Journal articles on the topic 'Grand Accra (Ghana)'

Recent scholarship on Ghana’s oil industry has focused primarily on its grand contributions to the national economy while its intra-city impact has received less academic attention. Borrowing from Terry Karl’s interpretation of the paradox of plenty, and drawing on empirical evidence from 25 purposefully selected interviewees, the study examines how the oil production off the shores of Sekondi-Takoradi is creating complex processes of accumulation, contradiction, and displacement in a low-income community—New Takoradi. The results point to the accentuation of socio-economic risks in the community following the inflow of oil revenue which is shaping government’s macro-level policies. The paper opines that without attention to place-specific contexts, understanding its socio-economic risks and decadence, and its semblance of strong resilience becomes deceptive. The paper concludes that context and situation are significant for how and to what degree the oil boom matters in the oil city.

ABSTRACTThis article investigates a series of development strategies pursued in Ghana from the mid-1940s under British colonial rule to the early independence period of the 1960s, seeking to understand how the pace and location of development affected the wider built fabric and especially housing production. While two contrasting visions emerge — of rural extractive agriculture versus industrial urban manufacturing — the impact of these endeavours was most strongly felt in the accompanying housing developments. Attempts to create a new artisan school capable of manufacturing building materials, and a laboratory tasked with developing new local building materials, sought to preserve a mainly rural-based population and lifestyle while reducing costs and making dwellings more durable. However, with advancing industrialisation and rapidly expanding urban centres, efforts to accommodate this change with revised urban boundaries and new construction standards failed adequately to address the housing issues and revealed fundamental problems in the governance of newly urbanising and suburban settlements. Could the solution be to ’start again’, to build a new town without the difficulties of the past? This was the approach of the elected nationalist government that commissioned the new town of Tema, east of the capital Accra. As one of the grand projects of the then prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah, Tema has been the focus of much scholarly attention, but a new source has recently come to light that changes understanding of the project. The notebooks kept by Michael Hirst, one of those charged with its design and realisation, show how Tema became an unwitting design school with its own series of trials and tests performed by a team of newly qualified architects. It was not only a political new beginning, but also an experimental attempt to create a new urban environment built on the promise of an industrialised future.

Abstract Introduction: Non- Hodgkins lymphomas (NHL) are a heterogeneous group of clonal malignant diseases arising from the lymphoid system with many subtypes showing both biological and clinical heterogeneity. However, the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of NHL in resource poor countries still remain a challenge in the absence of routine immunohistochemistry and molecular studies. In Ghana, a low middle-income West African country, there has been no previous systematic study of the distribution of the major subtypes of NHL. Methods: A retrospective review of case folders of all patients age 13 years and above, diagnosed with NHL between January 1, 2008 and October 31, 2013, at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra, the largest hospital in Ghana, and one of only two hospitals in the country with a cancer unit. Information obtained from the case folders included age, sex, histological subtype, subtypes using the Working Formulation and WHO classifications. Treatment given and follow up information were also evaluated. Results: A total of 279 cases of NHL were identified within the study period. The mean overall age of the patients was 48.8 ± 17.0 years with a minimum age of 13 years and maximum 87 years. There were 156 males (55.7 %) and 123 females (43.9 %) with a male to female ratio of approximately 1.5:1. The majority of cases seen (53%) were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (22.2%) was the next commonest subtype. Other sub types seen, in order of frequency, included diffuse mixed cell lymphoma (6.4%), gastric lymphomas (3.9%), mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (2.9%), Burkitts lymphoma (1.8%), splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (1.1%), lymphoblastic lymphoma (1.1%), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type B- cell lymphoma (0.7%) and follicular lymphoma (0.7%). Others, which included anaplastic large cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and mycosis fungoides, collectively accounted for 3.6% of the NHL cases reviewed. Based on the Working Formulation classification with broad histologic categories of low-, intermediate-, and high-grade lymphomas, 83 out of 279 (29.7%) had low grade NHL, 170 (60.7%) intermediate and 26(9.4%) had aggressive/high grade NHL. Table 1 shows chemotherapy regimens administered and first year treatment outcomes. One-year survival for cases of NHL in the study was found to be high (98.6%). However, only 115/279(41.2%) of patients were seen for follow up in the second year post-treatment, with 85 of these (73.9%) still in clinical remission. In the third year only 37/279(13.3%) reported for follow up. Conclusions: This study provides a baseline overview of the distribution of NHL subtypes and their outcomes in adolescent and adult patients in a resource constrained setting. Patient loss to follow up in the 2nd and 3rd year post treatment was very high and the reasons for this should be explored in a future study. Immunohistochemistry, cytogenetics and specific molecular studies, which are important in characterization of NHL, should be made affordable and accessible in low-income countries. Table 1. FIRST YEAR OUTCOME FOR ALL NHL SUBTYPES AND TREATMENT GIVEN TYPE OF CHEMOTHERAPY GIVEN CHOP CVP R-CHOP CHLORAMBUCIL + PREDNISOLONE CODOX-M/ IVAC TOTAL INDOLENT TYPE NHL CR 37 34 2 2 0 75 (26.9%) PR 3 1 0 0 0 4 (1.4%) NR 1 0 0 0 0 1 (0.4%) LTF 2 0 0 0 0 2 (0.7%) TOTAL 43 (15.5%) 35 (12.5%) 2 (0.7%) 2 (0.7%) 0 (0.0%) 82(29.4%) INTERMEDIATE TYPE NHL CR 120 3 9 0 0 132 (47.3%) PR 32 4 0 0 0 36 (12.9%) NR 1 0 0 0 0 1 (0.4%) LTF 2 0 0 0 0 2 (0.7%) TOTAL 155 (55.6%) 7 (2.5%) 9 (3.2%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%) 171 (61.3%) AGGRESSIVE TYPE NHL CR 9 0 3 0 1 13 (4.65%) PR 12 0 0 0 1 13 (4.65%) NR 0 0 0 0 0 0 (0.0%) LTF 0 0 0 0 0 0 (0.0%) TOTAL 21 (7.5%) 0 (0.0%) 3 (1.1%) 0 (0.0%) 2 (0.7%) 26 (9.3%) GRAND TOTAL 219 (78.5%) 42 (15.1%) 14 (5.0%) 2 (0.7%) 2 (0.7%) 279 (100%) CR: CLINICAL REMISSION, PR: POOR RESPONSE, NR: NO RESPONSE, LTF: LOST TO FOLLOW-UP Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract Introduction Sleep habits among school-age children in North American and European countries is well-documented and most health recommendations are based on those data. What is woefully lacking in the literature is objective sleep data from the Global South, particularly from sub-Saharan African countries. Lack of data in this population represents a major gap in our knowledge and a barrier to the establishment of guidelines for healthy sleep for all children. Here, we begin to broaden the view of child sleep by characterizing sleep and chronotypes of school-age children in Accra, Ghana. Methods Children (N=34; Mage=10.03, range:9-13 years; 51.5% female) wore actigraph watches for two weeks (M=11 nights). Additionally, children and their caregivers completed surveys pertaining to demographics, sleep habits, and household environment. Chronotype was assessed using the Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire. Daytime drowsiness was assessed using the Sleep Behavior Questionnaire. Results Children’s average sleep duration was 519.5±66.9mins. Average sleep onset was 21:02(± 49.7mins) and average wake onset was 5:46(± 47.5mins). Sleep duration was longer on weekends (M=536.9mins) vs. weekdays (M=506.8mins; p=.001). Sleep onset was similar across all days, while wake onset was significantly later on weekends (6:07) vs. weekdays (5:29; p<.001). Only 21.6% of children obtained adequate sleep for their age (9-11hrs) according to WHO recommendations, yet none reported high levels of daytime drowsiness (M score=9.93, range: 5-16; possible range: 5-25). Sleep/wake onset were both earlier than averages found in prior research with similar-aged children, with only 8.8% falling asleep later than 22:00. Variability in sleep midpoint (SD) was low (M=34mins), with 11.7% of children experiencing sleep timing that varied >60 mins on average. For chronotype, children were primarily morning types (n=24, 70.6%). Conclusion While many children in this sample did not meet WHO recommendations for sleep duration, their sleep timing was earlier than other reports and with low night-to-night variability. This may be related to the consistency in day length in Ghana which may support their overall sleep quality. Future directions will explore impact of daylight exposure and other environmental factors (air/noise pollution) on children’s sleep, along with continued data collection from more diverse SES neighborhoods in Accra. Support (if any) National Geographic Society Exploratory Grant [NGS-64242R-19]

