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Hazard Assessment of Some Heavy Metals in Tema Municipal Water Supply
Nakotey, Ebenezer
The study was undertaken to assess the quality status of drinking water in Tema municipal area. The concentrations of some selected toxic heavy metals (copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, mercury, chromium, lead, iron, and manganese) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Among the nine selected heavy metals nickel and lead show higher concentration than the WHO recommended limits. This is an indication of pollution however their hazard quotients (HQ) of 0.04875 and 0.034938 is far less than 1. Besides, hazard index and incremental lifetime risk were calculated to be 0.0866 and 4.499 x 109 respectively. Since hazard quotient is far less than 1, and the risk value of 4.499 x 10-9 is also far less than 1 x 10-6 it implies no health risk is associated with the water and therefore their presence had no significant health effect on human life.
Management of Root Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) on tomato with Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) Aqueous Extracts
(2007) Adomako, Joseph
Apart from high cost, increased concern for environmental and health hazards has called for a reduction in the use of synthetic nematicides for nematode control. Experiments were, therefore, conducted to ascertain the nematicidal potential of castor bean’s crude extract and its seven lower concentrations, water being used as control. In vitro studies in Petri dishes showed that castor bean extract and all the different concentrations had toxic effect on eggs and juveniles of root–knot nematodes. Egg hatch inhibition and juvenile mortality decrease with increased dilution of the extract. With an increase in exposure time, juvenile mortality increased. Plant house pot experiments were conducted to observe the effect of the extracts on root-knot nematodes and some growth parameters of tomato plants. The seedlings were either dipped, side-drenched or a combination of both with different concentrations of castor bean extracts. Results showed that plant height, stem girth, fresh shoot and root weights of extract-treated plants were significantly different (P=0.5) from those of the control plants. Numbers of root-knot juveniles and galls on the roots of the extract-treated plants were significantly different (P=0.5) from those of the control. A field trial gave contrary results from those of the plant house experiments. There was no significant difference (P=0.05) between plant height, mean gall score and mean number of juveniles from the tomato roots of all the treatments. The crude castor bean extract was nematotoxic to root-knot nematodes in vitro and potted tomato plants. Aqueous extract of castor bean can, therefore, be used by farmers to manage root-knot nematodes in the nursery before transplanting.
Biochemical indices of Burkitt's Lymphoma clinial relevance in prognosis and management
(2009-07-12) Owusu, Lawrence
Endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma (eBL) is a juvenile malignant neoplasm of B-lymphocyte origin, markedly affected by climate, vegetation and geographical location. All outpatient clinical records of patients histologically and/or clinically diagnosed of BL from January, 2000 to December, 2007 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana, a country within the malaria and lymphoma belts of the world, were reviewed in a real country-based cross-sectional retrospective study. The effect of cyclical chemotherapy (Cyclophophamide, Vincristine, Methotrexate and Prednisolone) on serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine (Crt), sodium (Na), potassium (K), phosphorus (Phos), calcium (Ca), chloride (Cl) and uric acid (UA) in relation to treatment outcome in 76 newly diagnosed BL patients was also studied in a longitudinal prospective study . A mean age of 6.9 2.7 (mode: 7; range: 1-16) was observed. Males generally dominated in incidence (M: F= 1.43:1, p< 0.001) and significantly with facial presentation (p<0.05). Females weakly dominated in abdominal presentations (p>0.05). Age 4-8 years was the high risk range (p< 0.001) for both sexes. Males were affected early in life (4-7 years) compared to their female counterparts (6- 11 years). Of the 551 cases reviewed, 48.3%, 32.7%, 15.8% and 3.3% were tumour presentation(s) involving the face, abdomen, combined facial and abdominal and either facial or abdominal with central nervous system (CNS) involvement (usually paraplegia) respectively. An intriguing observation was evident between facial and combined facial and abdominal cases which exhibited direct reverse trends in incidence. Three regions within the forest zone individually showcased significantly higher (p< 0.001) incidences compared to their seven cohorts that constitute the coastal and savannah agro-ecological zones of Ghana. No region was explicitly associated with any particular clinical presentation. In addition to LDH and tumour stage which are known prognostic factors for high-grade XV non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs), Crt (p< 0.001) and Cl (p= 0.039) were also identified as independent prognostic factors for eBL with respect to overall survival (OS) and were subsequently used in hazard modelling. LDH, Na and Ca showed significant (p<0.05) changes during cyclical chemotherapy within treatment time points and in comparism with healthy age-sex matched controls. Post intensive-treatment outcome was found to the associated with the trend of serum LDH, UA, Na, K and Ca after a three-month monitoring period. This study has shown that though BL can present with demographic patterns in prevalence within a given geographical location, no clinical characterisation can necessarily be found associated with such patterns. However, serum LDH, Crt, Cl and tumour stage can serve as important prognostic factors before chemotherapy, and serum LDH, UA, Na and K can be used for monitoring of cyclical chemotherapy to enhance OS in eBL.
