ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Survey of magnetic resonance imaging availability in West Africa

Introduction: The availability and utilization of MRI units across sub-Saharan Africa countries remain poor and its distribution is largely unknown. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the distribution and utilization of MRI facilities across the West African sub-region. Methods: An interview and online search survey was conducted from September 2015 to September 2016, to determine the MRI facilities (Government/Public and Private) available in the West African sub-region. In Nigeria and Ghana, face-to-face interviews were conducted while for other West African countries, telephone interviews with radiologists and other health professionals as well as a Google online search were conducted to ascertain the distribution of the MRI facilities in the region. The number of MRI units in West Africa per million population was calculated and compared with other parts of the world from available published data. Results: Eighty-four MRI units serve a combined population of 372,551,411 in the West African sub-region at the time of this report. Nigeria accounted for more than two-thirds (58 (69%)) of the available units. Of these, 45 (77.6%) of the units were low-field strength systems. Ghana's 14 MRI units were fairly equally distributed between the private (57%) and the public sectors (43%). Ghana with 0.48 units/million population had the highest number of MRI units/ million population followed by Nigeria with 0.30 units/million population. Conclusion: Though there is an increase in the number of available MRI units in the West African sub region in the last decade, the numbers remain appallingly small for the population. Infrastructural and maintenance limitations constitute a major impediment to the use of high filed systems in the region. There may be need for greater cooperation between public and private enterprises for future improvement of MRI utilization in the region.

Source: KNUST
Survey of industrial sweetener application in the food industry and production of maltose syrup from cassava starch

Food and beverage manufacturers in most developing countries have access to only a limited range of sweeteners unlike their counterparts in the developed countries. Where such sugars are available, they are often expensive. This study was in two parts; a survey of industrial sweetener application in the food industry and a laboratory experiment to produce maltose syrup from a combination of cassava starch and an enzyme called Fungamyl 800L. The study also highlights the use of enzymes from various sources in the production of sugars and fermentables from starches, which has the potential to make food processing less dependent on conventional sugar (sucrose) especially where sugar costs are higher. The study is to offer alternative uses and an expanded market for starchy materials such as cassava. The results of the survey showed that there is a big market potential for various sweeteners in the country as the imports of sugars into Ghana from 1997-1999 increased tremendously with 1999 total imports reaching about 3X that for 1997.However cane and beet sugar virtually dominates the sweetener market with a market share of 99.40% for the period reviewed. In the laboratory experiment, the enzyme, Fungamyl 800L was used to degrade cassava starch to produce sugar syrup made up largely of maltose and some oligosaccharides. A starch slurry of 35% dry solids was used for the conversion. The conversion was carried out at a temperature of 57°C and pH 5.1 over a 48-hour period by which time the enzyme had lost its activity. A starch sugar syrup of 39.66±1 dextrose equivalent was obtained.

Source: KNUST
A survey of motivational factors in the learning behaviour of students in Ho Polytechnic

The effectiveness of student’s learning is considered a highly important yardstick for measuring teaching quality. This study conducted at Ho Polytechnic advocates the use of action research to investigate the teaching and learning situation as experienced by students. Several research studies reveal it is easier to teach students when they are motivated. However, motivation remains the number one problem of teaching at all levels of education. At the tertiary level especially, designing instructional techniques for students of difference background and varying abilities is not an easy task. A specially designed questionnaire with a strategy and a motive component triangulated against other qualitative methods has provided the necessary data for analysis. Factors contributing highly to student learning have been identified: students’ expectations of their teachers, the characteristics of students and the range of practices/techniques that constitute good practice and promote reflective professionalism. The top ten factors that would most encourage students to learn were; getting good grades, a well-organized lecturer, ambition to do well, encouragement from parents, knowledge of progress, active participation in class, examples and stories in a lecturer’s explanation, a lively lecturer, outside visits and field trips, and a highly innovative lecturer, The top ten factors that most discourage students from learning were performing badly in tests and assignments, dictation of passages from textbooks in class, independent study, informal contacts with lecturers, warning of possible failure in course, being required to listen attentively and take down own notes, dictation of lecturer’s detailed notes in class, frequent tests, written assignments for individual students, and humour in class It is recommended teachers should plan their lessons to integrate essential study skills with the teaching of their subjects. Teachers need to prepare well for each class especially the first day of class. Teachers should vary their methods of teaching and not rely solely on the traditional approach. Students must be encouraged to be active in class.

Source: KNUST
A survey on postharvest handling, preservation and processing methods of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in the Dormaa and Tano South Districts of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

The tomato industry serves as a source of income of many households in the study area. Tomato production and marketing are complex and require expertise in the various stages handling along the distribution chain such. The objective of the study was to assess postharvest handling, preservation and processing of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in the Dormaa and Tano South Districts of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Data were obtained through interviews with staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), farmers, traders and consumers, using semi-structured questionnaire, as well as field visits. It was observed that tomato production is one of the major sources of livelihood for the people of the two districts. The results of the study however revealed that farmers have still not achieved their maximum potential due to high postharvest losses. Traders also encountered high postharvest losses after purchasing from the farm gate. Lack of diversified uses of tomatoes is one main source of postharvest losses. This is because, consumers would not buy more if they have enough in storage. Traders on the other hand would not purchase from farmers since they may still have a lot in storage which may not have been bought and sometimes deteriorating. Thus, farmers encounter losses due to two main reasons; lack of technical knowledge and storage facilities to preserve the produce and lack of factories within the production area to process the surplus tomatoes. Other problems include bad access roads linking farms and market centres, which has limited the production capacities of 90% of farmers in these communities. It was therefore recommended that research should be conducted into cheap but appropriate postharvest handling and preservation methods of tomatoes and the introduction of appropriate methods for reducing mechanical injury to tomatoes during harvest and transport. It was also recommended that inexpensive but efficient small scale tomato processing methods should be introduced in the tomato producing areas to reduce waste.

Source: KNUST
A survival analysis approach to estimating funding liquidity risk – the case of a Ghanaian bank

This paper presents a non-parametric survival model approach to estimating the run off profile of a bank product with uncertain cash flows. The most practical approach to measuring funding liquidity risk in banks is based on the individual bank’s balance sheet (items of assets and liabilities) where inflows and outflows are compared to determine the cumulative cash shortfalls over future time periods. Steps are then taken to address any resulting funding gaps. The difficulty bank’s face, however, is in assigning future cash flows related to products with indeterminate maturity. The focus of this study is to contribute to addressing this challenge using the product limit estimator developed by Kaplan and Meier. In view of the subject of the study being in monetary terms, measures are developed to address areas of possible divergence from the normal application of the product limit estimator. The paper then illustrates the framework using data set from a Ghanaian bank to estimate the empirical run off profile of a savings product over a 30 day period.

Source: KNUST
Survival Analysis Of The Average Time To Handling A Claim In The Insurance Industry: A Case Study Of An Automobile Insurance Company In Ghana

Motor Insurance provides protection for vehicles that operate on the roads in Ghana and it is mandatory. A large sample from an insurance data with a significant proportion of censored observations was used to determine the average time it takes for losses to occur and be paid by an insurance company in Ghana using the Kaplan-Meier approach. An analysis of this portfolio presented using the Cox proportional hazard model to determine if the type of insurance affects the time it takes for a claim to be paid and to establish which variables contribute significantly to the time for a claim to be settled. The study revealed that age, gender, marital status, are significant risk factors that affect the occurring of a loss but not significant in the payment of claims using the log rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression model. Type of policy and type of vehicle were significant factors that influence the survival duration of settling claims. This clearly indicates that in the quoting (calculation) of premiums these risk factors are considered in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
A Survey on Production and Postharvest Handling of Pepper in the Upper Manya Krobo District In The Eastern Region of Ghana

The research work focussed on production and postharvest handling of pepper in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The survey covered all the four agricultural zones in the District namely Asesewa, Anyabony, Sekesua and Sisiamang. The target groups for the research were large-scale producers, traders and consumers of pepper. The research aimed at identifying the various cultural practices adopted by producers; assess harvesting practices; assess the postharvest handling operations that are carried out; and to offer suggestions and recommendations with regards to postharvest handling of pepper. In all hundred (100) respondents were randomly sampled from all the four zones in the District. Data was collected from the respondents through the use of questionnaire backed by an interview. The results were analysed and put into frequencies, percentages and graphs. The results from the study revealed that Legon 18, Scotch Bonnet and sweet pepper were the main species cultivated by farmers; some farmers did not apply pesticides leading to insect infestation and disease infection which consequently affected the shelf-life of the fresh pepper. Traders often display their produce in the sun, which leads to an increased temperature hence faster rate of deterioration. The study further revealed that consumers and traders usually store their produce in refrigerators without washing them, leading to contamination with pathogens causing rot. It was suggested that good quality seeds should be obtained from Research Institutions and good agronomic packages disseminated to farmers to offset postharvest losses.

