and anaemia continue to adversely impact the health of children in Ghana. Hohoe is an area of intense and prolonged, seasonal malaria transmission. In 2006, malaria control programme activities which provided Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) to resident children under five years and Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) for the management of malaria were introduced into the Hohoe Municipality. Before the introduction of the control programme, baseline surveys were carried out in communities in the Hohoe municipality to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia, malaria parasite density, gametocytaemia and ITN ownership and use in June and November 2006 ahead of the intervention programme. Similar surveys were conducted in 2010 after the intervention to assess changes in the earlier indicators in the same communities. This report presents an evaluation of the intervention by comparing findings before and after the malaria control interventions. Methods: In 2010, two communitybased surveys were carried out in thirty communities among children aged five years and below. The first one was at the beginning of the rainy and high malaria transmission season in June and the other was in November at the end of the rainy season. The surveys were to determine the prevalence of malaria, fever, anaemia and ITN ownership, use and effectiveness among children less * Corresponding author. M. Kweku et al. 181 than 5 years. Data were collected in the form of interviews using questionnaire and collection of biological samples. Findings were compared to those similar surveys conducted in the same communities and age groups in 2006. Pr-testi was used to analyze two sample tests for proportions and t-test was used for means. Findings: Malaria prevalence decreased by 20% [9.0% vs. 7.2%; p = 0.0.40], fever decreased by 47.8% [2.3% vs. 1.2%; p = 0.008] and anaemia decreased by 32.9% [7.8% vs. 5.3%; p = 0.002]. ITN ownership increased by 67.9% [20.8% vs. 64.8%; p < 0.001], ITN use increased by 64.2% [15.1% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.001] and ITN effectiveness increased by 41.7% [20.0% vs. 34.3%; p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia reduced by 17.9% [2.8% vs. 2.3%; p = 0.223]. Gameto-cytaemia decreased by 82.5% [0.8% vs. 0.14%; p = 0.002. Similarly data comparing 2006 and 2010 post-rainy season showed that malaria prevalence decreased by 16.8% [40.4% vs. 33.6%; p < 0.001], fever decreased by 14% [5.0% vs. 4.3%; p = 0.347] and anaemia decreased by 64.2% [12% vs. 4.3%; p < 0.001]. The proportion of children with high density parasitaemia also reduced by 69.5% [10.5% vs. 3.2%; p < 0.001] and gametocytaemia decreased by 78.5% [0.8% vs. 0.17%; p = 0.008]. Conclusion: This study suggested that there was an association between the current intervention and reduction in the prevalence of malaria, fever and anaemia. High parasite density and gametocytaemia prevalence have also significantly reduced over the five years of the introduction of the control measures. There has also been a significant increase in the ownership and use of ITNs.
Ghana is confronted with persistent environmental challenges such as its inability to recycle its... more Ghana is confronted with persistent environmental challenges such as its inability to recycle its domestic and industrial waste. Ghana has no adequate waste treatment plant in any of its leading cities or towns and a general lack of best environmental practices, although there are currently plans to install state of the art waste management plant in the capital city. The Central Government does not adequately resource the municipal governments with the constitutionally allocable portions from the centrally planned budget to be able to provide services such as sanitation, refuse collection, road maintenance and related functions to improve the health of the environment and thus the communities. The public-private-partnership meant to supplement municipal environmental waste and sanitation management has been co-opted by central government operatives so much so that they appear as if they are inseparable and integral part of the municipal governments. Due to such close association and other systemic failures, the public-private-partnership in the industry is fraught with allegations of cronyism, renting seeking behaviors, and sweetheart arrangements. As a result, the arrangements do not function efficiently or effectively, except in very limited city spaces in the central business districts and neighborhoods with large expatriate presences together with high ranking government functionaries. Generally, the public health of the population is compromised. The lack of good programs and operations in Ghana's environmental practices has led to the outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera resulting in morbidity and mortality among the population on a yearly basis. Cholera, an internationally reported disease, is a significant killer in Ghana today. In many nations in the 21 st Century, this disease does not even feature in the list of threats to the health of the public. Malaria continues to be a major public health saboteur disease. There appears to be official denial about the lack of real improvements towards the Millennium Development Goal 7. This paper attempts to provide photographic evidence about the situation on the ground in the capital city of Ghana, Accra; and to raise the alarm that the veracity of Ghana about its progress towards MDG 7 may be in serious doubt.
The common law on Patient's access to medical records in Ghana was articulated in a High Court ca... more The common law on Patient's access to medical records in Ghana was articulated in a High Court case: Vaah vs. Lister, 2010. The case established that patient's right to medical records was protected by the constitution like the right to informed consent, equity and social justice. It was therefore part of the fundamental human rights and freedoms. We disagree with the position of the court. We investigated whether the constitution guarantees patient's access to medical records and whether the right of access to medical records is a fundamental human right? What is the responsibility of the patients to the hospitals or physicians who maintain and protect the records? In the more recent Data Protection Act of 2012, access to personal data appears as a privilege and therefore not the same as the substantive right of privacy. This investigative study consisted of literature and documentary review of cases, the 1992 Constitution, selected medico-legal writings from Ghana and other Common-law jurisdictions on production of patient records. An electronic Internet search was conducted with carefully designed phrases like, "patient medical records", "patient access to medical records", and "hospital's refusal to release medical records" and the result analyzed. The study revealed there was no substantive right of access to medical records. Issues of equity imbedded in the Physician-Patient relationship are skewed in favor of the patient. The lack of national legislation on Health Records complicates matters. Depending on the jurisdiction, patient's access to medical records may be characterized as substantive right or a privilege. This is often supported by statute law. The interpretation of case law should take into consideration the relative and competing rights of the patient and the physician in terms of patients' access to medical records since both contributed to the creation of that record. The national law on Health Information should be developed to assign roles and responsibilities to both the patient and the hospital/physician. Care needs to be paid to what exactly the (Constitution of Ghana, 1992)
By 2003, 350,000 persons lived with HIV/AIDS in Ghana with an average drop of 15,640 over 8 years... more By 2003, 350,000 persons lived with HIV/AIDS in Ghana with an average drop of 15,640 over 8 years. In 2011, approximately 224,878 persons lived with HIV/AIDS, which is expected to drop to 221,884 by 2015. We think the estimated 2994 drop over 4 years is pedestrian. We attribute the lackluster performance to the haphazard HIV and AIDS, STI Policy from 2004 through 2013. We considered the Ghana HIV/AIDS and STI Policy published (NACP/GHS, 2013) "as is" to isolate the gaps in the policy, looking at the provision of judicial and legal mechanisms for testing, treatment and counseling. We also investigated the national policy on partner notification, names reporting, and expedited partner therapy, in the case of MSM and young people as provided for in the policy. Finally, we looked at issues affecting stigmatization and discrimination. The investigation consisted of the review of the Revised National HIV and AIDS, STI Policy of August 2004 through 2013. We also undertook a documentary review of publications on the topic. There are systemic problems in the policy design, which has weakened the thrust of the national control program. The policy is unsystematic and inconsistent with international best practice in combating communicable diseases. It may not maximize the number of persons who are aware of their HIV status. It may not increase the number of HIV infected persons who receive care, and may not prevent new infections. It is unlikely that by 2015 even the low 2994 drop over four years would be sustained particularly with the current rationing of ART drugs in the nation. Recommendations are made to, perhaps, inform policy.
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Papers by Ishmael Norman