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The article provides an overview of two books, "General Acheampong: The Life and Times of Ghana's Head of State" by Baffour Agyeman-Duah and "Working With Rawlings" by Kwamena Ahwoi. The first book offers a biographical account of General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, the former head of state of Ghana, and criticizes coup-making. The second book focuses on Ahwoi's experiences working with former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings and provides insights into governance and leadership. The article also mentions allegations against General Acheampong, such as corruption and womanizing, and highlights efforts to properly bury executed senior officers of the Ghana Army. The books are praised for their design, abbreviations, bibliography, index, and historic photos, and are recommended for those interested in African history, politics, and military biography. [Extracted from the article]

"Knowing Women: Same-Sex Intimacy, Gender, and Identity in Postcolonial Ghana" is a book that explores the complexities of female same-sex desire in a country that is politically and religiously opposed to it. The author, Dankwa, uses the phrase "knowing women" to describe these intimate relationships, which can be both sexual and non-sexual. The book draws on ethnographic research and informal methods, such as rumors and innuendos, to understand the lives of same-sex desiring women in Ghana. It challenges traditional notions of gender, kinship, and sexuality, and highlights the ways in which same-sex intimacies are understood in different African contexts. The book also examines the impact of postcolonial patriarchal politics on the lives of same-sex desiring women and the challenges of researching intimate lives. [Extracted from the article]

Future construction projects will need the implementation of industry 4.0 and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies. The construction sector has, however, falling behind other industries in the application of these technologies and is currently facing considerable challenges. One of the industries that lag behind in the use of new innovative technological tools is the construction industry. This study reviews the research work in industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things as they relate to construction and examines key Ghana-based construction professionals and firms to ascertain their level of understanding of these emerging innovative technologies, including the challenges and benefits associated with their implementation. An extensive review of pertinent literature was done to help identify the important paradigms and variables which were cautiously tested. Adopting a quantitative research approach, the attained variables were used to design into a close-ended questionnaire. The sample frame was a survey of people from 154 construction experts and researchers with good standing by using the purposive sampling. Relative importance index (RII) analysis was used to analyzed the data. It was discovered from the findings that smart construction was the most popular industry 4.0 technology in the Ghanaian construction industry. The most important benefit of these technologies is that they will add sustainable policy requirements to tendering, with the most pressing technology being the lack of talent and skills in using industry 4.0 and IoT technologies. The scope of this research is based on the questionnaire survey, proving a sustainable pathway to the construction industry community, which creates its own significance by including key stakeholders and those affected by these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monkeypox (MPX) has recently made international headlines for the rapid and simultaneous progression of the disease across the world. This review aims at summarizing the literature available as well as describing the evolution of the disease as it pertains to the cases today along with potential treatments and infection control strategies. To date, more than 76 countries have reported cases in more than 12,261 people. Before this, MPX was a rare zoonotic disease confined to endemic areas in Western and Central Africa with sporadic outbreaks namely in the United States, associated with the import of wild animals from Ghana. However, during the current outbreak, human-to-human transmission has become the primary mode of transmission, raising concerns for unaccounted community spread. Most of these patients did not travel to the endemic areas of Africa, suggesting possible previously underdetected community transmission. Observations from emergent cases have reported that the manifestations of the disease were sometimes atypical from what has been previously described. Young men who have sex with men seem to be the population most vulnerable to infection. Though the disease is currently perceived to be mild in its clinical course, questions that remain unclear and warrant further investigation include potential of humans harboring a genital reservoir of the virus and the possibility of airborne transmission, which has implications for infection control and health of the community at large. Author summary: Except for a few limited incidents, monkeypox (MPX) transmission has been confined to endemic areas in Central and West Africa. However, since May 2022, multiple cases of MPX have been reported simultaneously across different regions of the world, stirring fears of a new pandemic. In this current outbreak, the clinical picture might be atypical and the disease should be suspected if epidemiological risk factors apply with different clinical presentations. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to confirm the diagnosis given its accuracy and sensitivity. Person-to-person transmission through direct contact with lesions and respiratory droplets is of particular concern, but there is an unclear consensus on the possibility of airborne transmission. The most affected group of individuals during this outbreak has been observed to be young men. There are no randomized control trials of MPX therapeutics in humans. Our review represents an important summary of the available evidence on MPX, focusing on its changing evolution in humans with the emergent cases, and describing its clinical characteristics, along with the risk factors for acquiring the disease, required infection control and prevention measures when dealing with patients, and the possible treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been a global decline in malaria transmission over the past decade. However, not much is known of the impact of this observation on the burden of malaria infection in pregnancy in endemic regions including Ghana. A narrative review was undertaken to help describe trends in malaria infection in pregnancy in Ghana. Among others, such information is important in showing any progress made in malaria in pregnancy control. Methods: To describe trends in pregnancy-associated malaria infection in Ghana, a search and review of literature reporting data on the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy was conducted. Results: Thirty-six (36) studies, conducted over 1994–2019, were included in the review. In the northern savannah zone with largely seasonal malaria transmission, prevalence appeared to reduce from about 50–60% in 1994–2010 to 13–26% by 2019. In the middle transitional/forest zone, where transmission is perennial with peaks in the rainy season, prevalence apparently reduced from 60% in the late 1990 s to about 5–20% by 2018. In the coastal savannah area, there was apparent reduction from 28 to 35% in 2003–2010 to 5–11% by 2018–2019. The burden of malaria infection in pregnancy continues to be highest among teenagers and younger-aged pregnant women and paucigravidae. Conclusions: There appears to be a decline in asymptomatic parasite prevalence in pregnancy in Ghana though this has not been uniform across the different transmission zones. The greatest declines were noticeably in urban settings. Submicroscopic parasitaemia remains a challenge for control efforts. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the reduced parasite prevalence on maternal anaemia and low birthweight and to assess the local burden of submicroscopic parasitaemia in relation to pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indeed, with its interesting title and cover design, I Living With Nkrumahism i appears as if its author (Ahlman, born much later after Nkrumah's 1966 overthrow) also lived in Ghana during Nkrumah's 1957-1966 rule. 7 Ghana's late President Jerry John Rawlings (1947-2020) has become such an institutionalized figure in the history and politics of Ghana that it is curious that he is neither indexed nor discussed in any measure in Ahlman's book. [Extracted from the article]

