This paper addresses the discrepancy between model findings and field data obtained and how it is minimized using the binning smoothing techniques: means, medians, and boundaries. Employing both the quantitative and the qualitative methods to examine the complex pattern involved in COVID-19 transmission dynamics reveals model variation and provides a boundary signature for the potential of the disease’s future spread across the country. To better understand the main underlying factor responsible for the epidemiology of COVID-19 infection in Ghana, the continuous inflow of foreigners, both with and without the disease, was incorporated into the classical Susceptible-Exposed-Quarantined-Recovered model, which revealed the spread of the COVID-19 by these foreigners. Also, the diffusion model provided therein gives a threshold condition for the spatial spread of the COVID-19 infection in Ghana. Following the introduction of a new method for the construction of the Lyapunov function for global stability of the nonlinear system of ODEs was observed, overcoming the problem of guessing for the Lyapunov function.
Fertility has become the most important biological factor in predicting population growth due to significant improvements in reducing mortality. Fertility projections are important in predicting the demand for water, food, medical services and other basic social amenities. There are two main objectives in this study: 1) to examine past trends in age-specific fertility rate for West African countries; and 2) to predict future fertility rates there. Age-specific fertility data were retrieved from the United States Census Bureau; then simple linear regression models were fitted to forecast the fertility rates for seven age groups from 2016 to 2100. Results confirm that fertility rates in West Africa have been reducing very slowly as has been reported in other studies, but this examination reveals that few West African countries are likely to reach long-term fertility limits across all age groups due to the slow pace of reduction. This suggests that, current population control programs in most countries are not sufficient in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and policymakers need to consider additional measures to increase the pace of fertility reduction
Historically, infectious diseases have generated fears among populations. Unhealthy handling of these fears result in the stigma and discrimination of infected patients. Globally, measures taken so far by governments to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, although helpful, have created fears in people. Consequently, there are reported Ghanaian media cases of stigmatisation against persons who were infected and recovered from COVID-19. However, these reports remain unsubstantiated. This study, therefore, sought to examine stigma and discriminatory tendencies towards COVID-19 survivors among the adult population in Ghana. This was a population-based cross-sectional study among 3,259 adults. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics comprising frequency, percentage, chi-square, and multivariable logistic regression were employed in analysing the data. Knowledge on COVID-19 was poor among 33.6% of the participants. Forty-three per cent had a good attitude towards COVID-19. Nearly half (45.9%) exhibited stigma and discriminatory tendencies towards COVID-19 survivors. Participants who had poor COVID-19 related knowledge (aOR = 1.91, 95%CI = 1.59-2.29, p<0.001) and poor attitude towards COVID-19 (aOR = 5.83, 95% CI = 4.85-6.98, p<0.001) were more likely to exhibit stigma and discriminatory tendencies towards COVID-19 survivors. Our study found relatively high proportions of poor knowledge and negative attitudes towards COVID-19. Stigma and discriminatory tendencies were consequently high. Our findings call for increased public education on COVID-19 by the Ghana Health Service and the Information Services Department, to increase the level of knowledge on the pandemic while reducing stigma and discrimination associated with it.
<abstract><p>In this paper,we investigate the mean and volatility spillover between the price of green bonds and the price of renewable energy stocks using daily price series from 02/11/2011 to 31/08/2021. The unrestricted trivariate VAR-BEKK-GARCH model is employed to examine potential causality,mean,and volatility spillover effects from the green bond market to the renewable energy stock market and vice-versa. The results from the VAR-BEKK-GARCH model indicate that there exists a uni-directional Granger causality from renewable energy stock prices to green bond prices. While the price of green bonds is positively influenced by its own lagged values and the lagged values of renewable energy stock prices,only the past price value of renewable energy stocks has a positive effect on the current price value. We identified a uni-directional volatility spillover from renewable energy stock prices to green bond prices. However,there was no shock spillover from both sides of the market. This research shows that investors in the green bond market should always consider information from the renewable energy stock market because of the causal link between renewable energy stocks and green bonds.</p></abstract>
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