Two-Electron Capture From Helium-Like Atomic Systems by Completely Stripped Projectiles
(2010-07-12) Mahu, Augustine Larweh
Solution to four-body version of the boundary corrected first Born (CB1-4B) approximation has been solved by D zevad Belki´c. We consider symmetric double-charge exchange in fast collisions of bare nuclei with helium-like atomic systems. We particularly are interested in the calculation of the four-body version of the boundary corrected second Born (CB2-4B) approximation with full account of the long-range Coulomb e ects arising from the relative motion of the scattering aggregates. Using the formalism of Perturbation Theory in Quantum Mechanics, we employ Lippman-Schwinger Equation with free Green Function. We write the transition matrix elements for the second order contribution as a set of nine integrals. This makes use of unperturbed wavefunctions from the entrance and exit channels. We did not consider calculating the matrix elements.
The Mathematics of the Vibrating Membrane as Applied to African Drums with Varying Tension Compared with Those of Constant Tension: The Case of the “Donno” and the “Atumpan”.
(2010-07-12) Adu-Sackey, Albert
In this thesis the physical modeling of two Ghanaian percussive drums the “donno” of the Akans or “Lunna” of the Dagbambas and the “Atumpan” of the Akans was approached using the two dimensional wave equations and by imposing boundary and initial conditions on the drumhead. A remark is made about the overtones of these local drums after using matrix laboratory (matlab) to generate their Normal modes using three different types of initial velocity functions.
Two-Electrons Capture from Helium-Like Atomic Systems by completely stripped Projectiles
(2010-07-13) Mahu, Augustine Larweh
Solution to four-body version of the boundary corrected rst Born (CB1-4B) approximation has been solved by D zevad Belki c. We consider symmetric double-charge exchange in fast collisions of bare nuclei with helium-like atomic systems. We particularly are interested in the calculation of the four-body version of the boundary corrected second Born (CB2-4B) approximation with full account of the long-range Coulomb e ects arising from the relative motion of the scattering aggregates. Using the formalism of Perturbation Theory in Quantum Mechanics, we employ Lippman- Schwinger Equation with free Green Function. We write the transition matrix elements for the second order contribution as a set of nine integrals. This makes use of unperturbed wavefunctions from the entrance and exit channels. We did not consider calculating the matrix elements. iii
Implementation of adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system for malaria diagnosis. (A case study at Kwesimintsim Polyclinic)
(2015) Appiah, Richard
Health issues have become one of the problems bedeviling most developing and under-developed countries in our world today. Ghana is of no exception from this menace especially in Africa. One of the prevalent diseases battling with Ghanaians and Africa as a whole is the malaria disease. In 1994, the WHO reported that malaria and measles were the most common causes of premature death. in children under five(5) years. Diagnosis of malaria in many cases has not been accurate by most doctors or physicians due to external human factors such as fatigue and hastiness among others, thereby leading to patients being subjected to treatment again which also come with cost. Hence the need for this research work entitled, “Implementation Of Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System For Malaria Diagnosis. (A Case Study At Kwesimintsim Polyclinic) This paper employs the use of Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) to provide a better option for malaria diagnosis than the traditional diagnosis method which is characterized by erotic guess work and observation of patients by doctors. ANFIS, which is derived from the term Adaptive Network Fuzzy Inference System, was first proposed by Jyh-Shing and Jang and later changed to Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System. This system is designed to allow IF-THEN rules and membership functions (fuzzy logic) to be constructed based on the historical data and also includes the adaptive nature for automatic tuning of the membership functions. Related works done by various authours in the area of study were reviewed. One hundred(100) datasets of patients from the clinic were used in this research work. Sixty(60) of the datasets were used as training datasets for training the ANFIS and forty(40) datasets were used checking datasets. The results tested after training showed that ANFIS has the ability to diagnose malaria efficiently than the traditional method with very minimal error.
Microbial and heavy metal contamination of skipjack and yellowfin tuna from beaches in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana
(2015) Kogbe, Maxwell
In Ghana and other parts of the world, consumption of fish and fishery products have raised serious health issues and is responsible for some of the reported deaths. Here, the microbiological contamination within the traditional smoking chain [freshly landed, after smoking and in the retail markets (smoked)] and heavy metal Hg, Pb and Cd levels of Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna from Accra Jamestown, Tema Canoe Basin and Prampram Lighthouse beaches in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana were studied. Aerobic Plate Count (APC) was done by the pour plate method and E. coli determined and enumerated by the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was determined by the spread plate method whilst heavy metal levels were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. APC values for fish were in the order 106, 104 and 102 in the retail market (smoked), at landing beaches (fresh) and at processing sites (smoked) for landing sites and species. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) for APC values at the various stages of production, the different landing beaches and the two species. Escherichia coli were present in freshly landed samples and also at the various retail markets for both species but not detected in fish sampled at the various smoking environment. Interestingly, Vibrio parahaemolyticus was not detected from all landing beaches and at all the stages of the production chain for both species. Fish handling practices clearly contributed to the high levels of microbiological loads after smoking. Heavy metal concentration showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) among different landing sites for both species. However for every metal, Yellowfin recorded significant higher levels (P < 0.05) compared to Skipjack. Together the study concluded that the mean concentrations of Hg, Pb and Cd in Tuna fish landed in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana were classified as low as per Ghana Standards Authority /European Commission/Food and Agricultural Organization requirements.
Exposure of street food consumers to sodium and fat in the Kumasi Metropolis
(2016) Laar, Richard Ali
Most foods eaten away from home have been linked to poor diet quality and adverse dietary factors such as high sodium, fat and sugar levels which are related to obesity and cardiovascular diseases. This study set out to analyse the sodium and fat content of street foods and to further quantify the risk of consumers to CVD in the Kumasi Metropolis. Fifteen (15) popular food vendors of light soup typically eaten with fufu, fried rice, and noodles ‘indomie’ were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Forty-five (45) food samples were collected and analysed for their sodium content and fatty acid composition. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the sodium content while Soxhlet extraction methods were used to estimate total fat content of the food samples (Noodles, light soup and fried rice). Triglyceride content was assessed using an Agilent 1260 HPLC system with a refractive index detector. Two hundred and fifty (250) food consumers were also interviewed to assess their frequency and quantity of consumption of street foods. Sodium and fat intakes by consumers per week was calculated by multiplying the frequency of consumption in a week and serving sizes (or weight in grams) for each food consumed by the salt/fat content of that food. ‘Indomie’ and fried rice, which are processed by frying, had more sodium and fat than soup. The fat and sodium contents per serving of ‘indomie’, fried rice, and soup were 112.11g and 862.90 mg, 61.02 g and 709.61 mg, and 13.03 g and 583.02 mg respectively. The results also revealed that samples high in sodium were also high in fat. Intakes of ‘indomie’ and fried rice at the 95th percentile were associated with significant risk (Hazard Index > 1.0). However, consumers of light soup were not at risk even at the 95th percentile.
