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This paper examines the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the existing health inequalities disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. It explores the impact of COVID-19 pandemic response measures to "curb the spread" on informal sector workers in Ghana. In Ghana, like many other developing countries, the informal sector was impacted by a higher risk of exposure to the COVID-19 infection and the slew of pandemic response measures, for example, lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, as well as guidelines around social distancing implemented by their governments. Given the high level of precarity that undergirds work in the informal sector and the intersectional forces that contribute to and maintain their marginality—class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and geographic location—this paper creates a space for dialogue about the unintended consequences of pandemic response measures on the livelihood security of informal sector workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of Africans in Guangzhou, China in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic - here referred to as the "Guangzhou episode" - generated strong criticisms and made news headlines within and outside Africa. This paper analyzes the reportage of the episode in four online African newspapers: two each from Nigeria and Ghana. Specifically, it sheds light on how the episode was framed, comparing coverage between both countries. Using a discourse analysis that prioritizes language, source, and focus, the paper demonstrates that while Western media were important influences and sources for the newspapers, the African migrants' experiences in the episode were largely framed within (ahistorical) victimhood. Yet the idea of "African" migrants had a noticeable Nigerian dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on vaccines confirms the crucial role media play in framing discourses and mobilizing public support for successful immunization campaigns. What journalists cover on vaccination issues and their diligence in producing stories can influence attitudes to and uptake of vaccines. This paper contributes to emerging discussions on the role of the media in pandemics and in vaccination programs by interrogating the information seeking and verification practices of journalists reporting on COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among journalists from June to July 2021 through self-administered questionnaires by means of Google forms. The opinions of 300 respondents, randomly drawn from members of the Ghana Journalists' Association, were solicited and a response rate of 73% obtained. Majority of journalists surveyed relied on official health sources for their information on COVID-19 vaccines (61.5%) and were confident the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks (70%). While journalists relied on a variety of expert sources, social media platforms served as important sources of information also, with respondents stating a preference for Facebook (48.3%), and WhatsApp (44%). Journalists stated they were guided by sound practices such as source credibility and relevance, but betrayed weaknesses in their verification practices with a third of them admitting to sharing unsolicited information from social media. Journalists in Ghana generally display a positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccines and regularly search for information from official sources to inform their work, thus making them vital allies in overcoming vaccine hesitancy. Laxity in verification practices, however, makes them inadvertent agents of misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese imports replace locally manufactured products in developing countries. The import of consumer goods from China to West Africa is closely linked to commercial travel, and China's border restrictions during the Covid outbreak put a near-halt to such travelling. Furthermore, the pandemic caused a global logistics crisis that disrupted supply chains with production in China. This paper asks whether Ghanaian manufacturers and artisanal producers could take advantage of these disruptions to enhance their competitive position. Did China's border closure provide space for local Ghanaian producers to thrive? We address this question by drawing on data collected among Ghanaian plastic manufacturers and furniture makers, who have faced tough competition from Chinese imports. Our analysis shows that supply chain disruptions from China led to the substitution of certain products previously imported from China, and these effects were partially sustained after the Covid-induced barriers to imports from China were removed. However, the disruptions were also costly for many Ghanaian producers, as they depended on Chinese intermediary products, tools, and other inputs. This illustrates how economic lives in Ghana and China have become so profoundly intertwined that indiscriminate decoupling is neither possible nor desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments implemented social distancing regulations to limit the spread of the disease. Some health experts warned that these measures could negatively affect access to essential health services, such as routine childhood immunizations. Others noted that without these regulations, COVID-19 cases would increase, leading to overburdened health systems. Methods: We analyze four years (2018–2021) of monthly administrative data on childhood immunizations in all administrative districts in Ghana and exploit variations in social distancing regulations across districts. Given variations in social distancing regulations across Ghanaian districts, we can further differentiate between the effect of public lockdowns and the effect of the pandemic. Results: We find that child immunizations in Ghana declined by 6% during the public lockdown in April 2020, but the country compensated with higher vaccination rates starting in June, and immunization services recovered to pre-pandemic growth levels by 2021. Time-critical vaccines, such as polio, were not affected at all. We do find a substantially larger disruption in April 2020 (14%) and a slower recovery in 2020 in the 40 lockdown-affected districts. Interestingly, vaccination rates already decreased in February and March by about 5% before the public lockdown and before the pandemic had reached Ghana, but with the pandemic already spreading globally and in the news. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the negative effect on child immunization was less severe and shorter than predicted by experts. Fear of COVID-19 and delayed vaccination campaigns had a substantial impact on childhood immunization while rising COVID-19 cases and moderate social distancing regulations did not seem to affect immunization rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, librarians have been limited to a physical facility either because their role demanded face-to-face interaction or because they had their work materials housed in the building. With the work of libraries and librarians increasingly becoming more mobile, a lot of work can conveniently be done from a laptop at any location. This study assessed the points of view of academic librarians in Ghana on telecommuting and its feasibility in the Ghanaian landscape. It employed an exploratory case study design to sample a total of 57 respondents through the administration of a questionnaire. The findings reveal that the academic librarians were in favour of telecommuting and were willing to telecommute at least once a week. Additionally, there was the improved benefit of having flexible working hours and reduced travel time. A major challenge that was expected to be encountered was the resistance of management to formally adopting telecommuting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Africa, approx. 675 million people were at risk of food insecurity. COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have exacerbated this situation, by damaging populations' access to and affordability of foods. This study is aimed at estimating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on availability and prices of essential food commodities at 20 large markets in Ghana. Methods: Data on food availability and food retail prices collected through weekly market-level data during the period from July 2017 to September 2020 were used in this study. We performed interrupted time-series analyses and estimated the percentage increases between the observed and predicted food prices by food group and by region to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food prices. Results: As a result, the impact of COVID-19 on food availability was limited. However, the results of interrupted time-series analyses indicate a significant increase in overall mean food prices in Greater Accra, Eastern and Upper East regions. It was also found that mean price of starchy roots, tubers and plantains significantly increased across regions. Discussion: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food availability and prices was significant but varied by food type and regions in Ghana. Continuous monitoring and responses are critical to maintain food availability and affordability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic disturbances and the subsequent loss of biodiversity are altering species abundances and communities. Since species vary in their pathogen competence, spatio-temporal changes in host assemblages may lead to changes in disease dynamics. We explore how longitudinal changes in bat species assemblages affect the disease dynamics of coronaviruses (CoVs) in more than 2300 cave-dwelling bats captured over two years from five caves in Ghana. This reveals uneven CoV infection patterns between closely related species, with the alpha-CoV 229E-like and SARS-related beta-CoV 2b emerging as multi-host pathogens. Prevalence and infection likelihood for both phylogenetically distinct CoVs is influenced by the abundance of competent species and naïve subadults. Broadly, bat species vary in CoV competence, and highly competent species are more common in less diverse communities, leading to increased CoV prevalence in less diverse bat assemblages. In line with the One Health framework, our work supports the notion that biodiversity conservation may be the most proactive measure to prevent the spread of pathogens with zoonotic potential. Human encroachment into nature alters species communities and can lead to changes in disease dynamics. Here, Meyer et al. find that coronavirus prevalence increased in less diverse bat communities, which were dominated by susceptible host species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented impact of the pandemic on both activities and profit of actors draws out the various areas of the value chain that need to be strengthened to ensure resilience in the face of global shock. This study fills the gap by assessing the extent at which COVID-19 impacted the profit of mango value chain actors in southern Ghana. It also analyzed the governance structure and the existing linkages in the dissemination of market information in relation to the profit of the actors. A two-year panel survey on 240 respondents was conducted in 2020 through a multi-stage sampling technique in Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana. Net Farm Income, Social Network Analysis and Difference-in-Difference models were used in analyzing the data. Findings revealed that mango processors have more bargaining power and make the most profit while producers receive more information than other actors. Farmer-based organizations were found to be the prominent node and influential in the dissemination of market information within the value chain. The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted the profit of mango producers and distributors; however, processors had a positive impact on their profit. The study therefore demonstrated that producers and distributors were vulnerable to the effect of the COVID-19 shock, whilst processors were robust to the shocks. Thus, reformed policies by all stakeholders for emergency preparedness should be targeted especially at those vulnerable actors in the chain. Additionally, FBOs, retailers and other key stakeholders should be considered in policy development to enhance market information dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since its emergence, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused severe health, social and economic challenges. Mental healthcare has been significantly affected globally, and even worse in developing countries. An emerging economy like Ghana in West Africa was not spared its disruptive effects. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic (caused by SARS-CoV-2), on Ghana's mental healthcare system. Methods: This is a mixed-method study using an emergent sequential exploratory design. A total of 15 front-line healthcare professionals were recruited from the three psychiatric hospitals, including the mental health department of a new teaching hospital in Ghana. Purposive sampling techniques and a semi-structured interview approach were used for recruitment and data collection. Quantitative data from hospital registries were collected and analysed to triangulate qualitative findings. Results: Fifteen mental health workers were enrolled in the study. The mean age of participants was (34.47 ± 4.07) years, average work experience of (6.23 ± 3.64) years and the majority as males (60%). This study found an average decline of 23% in hospital attendance and a 35% decline in admissions in all four facilities compared to the previous year, 2019. The lived experiences shared by mental healthcare providers were grouped under 3 main themes: Adjustments to workplace regulations, accessibility to mental healthcare, and psychological wellbeing of mental healthcare workers. The fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers, medication shortages, and logistical challenges were also reported to affect Mental Health services during the pandemic. Conclusion: This study highlights the challenges in mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. The experiences encountered present an opportunity to gain insights into future pandemic preparedness and establish a framework for optimal mental healthcare delivery in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how auditing changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in two countries, Norway and Ghana. The two countries reflect different levels of digital infrastructure and of government support. We interviewed 23 audit partners and managers during the pandemic (February 2020 to May 2023). The analysis of the responses using the theory of adaptive governance reveals three key findings related to audit adaptation during the 39 months of the pandemic. First, we find an increase in auditors' and clients' willingness to work digitally. In Ghana, the digitalization may be done by scanning documents and uploading them to a shared drive or by using a Shared Service Center (SSC). Second, we find an increase in audit fees over time as inflation increased during the pandemic. Finally, as the pandemic progressed, a shortage of audit staff became a major concern in both countries as auditors left the profession for other jobs. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors upon request. JEL Classifications: M42. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]