Identifier	Thesis 1929
Author	Sarfo, Martinson, 1970-
Title	Spatial Analysis of HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Ghana
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date of Publication	2007
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Abstract	HIV/AIDS has wrecked extensive epidemiological devastation around the world, claiming over 26 million lives. The subsequent impact of the disease has inundated millions with tragedy, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where nearly three-quarters of those infected live. The disease has presented great hurdles for policy makers and researchers due to the rapid rate at which it is spreading. Since there is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS attempts at combating the disease have concentrated on preventive initiatives. However, maximizing these preventive measures requires thorough understanding of the epidemiological as well as the socio-cultural factors that dictate HIV/AIDS distribution. The purpose of the thesis is to determine how location, migration, settlement type and religion affect the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ghana. Data from a 2002 Sentinel Survey conducted by Ghana Ministry of Health in collaboration with UNAIDS regional office in Ghana were collected and analyzed using Geographic Information System. The thesis presents a comparative spatial analysis of HIV/AIDS prevalence for the ten (10) administrative regions in Ghana in the context of proximity to neighboring countries with higher HIV/AIDS, urban and rural settlement types, and Christian and Muslim communities. It was observed that location, migration, settlement type and religious beliefs affect HIV/AIDS prevalence in an area. The effect of location in determining the HIV prevalence in an area is confounded by other factor such as migration, settlement type and religion. Areas characterized by higher migration have higher HIV/AIDS prevalence than areas with lower migration rates. Urban centers have higher HIV/AIDS prevalence than rural areas, and Christian dominated communities have higher HIV/AIDS than Muslim communities. A further study is recommended to focus on the distribution of HIV/AIDS in Ghana over space and time to understand how the evolution of migration, urbanization and religion has affected the spread of the disease.
Subject	AIDS (Disease) -- Ghana HIV (Viruses) -- Ghana
Department	Department of Geography
Advisor	Pope, Cynthia
Type	Text
Digital Format	application/pdf
Language	eng
OCLC number	713733933
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Spatial Analysis of HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Ghana

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