Transit and Fairness: Exploring Spatial Equity in Accra's Public Transport System.

Globally, millions of individuals access services and opportunities on a daily basis using different modes of motorized and non-motorized transportation. However, in the global south, the role of public transport in providing access to services is relatively under-researched due to non-functional public transport services and poor infrastructure. This paper uses data from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) to empirically contribute to the discourse on how public transport availability varies across different residential locations and assess if there is equitable access to Public Transport Infrastructure and Services (PTIS) across urban and peri-urban areas.

Socio-demographic and neighbourhood factors influencing urban green space use and development at home: A population-based survey in Accra, Ghana.

In Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, there has been very little systematic attempt to document the uses and perceived health benefits of urban green spaces in cities and the factors influencing usage. We therefore sought to establish the availability, accessibility and use of urban green spaces, and the perceived health benefits in an African population. We also ascertained the factors influencing use and development of green spaces at home.

Phenotyping urban built and natural environments with high-resolution satellite images and unsupervised deep learning.

Cities in the developing world are expanding rapidly, and undergoing changes to their roads, buildings, vegetation, and other land use characteristics. Timely data are needed to ensure that urban change enhances health, wellbeing and sustainability. We present and evaluate a novel unsupervised deep clustering method to classify and characterise the complex and multidimensional built and natural environments of cities into interpretable clusters using high-resolution satellite images.

Between Policy and Risk Communication: Coverage of Air Pollution in Ghanaian Newspapers.

Mass media plays an increasingly persuasive role in orienting political decisions, shaping social agendas, influencing individuals' actions, and interpreting scientific evidence for the public. With growing scientific understanding of the health, social and environmental consequences of air pollution, there is an urgent need to understand how media coverage frames these links, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. This paper examines how the Ghanaian print and electronic media houses are covering air pollution issues given increased efforts at reducing air pollution within the country.

Face Mask Use Among Commercial Drivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Accra, Ghana.

The paper contributes to unravelling the perceptions of urban commercial drivers regarding their vulnerability to catching the SARS-CoV-2 virus while at work. It further examines how the perception of vulnerability influences personal use of face masks by drivers, as well as on their insistence on appropriate masking behaviour by other persons on-board public transport. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in informal public transport in Africa could facilitate the spread of the corona virus.

Health impacts of changes in travel patterns in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana.

Background: Health impact assessments of alternative travel patterns are urgently needed to inform transport and urban planning in African cities, but none exists so far.

Objective: To quantify the health impacts of changes in travel patterns in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana.

Methods: We estimated changes to population exposures to physical activity, air pollution, and road traffic fatality risk and consequent health burden (deaths and years of life lost prematurely - YLL) in response to changes in transportation patterns.

Health Risks to Children and Adults Residing in Riverine Environments where Surficial Sediments Contain Metals Generated by Active Gold Mining in Ghana.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of metal pollution in the sediment from rivers, lakes, and streams in active gold mining districts in Ghana. Two hundred and fifty surface sediment samples from 99 locations were collected and analyzed for concentrations of As, Hg, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, and Mn using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Metal concentrations were then used to assess the human health risks to resident children and adults in central tendency exposure (CTE) and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) scenarios.