Leadership: The Missing Variable in the Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa

Contemporary economic theories, modernization and dependency, have overlooked the fact that the development process depends on the interaction of social factors. Specifically, the theories have ignored the role of leadership in analyzing economic development. This dissertation seeks to incorporate the importance of leadership into the analysis of development. It argues that sub-Saharan African countries have not developed economically because leaders in the region have been less than successful in establishing a culture conducive to industrialization. African leaders have failed to establish the high moral and scientific cultures necessary to promote economic progress. In place of those cultural attributes, the leaders have fostered corrupt and authoritarian political cultures that undermine the general economic development of their societies. This dissertation offers a detailed paired comparison of the colonial and postcolonial experience of Ghana and Botswana. The two countries constitute an effective comparison because they were once colonies of Great Britain and have similar resource endowments. Since independence. Botswana has achieved greater social and economic progress because its leaders have established a high moral culture. Ghana, on the other hand, has experienced stagnation, and in some respects actual decline, in its standards of living due to its leaders\u27 inability to establish a high moral culture. Despite differences in standards of living, neither country has achieved diversified industrialization due to a lack of a scientific culture. The inability to establish high moral and scientific cultures is partially due to the colonial experience and the political philosophy of Senghorianism. Direct colonial rule in Ghana replaced the traditional leadership of the country that had shown a greater political commitment to the general public. In contrast, the colonial protectorate in Botswana recognized traditional leaders as autonomous authorities without undermining their legitimacy. Botswana\u27s leadership continuity preserved the government\u27s moral obligation to the general public. The lack of socio-scientific culture in both countries is due, to a considerable extent, to the influence of Senghorian philosophy on post-colonial leaders. Senghorianism argues that analytical scientific thinking reflects the dichotomous European culture and contrasts with the holistic African intuitive mode of knowing. The adherence to this philosophy by sub-Saharan African leaders has inhibited the emergence of a scientific culture that would promote industrialization and economic development

The germination of colanuts (Cola nitida Ventenant) Schott and Endlicher

Factors affecting colanut (Cola nitida Ventenant) Schott and Endlicher, germination have been investigated. The storage of colanuts enhances germination of the nuts. Within 8 weeks white colanuts germinated faster than red or pink nuts. Some varieties of C. nitida show superior germination characteristics than others. Although greening of stored colanuts stimulates early radicle emergence, subsequent plumule emergence was not affected by greening. Nut size did not affect gennination. Potassium nitrate, sodium nitrite, hydroxylamine, ammonium chloride and potassium cyanide did not show any consistent effect on the germination of colanuts stored for 4 weeks

Effect of time of harvesting on the storability of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds

No abstract

Appraisal of some methods of weed control during initial establishment of cocoa in a semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana

In appraising the effects of the quantum and quality of weed control required in establishment of young cocoa, six manual methods of controlling weeds were compared with chemical weed control at two stations of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana. Growth of cocoa seedlings after 2 years in the field was superior (P < 0.05) in plots which were clean-weeded two or four times per year or treated with paraquat four times per year than when plots were slashed two or four times per year. There was strong evidence to suggest that treatments which ensured a weed-free environment to the cocoa over a long period were favourable to girth increments in the seedlings. Death of seedlings during establishment was generally lower in plots which were either clean-weeded or treated with paraquat. Labour requirement for controlling weeds with paraquat was considerably lower than that required for the other treatments. Considering the equipment and chemical input, paraquat application was expensive compared to high slashing with or without clean-line weeding two times a year, or clean weeding two times a year; but by virtue of its efficacy, it is recommended for cocoa establishment. En évaluant les effets du quatum et de la qualité de désherbage exigé dans la culture de jeune cacao, six méthodes de désherbage manuel étaient comparées avec le désherbage chimique à deux stations de l'Institut de Recherche en cacao du Ghana. La croissance de semis de cacao, après deux années, dans le champ était supérieure (P £ 0.05 ) dans les lots qui étaient complètement désherbés 2 ou 4 fois/an ou traités avec le paraquat 4 fois/an que dans les lots qui étaient entaillés 2 ou 4 fois/an. Il y avait de nombreuses preuves qui laissent penser que les traitements qui assuraient un environnement sans mauvaise herbe pour le cacao sur une longue période étaient favorables aux augmentations de circonférence des semis. La mort de semis pendant la culture était dans l'ensemble plus faible dans les lots, qui étaient soit complètement désherbés soit traités avec le paraquat. L'exigence de main-d'oeuvre pour maîtriser les mauvaises herbes avec le paraquat était considérablement plus faible que celle exigée pour les autres traitements. En ce qui concerne les matériels et les intrants chimiques, l'application de paraquat était chère que les entailles élevées avec ou sans le désherbage complet en ligne deux fois par an ou le désherbage complet deux fois par an mais en vertu de son efficacité il est recommandé pour la culture de cacao. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 40 (1) 2007: pp. 67-7

Effect of gold mining on total factor productivity of farmers: Evidence from Ghana

Gold mining comes with several benefits to developing countries, manifested mainly in the form of employment and revenue, but simultaneously impacts negatively on the immediate environment. It affects the economic structure including agriculture and its productivity. Hence, this study investigated the effect of gold mining on total factor productivity of farmers in Ghana using 110 cocoa farmers from Asutifi North and Asutifi South districts of the Brong Ahafo Region, categorised into mining and non-mining areas respectively. About 83 % of the farmers in the mining areas were affected by gold mining through channels such as land disputes, relocation of farm/residence, high cost of labour, illegal small-scale mining and dust settlement on crops. Also, about 64 % of cocoa farmers in the mining areas lost their farm lands (between 0.4 and 3.64 ha as a result of gold mining. The Tornqvist Total Factor Productivity (TFP) indices for cocoa farmers in the non-mining areas (mean TFP of 1.404) were also statistically higher than those in the mining areas (mean TFP of 0.371). The study concluded that gold mining activities adversely affect productivity of farmers in the catchment areas. The study recommends, among others, that a policy of land-for-land should be in place and effectively implemented to ensure that mining companies in order to enhance and ensure continuity of livelihoods must fully replace lands lost through mining activities

Preparing for future outbreaks in Ghana: An overview of current COVID-19, monkeypox, and Marburg disease outbreaks

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana is currently grappling with simultaneous outbreaks of Marburg virus disease and human monkeypox virus. The coexistence of these outbreaks emphasizes the imperative for a collaborative and global approach to enhance surveillance and expedite case detection. While Ghana has made efforts to respond to these outbreaks, this paper outlines the lessons learned and proposes recommendations in this regard. It is crucial to intensify response efforts at the local, regional, and national levels to effectively contain the spread of these infectious diseases. Therefore, this paper suggests prioritizing the following recommendations as crucial for assisting Ghana in adequately preparing for future outbreaks and safeguarding global public health: strengthening surveillance system through digitization, rapid and effective response; risk communication and community engagement; healthcare system readiness; and research and collaboration. Also, prioritizing building healthy public policies and developing personal skills of health personnel across the country is key for future outbreak response

Expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 as a marker of mammary stem cells in benign and malignant breast lesions of Ghanaian women

BACKGROUND: Breast cancers that are negative for the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR), and the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) marker are more prevalent among African women, and the biologically aggressive nature of these triple‐negative breast cancers (TNBCs) may be attributed to their mammary stem cell features. Little is known about expression of the mammary stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) in African women. Novel data are reported regarding ALDH1 expression in benign and cancerous breast tissue of Ghanaian women. METHODS: Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded specimens were transported from the Komfo Anoyke Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana to the University of Michigan for centralized histopathology study. Expression of ER, PR, HER2, and ALDH1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ALDH1 staining was further characterized by its presence in stromal versus epithelial and/or tumor components of tissue. RESULTS: A total of 173 women contributed to this study: 69 with benign breast conditions, mean age 24 years, and 104 with breast cancer, mean age 49 years. The proportion of benign breast conditions expressing stromal ALDH1 (n = 40, 58%) was significantly higher than those with cancer (n = 44, 42.3%) ( P = .043). Among the cancers, TNBC had the highest prevalence of ALDH1 expression, either in stroma or in epithelial cells. More than 2‐fold higher likelihood of ALDH1 expression was observed in TNBC cases compared with other breast cancer subtypes (odds ratio = 2.38, 95% confidence interval 1.03‐5.52, P = .042). CONCLUSIONS: ALDH1 expression was higher in stromal components of benign compared with cancerous lesions. Of the ER‐, PR‐, and HER2‐defined subtypes of breast cancer, expression of ALDH1 was highest in TNBC. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society. Mammary stem cells, as identified by cells expressing the marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), appear to be correlated with malignant transformation and progression of breast tissue into biologically aggressive phenotypes. This study reveals increased expression of ALDH1 in benign and malignant tissue of women from the western sub‐Saharan African nation of Ghana, a population known to have higher frequency of triple‐negative breast cancer, and ALDH1 expression in the malignant specimens was found to be associated with risk of triple‐negative breast cancer.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96403/1/27737_ftp.pd

Analysis of drug resistance among difficult-to-treat tuberculosis patients in Ghana identifies several pre-XDR TB cases

BACKGROUND: Resistance to tuberculosis (TB) drugs has become a major threat to global control efforts. Early case detection and drug susceptibility profiling of the infecting bacteria are essential for appropriate case management. The objective of this study was to determine the drug susceptibility profiles of difficult-to-treat (DTT) TB patients in Ghana. METHODS: Sputum samples obtained from DTT-TB cases from health facilities across Ghana were processed for rapid diagnosis and detection of drug resistance using the Genotype MTBDRplus and Genotype MTBDRsl.v2 from Hain Life science. RESULTS: A total of 298 (90%) out of 331 sputum samples processed gave interpretable bands out of which 175 (58.7%) were resistant to at least one drug (ANY(r)); 16.8% (50/298) were isoniazid-mono-resistant (INH(r)), 16.8% (50/298) were rifampicin-mono-resistant (RIF(r)), and 25.2% (75/298) were MDR. 24 (13.7%) of the ANY(r) were additionally resistant to at least one second line drug: 7.4% (2 RIF(r), 1 INH(r), and 10 MDR samples) resistant to only FQs and 2.3% (2 RIF(r), 1 INH(r), and 1 MDR samples) resistant to AMG drugs kanamycin (KAN), amikacin (AMK), capreomycin (CAP), and viomycin (VIO). Additionally, there were 4.0% (5 RIF(r) and 2 MDR samples) resistant to both FQs and AMGs. 81 (65.6%) out of 125 INH-resistant samples including INH(r) and MDR had katG-mutations (MT) whereas 15 (12%) had inhApro-MT. The remaining 28 (22.4%) had both katG and inhA MT. All the 19 FQ-resistant samples were gyrA mutants whereas the 10 AMGs were rrs (3), eis (3) as well as rrs, and eis co-mutants (4). Except for the seven pre-XDR samples, no sample had eis MT. CONCLUSION: The detection of several pre-XDR TB cases in Ghana calls for intensified drug resistance surveillance and monitoring of TB patients to, respectively, ensure early diagnosis and treatment compliance

Travel burden and clinical presentation of retinoblastoma: analysis of 1024 patients from 43 African countries and 518 patients from 40 European countries

BACKGROUND: The travel distance from home to a treatment centre, which may impact the stage at diagnosis, has not been investigated for retinoblastoma, the most common childhood eye cancer. We aimed to investigate the travel burden and its impact on clinical presentation in a large sample of patients with retinoblastoma from Africa and Europe. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis including 518 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 40 European countries and 1024 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 43 African countries. RESULTS: Capture rate was 42.2% of expected patients from Africa and 108.8% from Europe. African patients were older (95% CI -12.4 to -5.4, p<0.001), had fewer cases of familial retinoblastoma (95% CI 2.0 to 5.3, p<0.001) and presented with more advanced disease (95% CI 6.0 to 9.8, p<0.001); 43.4% and 15.4% of Africans had extraocular retinoblastoma and distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis, respectively, compared to 2.9% and 1.0% of the Europeans. To reach a retinoblastoma centre, European patients travelled 421.8 km compared to Africans who travelled 185.7 km (p<0.001). On regression analysis, lower-national income level, African residence and older age (p<0.001), but not travel distance (p=0.19), were risk factors for advanced disease. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer than half the expected number of patients with retinoblastoma presented to African referral centres in 2017, suggesting poor awareness or other barriers to access. Despite the relatively shorter distance travelled by African patients, they presented with later-stage disease. Health education about retinoblastoma is needed for carers and health workers in Africa in order to increase capture rate and promote early referral

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- A nd middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs