2008 Tech Year Review by ZDNet

Spread the Barcamp fever!!!!! ((((((((((((|barcampGhana08|)))))))))))))))

BarcampGhana 2008 was held in Accra Ghana on 22 December @ AITI bring together techies, entrepreneurs, volunteers and students across Ghana, Africa and the World to share in knowledge, challenges, ideas..........

Keynote speakers where Herman Chinery-Hesse, CEO Soft tribe, Estelle Akofio-Sowah, MD Busyinternet and Dr. George Ayittey Lecturer, writer and motivational speaker.

Herman Chinery-Hesse - On entrepreneurship in Ghana: "Learning how to lose and not give up is part of the game"....."Innovation does not occur in a vacuum".... 

Dr. George Ayittey -The Cheetah Generation: A generation of young people who are self sufficient and dont depend on government for assistance..... 

Estelle Sowah - if you run a business in Ghana - you are a hustler. The bigger the business the more posh of a hustler you are..... The next four years are going to be great!...Successful business will drive Ghana's economy forward.....who is going to win the elections? Answer: "We the people".......

Panel Discussion - Mobile Technology and Social media.  Also had a lot of networking  and interesting and educative Breakout Sessions.

A great event and thanks to everyone who participated and helped made it a successes ..... :-)

A different kind of drug war

After consumers send a cell phone text message with the numeric code listed on the drug, they receive a text message identifying the product as fake (as shown) or authentic.

When patients go to a drugstore to pick up medicine, they expect it to be authentic and to manage or resolve a health condition.

But what if that prescription was fake, a counterfeit drug that could cost them their health, or even their life? That is a critical concern for many patients outside of the United States, said Ashifi Gogo ’05, a graduate engineering student at Dartmouth College. He is co-founder of mPedigree, a nonprofit organization working to protect the prescription drug supply chain in West Africa through cell phone technology he helped develop.

The World Health Organization calls counterfeit medicines “an enormous public health challenge.” Counterfeit drug sales are projected to reach $75 billion globally by 2010, an increase of more than 90 percent from 2005.

“Some of the counterfeit medicines don’t contain anything; it might be cornstarch pressed into a pill,” Gogo said. “Other medicines may contain too much or not enough of an active ingredient.” The worst-case scenario is a counterfeit that contains deadly toxins.

Gogo is particularly concerned with counterfeit malaria pills in his native Ghana. “People take an anti-malaria pill thinking it’s effective, so when they get malaria, they typically don’t go to the hospital,” he said. “By the time they seek treatment, they are in the later stages of the illness.” He knows this from experience. After contracting a regular case of malaria, he took the predominant anti-malarial medication that was authentic but slowly being replaced due to reduced efficacy. The result was an unsettling midnight hospital visit. “I experienced what it would be like to take a fake drug,” he said. “I could have been a Ph.D. candidate killed by a disease that has flu-like symptoms and is easily curable with over-the-counter medication.”

“It’s a start, but there’s much more to do.” 
— Ashifi Gogo ’05

Existing technology can help identify counterfeit drugs, but all the “techno-centric” methods tend to be either too high-tech for a developing nation — Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and nanoparticle embedding, for example — or provide too little protection, Gogo said.

The identification method developed by Gogo and his classmate from Ghana is simple, cheap to implement and effective. Gogo explained it like this: “Lottery ticket-type numeric codes are placed on the drug’s packaging. When you buy the drug, you scratch the panel and see a string of 13 digits. In Ghana, it’s very simple. You just send a free cell phone text message with the information to a four-digit number — 1393, very easy to remember. You get an instant response to indicate if the drug is genuine or fake while you are at the pharmacy. If the drug is fake, you can query the pharmacist and keep testing drugs until you get an authentic medication or take the matter up with law enforcement agencies, armed with factual evidence of counterfeit medication.” This method is viable because cell phones are plentiful in Ghana, he noted.

A trial run of mPedigree’s authentication method in that country in the first quarter of the year was successful, and the project will be launched with local drug manufacturers this winter.

 

Ashifi Gogo ’05

“Next,” said Gogo, “the project needs to migrate to Nigeria. Studies show Nigeria has a pressing need for anti-counterfeit solutions — when INTERPOL did a drug audit in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city, four out of five pharmaceuticals were fake. That’s 80 percent of the drugs, only five years ago,” he said. “How do you survive in such an ecosystem?”

 

While mPedigree implements this technology, it also works to amend laws. “We’ve had initial success,” Gogo said. “The Ghanaian law enforcement agency created a special unit for counterfeit issues and is working on moving counterfeit activities to the same punitive level as narcotics,” he said. “Just a few months ago, the Ghanaian FDA organized the nation’s first anti-counterfeit conference, inviting notable West African health experts, such as Professor Dora Akunyili, who survived an assassination attempt linked to her efforts to rid Nigeria of fake drugs.