Reduction or possible elimination of Hg from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is one of the main goals of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which has been signed by many countries involved in ASGM, including Ghana. This article provides a recent overview of ASGM gold production and Hg use in Ghana. In addition, in order to highlight the impacts of Hg use in Ghana, a review was conducted on research studies investigating Hg pollution in waterbodies, soils, fish, and humans caused by ASGM over the past two decades. The continued use of Hg in Ghana's growing ASGM sector has resulted in reportedly high Hg levels found in water, sediments, crops, and miners, which exceed international guidelines. A subsequent ASGM ban and increased monitoring of illegal mining activities in Ghana have not ultimately been successful at significantly reducing Hg use and its associated impacts caused by rampant use in the country. Moreover, Hg alternatives in the ASGM sector are limited in Ghana, with little funding, support, education, and training in place to promote their implementation. As gold produced by ASGM continues to increase annually, clear policy reforms targeting Hg use are vitally needed, as well as efficient strategies to remediate Hg-contaminated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development has been one of the advanced world's most significant characteristics. Within many parts of the world, economic growth, technological innovations, and socio-cultural change are visible attributes. Nonetheless, Ghana and many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa has been faced with limitations rendering cities and urban areas incapable to perform effectively in the national development agenda. Measures implemented to achieve proper urban planning and sustainability are considered to be those that can offer long-lasting solution and balance environmental benefits with socioeconomic growth. All things being equal, there is an expectation of little or no flaws for urban sustainability, yet findings from previous studies indicate recurring environmental challenges in urban Ghana with a hike in the depletion of natural resources. This paper evaluates the efficiency of the "reactive" measures used to tackle urban environmental challenges in Ghana and advocates for the adoption of "proactive" measures after a meticulous review of literature. With the study findings suggesting inefficiencies and unsuitability in the "reactive" measures, the end goal is for the building of stronger institutions and enhancing environmental governance for better urban growth in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the occurrence of yellow fever epidemics is critical for targeted interventions and control efforts to reduce the burden of disease. We assessed data on the yellow fever incidence and mortality rates in Africa. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Africa-wide and Web of science databases from 1 January 1975 to 30th October 2020. Two authors extracted data from included studies independently and conducted a meta-analysis. Results: Of 840 studies identified, 12 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. The incidence of yellow fever per 100,000 population ranged from < 1 case in Nigeria, < 3 cases in Uganda, 13 cases in Democratic Republic of the Congo, 27 cases in Kenya, 40 cases in Ethiopia, 46 cases in Gambia, 1267 cases in Senegal, and 10,350 cases in Ghana. Case fatality rate associated with yellow fever outbreaks ranged from 10% in Ghana to 86% in Nigeria. The mortality rate ranged from 0.1/100,000 in Nigeria to 2200/100,000 in Ghana. Conclusion: The yellow fever incidence rate is quite constant; in contrast, the fatality rates vary widely across African countries over the study period. Standardized demographic health surveys and surveillance as well as accurate diagnostic measures are essential for early recognition, treatment and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andrew Riis, the sole survivor of a cohort of missionaries at Christianborg castle, led a group of missionaries to establish a mission station in Akuapem. By looking at how the people of Akuapem encountered Christianity on their own terms, reformulating the religion to suit their own local needs, Paul Glen Grant succeeds in bringing alive his central argument with rich ethnographic insights. The first three chapters of the book situate the Basel mission enterprise within a very dynamic political economy and regional history that was shaped by intense rivalries among the various Europeans over control of the coastal slave trade. [Extracted from the article]

This article introduces a review symposium on Birgit Meyer’s bookSensational Movies: Video, Vision, and Christianity in Ghana(Oakland: University of California Press, 2015). It summarizes the structure and argument of the book, presents the six contributions to the review symposium as well as Meyer’s response, and in closing relates the religious use of audiovisual media to theoretical debates on documentary film in order to reflect on the production of what could be called the ‘religious real.’ [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]