Investigation into the Perceived Neglect of the Volta Region, Ghana, under Millennium Development Goal 7
Mavis Pearl Kwabla,
Ishmael D. Norman,
Margaret Kweku,
Wisdom Takramah,
Gregory K. Amenuvegbe,
Prince Kubi Appiah,
Eric Osei,
Fred N. Binka
Issue:
Volume 1, Issue 2, August 2015
Pages:
14-20
Received:
1 July 2015
Accepted:
14 July 2015
Published:
15 July 2015
DOI:
10.11648/j.cajph.20150102.11
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: The Volta Region of Ghana appears to be neglected under the national commitment to the Millennium Development Goals # 7. This impression was informed by the results of a rapid diagnosis of a select group of communities in the region, hence this study. We assessed general government compliance with MDG #7 with specific regard to the Volta Region. We aimed to also help to define the nature and extent of the challenges under MDG #7 facing the region, and propose solutions to implementation difficulties applicable to other regions similarly situated. This assessment was conducted on the legal principle of ‘res ipsa loquitur’, the thing speaks for itself without a comparator regional analysis. This approach was to avoid detracting the focus on the issues specific to the Volta Region to the convenience of comparative analysis. The result shows that many households in the region at both rural and urban places and spaces have no built-in toilet facilities. Waste management at the municipal and household level is a challenge. Open defecation and reckless discharge of domestic waste are twin threats to the public health in the region. This study has validated the earlier suspicion that the Volta Region is being neglected in terms of the provision of basic social and communal amenities. The MDG goal #7 would not be attainable with respect to the Volta Region by 2015 or anytime soon due to the perceived and real neglect of the region.
Abstract: The Volta Region of Ghana appears to be neglected under the national commitment to the Millennium Development Goals # 7. This impression was informed by the results of a rapid diagnosis of a select group of communities in the region, hence this study. We assessed general government compliance with MDG #7 with specific regard to the Volta Region. We...
Show More
A Comparative Analysis of Nutritional Status in Adolescents from an Urban Versus a Peri-urban School in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Keiron A. Audain,
Frederick J. Veldman,
Susanna M. Kassier
Issue:
Volume 1, Issue 2, August 2015
Pages:
21-27
Received:
12 July 2015
Accepted:
24 July 2015
Published:
25 July 2015
DOI:
10.11648/j.cajph.20150102.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: With the current nutrition transition occurring in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), incidences of both overweight/obesity and underweight/stunting are increasingly observed within the same population. This is an important phenomenon with regards to adolescent health, as poor nutritional status among adolescents may contribute towards susceptibility to both communicable and non-communicable diseases in adulthood. Research has shown that nutritional status can be affected by socioeconomic status (SES). The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the anthropometric status of adolescents from two secondary schools in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa that differ according to the SES of the learners. The study was cross-sectional and descriptive; and was carried out in an urban and a peri-urban high school in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal. Grade nine to 11 learners (n=111) aged 14 to 21 years from the peri-urban high school and the urban high school (n=98) aged 14 to 17 years, volunteered to participate (N= 209). Anthropometric measurements including weight, height and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results showed a higher incidence of overweight (> +1SD - 25kg/m2) and obesity (>+2SD - BMI 30 kg/m2) among urban school boys compared to peri-urban school boys (p<0.01) and among peri-urban school girls compared to urban school girls (p<0.01) across all grades. A higher prevalence of stunting (<-2SD and >-3SD) was observed among peri-urban school boys (p<0.01) compared to their urban school counterparts. Albeit a small sample size, results from this study indicates that SES and gender may play a determinant role in overweight, obesity and stunting prevalence, as boys in urban areas and girls in peri-urban areas may be at a higher risk of overweight/obesity, whereas peri-urban boys may be at a higher risk of stunting. It can also be concluded that a double burden of stunting and overweight/obesity may exist among adolescents from peri-urban areas, who were considered to be of low SES.
Abstract: With the current nutrition transition occurring in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), incidences of both overweight/obesity and underweight/stunting are increasingly observed within the same population. This is an important phenomenon with regards to adolescent health, as poor nutritional status among adolescents may contribute towards suscept...
Show More