Source: KNUST
Survival analysis of dropout rate at the basic school level: (Case study: Northern Ghana)

Development and growth cannot be experienced in any part of the world without good education. Basic education is one of the effective investments in improving economies, reducing illiteracy, creating self-reliant and healthy society. In view of this, government and NGOs have constituted various policies and intervention programmes to make sure children of school going age enroll, attend and remain in school till completion (at least the basic level). Despite these efforts, studies have shown that dropout rates remain high in rural areas and in the three northern regions of Ghana. The purpose of the research is to estimate the probability of a child dropping out of school at some point within the basic level in Northern Ghana. Data was obtained from the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports on annual enrollment levels for each district for the years 2000 to 2007. Survival Analysis which is a time to event analysis was used to investigate the effect of gender and region on survival time (i.e. time before dropout). Particularly, the Kaplan-Meier method was utilized for plotting the survival and hazard functions. Log rank test was used to compare the survival curves. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model was used to fit the data. Findings indicated that the region of a child has significant effect on the potential of his/her dropout of school. On the other hand, gender had no significant influence on a pupil’s dropout rate. The analysis also indicated that the Upper West region has the lowest hazard of dropout and Northern Region has the highest Hazard of dropout of school. It was also discovered that on the average, the potential of a child dropping out of school occurred mostly at primary 2, 5 and 6. It is suggested that interventions to reduce dropout rates should not be focused only on female pupils but on male pupils as well.

Source: KNUST
Survey on quality management practices in the animal feed industry in Ghana

A survey was conducted to evaluate the quality management practices adopted by commercial feedmills and on-farm mixers in the animal feed industry in Ghana. Three types of questionnaires were designed for poultry farmers, feedmillers and analytical laboratories in the country. Respondents were 348 poultry farmers (193 of whom also responded to the questionnaire on feedmillers as on-farm mixers), 17 commercial feedmillers and 9 analytical laboratories. Layer feed samples from 18 commercial feedmillers and 21 on-farm mixers were also collected for proximate analysis as well as sodium chloride (common salt), calcium and total phosphorus analyses. In addition, a set of 4 samples of a reference feed material were each given to 10 analytical laboratories for Proficiency Testing. It was discovered from the survey that 59.20% of the 348 poultry farmers interviewed mixed their own feed whilst the rest used feed from the commercial feedmills. It was, however, observed that about 40.30% of this number of farmers interviewed prepared their own feed in addition to buying commercially prepared feed. The survey further showed that as high as 84.46% of the on- farm mixers used the floor and shovel method of mixing and this number is mostly made up of small and medium scale farmers. From the survey the commercial feedmills were found to be better equipped in terms of personnel and machinery than the on farm mixers despite their shortcomings. They also followed better feedmill management practices. Chemical analysis indicated high variations in salt and total phosphorus content of feeds from both commercial feedmillers and on farm mixers for similar feed types. The results of the Proficiency Test indicated that analytical laboratories in Ghana are also well equipped in terms of personnel and equipment. Except for some few laboratories a large number (70 -80%) showed little variations, both within and between laboratories in crude protein (CP) and dry matter (DM) values. Though the bulk of feed manufacturing Is in the hands of on-farm mixers, the feed Industry can make an Impact on the animal industry If commercial feedmlllers improve their relationship with farmers in terms of quality prices and customer services. On the other hand, since the on-farm mixers cannot be entirely done away with, their impact can be felt in the industry, In terms of better production performance, if they adopt better quality management practices in their operations.

