Chiefs, changing trust relations and land use planning in Ghana

In Ghana, both statutes and customs designate chiefs as trustees of customary lands. Based on evidence from four case study areas, the study establishes that, some chiefs are redefining their roles as trustees and are increasingly becoming the principal beneficiaries of revenue that accrue from granting of community lands. This drives chiefs to alter land use plans or engage unqualified people to prepare defective ‘land use plans’, that become the basis for guiding the growth of human settlements. These practices contribute to the poor state of planning delivery. Based on the findings, the study recommends that strengthening the capacity of state planning institutions and empowering communities to demand accountability from chiefs are crucial in the quest to improve land use planning delivery in Ghana.Keywords: Accountability, customary land tenure, chiefs, trusteeship, land use plannin

The Influence of Packaging and Brand Equity on Over-The-Counter Herbal Medicines in Kumasi, Ghana

In today`s competitive business environment, packaging and brand equity provide a competitive advantage to a firm which may increase and maintain its market share. However, the role of packaging in supporting the brand equity is relatively new in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market and currently, there is a lack of empirical research to uncover its significance in this product segment. This paper seeks to investigate the impact of packaging on brand equity through the mediating effect of dimensions of brand equity in the over-the-counter drug market in Kumasi metropolis. Based on Aaker`s customer-based brand equity model, eight hypotheses were formulated and tested through structural equation modelling. Using systematic sampling, data was collected through survey questionnaires from a sample of 348 consumers who patronize in herbal medicines from herbal stores in Kumasi Metropolis. The study found that packaging significantly contributes to support brand equity of plant medicines through the mediating effect of brand awareness, brand association and brand loyalty. These results indicate that brand managers in the plant medicine industry need to consider packaging as an important brand-building tool in their marketing strategy to enhance brand equity in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market. This will enh0ance their competitive distinctiveness in the over-the-counter market.&nbsp

FeCl\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e-Mediated Rearrangement of Allylic Alcohols

A mild, one-pot procedure to produce 3-substituted allylic alcohols from α,β-unsaturated ketones is described. The addition of an organolithium nucleophile produces a tertiary allylic alcohol as an intermediate, which undergoes a 1,3-OH-migration assisted by FeCl2. The proposed mechanism indicates that a syn-facial migration occurs for the major product. Yields as high as 98% for the one-pot reaction are reported

The Link between Brand Equity and Loyalty: Evidence from Traditional Medicine Market in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract: Building a vibrant brand in a highly competitive market is of strategic importance as it provides greater loyalty which generates large market share and decreases competitive pressure on a firm. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the role of brand equity in supporting the formation of loyalty in the traditional medicine market. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of brand equity on loyalty in the traditional medicine market. Based on the dimensionality of Aaker`s brand equity framework, four research propositions were put forward and evaluated by using structural equation modelling. The study relied on a sample of 348 customers who buy herbal medicines from the traditional medicine market in Kumasi metropolis. The study established that perceived quality, brand association and awareness significantly contribute to enhance the value of the brands which in turn, creates loyalty in the traditional medicine market in the Kumasi Metropolis. Recognizing the strategic importance of loyalty to the success of a firm, traditional health practitioners should direct their efforts towards developing perceived quality, brand association and awareness to enhance the value of their brands to support loyalty in the Kumasi traditional medicine market

Inguinal Hernia Repair is Safe in Africa

Background: Inguinal hernias are a major problem in the developing world. Many patients do not have access to safe elective surgery. They therefore present with the complications of hernia. Those who do have access to elective surgery mostly have non-mesh repairs because of lack of knowledge of Lichtenstein repair, cost of mesh and fear of placing a foreign body in an African setting. This exposes the patient to a high recurrence rate due to the fact that mesh has not been used.Methods: .Operation hernia is a charitable organization that has been working in Africa since 2005. We have analyzed patients operated on between 2005 until December 2010 in Ghana, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Hernias have been operated on electively in a variety of setting, ranging from well-equipped hernia centre to more rural clinics with a makeshift operating room.Results: A total of 1748 patients with inguinal hernias have been repaired in Africa using mesh as part of the work done by Operation Hernia. In all, 52.3% were performed using local anaesthetic only. The complication rate was less than 1%. Recommendations: We recommend that it is safe to use mesh in Africa provided the level of sterility during the procedure is high and the surgeon has adequate experience of the procedure.Key words: Hernia. Inguinal, Repair, Safety, Afric

A Quantitative Assessment of Relationship between Urban Green Parks and Self-Esteem of Urban Children and Adolescents (Teenage Group) in Ghana

The importance of urban green parks in sustainable urban design development has gained currency in recent times, not only because urban parks do enhance the visual image of the city, or ameliorate its harsh climatic conditions, or purify its air, but they help develop high self-esteem of children and adolescents.  The study examines the correlation between the presence of green parks and self-esteem development among urban adolescents in Kumasi, the second largest city and Accra, the largest and the capital city of Ghana as case studies. The Children and adolescents used as respondents had their ages ranging from 13 to 19 years (teenage group). Using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale as a measure, the study revealed that the lack of green parks at Tafo (Kumasi) has significantly impacted the self-esteem of Tafo adolescents; {t (59) =13.178, P=0.000 (two-tailed)}. And, Respondents who socialize in green parks at Cantonments (Accra had high self-esteem levels, whereas respondents who have no access to green parks at Tafo (Kumasi) had low self-esteem. Keywords: Green parks, Socialization, Self-esteem, Urban, Tennage Group, Kumasi and Accra

Shopping malls as catalyst for sub-urban development in Ghana

The concentration of population in major cities is usually the consequence of the concentration of employment opportunities, goods and services in such cities. These goods and services act as pull factors to the regional population, especially from the suburban or rural areas, to densely populated cities. The resulting migration creates congestion of all kinds in the cities. Suburban communities are, thus, rendered unattractive for living. This situation is prevalent in Ghana where 75% of migrants into major cities are from suburban areas and the rate of urbanization is 4.1%. Decentralizing amenities to suburban areas would initiate re-distribution of population and thus development. This study investigated the possibility of using the Shopping Mall concept as catalyst to both help develop the suburbia and decongest cities in Ghana. The West Hills Mall at Dunkonah, a suburb near Accra was selected for the study. A mixed research method including  questionnaires, interviews, and observations was used for data collection. Out of a total of 1,642 house owners 328 were sampled and interviewed with questionnaire that delved into their origins, whether they are migrants, and the reasons behind their movement. The study concluded that shopping malls could act as catalysts for development.Keywords: Shopping Malls, Catalyst, Decongestion, Suburbanization, Amenitie

Assessment of the resettlement compensation satisfaction of wood workers at Sokoban, Kumasi

Resettlement has been one of the strategies used to pave way for development and redevelopment of infrastructure in major cities of Ghana in the past few decades. Resettlement is usually characterized by displacement of people and their livelihoods. In Kumasi, resettlement has physicallydisplaced over 10,000 people mostly traders, in and around the Central Business District. Kumasi has undergone significant development in the past two decades in the areas of road and housing construction, resulting in the resettlement of some commercial neighborhoods including the wood merchants from Anloga to allow for the construction of the south-eastern section of the ring road from Oforikrom (Anloga) to Nhyiaeso. This study assessed the outcome of involuntary resettlement of wood merchants from Anloga to Sokoban Wood Village in terms of compensation, improvement in working space and the impact on the timber trade. The study used mixedmethods: it relied on the administration of questionnaires and interviews to gather data from respondents for analysis as well as the use of dependent sample T-test for hypothesis testing to evaluate the change in livelihood that resulted from the resettlement programme. The study revealeda significant improvement in the livelihood of the displaced workers after the resettlement.Keywords: Resettlement, Infrastructure, Compensation, Satisfaction, Livelihood

Antibiotic stewardship and its impact on antibiotic use at the child health directorate of a teaching hospital in Ghana

Purpose: The study was intended to ascertain the existence of an antibiotic stewardship programme at the Child Health Directorate of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and assess the knowledge of health professionals about the importance of the antimicrobial stewardship programme. Again, it sort to assess the experience of participants with pharmacotherapy of infections and patient outcomes with generic and innovative brands of antibiotics. The third was to assess reporting on adverse reactions and storage conditions of the antibiotics.Design/Methodology/ Approach: This was a cross-sectional study involving health professionals who participated in the provision of infectious disease management services. Eighty-eight (88) professionals were involved in the study, comprising nurses (n=51), medical doctors (n=21), pharmacists (n=8), biomedical scientists (n=5) and public health officers (n=3).Findings: The majority (75 %, n=66) reported treatment failure with generic brands of antibiotics compared to innovator brands. Thirty-four percent of the participants reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) on antibiotic therapy to superiors instead of filling out ADR forms.Research Limitations: The study was done in one Directorate in the hospital and thus cannot be generalized to reflect the situation in all teaching hospitals in Ghana.Practical implication: The evidence obtained highlighted the need for pragmatic antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) at the directorate to help optimize the management of childhood infections and minimize the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.Originality/Value. This was an original project designed to generate evidence to inform interventions to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in children