Background: Conflicting reports about the toxicity of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn (family Asteraceae), a plant traditionally used in Ghana for the management of epilepsy, abound in literature. The present study evaluates the effect of a 90-day continuous oral administration of a hydro-ethanolic whole plant extract of Synedrella nodiflora (SNE) in male Sprague-Dawley rats.Methods: The toxicological evaluation of the extract (100, 300 and 1000 mgkg-1) was focused on haematological, serum biochemical parameters and histopathological changes of some isolated organs.Results: The extract produced no mortality in the rats treated during the study period. Only SNE 100 mgkg-1 produced significant decrease in white blood cell and neutrophil counts and an increase in albumin, globulin, total bilirubin, total protein and potassium levels. The higher doses (SNE 300 and 1000 mgkg-1) had no significant effect on all the haematological and biochemical parameters measured. Histopathological assessment of the liver, kidney and heart revealed no abnormalities in rats treated with the extracts. Only the SNE 1000 mgkg-1 produced distortions of the branching arrangements of the myocardial fibres and a congested vessel which indicates a healed infarction.Conclusions: The findings suggest hydro-ethanolic extract of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn generally has a low toxicity profile following a 90-day continuous oral administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats under the present laboratory conditions. However patients with renal or cardiac problems should use the plant with caution.Funding: Jointly supported by the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden, through a grant (# F/5191-1) to Dr. Patrick Amoateng and the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, grant awarded to Dr. Patrick Amoateng (reference number: URF/6/ILG-002/2012-2013)Keywords: : Synedrella nodiflora, Sprague-Dawley rats, histopathological, haematological

The Veronica bucket, a hand washing mechanism consisting of a bucket with a tap fixed at the bottom, mounted at hand height, with a bowl at the bottom to collect wastewater has played a pivotal role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through the promotion of good hand washing habits. The popularity of the Veronica bucket led its Ghanaian inventor in an interview on a radio station in Accra, Ghana in March 2021 to express her regrets for failing to obtain a patent for her product. Her statement, which dominated the headlines of major social media platforms and generated public discussion demonstrates the misconception about the grant of a patent. This paper adopts the doctrinal legal research methodology in an attempt to analyse the requirements for the grant of a patent under Ghanaian law, particularly the inventive step requirement to ascertain whether the Veronica bucket is indeed patentable under Ghanaian law. The paper argues, after a careful analysis of the patentability requirements under Ghanaian law that, even though the Veronica bucket is industrially applicable, it would have failed to meet the inventive step requirement to warrant the grant of a patent. The paper further argues that even if a search was to be conducted to reveal that the invention underpinning the Veronica bucket was new at the material time, such an invention would instead entitle its inventor to a Utility Model Certificate under Ghanaian law, which only requires the product concerned to be new and industrially applicable.

