Introduction: The incidence and prevalence of catastrophic fire outbreaks in Ghana appear to be very high. We wanted to review the data on the incidence and prevalence of catastrophic fires in all the administrative regions of Ghana in order to understand the situation better. It would also help to inform policy and interventions. Objective: We reviewed the statistics and other data of catastrophic fires in Ghana between 2004 and 2012. We identified the potential limitations for the existing national fire prevention system and provided suggestions for improvement. Method: We adopted the annual statistical data of the incidence of fire nationwide compiled by the National Fire Service "as is". We relied on the Service's field reports at the time of fire interventions and telephone and key informant interview to determine whether there was pre-event, event and post-event risk communication on the threat of fire within the affected sites. We also reviewed the National Emergency Master Plan, 1997; amended (2010) to assess whether it addressed fire emergencies. We conducted field visits to the Fire Service sub-stations within Accra City to assess the conditions on the ground. We also carried out documentary search on the internet to locate appropriate literature and summarized the findings into their respective units. Result: The result shows that catastrophic fire outbreak in Ghana occurred at least once a month at the cost of USD $16 m per year between 2004 and 2012. There is no coordinated fire risk communication and advocacy, which may have led to the low risk perception in the population affected. Discussion: The recurrence of industrial and domestic fires in Ghana suggests that the population may have low risk perception, which requires intensified public education on risk in general. Conclusion: Residents in Ghana are confronted with the existential threat of fires in all their walks of lives, which needs to be addressed. The incidence and prevalence of fire risk in Ghana should be of interests to all.

The common law on Patient's access to medical records in Ghana was articulated in a High Court case: Vaah vs. Lister, 2010. The case established that patient's right to medical records was protected by the constitution like the right to informed consent, equity and social justice. It was therefore part of the fundamental human rights and freedoms. We disagree with the position of the court. We investigated whether the constitution guarantees patient's access to medical records and whether the right of access to medical records is a fundamental human right? What is the responsibility of the patients to the hospitals or physicians who maintain and protect the records? In the more recent Data Protection Act of 2012, access to personal data appears as a privilege and therefore not the same as the substantive right of privacy. This investigative study consisted of literature and documentary review of cases, the 1992 Constitution, selected medico-legal writings from Ghana and other Common-law jurisdictions on production of patient records. An electronic Internet search was conducted with carefully designed phrases like, "patient medical records", "patient access to medical records", and "hospital's refusal to release medical records" and the result analyzed. The study revealed there was no substantive right of access to medical records. Issues of equity imbedded in the Physician-Patient relationship are skewed in favor of the patient. The lack of national legislation on Health Records complicates matters. Depending on the jurisdiction, patient's access to medical records may be characterized as substantive right or a privilege. This is often supported by statute law. The interpretation of case law should take into consideration the relative and competing rights of the patient and the physician in terms of patients' access to medical records since both contributed to the creation of that record. The national law on Health Information should be developed to assign roles and responsibilities to both the patient and the hospital/physician. Care needs to be paid to what exactly the (Constitution of Ghana, 1992)

Objective: We investigated middle class' contribution to corruption in Sub-Sahara Africa. We assessed the effect of how the upward mobility of the middle class would be driven, if the underlying socio-economic conditions were to be improved. The third inquiry focused on whether the people appeared conflicted, where they seemed to have two separate personalities of "one for Caesar" and the "other for God" in the conduct of their official and professional duties. We finally assessed if exposure to a good dose of ethics would mitigate corrupt practices. Method: Using Ghana as the case study, we conducted a review of the literature on corruption in Sub-Sahara to assess if the phenomenon was growing with the middle class. These included published research on corruption and on the middle class in Sub-Sahara Africa. Grey literature, various government commissions' report after investigations into allegations and cases of corruption, as well as reports of the national Public Accounts Commission and those of the Controller Accountant General's available to the public on the internet was reviewed. All the findings were grouped into their respective units and the issues summarized and interpreted.

Although homosexuality is a crime in Ghana, like many others in Africa, it is practiced in both the provincial towns and communities and in the major urban centres. Generally the society is reticent about discussing sex, yet the national society is as over-sexualized as those societies that openly discuss sex. This paper investigated the incidence and prevalence of homosexuality and lesbianism in Ghana. Assessment was done on association among psychosocial background, sexual attitudes and homosexuality, including the use of paraphernalia in the sexual lives of the people. This cross-sectional study consisted of questionnaire survey and documentary review on the internet. Respondents completed self-administered and anonymous survey with open-ended question about their sexuality and sexual preferences. The sample consisted of N = 1068 respondents. Sampling selection was of random, pre-stratified by gender and region, which was based on the population survey by the Ghana Statistical Service for 2009. We found that the national attitudes towards homosexuality in general were changing from ambivalence to focused activism and agitation against homosexuality on one hand and acceptance on the other hand. Homosexuality and lesbian practices are prevalent in all socioeconomic classes and ages of society. The study revealed that pornography and other sex media were accepted as part of the sexual repertoire of Ghanaian society. The societal reticence about sexuality that exists among the population tends to distort sexual beliefs, and imposes fear and dishonesty in sexual identification. This situation may complicate interventions for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as sexual or mental health.

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