Estimating the risk premium of motor insurance in Ghana using the Empirical Bayesian Credibility Theory Model
(2016) Laryea, Philip Nii Anang
This research explores the use of actuarial principles in estimating motor insur- ance premium for non-life insurance companies in Ghana. Unlike other countries where the business of motor insurance has developed to the level where insurance companies determine motor premiums using parameters such as the risk associ- ated with the make of the car, the distance driven within the insured period and the risk of an accident associated with the locations used by the insured, motor in- surance premiums in Ghana are determined by the regulator using a tari guide. The tari guide used by the insurance companies in Ghana is not robust and fails to consider the various risks associated with the motor insurance portfolio of the various insurance companies. The Empirical Bayesian Credibility Theory model, a non-parametric approach and the Bayesian Credibility which assumes a parametric distribution of the data were used on reported motor insurance claim amounts for 18 insurance companies in Ghana to estimate the pure premium for motor insurance. The consideration of the parametric and non-parametric cred- ibility models in estimating the risk premium of motor insurance is to establish how reliable actuarial tools can be in determining the risk premium of motor in- surance in Ghana. Using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at 5% level of signi cance, the distribution of reported motor insurance claim was consistent with a normal distribution. The outcome of the test of a normal prior distribution resulted in the posterior distribution also being a normal distribution and this led to the use of the Bayesian Credibility model to estimate the risk premium for motor insur- ance. The estimated risk premiums using the EBCT and the Bayesian Credibility Theory model were compared and the outcome of the two set of estimates were tested using t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test at 5% level of signi cance and it was established that both estimates have the same mean and follow the same distributions.
GIS-based spatial epidemiology of the top five infectious diseases in Ghana
(2016) Nyadanu, Sylvester Dodzi
Infectious diseases are general burdens in developing countries but within a country or region, specific areas can be experiencing elevated rates of infection. To address this and support public health policy, Geographic Information System (GIS) and other spatial techniques are used extensively in geo-health informatics.This study explored GIS-based spatial epidemiology to describe spatial patterns, identify hotspots and assessed the determinants responsible for spatio-temporal variations of infections in Ghana. The outpatient department data of Malaria, URTI, Diarrhoeal diseases, Intestinal worms and Typhoid fever from 2010-2014 were obtained from Ghana Health Service, health determinants processed from 2010 census and geo-coded per the 170 districts to create the GIS database. Incidence rates were estimated, smoothen and spatially analysed. The rates of the infectious diseases persistently showed significant spatial dynamics with different intensities (Moran's I > 0 and Z-score > 1.96, p< 0.05). The disease and yearly-specific hotspot analyses pinpointed a number of hotspot districts. The divergence in the intensities of clustering and the number of hotspots observed undoubtedly showed location and disease-specific disparities in health intervention programmes, resources allocation and/or spatial variability of determinants across the country. There is a critical need to further strengthen/improve and prioritise disease-specific control strategies in the identified hotspot districts and to also give broader and uniform attention to other leading infectious diseases, especially Intestinal worms and Typhoid fever. From the spatial lag regression model, policy and/or social interventions to increase basic education attainment but decreasing urbanisation, intermigration and sex ratio while considering neighbourhood-effects could reduce the rates of infections in the districts. Geo-health informatics should be included into health researches and reports in Ghana as data mining tool to enhance public health promotion and health policies.
Location of additional fire stations in the Kumasi city, using a binary integer programming model
(2016) Kuma, Joseph Akwasi
With the increasing population of the City of Kumasi from 346336 in 1970 to 2035064 in 2010,the City is gradually expanding thereby increasing the coverage of the Fire Service Stations and consequently diminishing the responsiveness of the fire department. This thesis aims at answering these three questions:(1)Does the City need to build fire stations and how much of the city is currently covered at a standard travel time of 4 minutes?,(2)Which minimum combination of fire stations will cover all Kumasi within 4 minutes?(3)where should the City Authorities have to build new fire stations and in what order? The thesis seeks to increase the number of fire stations so as to save lives and property.A binary integer programming model is therefore used. The results indicated that the City needs more fire stations and that the Kumasi Fire Department will be able to cover all of Kumasi at a 4 minutes travel time with at least 9 fire stations and that they should be built in the following order at these sites:UEW-K(Lat 6.698131,Long -1.686326), Buokrom Estate(Lat 6.739015,Long -1.585980)and Bohyen(Lat. 6.7209012,Long. -1.6619288).
Statistical models of infant mortality due to malaria (a case of Kumasi District and Kath)
(2016) Tetteh-Ahinakwa, Lincoln
The research examines the factors that contribute to infant deaths at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) from 2010 to 2015(March) with malaria being the main focus, assesses the occurrence and incidence of infant deaths in Kumasi district from 2008 to 2014 and determines the survival rate of infants in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Poisson and logistic regression models, the Kaplan-Meier estimate and the Cox Regression model are employed. Poisson regression model is used to examine the occurrence and incidence of infant deaths while logistic regression is used to assess the factors that contribute to infant deaths at KATH. The Kaplan –Meier estimate and Cox Regression model are used to determine the survival rate of infants in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). SPSS statistical software is used to analyze the data. Results show that the mean number of occurrence of infant mortality is higher in 2008, 2009 and 2012 as compared to 2014 (reference year) and also establishes that the mean number of occurrence of infant mortality significantly reduced over the study period 2008-2014. The incidence of infant mortality is higher in 2008, 2009 and 2012 as compared to 2014 (reference year). It is also found that, the mean incidence of infant death cases reduced significantly during the study period. Finally, it is revealed that duration of stay in the hospital contributed significantly to infant death at the KATH. Malaria, did not contribute significantly to the outcome. Infants diagnosed of a disease apart from malaria generally have a higher probability of dying than those diagnosed of malaria. However, an infant with malaria has zero (0) probability of surviving if the duration of stay in the hospital extends to 297 days (approximately 10 months) whereas an infant without malaria has zero (0) probability of surviving at 310 days (a little above 10 months).
Loss severity of claims amounts in motor insurance. A case study of State Insurance Company
(2016) Acquah, David
General Insurance companies in Ghana are confronted with problems when they want to use past or present claims amounts in forecasting future claim severity. This study seeks to determine an appropriate statistical distribution for the claims amounts of SIC, to determine the posterior distribution of the claims amounts of SIC, and to estimate the expected future claims amounts of SIC using Bayesian methodology. Secondary data from motor policy was obtained from State Insurance Company (SIC) over a period of one year (from January 2015 to December 2015) was used. Claims data that were above GHS 4,000 were considered by the researcher. The analysis of the data was done using Excel, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and EasyFit software. The research work revealed that the claims data and the posterior distribution of the claim amount followed log-normal distribution and the expected future claim amount is GHS 21,525.27.
Formulation and characterization of sweetpotato-based complementary food
(2016-09-27) Laryea, Damian
To promote the utilization of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and to aid with the eradication of vitamin A deficiency in Ghana, a sweetpotato-based complementary food was developed. Four blends of complementary flours made up of OFSP, millet and soyabean flours were formulated based on the nutrient strength of the individual flours. The functional, pasting properties and colour of the flour blends before and after drum drying was determined. The most preferred formulation determined through sensory evaluation was assessed for some nutrients and microbial safety. Colour intensity (ΔE) and saturation (ΔC) of formulated products increased after drum drying. Water absorption capacity (WAC) of formulations ranged from 152.5 to 216.7%, swelling index (SI) from 6.65 to 7.73, bulk density (BD) from 0.787 to 0.827 g/ml and solubility from 17.78 to 20.32%. Drum drying conditions used reduced the WAC, SI, BD and solubility of the formulations. Though the drum drying conditions used did not reduce the pasting temperature, it was able to reduce the peak time and further reduce the peak viscosity, breakdown and setback viscosities. The most preferred formulation was the blend with 50% OFSP, 15% Millet and 35% Soyabean flours. It had significantly (p<0.05) higher protein (16.96%) and β-carotene (0.53 mg/100g) content than the control complementary foods, which are maize-based. Ash and fat were comparable to that of a commercial complementary food. In addition, it had a significantly higher iron and potassium content compared with two commercial complementary foods. Yeast and mould was <3 log10 cfu/g, Total Plate Count, <5 log10 cfu/g, while E. coli and S. aureus had no counts. This complementary food when promoted and utilised could support efforts to reduce vitamin A deficiency in Ghana and also enhance the use of OFSP to help achieve food and nutrient security.
Assessing the management and utilisation level of health information management systems in West Mamprusi District.
(2016-10-05) Ibrahim, Rashida
The study is designed to investigate and analyse the management and utilization of Health Management Information Management System (HIMS) in West Mamprusi District. The objectives are to establish the type of health data/information generated at the health units and how it is processed and stored; describe the levels of utilization of health data/information; assess the level of flow of data/information to and from the health unit; study the main factors and constraints that influences the effectiveness of HIMS in West Mamprusi District; and make recommendations on how to improve HMIS. This study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The study was conducted in the two Health Sub-Districts (HSD) in West Mamprusi. Data collection methods employed are: documents review, key informant interviews and a Semi – structured questionnaire. Findings indicate that most health units inherited a very fragmented paper-based information system. Despite interest in HIMS, Clinics and Drug Shops did not have HIMS in place. Data is collected at the health facility level. All the private practitioners and drug shops expressed interest in HIMS. A computerised HIMS database is being used in the DDHS‟s office. Flow of data from the health units to the district level was improving. All the health units that were visited did not have a resource centre and therefore poor storage of data. HIMS records were used for one or all of the following: reference, management and planning, research surveys, monitoring and evaluation. Major constraints facing HIMS in the District were: unavailability of computerized health information systems, general lack of stationery, inadequate and unskilled manpower, lack of transport, poor motivation and no proper storage facilities and that lead to misplacement of records. From the findings, it is concluded that the management and utilization of the HMIS is still inadequate. Majority of the reporting health units were government owned implying that private practitioners were not represented and yet they have a significant role in health care delivery. Health workers did not appreciate the importance of HIMS. Based on the above issues the study recommends that: there is need to establish record offices/resource centres at all health centres; HIMS focal persons should be stationed at each sub district and provided with computer and transport to facilitate the collection of data and use of simple excel to collect and analyse data for the health facilities under the sub district; the government should take the initiative to recognise and include private practitioners in the HIMS; and Health workers including those in private practice should be trained in data management.
Occurrence of protozoans and other pathogens in some selected swimming pools in the Kumasi Metropolis
(2016-10-13) Bondzie, Selina
The beneficial role of the use of recreational water to health and well-being has long been recognized, yet, there may also be adverse health effects associated with recreational use, if the water is polluted or unsafe. This study was aimed at determining the physico-chemical properties of water in the pools and the presence of protozoans, total coliforms and other pathogenic microorganisms in the water; in some selected swimming pools in the Kumasi Metropolis.  Water samples before and after swimming were collected from three different sections in each specific swimming pool during the study period (December 2012 to May 2013) for physiochemical and microbial analysis using standards methods. The results of the physicochemical, microbial and parasitological quality of the various sampled swimming pools in Kumasi revealed varying levels of contamination. The pH of the pool waters varied between a range of 5.95-8.83 over the sampling period. Pool water temperatures varied over a narrow range of 26.90 to 29.49 °C. The mean DO levels, colour and turbidity for before and after swimming samples of the various pools pointed to a trend of increased concentrations after use. Salinity levels of all the pool waters were generally similar for both before and after swimming samples and varied over a narrow freshwater range for all the sampled pools. With regards to microbial and parasitological (protozoa) contamination, coliform counts were generally elevated in the pool waters after use relative to their respective levels before use. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in five (56 %) out of the nine swimming pools while Giardia cysts were detected in all the swimming pools Giardia cysts (100 %). Prior to the physicochemical and microbial monitoring, questionnaires were administered to the swimmers which revealed that there was a level of dissatisfaction among the swimmers, some others had body itch after swimming while some others complained of foul odour. The results in this study indicated that most of the swimming pools did not meet the WHO (2011) standard for drinking water and therefore constitute a serious hazard to public health. In recommendationHealth authorities should regularly monitor the pools for compliance with regulations and also swimmers must be encouraged to shower and disinfect their foot before swimming. Swimmers should be cautioned about swimming in pools if they are suffering from gastroenteritis or other diseases.
Relative efficiencies of Ghanaian life insurance companies.
(2016-10-17) Abe-I-Kpeng, Gregory
Insurance acts as a risk transfer mechanism and investment platform to protect against losses and to provide peace of mind. Insurance penetration which is defined as the contribution of total insurance to GDP is still 1%.The players of the insurance market consist of insurance companies (insurers) and policy holders. The insurance market is divided into Non-Life and Life insurance companies. This study focuses on the efficiency of the life insurance industry in Ghana. Data Envelopment Analysis was employed to evaluate the efficiencies of fourteen life insurance companies in Ghana for the period 2010to 2013. Data Envelopment Analysis, a non-parametric mathematical programming tool, has the capability of evaluating the relative efficiencies of companies or firms that use similar multiple inputs to produce similar multiple outputs. We used capital, commission and management expenses as inputs that are used by life insurers to produce net premiums, investment income and claims as outputs. The results of the study revealed that Ghanaian life insurance companies operated at an average overall efficiency of 82%, average scale efficiency of 93% and an average technical efficiency of 88%. This shows that the efficiency the of life insurers is largely due to their scale efficiency that is scale of operations rather than technical efficiency (managerial skills).The study also tested hypotheses relating to the roles dimension and market share play in the efficiency of Ghanaian life insurers. The study showed that large insurers in terms of capital do not necessarily tend to have higher efficiencies than smaller insurers. Also, the study revealed that life insurers with higher market shares tend to be more efficient than those with lower market shares.
Factors influencing the perceived difficulties of Senior High School students in elective mathematics
(2016-11-04) Abotowuro, Samuel
Elective Mathematics, currently, is one of the important subject requirements for admission into attractive programmes such as medicine, engineering, business, statistics, mathematics, actuarial science, economics, business administration, and architecture, among others in tertiary institutions in Ghana. However, greater proportion of the country‟s senior high school students is “maths phobic.” Therefore, this thesis attempted to identify and model the socio-demographic variables that influence students‟ perceived difficulties in the subject. The study was conducted among 100 randomly selected students from two senior high schools in the Krachie East District of the Volta Region using both primary and secondary data. The binary logistic regression model was employed in the SPSS statistical software. The study concluded that respondents‟ programmes of study, ethnicity, and mothers‟ highest educational levels were there significant predictors of their perceived difficulties in Elective Mathematics
Development and validation of a RP-HPLC method with PDA detection for the simultaneous estimation of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine in fixed dose combination tablets
(2016-11-07) Addai-Arhin, Sylvester
Acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol belong to a class of drugs called analgesics and are often formulated together in combination with Caffeine, an adjuvant for the relief of pain, fever and inflammations. A RP-HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine in multi-component drug formulation. The developed method made use of a Brownlee Analytical column C8, 5 µm, 150 x 4.6 mm as the stationary phase and acidic water-methanol mixture (60:40 v / v ) ratio as the mobile phase. All the three components were eluted within 5.5 minutes with mean retention times of 2.05 ± 0.0062 for paracetamol, 2.45 ± 0.0030 for caffeine and 5.03 ± 0.0140 for acetylsalicylic acid. The method was validated based on validation parameters such as accuracy, linearity, precision, robustness, specificity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). The mean recoveries were 99.39 ± 1.58 %, 99.69 ± 1.45 % and 100.56 ± 1.60 % for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine respectively. Linearity of the developed method was in the concentration range of 20-100 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9933 for acetylsalicylic acid, 2.5-20 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9978 for paracetamol and 1.25-10 ppm with R 2 value of 0.9991 for caffeine. The % RSD for inter and intra- days precisions were 0.408; 0.143, 0.056; 0.091, and 0.470; 0.207 for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine respectively. The LOD and LOQ for acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol and caffeine were 1.078x10 -5 ; 3.267x10 -5 , 0.00; 0.00 and 1.237x10 -7 ; 2.193x10 -6 ppm respectively. Accurate results obtained for the assay of both tablet samples (A and B) also confirmed the validity of the developed method. The developed method is therefore, accurate, linear, precise, specific, robust, sensitive and cost effective and can be used in routine quality control analysis of multi-component drug formulations containing these three active ingredients

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