ABSTRACT: Expanding the base of wood resources, adoption, and effective use of wood species depend primarily on the knowledge of the properties of the wood and the source from which the wood was obtained. The Acacia mangium wood, whose natural durability was determined to establish its practical uses, was extracted from Ada Technical Institute's compound in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study adopted an experimental research design. The natural durability test was done using the accelerated laboratory method based on standard. Seventy-two (72) samples were taken from the six billets (base, middle, and top). The analyses were carried out within each section, established from portions of the trees close to the pith or cascade. The resistance values indicated that the wood studied has a high resistance to rot. In this way, this wood can be used for various uses that require high resistance to interference, such as using parts in direct contact with the ground. Keywords: serviceable life; decay resistance; Xylophagous fungus. Durabilidade natural da madeira de Acacia mangium RESUMO: A expansão da base de recursos madeireiros, a adoção e o uso eficaz de espécies madeireiras dependem principalmente do conhecimento das propriedades da madeira e da fonte de onde a madeira foi obtida. As madeiras de Acacia mangium Willd, cuja durabilidade natural foi determinada para estabelecer seus usos práticos, foram avaliadas pelo Instituto Técnico Ada, no Distrito Leste de Ada, da Região da Grande Accra, em Gana. O estudo adotou um desenho de pesquisa experimental. O teste de durabilidade natural foi realizado utilizando o método laboratorial acelerado baseado em norma. Setenta e duas (72) amostras foram retiradas dos seis toras (base, meio e topo). As análises foram realizadas dentro de cadaa seção, sendo estabelecidos a partir de porções das árvores próximas à medula ou a casca. Os valores de resistência indicaram que a madeira estudada alta resistência ao apodrecimento. Desta forma, essa madeira pode ser utilizadas para diversos usos que exijam uma elevada resistência a deterioração, como o uso de peças em contato direto com solo. Palavras-chave: vida útil; resistência a deterioração; fungo xilófago.

Abstract Objectives Availability and access to diversity of foods that are affordable for all peoples always is important for achieving food security status (FSS). Hence, this study examined the influence of FSS on women's perception on underutilized foods: iron-rich plant, solanum torvum (turkey berry, TUB) and edible insect, Rhynchophorus phoenicis fabricius (palm weevil larvae, PWL). Methods This cross-sectional study involved 891 women of reproductive age (WRA) from communities in Upper Manya Krobo district, Kumasi Metropolitan, La-Nkwantanang-Madina and Ho municipality in the Eastern, Ashanti, Greater-Accra and Volta regions of Ghana respectively. Data was collected on socio-demographic characteristics, FSS and perceptions about TUB and PWL using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to determine effect of FSS on perception outcomes. Also, 2 focus group discussions (FGD) of 10 WRA each were conducted in each municipality/district and analyzed for major themes and patterns. Results Mean age was 33 ± 8 y and 36% were food secure. High favorable perception about TUB was 60.9% compared to 17.4% for PWL. WRA residing in big towns in the Greater-Accra region were 2.5 times more likely to have high favorable perceptions about TUB and 4.8 times more likely to have low favorable perceptions about PWL compared to WRA in small towns in the Volta region (P = 0.03). Compared to food insecure WRA, food secure WRA were 2.9 times more likely to have high favorable perceptions about TUB and 4.5 times more likely to have low favorable perceptions about PWL (P = 0.001). FGD participants identified TUB as “the blood-giving plant” and PWL as “the meat of delight”. TUB use barriers included its “hard to grind numerous seeds”, “bitter taste” and “funny smell”. PWL use barriers included “it's like a maggot” and “it's scarce”. FGD participants requested education on nutritional benefits of TUB and PWL and processing of these foods into products that can be liked by everyone. Conclusions Drivers of favorable perception about TUB and PWL were region of residence and FSS. Nutrition education and local processing of TUB and PWL into ready-to-use products is recommended as a low-cost sustainable strategy for improving nutrient density of complementary and household foods in communities where these foods are culturally accepted. Funding Sources Iowa State University.

Docomomo International is proud to present the results of the international project Shared Heritage Africa: Rediscovering Masterpieces and other selected papers from our call for papers Shared Heritage Africa – Campuses, published in December 2022. The SHA project itself, coordinated by Docomomo Germany, focused on rediscovering post-war modern buildings from the 1950s-1980s in the partner countries Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda. This period of independence from colonial rule, from the United Kingdom (Ghana 1957, Nigeria 1960, and Uganda 1962) and from Belgium (Rwanda 1962), has a great socio-political significance and influence on the educational systems and buildings. The rediscovery of this heritage focuses on exploring the values, challenges, and opportunities through the eyes of their contemporary users. Concentrating on the post-war modern buildings constructed after independence from colonial rule, the project celebrated projects that are situated at the periphery of the architectural discourse and, therefore, seldom documented despite their social, economic, and political significance.This Docomomo journal highlights the importance of the combination of local workshops, including student writing and photography workshops, exhibitions and ‘digital fellowships’ using the internet for dissemination. Exploratory interviews and narratives are used to collect testimonies of contemporary users⎯applied in the SHA project as well as in the other articles. Aspects discussed are, among others, the physical; deterioration (technical, functional, social), the cosmological; through the sense of identity, community, place attachment, maintenance and taking care, ownership and appropriation, and the environmental; considering the quality, and sustainability of spaces, and also conditions of comfort and satisfaction. While the method is in development, preliminary conclusions can already be sketched. The written, visual, and digital documentation of the built cultural heritage of Africa is a prerequisite for sustainable urban and social development. The approach builds upon African and international Docomomo initiatives and identifies students and young professionals as important groups to develop social, cultural, and political awareness and to further advance participatory tools.Most relevant were the partners in and from Africa who helped with their networks in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda during the excursions and exhibitions: Ola Uduku (University of Liverpool), Taibat Lawanson (University of Lagos) are well-known and respected for their research on education buildings and urban development in Africa. Their commitment to the younger generations and the (built) heritage of Africa and their enthusiasm were instrumental to the achievements of the SHA project. Kuukuwa Manful from Docomomo Accra Chapter in Ghana finished her dissertation within the ERC program ‘African State Architecture’ during the project duration, and Mark Olweny (Uganda Martyrs University) in Kampala, Uganda, greatly supported the visit to Uganda and Rwanda. The photography and writing workshops and exhibitions were strongly supported by the project partners, namely photographer Jean Molitor, who has initiated his own art project ‘bau1haus’, is experienced in setting up exhibitions and shared his knowledge enthusiastically with the SHA-Fellows. Christian Burkhard brought in the competence of Architectuul, an architectural platform that, through its co-workers in various countries, forms an international architecture community. Finally, Anica Dragutinovic (TH OWL) coordinated the contact amongst the SHA-Fellows from the very beginning and during their visits to Europe to the 17th International Docomomo Conference in Valencia in 2022 and to the 19th Docomomo Germany Conference in Frankfurt 2023. Three exhibitions were organized: in Lagos in 2022, in Kampala and in Frankfurt in 2023.We also like to thank the members of the SHA project’s Advisory board: Ana Tostoes (University of Lisbon), Iain Jackson (University of Liverpool), Irene Appeaning Addo (University of Ghana), Kaija Voss (Architectural Historian), and Tino Mager (ICOMOS Germany).Finally, we are grateful to the German Federal Foreign Ministry that supported the project with a grant (AZ99210073) from 2021-2023, and it is with great pleasure that we are launching this issue of the Docomomo journal, published both in print and online via www.docomomojournal.com.

The author of six books, Khosa’s career took off with the 1987 publication of Ualalapi. The text won the Grand Prize of Mozambican Fiction in 1990, and in 2002, a panel of judges in Accra, Ghana ranked Ualalapi one of the 100 best works of African fiction of the 20th century. Next, Khosa published two collections of short stories, Orgia dos Loucos (1990) and Histórias de Amor e Espanto (1993), followed by the novel No Reino dos Abutres (2002). His novel Os Sobreviventes da Noite (2005), a portrayal of the use of child soldiers and child concubines in the Mozambican war of destabilization, won the José Craveirinha Award in 2007. This interview primarily focuses on Khosa’s most recent novel, Choriro, published in 2009 by the Mozambican publishing house Alcance.

AbstractThe article examines the institutions governing relations between grant using national NGOs and grant giving international donors in three regions of Ghana (Upper West, Northern and Greater Accra Region). Formal procedural rules and professional norms can be viewed as necessary to minimise opportunities for informal patronage, rent-seeking and corruption made possible by the unequal access to resources. However, semi-structured interviews, life histories and observation highlight the positive role informal networks, connections, personal contacts and friendship play in enhancing collaboration between donors and national NGOs. Friendships originating in kinship and ethnicity, school links and past collaboration offer opportunities for influencing and resource mobilisation, but can also weaken NGO sustainability. Informal contacts and face-to-face interactions also build trust and strengthen lines of accountability, with non-adherence to shared norms resulting in sanctions and reputation loss. These findings affirm the positive role of informal relations, and highlight how they can complement formal rules and professional norms governing NGO–donor relations rather than undermining them. It throws a very different light on the role of informal institutions than that fostered by a discourse of clientelism and provides a more nuanced conceptual foundation for assessing ‘formalisation’ as a normative strategy.

Contents Conscientious Achievements of the Dangme before the Atlantic Contact: Insights from Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Investigations at Sega and Kpone, Greater Accra Region, Ghana Fritz Biveridge .......................................................... 1 Quand la reine-mère Dokuwa libère l’Akyem Abuakwa de ladomination Ashanti Kouamé René Allou .......................................................................25 Recruitment, Resistance and Memories of the First World War among the Terik of Kenya Eliud Biegon .................................................................................33 Parcours de la première génération de leaders politiques en Casamance : affirmation identitaire et luttes politiques au Fuladu (1946-1958) Mouhamadou Moustapha Sow .................................................................................59 Youth Activism and Ethnic Violence in Nigeria: From Decolonisation to the Nigeria-Biafra War Gloria Chuku ..............................................................................................77 Operation Vijiji and its Aftermath: Land Nationalisation, Villagisation and Disputes in Mbulu District, North-Western Tanzania, 1961–2006 Juma Marmo Paresso .............................................................................109 Le minbar de la dispute ou l’affaire de la « grande mosquée » de Bakel (1995-1996) Saliou dit Baba Diallo ........................................................................................ 133

SANOGO Rokia1,2, DEMBELE Daouda L1, DOUMBIA Sékou1, Aichata B. A. MARIKO1, FOFANA Mohamed Yacine3, Introduction : Au Mali, le succès de la recherche du Département Médecine Traditionnelle (DMT), de l’ex-Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique (INRSP) a permis la mise au point de 14 Médicaments Traditionnels Améliorés (MTA) qui ont eu une Autorisation de Mise sur le Marché (AMM) depuis 1983 dont 7 sont sur la Liste Nationale des Médicaments Essentiels (LNME) du Mali (1 sirop, de 5 tisanes, 1 pommade). Le DMT a mis au point de nouveaux MTA sous forme de pommade. L’objectif de cette communication, est de passer en revue les études précliniques, cliniques, la formulation et la production des MTA surs- efficaces-de qualité et accessibles. Matériel et méthodes : Différents échantillons de plantes ont été récoltés, séchés, pulvérisés. Le contrôle de qualité a été effectué, les extraits ont été préparés, les études phytochimiques, pharmacologiques et de toxicité ont été réalisées. Des extraits ont été utilisés pour formuler une pommade avec différents excipients notamment le beurre de karité. Dans certains cas, les pommades ont été soumises aux essais cliniques. Résultats et Discussion : Les principales pommades sont : i) MITRADERMINE pommade à base de Mitracarpus scaber utilisée dans la prise en charge de dermatoses ; ii) SECUDOL pommade à base de Securidaca longipedunculata, indiqué contre les manifestations douloureuses et inflammatoires articulaires ; iii) OPICICA pommade de base de Opilia celtidifolia, comme cicatrisante ; iv) LAFIA Pommades, à base de Fagara zanthoxyloides, Securidaca longepedunculata et de Capsicum annuum, utilisées dans la prise en charge de la douleur. Dans l’ensemble, les pommades de bonne qualité, ont présenté une consistance semi solide, une bonne homogénéité et de différentes couleurs et odeurs. Ces pommades doivent présenter les mêmes propriétés des extraits qui ont servis de principes actifs. En perspective, il faudra améliorer les pommades avec l’incorporation de la cire d’abeille et vérifier leur tolerabilité et l’efficacité, notamment mener une investigation clinique pour compléter le dossier de demande d’autorisation mise sur le marché des pommades. Elles peuvent être proposées pour la prise en charge médicale de la douleur notamment au niveau local. Expérience n°2 : Potentiel de développement de Phytomédicaments antipaludiques pour Phytomed CI. Professeur KOUAKOU SIRANSY, UFR Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques ; Côte d’Ivoire Contexte : Le développement de phytomédicaments ou médicaments traditionnels améliorés en Afrique sub-saharienne connait un succès grandissant. En Côte d’Ivoire, diverses unités artisanales de fabrication de phytomédicaments se développent mais restent peu évalués pour leur efficacité, innocuité et qualité. Justificatif : Parmi toutes les pathologies affectant la population subsaharienne, le paludisme occupe une place importante étant la première cause de maladie infectieuse parasitaire, et la 3ème cause de maladies infectieuses. Les produits de santé des tradithérapeutes restent peu évalués pour leur efficacité, innocuité et qualité. Les chercheurs et enseignants chercheurs au sein des universités ont emboîté le pas dans plusieurs pays. En Côte d’Ivoire aucune université n’a franchi le pas de la production à l’échelle d’unité industrielle pilote. Objectif : L’objectif de ce travail visait à sélectionner des plantes pour la mise au point de phytomédicaments antipaludiques de qualité de catégorie 2 OMS. Méthodologie : La sélection des plantes à l’essai a concerné celles ayant fait l’objet de travaux de recherche des Universités en Côte d’Ivoire. Parmi ces derniers, ceux évaluant l’effet sur des extraits aqueux de parties aériennes des plantes. De ces extraits ceux présentant les meilleures inhibitions de croissance du Plasmodium selon les critères de Wilcox, ont été retenues pour la mise au point de phytomédicaments de catégorie 2 OMS. Les essais de pré formulation er formulation galénique à l’échelle de laboratoire ont permis de mettre en œuvre le procédé de fabrication adéquat. Une transposition à l’échelle pilote a été ensuite réalisée pour démontrer la reproductibilité de la fabrication industrielle de la forme galénique mise au point. Résultats : Ces résultats issus des travaux de chercheurs des universités ivoiriennes ont permis de recenser 58 plantes médicinales étudiées pour leur activité antiplasmodiale depuis 1996. Parmi ces plantes 38 ont fait l’objet d’extraits aqueux, décoctés ou infusés. Sept extraits aqueux présentant de CI50 <5µg/ml ont été retenues entre autres. Cependant la majorité des études scientifiques portant sur les plantes médicinales potentiellement antipaludiques ont été réalisées dans des modèles in vitro, rare sont celle réalisés in vivo, dans des modèles murins. Les résultats des essais pharmacologiques, de formulation et de transposition à l’échelle pilote ont permis de disposer de gélules à base de granulés de plantes issus d’une granulation humide. Conclusion : Les travaux scientifiques des Universités de Côte d’Ivoire offre un large éventail de plantes médicinales à potentiel antimalarial pour la conception de phytomédicaments de qualité de catégorie 2 OMS. Des essais préliminaires réalisés in vivo ont permis d’obtenir un brevet d’invention. Expérience n°3 : Processus de Recherche-Développement (R&D) et production d’un phytomédicament destiné au traitement de la drépanocytose : FACA Dr Salfo OUEDRAOGO, PharmD, M.Sc. Pharma, PhD, Maître de Recherche en Pharmacie Galénique et Industrielle, Chef de service Production CNRST/IRSS/MEPHATRA/PH, Pharmacien chef de l’Unité de Production Pharmaceutique (U-PHARMA), Tel : (+226) 70 45 89 36/78 41 54 64 Résumé : Depuis l’antiquité, l’humanité a toujours recours aux plantes médicinales comme moyens de traitement adéquat, préventifs ou curatifs, plus ou moins efficaces qui sont perfectionnés sous le coup de recherches. Malgré les grands progrès observés dans la médecine moderne au cours des dernières décennies, les plantes médicinales jouent toujours un rôle clé dans la prise en charge des maladies. Certaines plantes utilisées au XVIIIe siècle sont toujours au cœur de la médecine et pharmacopée après que leur efficacité ait été scientifiquement démontrée. Dans ce contexte, plusieurs programmes sont développés par de nombreux centres pour la recherche de nouvelles molécules mais aussi pour la mise au point de médicaments à base de plantes. Ce travail repose sur un retour d’expérience d’un praticien de la médecine traditionnelle qui utilisait une combinaison de deux plantes médicinales ((Zanthoxylum Zanthoxyloïdes Lam. (Rutaceae) Calotropis procera Ait. (Asclepiadaceae)) pour traiter la drépanocytose. L’approche repose sur une démarche de la pharmacologie inverse. La première étape a consisté à réaliser une étude pharmacoclinique comparée à un traitement standard qui est la dihydroergotoxine (HYDERGINE®) chez des enfants en crise drépanocytaire. Les propriétés antifalciformantes ont été confirmés par des études in vitro. La deuxième étape a concerné les études chimiques et biologiques in vitro et in vivo qui ont permis la mise en évidence de la sécurité d’emploi ainsi que des propriétés (anti falciformantes, anti-œdémateuses, analgésiques, antipyrétiques, myorelaxantes, vaso-dilatatrices, etc.) liées à la physiopathologie de la maladie. La troisième étape a abouti à la formulation et à la standardisation suite à l’identification de molécules traceurs qui sont des dérivés d’acide vanillique (burkinabines » A, B et C). Des études de validation du procédé de fabrication suivi de stabilité ont été réalisées avant la production et la commercialisation après autorisation de mise sur le marché. Cette démarche a permis la mise au point d’un phytomédicament qui suscite un grand espoir pour le traitement de la drépanocytose au regard des résultats de l’étude de pharmacovigilance Expérience n°4 : The Role of Quality Management Systems in the Advancement of the Herbal Medicine Industry in Ghana Caleb Mawuli AGBALE Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Ghana Research and Development Department, Centre of Awareness Research and Manufacturing Company Limited (COA RMCL), Cape Coast, Ghana Plant Extracts Process Engineering Unit, McHammah Engineering Company Ltd, Accra Ghana Correspondence: Cell: +233 208 232 659 Email: magbale@ucc.edu.gh The herbal medicine industry holds great potential in the quest to transform the healthcare systems and economies within sub-Saharan Africa. Although the herbal medicine sector has made significant strides in Ghana over the last 3 decades there remain significant challenges to be addressed to achieve the expected benefit outlined in health policies and sustainable development strategies. This presentation will take a critical look at these challenges and how these could be addressed through the adoption of quality management systems and investment in research and development using the examples of COA- RMCL, Kantanka Herbal and Pharmaceutical Research Centre and startups like DaySpring Phytoceuticals. These examples demonstrate that the effective implementation of QMS ensures operational consistency, ease of traceability of products batches, continuous improvement and evidence- based decision making. Finally, strategies that could be adopted to ensure that herbal medicine plays a dominant role in the healthcare system across the sub region are discussed. Expérience n°5 : Développement de MelaK@ crème pour le traitement des brûlures chez l’enfant (Expérience du CEA-CFOREM) UNIVERSITE JOSEPH KI ZERBO (UJKZ) Centre de Formation, de Recherche et d’Expertises en sciences du Médicament (CEA-CFOREM) Tél. : (+226) 75 55 20 20 ; Email : cea.cforem.ujkz@gmail.com Pr. Rasmané Semdé, CEA-CFOREM, École doctorale sciences et santé (ED2S), UFR - Sciences de la santé (UFR/SDS), Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Les brûlures cutanées figurent parmi les problèmes de santé majeurs en Afrique, avec plus de 17 millions de victimes chaque année. Au Burkina Faso, l’incidence est en croissance avec 13,7% des enfants de moins de 5 ans. La prise en charge précoce et appropriée aide à minimiser la douleur, à prévenir les complications et à favoriser une guérison rapide. Elle peut nécessiter une urgence médico-chirurgicale, une réanimation ou juste un traitement local utilisant des produits importés sont souvent financièrement inaccessibles aux populations africaines. MelaK@ crème est une émulsion Huile dans Eau constituée du miel et du beurre de karité, fournis à des prix abordables par des producteurs sélectionnés du Burkina Faso. Elle visait à créer un effet synergique entre les propriétés anti-inflammatoire, cicatrisante et antimicrobienne du miel et celles régénératrice et photoprotectrice du beurre de karité. Le travail de développement a permis d’obtenir un produit d’application aisée, homogène et stable sous certaines conditions de conservation. Après avoir démontré son efficacité comparée aux traitements modernes conventionnels par des tests in vivo sur des rats de laboratoire, puis confirmée par une étude clinique en 2020chez des brulés de 2nd degré, l’émulsion a été brevetée à l’Organisation Africaine de la Propriété intellectuelle (OAPI) le 13/07/2020, sous le N°19447. MelaK@ crème est présentée dans des tubes en aluminium verni de 45 g et de 75 g pour application locale destinés aux traitements des brûlures. Demandée comme préparation magistrale à travers les officines pharmaceutiques privées par les chirurgiens pédiatres des CHU du Burkina Faso, plus de 1500 tubes préparés à l’échelle du laboratoire ont déjà permis de traiter plus de 250 enfants brulés. Face à la demande croissante des praticiens hospitaliers et du grand public, un business plan démontre sa rentabilité, le dossier de demande d’AMM d’un médicament traditionnel amélioré (MTA) de catégorie II a déjà été déposé à l’ANRP du Burkina Faso.

Purpose Although the last two decades have witnessed the implementation of several poverty reduction strategies in developing countries, many have failed to achieve their goal partly because of defective implementation strategies. This paper examines the implementation of one of Ghana’s flagship poverty reduction programs, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), with a focus on how leadership at the sub-national level influences the implementation of the program.Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative research approach, the study selected research participants from two Municipal Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Using a combination of Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews and Participant Observation, data were collected from a total of 44 respondents including beneficiaries, officials from the local government (district) and community level actors.Findings The paper shows that leaders at the sub-national level were more reactionary than proactive, thereby playing passive roles in the implementation of the LEAP program. It shows that the interaction between LEAP beneficiaries and district officials is rather low, which among others limits the effective utilization of the cash grant by the beneficiaries. It maintains that, for the LEAP program to achieve its overall goal of reducing poverty, leaders at the sub-national level ought to deploy more transformational leadership tendencies to incite beneficiaries to leap out of poverty through skill and human capital development.Originality/value The empirical literature is largely silent on the role of leadership in the implementation of cash transfer programs, such as Ghana’s LEAP program at the sub-national level. This study therefore explains the extent to which district level leaders contribute to the effective utilization of cash transfer grants and the human capital development of LEAP beneficiaries in Ghana.

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of selected genes (β3-adrenergic receptors-ADRB3, Leptin receptor-LEPR, Peroxisome proliferator activator receptor γ-PPARG) and obesity among Ghanaian adults. Methods This was a case-control study comprising 24 cases of newly diagnosed obese; BMI ≥30 kg/m2, at the Dietherapy Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), and 32 controls of non-obese staff and clinical students at KBTH. A validated questionnaire was used for demographic, dietary and anthropometric data. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and DNA extracted from mouth rinse water samples. SNPs in the ADRB3, LEPR and PPARG genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR –RFLP). Results There were statistically significant differences in BMI, WHR and MUAC measurements between cases and controls (all p s˂ 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.3032) between the mean energy intakes of both cases and controls. DNA fragments for the PPARG gene was amplified in 55 respondents. No relationship was observed between PPARG (Pro12Pro) SNP and BMI, MUAC and WHR among participants. Amplification was successful in 19 cases and 24 controls for ADRB3 (Trp64Trp & Trp64Arg). No significant difference (all ps > 0.05) emerged for the ADRB3 SNPs frequencies between the cases and the controls for BMI, MUAC and WHR. LEPR amplification was successful in 15 cases and 14 controls. Amplicons of six cases, all in the OBClass 1 to OBClass 3 range, indicated the presence of the Gln223Arg SNP after RFLP. A significant difference (all ps < 0.05) emerged for LEPR (Gln223Arg) SNP frequencies between the cases and the controls for BMI, MUAC and WHR. Conclusions There were no observed relationships among ADRB3, PPARG SNPs and BMI, MUAC and WHR. LEPR (Gln223Arg) SNP was statistically associated with BMI, MUAC and WHR. Funding Sources 1. College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Research Grant for MSc/MPhil Thesis/Dissertation. 2. Self funding.

Bien que souvent non revendiqué par les auteurs que l’on considère comme ses tenants (Molefi Asante 1987, Maulana Karenga 2002, John Henrik Clarke 1994, Marimba Ani 1994, Frances Cress Welsing 1991, Théophile Obenga 2001, qui lui préfèrent les termes afrocentricité, africologie ou kawaida), le terme afrocentrisme est utilisé pour désigner un courant d’idées présent dans les cercles académiques nord-américains, africains et européens, depuis la deuxième moitié du vingtième siècle. Académique, l’afrocentrisme est actuellement l’objet d’un important processus de transnationalisation et entretient des relations précises et continues avec des pratiques sociales, artistiques, religieuses et/ou politiques. Il semble que le mot « afrocentrique » soit apparu pour la première fois en 1962 sous la plume du sociologue afro-américain W.E.B. Du Bois. Invité par Kwame Nkrumah à Accra au Ghana dans le but d’y rédiger une encyclopédie sur les populations noires, Du Bois insistait, dans un document non publié, sur son intention d’éditer un volume « volontairement Afro-Centrique, mais prenant en compte l’impact du monde extérieur sur l’Afrique et l’impact de l’Afrique sur le monde extérieur » (in Moses, 1998 : 2). Du Bois, grand penseur du panafricanisme, voyait donc dans son projet un moyen de donner la parole aux peuples d’Afrique, d’en faire des acteurs de leur propre histoire au moment même où ceux-ci entamaient la construction nationale de leurs États depuis peu indépendants. Lié chez Du Bois à un projet scientifique et politique, la tendance afrocentrique connaîtra ses heures de gloire à partir de la fin des années 1960 lorsqu’elle devint la marque de fabrique d’une école de pensée comptant quelques représentants au sein des cercles académiques américains. En réalité, l’histoire de la pensée afrocentrique aux États-Unis est indissociable de la création de départements d’études dites ethniques dans les universités américaines, départements nés en pleine ère du Black Power, lorsqu’une jeunesse noire radicalisée se battait pour l’intégration de son expérience au sein des cursus universitaires. Ces départements d’études African-American, Black ou Africana se donnaient pour but de relayer la voix des opprimés et d’inclure l’histoire afro-américaine dans le récit scientifique de l’histoire états-unienne. Parmi les manifestes afrocentriques de l’époque, notons la création de l’African Heritage Studies Association en 1969 née d’une réaction aux postures idéologiques de l’African Studies Association. Orchestrée par John Henrik Clarke (1994), l’organisation rassemblait des intellectuels et des militants africains, entendus ici comme originaires du continent et de ses diasporas, se battant pour la mise en place d’une étude politique de l’Afrique, arme de libération, cherchant à intervenir dans la fondation d’un panafricanisme scientifique et afrocentré. A partir des années 1980, l’afrocentrisme académique entra dans une nouvelle phase de son développement avec les publications de Molefi Asante. Dans la lignée de Du Bois, celui-ci tendait à définir l’afrocentrisme, ou plutôt l’afrocentricité, comme une théorie cherchant à remettre l’Afrique au cœur de l’histoire de l’humanité. Toutefois, ses principaux écrits, The Afrocentric Idea (1987), Afrocentricity (1988), Kemet, Afrocentricity and Knowledge (1990), associèrent à l’afrocentrique duboisien tout un appareil conceptuel et idéologique, grandement hérité des écrits de l’historien sénégalais Cheikh Anta Diop (1959). et de militants du nationalisme noir classique tels Edward Blyden et Alexander Crummel. Dès 1990, la pensée d’Asante se déploya autour d’une série de points précis, déjà mis en avant par le politiste Stephen Howe (1998) : 1. L’humanité s’est d’abord développée en Afrique avant de se répandre sur la planète. Les Africains entretiendraient avec les autres humains un rapport de primordialité chronologique et ce particulièrement avec les Européens, jeunes dans l’histoire de l’humanité. 2. La première civilisation mondiale est celle de l’Égypte ou Kemet. L’étude des phénotypes égyptiens tels qu’ils sont visibles sur les vestiges archéologiques apporterait la preuve de la négritude de cette population. 3. Le rayonnement de la civilisation égyptienne s’est étendu sur la totalité du Continent noir. Toutes les populations africaines sont culturellement liées à la civilisation et aux mœurs de l’Égypte antique et la linguistique en constituerait une preuve évidente. 4. La culture égyptienne se serait également diffusée au Nord, jusqu’à constituer la source d’inspiration première des civilisations qui apparurent plus tardivement en Grèce puis partout en Europe. 5. L’ensemble des traditions africaines constitue autant de manifestations d’une culture unique. Depuis son foyer égyptien, la culture africaine, au singulier, s’est diffusée pour s’immerger dans la totalité du continent et dans la diaspora des Amériques. Au début des années 2000, l’afrocentrisme académique s’est trouvé au cœur de vifs débats dans les espaces anglophones et francophones. Aux États-Unis, c’est la publication de l’ouvrage de Mary Lefkowitz Not Out of Africa (1993) qui rendit publiques les nombreuses tensions entre afrocentristes et anti-afrocentristes. En France, la discussion s’est également concentrée autour de la parution d’un ouvrage dirigé par François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar, Jean-Pierre Chrétien et Claude-Hélène Perrot (2000). Le texte, provocateur, se donnait pour but de déconstruire des théories afrocentriques qualifiées de naïves, « fausses » et dont « le succès parmi les Américains noirs peut être attribué au fait que, à l’heure actuelle, la pensée critique n’est pas en grande estime dans la communauté noire aux États-Unis » (2000 : 70-71). Le livre fut accueilli très froidement dans les milieux qu’il visait. En 2001, l’intellectuel congolais Théophile Obenga, rétorqua avec la publication d’un nouvel ouvrage Le sens de la lutte contre l’africanisme eurocentriste. Manifeste d’un combat « contre l’africanisme raciste, ancien ou moderne, colonial ou post-colonial, qui ne voit pas autre chose que la domination des peuples ‘exotiques’, ‘primitifs’, et ‘sous-développés’. » (2001 : 7), le texte d’Obenga multipliait, de son côté, les attaques personnelles et violentes. Aujourd’hui, il semble que l’appréhension des phénomènes afrocentriques ne puisse gagner en profondeur que si elle évite les écueils polémiques. Une telle approche supposerait alors de considérer l’afrocentrisme comme un objet de recherche construit historiquement, sociologiquement et anthropologiquement. Il s’agirait alors à la fois de le replacer dans le contexte historique de sa création et de s’intéresser à ses effets concrets dans les discours et les pratiques sociales populaires en Afrique, dans les Amériques et en Europe. En effet, depuis une vingtaine d’années, le terme et l’idéologie afrocentriques n’apparaissent plus seulement dans des débats des universitaires mais aussi dans une série d’usages sociaux, culturels et artistiques de populations qui les conçoivent comme un outil d'affirmation identitaire. Ces communautés et ces individus s’en saisissent, leur donnent une définition propre qui émane de leur environnement social, culturel et géographique particuliers, les utilisent comme fondement de nouvelles pratiques, de nouvelles élaborations du politique et de revendications identitaires. Ainsi, l’afrocentrisme se retrouve dans les pratiques religieuses d’Afro-Américains des États-Unis à la recherche de leurs racines ancestrales (Capone, 2005 ; Guedj, 2009), dans les textes des rappeurs de Trinidad ou du Gabon (Aterianus-Owanga, 2013) ainsi que dans les œuvres et les propos d’artistes aussi variés que la plasticienne Kara Walker et le saxophoniste Steve Coleman. Afrocentrismes populaires, a priori dissociés des milieux académiques, ces pratiques ne sont pourtant pas étrangères aux théories qui animent les spécialistes. En effet, nombreux sont les religieux qui citent les livres de Cheikh Anta Diop (1959) ou Molefi Asante (1987), les artistes qui revendiquent comme sources d'inspiration les vidéos postées sur youtube des discours de Leonard Jeffries, John Henrik Clarke ou Maulana Karenga. Il semble alors que c’est précisément dans cette analyse des pratiques et discours afrocentriques entre champs académique, politique, religieux et artistique que l’anthropologie peut jouer un rôle décisif. Il s’agirait alors pour les chercheurs de mettre en place des méthodologies permettant non seulement d’analyser les logiques de circulation des représentations de l’Afrique entre différentes catégories sociales mais aussi d’étudier la perméabilité des savoirs académiques et leurs influences en dehors des universités.