Innovation and Firm Productivity: Empirical Evidence from Ghana

The study investigates empirically the impact of innovation on firm productivity in Ghana. In examining the relationship between innovation and firm productivity, two robust Instrumental Variable estimation techniques (Two Stage Least Squares and Optimal Generalized Methods of Moment) have been employed so as to cure any endogeneity problems that may exist in our models. The study realized that innovation impacts positively on the productivity of firms. Both process and product innovation have strong positive relationship with firm productivity in Ghana. It is also noted that while most employees in Ghanaian firms have got formal education, less practical or on-job training is offered to the employees by the firms. This study does not only serve as a reference work for subsequent investigations on the impact of innovation on productivity in Ghana, but it also serves as a guide to policy makers on drafting innovation policies. &nbsp

Insecticide resistance profiles for malaria vectors in the Kassena-Nankana district of Ghana

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a major public health problem in Ghana. The current strategy of the National Malaria Control Programme is based on effective case management and the use of insecticide treated bed nets among vulnerable groups such as children under-five years of age and pregnant women. Resistance to pyrethroids by Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus has been reported in several African countries including neighbouring Burkina Faso. METHODS: Indoor resting Anopheles mosquitoes were collected. Blood-fed and gravid females were allowed to oviposit, eggs hatched and larvae reared to 1-3 days old adults and tested against permethrin 0.75%, deltamethrin 0.05%, cyfluthrin 0.15%, lambdacyhalothrin 0.1% and DDT 4%, based on WHO methodology. PCR analyses were carried out on a sub-sample of 192 of the An. gambiae for sibling species complex determination. Resistance to pyrethroids and DDT was determined by genotyping the knock-down resistance kdr gene mutations in the study area. RESULTS: A total of 9,749 1-3 days-old F1 female Anopheles mosquitoes were exposed to the insecticides. Among the pyrethroids, permethrin, 0.75% had the least knockdown effect, whilst cyfluthrin 0.15%, had the highest knock-down effect. Overall, no difference in susceptibility between An. gambiae 93.3% (95% CI: 92.5-94.1) and An. funestus 94.5% (95% CI: 93.7-95.3) was observed when exposed to the pyrethroids. Similarly, there was no difference in susceptibility between the two vector species (An. gambiae = 79.1% (95% CI: 76.6-81.8) and An. funestus = 83.5% (95% CI: 80.2-86.4) when exposed to DDT. Overall susceptibility to the insecticides was between 80% and 98%, suggesting that there is some level of resistance, except for cyfluthrin 0.15%. The kdr PCR assay however, did not reveal any kdr mutations. The analysis also revealed only the molecular M (Mopti) form. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study show that An. gambiae and An. funestus, the main malaria vector mosquitoes in the Kassena-Nankana district are susceptible to the insecticides being used in the treatment of bed nets in the malaria control programme. There is however, the need for continuous monitoring of the pyrethroids as the efficacy is not very high

Creating an African biomedical research community through a social network

Within the AFRICA BUILD1 (AB) project, we have created two communities through a collaborative environment based on Web 2.O tools. The first one is dedicated to the development of a social network for African biomedical researchers; the second one is focused on e-learning, with more than 100 African researchers currently improving their knowledge on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Research through the tools and knowledge shared through the AFRICA BOUILD Portal