Joseph Oppong | University of North Texas (original) (raw)

Papers by Joseph Oppong

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jan 18, 2023

Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality... more Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality, but the relationship between socially vulnerable populations and air pollution is not well understood. Although air pollution potentially affects everyone, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic, and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups, and the United States Clean Air Act (CAA) describes an obligation to protect these populations. This paper seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies and policy may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between being in an ozonemonitored area or not on 15 vulnerability indicators. It was found that the odds of not being in an ozone-monitored area (not covered, outside) increased for the predictor mobile homes (OR = 4.831, 95% CI [2.500-9.338] and OR = 8.066, 95% for the 10 and 20 km spatial units, respectively) and decreased for the predictor multiunit structures (OR = 0.281, 95% CI [0.281-0.548] and OR = 0.130, 95% CI [0.037, 0.457] for the 10 and 20 km spatial units, respectively) and the predictor speaks English "less than well" (OR = 0.521, 95% CI [0.292-0.931] for 10 km). These results indicate that existing pollution sensor coverage may neglect areas with concentrations of highly vulnerable populations in mobile homes, and future monitoring placement policy decisions must work to address this imbalance.

International journal of health geographics, Oct 13, 2004

BACKGROUND: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment pro... more BACKGROUND: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment programs be targeted at high-risk populations. While a strategy of targeted testing and treatment of persons most likely to develop tuberculosis is attractive, it is uncertain how best to accomplish this goal. In this study we seek to identify geographical areas where on-going tuberculosis transmission is occurring by linking Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology with molecular surveillance. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis was performed on data collected on persons newly diagnosed with culture positive tuberculosis at the Tarrant County Health Department (TCHD) between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2000. Clinical isolates were molecularly characterized using IS6110-based RFLP analysis and spoligotyping methods to identify patients infected with the same strain. Residential addresses at the time of diagnosis of tuberculosis were geocoded and mapped according to strain cha...

Oxford University Press eBooks, Feb 5, 2004

This chapter reviews the state of North American geographical research on Africa in the 1990s. Du... more This chapter reviews the state of North American geographical research on Africa in the 1990s. During the 1980s research on Africa dwelt on the many crises, some real and some imagined, usually sensationalized by the media, such as the collapse of the state in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, and Rwanda and the economic shocks of structural adjustment programs. The 1990s witnessed momentous positive changes. For example, apartheid ended in South Africa and emerging democratic systems replaced dictatorial regimes in Malawi and Zambia. Persuaded that Africa had made progress on many fronts largely due to self-generated advances, some scholars began to highlight the positive new developments (Gaile and Ferguson 1996). Due to space limitations, selecting works to include in this review has been difficult. In many instances we stayed within five cited works (first authorship) for anyone scholar to ensure focus on the most important works and to achieve a sense of balance in the works cited. Thus, research reviewed in this chapter should be treated as a sample of the variety and quality of North American geographical work on Africa. One major challenge was where to draw the boundary between “geography,” “not quite geography,” and “by North American authors” versus others. In these days of globalized research paradigms, geography has benefited tremendously from interchanging ideas with other social and natural science disciplines. Thus, separating North American geographic research in the 1990s from other groundbreaking works that profoundly influence the discipline of geography is difficult. For example, while the empirical subject matter included agriculture, health, gender, and development issues, the related theoretical paradigm often included representation, discourse, resistance, and indigenous development within broader frameworks influenced by the ideas of social science scholars such as Foucault (1970, 1977, 1980), Said (1978), Sen (1981, 1990), and Scott (1977, 1987). This chapter engages these debates. Building upon T. J. Bassett’s (1989) review of research in the 1980s, the chapter develops a typology for the growing research on African issues and related theoretical orientations (Table 36.1). The reviewed works fall into the three main subdisciplines of geography—human geography (by far the most dominant), physical geography now commonly referred to as earth systems science or global change studies, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Africa Today, Sep 1, 2005

International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology, 2017

Social Indicators Research, 1988

Page 1. JR OPPONG, RG IRONSIDE, AND LW KENNEDY PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN A CENTRE-PERIPHERY FR... more Page 1. JR OPPONG, RG IRONSIDE, AND LW KENNEDY PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN A CENTRE-PERIPHERY FRAMEWORK* (Received 2 June, 1987) ABSTRACT. Centre-periphery relationships have generally been a characteristic of ...

African Geographical Review, Oct 18, 2016

Recently, Ghana has been plagued by increasing and disastrous fire emergencies, yet little resear... more Recently, Ghana has been plagued by increasing and disastrous fire emergencies, yet little research exists on Ghana's fire response system. This paper examines the emergency fire response system in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city. We use spatial analysis to evaluate the geographic distribution of existing fire stations and their service areas, and identify coverage gaps based on specified response times. Our results show that large portions of the Kumasi Metropolitan Area are underserved, a situation that partly explains the huge losses in property and lives during recent fire outbreaks. Efficient location of fire stations using simple location-allocation models can help to improve response to fire emergencies and reduce the cost of fire outbreaks in African cities.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality... more Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality, but the relationship between socially vulnerable populations and air pollution is not well understood. Although air pollution potentially affects everyone, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic, and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups, and the United States Clean Air Act (CAA) describes an obligation to protect these populations. This paper seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies and policy may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between being in an ozone-monitored area or not on 15 vulnerability indicators. It was found that the odds of not being in an ozone-monitored area (not covered, outside) increased for the predictor mobile homes (OR = 4.8...

International Encyclopedia of Geography, 2022

Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology, 2022

International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2020

Despite technological advances in medicine, communicable diseases are the greatest disease threat... more Despite technological advances in medicine, communicable diseases are the greatest disease threat facing humankind. Diseases previously considered eradicated are reemerging, as new viruses and devastating communicable diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and dengue continue to surface and ravage humankind. Increased human population and accelerated global travel make local outbreaks instant global threats. Researchers are concerned that an avian influenza outbreak could kill many more people when it emerges because of the absence of immunity and human travel interaction patterns. Even more troubling antibiotic drug resistance is becoming more widespread. Diseases are not distributed uniformly across the world; certain locations have diseases that are not present in others. Even when a disease occurs in multiple locations, its severity usually varies between places. Generally, tropical regions with warm, humid climates are ideal for the proliferation of disease-causing organisms, or vectors. For instance, swampy vegetation in low-lying areas of the tropics is ideal for the proliferation of mosquitoes and thus, endemic malaria. Similarly, sociocultural practices, including living arrangements, diet, behavior, and occupation, also contribute to geographic variations in health and disease. Medical geographers study the spatial differences in disease occurrence and also the spatial distribution of healthcare resources. They seek to answer the question of who is getting what diseases/healthcare where and why? This article examines the geographic distribution of leading communicable causes of sickness and death. We begin with a description of the disease ecology modelda conceptual framework commonly used to account for spatial variations in disease. Disease Ecology Model The disease ecology model attributes spatial variations in disease to three major variables: environment, genetics, and behavior. Environment includes not just the physical environment of livelihood, environmental pollution (e.g., indoor pollution such as radon), and water quality, but also the socioeconomic environment, including relative deprivation, healthcare quality and access, land mines, and the political-economic context. For example, low vaccination rates anywhere produce higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases in those locations. Genetic predisposition is important particularly for noncommunicable diseases. People with light skin pigmentation are more prone to skin cancer than are others with a darker pigmentation. Similarly, recent research suggests that Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to other women. The human genome project is not only identifying genes responsible for serious diseases such as Parkinson but also developing effective therapies for them. Human behavior is the final component in the disease ecology model. Put simply, behavior facilitates or inhibits disease. Unhealthy behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption, overeating and failure to exercise, unsafe sexual practices, and smoking are associated with various diseases. In contrast, regular exercise and other positive health behaviors, including proper diet, enhance health and prevent disease. Thus, spatial variations in Africa's environment and cultural practices, including widespread poverty, poor healthcare resources with limited access to antiretrovirals, and unsafe burial practices, combine with other factors to produce the highest risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS and Ebola in the world. Similarly, variations exist between and within countries. The disease ecology framework has been criticized for its positivist philosophy; dearth of social theory; neglect of social divisions such as race, gender, disability, and sexuality; and trivializing the role of place and locality. For example, Kearns called on medical geographers to incorporate social theory, but Mayer and Meade and Paul chastised the supposed call for discarding disease ecology in favor of narrow health geography. Current work includes much broader frameworks such as vulnerability theory and political ecology. Globalization and Communicable Diseases Globalization, particularly the increased economic and cultural interdependence, and associated shrinking of time and space due to technological advancements, is transforming disease transmission patterns. Traditionally, immigrants have always provided a vital link in disease transmission between their home regions and their destination. By establishing close contact between distant places, immigrant travels promote disease spread. For example, European travelers carried diseases that killed many people in the Americas. Recent developments in technology and travel have so accelerated the role of travel-related communicable disease spread that national boundaries no longer offer isolation or protection. The brief review that follows highlights recent cases of globalization of communicable disease. It shows that uncontrolled communicable disease anywhere on earth is a threat everywhere. HIV/AIDS Easily the world's worst communicable disease, HIV/AIDS has affected every world region but sub-Saharan Africa has experienced the worst devastation. The Caribbean and parts of Eastern Europe and Asia also have high rates. Even in the United States where

Comprehensive antenatal care is important for reducing maternal mortality in developing countries... more Comprehensive antenatal care is important for reducing maternal mortality in developing countries. The quality of care received during antenatal visits determines subsequent use of maternal healthcare, particularly for delivery. However, the choice between a private and public health facility for delivery varies in ways that are not completely understood, but is hypothesized to be influenced by the experiences of women during antenatal care. This study explores the influence of type of antenatal care provider on the final place of delivery – public or private – in Ghana. We analyzed the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey data using univariate and multilevel logistic regression. The odds of delivering in a public health facility increased significantly from 1.56 in the first model to 1.661 for women who received antenatal care from a nurse/midwife. In the second model, women who received antenatal care from a physician were significantly less likely to use a public facility for...

African Geographical Review, 2008

Fenria Akiwumi Abagail Amissah-Arthur Seth Appiah-Opoku Sam Arytery-Attoh Johnathan Bascom Thomas... more Fenria Akiwumi Abagail Amissah-Arthur Seth Appiah-Opoku Sam Arytery-Attoh Johnathan Bascom Thomas Bassett Jane Batterslry Frederick Bein Chris Benner Leif Brottem Padraig Carmoc!J Edward Carr Susan Craddock Jonathan Crush Ronnie Donaldson Polfy Eriksen Gary Gaile Charles Good Miriam Grant Richard Grant Helen Hazen Padding/on Hodza RexHonry Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo Ezekiel Kalipeni Girma Kebbede Thembela Kepe Tadesse Kidane-Mariam Brian King Francis Koti

African Geographical Review, 2020

Despite having all the attributes indicating a much higher expected severity, African countries h... more Despite having all the attributes indicating a much higher expected severity, African countries have surprisingly much fewer cases of sickness and death from coronavirus disease, officially COVID-1...

African Geographical Review, 2021

Disruptive Technologies, Innovation and Development in Africa, 2020

The last two decades have seen tremendous growth in information and communication technologies (I... more The last two decades have seen tremendous growth in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the Global North and Global South. Many African policymakers realize that ICTs can assist with their socioeconomic development efforts, especially in the case of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), which in the developing world are seen as playing a key role in job creation, innovative instruments for developing and promoting competitive small firms, and enhancing entrepreneurship. Drawing from several African countries, this chapter examines how ICTs are used as a tool by SMEs to improve their business operations, drive socioeconomic development, and promote the industrialization process. Additionally, it interrogates the impact and extent to which government policies on technology enable or constrain the activities of SMEs. The chapter concludes by sketching appropriate technology policy measures, initiatives and practical framework to ensure that SMEs contribute to the overall development and industrialization efforts in African countries.

Social Work in Public Health, 2018

Maternal mortality remains a serious global health concern. Although global efforts have produced... more Maternal mortality remains a serious global health concern. Although global efforts have produced some encouraging results in some World Health Organization's health regions, disparities persist within many countries. Additionally, in many developing countries, inadequate documentation of various health events including maternal mortality and morbidity, make it difficult to determine the true extent of the problem. Maternal health indicators are therefore proxies used in estimating health status in developing countries. Using geospatial and geovisualization techniques, this study examines district level disparities in two maternal health indicators in Ghana antenatal care (ANC) visits and skilled birth attendance (SBA). The results reveal districts with complete lack of access to higher health care professionals and others with underutilization of antenatal services. The findings provide important input for targeting locationspecific public health and maternal health interventions.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jan 18, 2023

Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality... more Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality, but the relationship between socially vulnerable populations and air pollution is not well understood. Although air pollution potentially affects everyone, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic, and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups, and the United States Clean Air Act (CAA) describes an obligation to protect these populations. This paper seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies and policy may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between being in an ozonemonitored area or not on 15 vulnerability indicators. It was found that the odds of not being in an ozone-monitored area (not covered, outside) increased for the predictor mobile homes (OR = 4.831, 95% CI [2.500-9.338] and OR = 8.066, 95% for the 10 and 20 km spatial units, respectively) and decreased for the predictor multiunit structures (OR = 0.281, 95% CI [0.281-0.548] and OR = 0.130, 95% CI [0.037, 0.457] for the 10 and 20 km spatial units, respectively) and the predictor speaks English "less than well" (OR = 0.521, 95% CI [0.292-0.931] for 10 km). These results indicate that existing pollution sensor coverage may neglect areas with concentrations of highly vulnerable populations in mobile homes, and future monitoring placement policy decisions must work to address this imbalance.

International journal of health geographics, Oct 13, 2004

BACKGROUND: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment pro... more BACKGROUND: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment programs be targeted at high-risk populations. While a strategy of targeted testing and treatment of persons most likely to develop tuberculosis is attractive, it is uncertain how best to accomplish this goal. In this study we seek to identify geographical areas where on-going tuberculosis transmission is occurring by linking Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology with molecular surveillance. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis was performed on data collected on persons newly diagnosed with culture positive tuberculosis at the Tarrant County Health Department (TCHD) between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2000. Clinical isolates were molecularly characterized using IS6110-based RFLP analysis and spoligotyping methods to identify patients infected with the same strain. Residential addresses at the time of diagnosis of tuberculosis were geocoded and mapped according to strain cha...

Oxford University Press eBooks, Feb 5, 2004

This chapter reviews the state of North American geographical research on Africa in the 1990s. Du... more This chapter reviews the state of North American geographical research on Africa in the 1990s. During the 1980s research on Africa dwelt on the many crises, some real and some imagined, usually sensationalized by the media, such as the collapse of the state in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, and Rwanda and the economic shocks of structural adjustment programs. The 1990s witnessed momentous positive changes. For example, apartheid ended in South Africa and emerging democratic systems replaced dictatorial regimes in Malawi and Zambia. Persuaded that Africa had made progress on many fronts largely due to self-generated advances, some scholars began to highlight the positive new developments (Gaile and Ferguson 1996). Due to space limitations, selecting works to include in this review has been difficult. In many instances we stayed within five cited works (first authorship) for anyone scholar to ensure focus on the most important works and to achieve a sense of balance in the works cited. Thus, research reviewed in this chapter should be treated as a sample of the variety and quality of North American geographical work on Africa. One major challenge was where to draw the boundary between “geography,” “not quite geography,” and “by North American authors” versus others. In these days of globalized research paradigms, geography has benefited tremendously from interchanging ideas with other social and natural science disciplines. Thus, separating North American geographic research in the 1990s from other groundbreaking works that profoundly influence the discipline of geography is difficult. For example, while the empirical subject matter included agriculture, health, gender, and development issues, the related theoretical paradigm often included representation, discourse, resistance, and indigenous development within broader frameworks influenced by the ideas of social science scholars such as Foucault (1970, 1977, 1980), Said (1978), Sen (1981, 1990), and Scott (1977, 1987). This chapter engages these debates. Building upon T. J. Bassett’s (1989) review of research in the 1980s, the chapter develops a typology for the growing research on African issues and related theoretical orientations (Table 36.1). The reviewed works fall into the three main subdisciplines of geography—human geography (by far the most dominant), physical geography now commonly referred to as earth systems science or global change studies, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Africa Today, Sep 1, 2005

International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment and Technology, 2017

Social Indicators Research, 1988

Page 1. JR OPPONG, RG IRONSIDE, AND LW KENNEDY PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN A CENTRE-PERIPHERY FR... more Page 1. JR OPPONG, RG IRONSIDE, AND LW KENNEDY PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN A CENTRE-PERIPHERY FRAMEWORK* (Received 2 June, 1987) ABSTRACT. Centre-periphery relationships have generally been a characteristic of ...

African Geographical Review, Oct 18, 2016

Recently, Ghana has been plagued by increasing and disastrous fire emergencies, yet little resear... more Recently, Ghana has been plagued by increasing and disastrous fire emergencies, yet little research exists on Ghana's fire response system. This paper examines the emergency fire response system in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city. We use spatial analysis to evaluate the geographic distribution of existing fire stations and their service areas, and identify coverage gaps based on specified response times. Our results show that large portions of the Kumasi Metropolitan Area are underserved, a situation that partly explains the huge losses in property and lives during recent fire outbreaks. Efficient location of fire stations using simple location-allocation models can help to improve response to fire emergencies and reduce the cost of fire outbreaks in African cities.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality... more Environmental air pollution remains a major contributor to negative health outcomes and mortality, but the relationship between socially vulnerable populations and air pollution is not well understood. Although air pollution potentially affects everyone, the combination of underlying health, socioeconomic, and demographic factors exacerbate the impact for socially vulnerable population groups, and the United States Clean Air Act (CAA) describes an obligation to protect these populations. This paper seeks to understand how air pollution monitor placement strategies and policy may neglect social vulnerabilities and therefore potentially underestimate exposure burdens in vulnerable populations. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between being in an ozone-monitored area or not on 15 vulnerability indicators. It was found that the odds of not being in an ozone-monitored area (not covered, outside) increased for the predictor mobile homes (OR = 4.8...

International Encyclopedia of Geography, 2022

Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology, 2022

International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2020

Despite technological advances in medicine, communicable diseases are the greatest disease threat... more Despite technological advances in medicine, communicable diseases are the greatest disease threat facing humankind. Diseases previously considered eradicated are reemerging, as new viruses and devastating communicable diseases such as Ebola, Zika, and dengue continue to surface and ravage humankind. Increased human population and accelerated global travel make local outbreaks instant global threats. Researchers are concerned that an avian influenza outbreak could kill many more people when it emerges because of the absence of immunity and human travel interaction patterns. Even more troubling antibiotic drug resistance is becoming more widespread. Diseases are not distributed uniformly across the world; certain locations have diseases that are not present in others. Even when a disease occurs in multiple locations, its severity usually varies between places. Generally, tropical regions with warm, humid climates are ideal for the proliferation of disease-causing organisms, or vectors. For instance, swampy vegetation in low-lying areas of the tropics is ideal for the proliferation of mosquitoes and thus, endemic malaria. Similarly, sociocultural practices, including living arrangements, diet, behavior, and occupation, also contribute to geographic variations in health and disease. Medical geographers study the spatial differences in disease occurrence and also the spatial distribution of healthcare resources. They seek to answer the question of who is getting what diseases/healthcare where and why? This article examines the geographic distribution of leading communicable causes of sickness and death. We begin with a description of the disease ecology modelda conceptual framework commonly used to account for spatial variations in disease. Disease Ecology Model The disease ecology model attributes spatial variations in disease to three major variables: environment, genetics, and behavior. Environment includes not just the physical environment of livelihood, environmental pollution (e.g., indoor pollution such as radon), and water quality, but also the socioeconomic environment, including relative deprivation, healthcare quality and access, land mines, and the political-economic context. For example, low vaccination rates anywhere produce higher rates of vaccine-preventable diseases in those locations. Genetic predisposition is important particularly for noncommunicable diseases. People with light skin pigmentation are more prone to skin cancer than are others with a darker pigmentation. Similarly, recent research suggests that Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to other women. The human genome project is not only identifying genes responsible for serious diseases such as Parkinson but also developing effective therapies for them. Human behavior is the final component in the disease ecology model. Put simply, behavior facilitates or inhibits disease. Unhealthy behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption, overeating and failure to exercise, unsafe sexual practices, and smoking are associated with various diseases. In contrast, regular exercise and other positive health behaviors, including proper diet, enhance health and prevent disease. Thus, spatial variations in Africa's environment and cultural practices, including widespread poverty, poor healthcare resources with limited access to antiretrovirals, and unsafe burial practices, combine with other factors to produce the highest risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS and Ebola in the world. Similarly, variations exist between and within countries. The disease ecology framework has been criticized for its positivist philosophy; dearth of social theory; neglect of social divisions such as race, gender, disability, and sexuality; and trivializing the role of place and locality. For example, Kearns called on medical geographers to incorporate social theory, but Mayer and Meade and Paul chastised the supposed call for discarding disease ecology in favor of narrow health geography. Current work includes much broader frameworks such as vulnerability theory and political ecology. Globalization and Communicable Diseases Globalization, particularly the increased economic and cultural interdependence, and associated shrinking of time and space due to technological advancements, is transforming disease transmission patterns. Traditionally, immigrants have always provided a vital link in disease transmission between their home regions and their destination. By establishing close contact between distant places, immigrant travels promote disease spread. For example, European travelers carried diseases that killed many people in the Americas. Recent developments in technology and travel have so accelerated the role of travel-related communicable disease spread that national boundaries no longer offer isolation or protection. The brief review that follows highlights recent cases of globalization of communicable disease. It shows that uncontrolled communicable disease anywhere on earth is a threat everywhere. HIV/AIDS Easily the world's worst communicable disease, HIV/AIDS has affected every world region but sub-Saharan Africa has experienced the worst devastation. The Caribbean and parts of Eastern Europe and Asia also have high rates. Even in the United States where

Comprehensive antenatal care is important for reducing maternal mortality in developing countries... more Comprehensive antenatal care is important for reducing maternal mortality in developing countries. The quality of care received during antenatal visits determines subsequent use of maternal healthcare, particularly for delivery. However, the choice between a private and public health facility for delivery varies in ways that are not completely understood, but is hypothesized to be influenced by the experiences of women during antenatal care. This study explores the influence of type of antenatal care provider on the final place of delivery – public or private – in Ghana. We analyzed the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey data using univariate and multilevel logistic regression. The odds of delivering in a public health facility increased significantly from 1.56 in the first model to 1.661 for women who received antenatal care from a nurse/midwife. In the second model, women who received antenatal care from a physician were significantly less likely to use a public facility for...

African Geographical Review, 2008

Fenria Akiwumi Abagail Amissah-Arthur Seth Appiah-Opoku Sam Arytery-Attoh Johnathan Bascom Thomas... more Fenria Akiwumi Abagail Amissah-Arthur Seth Appiah-Opoku Sam Arytery-Attoh Johnathan Bascom Thomas Bassett Jane Batterslry Frederick Bein Chris Benner Leif Brottem Padraig Carmoc!J Edward Carr Susan Craddock Jonathan Crush Ronnie Donaldson Polfy Eriksen Gary Gaile Charles Good Miriam Grant Richard Grant Helen Hazen Padding/on Hodza RexHonry Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo Ezekiel Kalipeni Girma Kebbede Thembela Kepe Tadesse Kidane-Mariam Brian King Francis Koti

African Geographical Review, 2020

Despite having all the attributes indicating a much higher expected severity, African countries h... more Despite having all the attributes indicating a much higher expected severity, African countries have surprisingly much fewer cases of sickness and death from coronavirus disease, officially COVID-1...

African Geographical Review, 2021

Disruptive Technologies, Innovation and Development in Africa, 2020

The last two decades have seen tremendous growth in information and communication technologies (I... more The last two decades have seen tremendous growth in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the Global North and Global South. Many African policymakers realize that ICTs can assist with their socioeconomic development efforts, especially in the case of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), which in the developing world are seen as playing a key role in job creation, innovative instruments for developing and promoting competitive small firms, and enhancing entrepreneurship. Drawing from several African countries, this chapter examines how ICTs are used as a tool by SMEs to improve their business operations, drive socioeconomic development, and promote the industrialization process. Additionally, it interrogates the impact and extent to which government policies on technology enable or constrain the activities of SMEs. The chapter concludes by sketching appropriate technology policy measures, initiatives and practical framework to ensure that SMEs contribute to the overall development and industrialization efforts in African countries.

Social Work in Public Health, 2018

Maternal mortality remains a serious global health concern. Although global efforts have produced... more Maternal mortality remains a serious global health concern. Although global efforts have produced some encouraging results in some World Health Organization's health regions, disparities persist within many countries. Additionally, in many developing countries, inadequate documentation of various health events including maternal mortality and morbidity, make it difficult to determine the true extent of the problem. Maternal health indicators are therefore proxies used in estimating health status in developing countries. Using geospatial and geovisualization techniques, this study examines district level disparities in two maternal health indicators in Ghana antenatal care (ANC) visits and skilled birth attendance (SBA). The results reveal districts with complete lack of access to higher health care professionals and others with underutilization of antenatal services. The findings provide important input for targeting locationspecific public health and maternal health interventions.

Due to significant advances in testing, prevention, and treatment, individuals with HIV have much... more Due to significant advances in testing, prevention, and treatment, individuals with HIV have much higher survival rates and life expectancy than in the past. With access to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies (HAART), individuals with HIV may slow, or completely avoid, progression to Stage 3 (AIDS), and survive more than 13 years longer than infected individuals who remain untreated (Walensky et al. 2006). Nonetheless, significant disparities persist in the survival times of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Using zip code level data provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services, this study examines the characteristics of zip code level disparities in HIV survival in Dallas County, Texas, a Texas metropolitan area with very high infection rates. We use a principal component analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data to group zip codes into similar socioeconomic categories and then explore how survival varies with the socioeconomic status (SES) of place of residence.

Kaplan Meier analysis results reveal that individuals living in areas with the highest SES survive the longest with HIV, but paradoxically, those living in zip codes classified as moderate SES have significantly shorter HIV survival than those living in the lowest SES. Vulnerability to poor survival with HIV is highest for residents of moderate SES zip codes because they are too wealthy to qualify for government HIV programs such as Ryan White, but too poor to afford the best treatments. Survival is also worst for Hispanics compared to Blacks. Increased access to HAART is necessary to improve survival for those who fall between the cracks – the moderate income population living with HIV.