University for Development Studies

Access to and use of improved water and sanitation facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey Data from 30 countries

Access to and use of improved water sources and sanitation facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains a significant public health concern, with notable variations across countries. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to water and sanitation require evidence on...

Evaluating the Adoption of Community Health Centre Systems in Ghana: A Quasi-Experimental Methodological Assessment

{ "background": "Community health centres are a cornerstone of primary healthcare delivery in many African nations, yet robust methodological frameworks for evaluating their systematic adoption are lacking. Existing assessments often rely on descriptive statistics, which limit ca...

Evaluating the Adoption of Community Health Centre Systems in Ghana: A Quasi-Experimental Methodological Assessment

{ "background": "Community health centres are a cornerstone of primary healthcare delivery in many African nations, yet robust methodological frameworks for evaluating their systematic adoption are lacking. Existing assessments often rely on descriptive statistics, which limit ca...

Use of plant-based medicines for suspected childhood malaria in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana: prevalence and associated factors

Despite the widespread availability of recommended conventional antimalarials, many caregivers continue to use plant-based medicines (PBM) for suspected childhood malaria, either as alternatives or alongside conventional treatments. This study therefore assessed the use of PBM an...

Epidemiology of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) in West Africa: a systematic review

Background Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) represents the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis yet remains neglected in resource-limited settings. West Africa, with high hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemicity and unique sociocultural risk factors, represents a critical region for...

From visibility to performance: the mediating roles of supply chain resilience and sustainability in emerging markets

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of supply chain visibility, resilience and sustainability on supply chain performance within Ghana’s shea industry. The research addresses the critical need to understand how integrated capabilities create competitive advantage...

Sleep quality and associated factors among adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Mampong municipality, Ghana: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Sleep disturbance is an increasingly recognised comorbidity among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with implications for metabolic control and quality of life. However, evidence from primary care settings in Ghana remains limited. This study a...

Examining perceived influence of gender-sensitive leadership practices on educational achievement of senior high school girls from low income households in Bolgatanga municipality

Although the implementation of free senior high school (SHS) policy which has expanded access to secondary education in Ghana, girls from low-income households in Bolgatanga Municipality continue to battle with socio-cultural, economic and structural barriers which posed a signif...

The impact of migration and institutions on new business creation: integrating social capital theory and institutional theory

Abstract Migration and remittances now shape entrepreneurial ecosystems across the developing world, yet their effects remain contradictory: financial remittances sometimes spur new ventures and sometimes suppress them, and emigrant stocks produce inconsistent outcomes across con...

Integrated hydrochemical and microbiological assessment of groundwater quality for early contamination detection and preventive management

Abstract Groundwater is a critical source of drinking water in many rural areas and peri-urban communities; however, both geochemical and microbiological factors increasingly influence its suitability. This study presents an integrated assessment of groundwater quality in mining...

Spatiotemporal exposure intensification from peri-urban encroachment on oil pipelines in Ghana using a proximity-based index

Rapid peri-urban expansion is increasingly reshaping land use around critical linear infrastructure, particularly in regions where development control and spatial monitoring capacity are limited. Proximity-based zoning frameworks are widely used to delineate infrastructure safety...

Sailing towards health: HIV/AIDS awareness, comprehensive knowledge, prevention methods, and information sources among fishers in Elmina, Ghana

Abstract Background Fishers are more vulnerable to HIV infections due to their high mobility, transactional sex, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. However, fishers often have poor knowledge of HIV. This study examined HIV/AIDS awareness and comprehensive knowledge among fishers...

A dynamic analysis of tenure status in Africa’s urban housing markets

There is a widespread narrative on the global housing crisis. To contribute to our collective understanding, this paper analyses housing outcomes in four urban centres in Ghana and Tanzania. We consider how outcomes change across five age cohorts differentiated by gender. We show...

Fertility in the Shadow of Cancer: Experiences of Reproductive Loss Among Women with Gynecological Cancers in Ghana

Abstract Background Gynecological cancers and their treatments can compromise fertility, with profound psychosocial consequences for women of reproductive age. Yet, women’s lived experiences of cancer-related infertility remain underexplored in low-resource settings, including Gh...

Challenges in the clinical learning environment: experiences of final-year nursing students in a tertiary institution in Ghana

Clinical practicum is central to nursing education, yet suboptimal Clinical Learning Environments can hinder competence development and readiness for practice. Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains limited, particularly on final-year students approaching transition to practice...

Adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices in rural areas of Botswana

Abstract Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices (SAIPs) have emerged as a widely accepted approach for long-term and successful sustainable food production by addressing today’s widespread environmental challenges. Although some global concerns are serious, and there...

Response of yield, water and fertilizer use efficiency of sweet potato to different drip fertigation regimes under mulching conditions in a humid region of East China

Developing precise irrigation and fertilization regimes is essential for sustaining sweet potato productivity, particularly in humid regions where rainfall variability complicates soil nutrient and water resource management. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigat...