This article assesses the effects of mobile phone use on the artisanal fishing industry in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana. It contributes to the growing literature on how mobile telephony can help overcome market inefficiencies in developing countries due to imperfect information. The study shows how mobile phone use among fishermen has enhanced the efficiency of input and output markets for artisanal fishing and improved their businesses relations and livelihoods. The ‘before and after’ approach was used, based on interviews with fishermen and other supply chain actors on ways in which fishermen bought inputs and sold fish, and their perceptions of the effects of the mobile phone. The results indicate that market efficiencies improved and price variations reduced as a result of better availability of up‐to‐date information. Use of mobile phones enabled fishermen to improve their incomes, expand their markets, feel more secure at sea, and remain in closer touch with both families and other fishermen.

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BackgroundThis study attempts to examine the impact of socioeconomic and medical conditions in health and healthcare utilization among older adults in Ghana. Five separate models with varying input variables were estimated for each response variable.MethodsData (Wave 1 data) were drawn from the World Health Organization Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) conducted during 2007–2008 and included a total of 4770 respondents aged 50+ and 803 aged 18–49 in Ghana. Ordered logits was estimated for self-rated health, and binary logits for functional limitation and healthcare utilization.ResultsOur results show that the study provides enough grounds for further research on the interplay between socioeconomic and medical conditions on one hand and the health of the aged on the other. Controlling for socioeconomic status substantially contributes significantly to utilization.Also, aged women experience worse health than men, as shown by functioning assessment, self-rated health, chronic conditions and functional limitations. Women have higher rates of healthcare utilization, as shown by significantly higher rates of hospitalization and outpatient encounters.ConclusionExpansion of the national health insurance scheme to cover the entire older population- for those in both formal and informal employments- is likely to garner increased access and improved health states for the older population.

Abstract. The data for this analysis are based on the schistosomiasis control project of the Noguchi Memorial

Mathematical models can be used to predict the impact of interventions to control infectious diseases. In this paper, an epidemiological model is used to predict the impact of chemotherapy of school-age children infected with Schistosoma haematobium, in a programme conducted by the Ghana Partnership for Child Development in the Volta Region, Ghana. Existing data were used to validate the predictions of the model, demonstrating convincingly the ability of the model to make correct predictions. Predictions of trends in mean egg count, infection prevalence and prevalence of heavy infection (> 50 eggs/10 mL urine) were then made for the period 1997-1999, and will be compared to the data collected in the programme in the future.