Source: KNUST
“Surviving Competition in the Cocoa Food Beverages and Confectionery Industry; a Case of Ghana’s Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC)

The increasing competitive market environment which C.P.C finds itself in is threatening. The company’s survival and growth calls for an evaluation of the efficiency of the prevailing marketing strategies so as to craft new ones for the attainment of set objectives, which would make it competitive enough on the local market. The review of strategies for survival was done basically from distributors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers perspective. All these category of customers and consumers from the survey results, rated C.P.C Limited as an average performer as far as its domestic business was concerned. Attaining average performance, however, is not sufficient enough for the growth of the company in a market environment which is increasingly becoming very competitive. A descriptive research design was used to evaluate customers’ views, attitudes and reactions vis-à-vis the marketing programmes of CPC and that of major competitors. Sales of Cocoa products from Cocoa Processing Company Limited, Cadbury Ghana Limited, Nestle Ghana Limited as well as sales of chocolate products imported into the Country from 1998 to 2002 indicates a 9.6% market share for Cocoa Processing Company, 56.9% as the market share for Nestle Ghana Limited respectively. The implications are that CPC has a very difficult task of catching up with such high performance of Nestle Ghana Limited. It is very clear that competitors in the industry have put in place certain strategies which are making them beat CPC to competition. Some of these strategies include payment terms. Customer care services, distribution strategies, pricing and sales promotion. To grow, CPC will have to capture some more market share from its competitors. To cope with this growing competition in its domestic business, the company should be proactive in the strategic management of its marketing operations. The Company should give particular attention to the provision of customer care services. C.P.C Limited has to adopt strategies that will expand market access of the company. Ascertaining the problems facing the distributors, wholesaler and retailers in the marketing of the company’s products as well as assess the effectiveness of facilities available, for marketing of the confectionery products are prerequisites for effective customer service delivery. Finally, management has a responsibility of embarking on public education about the many health benefits and nutritious values of chocolate and other cocoa beverages through advertising to encourage more Ghanaians to patronize the products. Efforts should be made to encourage the drinking of cocoa at all state functions. The relevant ministries, departments and institutions should be encouraged to adopt this policy.

Source: KNUST
Surviving the turbulence: a retrospective account of designedpolicies for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana

Several policies were designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to control the virus from spreading. However, little is known about the nature of the designed policies and how the citizens lived with the designed policies in Ghana. This paper attempts a retrospective exploratory account of the COVID-19 policies in Ghana through an amalgamation lens of design matrix and activity theory from 15March to 10 July 2020. The population for the study was the COVID-19 policies adopted by Ghana. Out of 16 countries in West Africa with COVID-19 cases, Ghana was selected due to the online avail-ability of its COVID-19 policies and the fact that the policies were in English. Content analysis was used to gather data on Ghana COVID-19 policies and innovative scenarios used for living with the designed policies. The results show that the designed policies adopted a top down approach and were difficult for the citizens to live with but most were adjusted later, which triggered social and economic challenges for the citizens and were to some extent mitigated by the government and the citizens through innovations. Therefore, the government should leverage ideas from the citizens and engage social designers in policy design through the proposed hybrid-designed model.

Source: KNUST
Survival modelling of time to death for retirees in Ghana

Many countries have studied the lifetime of retirees, with special attention given to the quality of life of these people. In Ghana, few work has been done on the determinants of time to death after retirement. The average age of survival after retirement in Ghana is additionally not known. This study attempts to determine the life expectancy of a retiree in Ghana, both for men and women, by utilizing the life table methods. Data was acquired from the SSNIT yearly and monthly reports of Pensioners for the years 1966 to 2015 particularly on mortality levels. Survival Analysis was utilized to investigate the e ect of gender, age category and pension category on survival time (i.e. time to death). The cox proportional hazard regression model was used to further explain the determinants of time to death after retirement in Ghana. This work demonstrated that there is a signi cant distinction between the survival times for male and female retirees, in truth showing that male retirees are 1:24 times more prone to die, contrasted with their female counterparts. This subsequently leading us to conclude that gender does indeed determine the chance of survival after retirement in Ghana. Socio-economic status and age-at-retirement were additionally observed to be signi cant determinants of time to death after retirement. This study concluded that early retirement does undoubtedly increase the likelihood of early death.

Source: KNUST