“It’s a start, but there’s much more to do,” Gogo said. “Experts indicate that the large fake drug operations are being run by former narcotics drug rings, mainly because of the comparatively lenient punitive measures for fake drug operations in many developing nations.”

As Gogo travels back and forth between African countries, personal security is paramount. However, the risk hasn’t slowed him down. He continues his work with legitimate drug manufacturers in Africa and his studies at Dartmouth. Through the engineering school’s Innovation Program, Gogo receives entrepreneurial training and the theoretical and technical expertise he needs to keep his drug authentication initiative moving forward.

Gogo double-majored in math and physics and minored in economics at Whitman, where he was, admittedly, “all about the academics.” That academic rigor included opportunities to tutor other students in math and physics, “a positive, rewarding experience,” co-author a paper published in the “Physical Review,” present a paper at a physics conference in Victoria, B.C., and participate in professors’ research, including that of Associate Professor of Physics Mark Beck, who worked with Gogo on an experiment to demonstrate a “Quantum Eraser.”

Beck describes Gogo as a “very good student who worked hard. He was especially adept at computer programming, and it seems that the technical side of the business he started requires that skill.”

“I wanted to find a career that would help me get home (to Ghana) for the long term,” Gogo said. “I switched to engineering when applying to grad schools because I could work with my hands and produce something useful for developing nations.”

That something, it appears, is helping to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain of West Africa.

— Lana Brown

Elections in Ghana to head for second round

Preliminary tabulation of voting results from 224 constituencies across the country by Joy 99.7 FM indicates that presidential elections are headed for a run-off.

According to analysis by panelists at the radio station’s Kokomlemle studios in Accra, 8,346,279 (Eight million, three hundred and forty-six thousand, two hundred and seventy-nine thousand) valid votes, representing collated results from the 224 constituencies have New Patriotic Party candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress in a neck-to-neck race.

With results from only the six constituencies to go, NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has 4,099,942 votes (Four million, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and forty-two), representing 49.12 percent of total valid votes cast.

Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC is in second position with 3,999,465 votes (Three million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, four hundred and sixty-five) or 47.92 percent.

The remaining six constituencies have a total registered voter population of 227,081.

Nana Addo requires no less than 169,708 votes of the lot to make it a first round win, while Prof Mills cannot make a first round win even if he were to win all the remaining ballots.

The analysts projected a high national voter turnout of 68.2 per cent.

In the parliamentary race, the NDC has won 107 seats as against 102 by the NPP. Four independent candidates have clinched seats, the People's National Convention, two, (2)and the Convention People's Party has one (1) seat.

Fourteen constituencies are outstanding.

The Electoral Commission, legally mandated to call the elections, is set to announce time and venue to declare its official results.

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Race tight in Ghana's vote count

Ghana's two main presidential candidates are running neck-and-neck as votes continue to be counted a day after the country's peaceful elections.

It is a public holiday and people are glued to their radios and television sets as the results trickle in.

A number of ministers have lost their seats in the parliamentary elections.

Poll officials reported a huge voter turnout and monitors hailed the exercise as a shining example of democracy in action for Africa. President John Kufuor, 70, is stepping down in January after serving the maximum two terms.

The main contest is between Mr Kufuor's governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of former ruler Jerry Rawlings, which was in power until eight years ago.

The leading contenders are ex-Foreign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo and the NDC's John Atta Mills, who is a presidential candidate for the third time. The winner is expected to be named later on Monday.

But the electoral commission has until Wednesday afternoon to release the final official results. It is too early to tell whether either candidate will be able to secure an outright victory, says the BBC's Will Ross in Accra.

A third contender who was tipped as a potential kingmaker or spoiler has performed poorly increasing the chance of a first round win for one of the frontrunners. There is little love lost between the two main political parties, our correspondent says.

The governing NPP dominated the outgoing parliament with 128 of the 230 seats.

'Good day for Africa' Parliamentary results so far show the centre-right party has lost at least half a dozen seats to the NDC, including that of President Kufuor's information minister.

Initial results show that a third contender who was tipped as a potential kingmaker or spoiler has performed poorly, increasing the chance of a first-round win for one of the frontrunners. Papa Kwesi Nduom, candidate for the Convention People's Party, which ushered in Ghana's independence from Britain half a century ago, had hoped to spring a surprise.

The vote appeared free of the intimidation and violence that have marred other recent African polls, according to local and international observers.

Baroness Valerie Amos, a former British minister who is leading a 23-nation Commonwealth observer mission, said Sunday had been "a good day for Africa".

Our correspondent say this election is important not just for Ghana, but also for the continent, where bloodshed and claims of fraud have dogged polls from Kenya to Zimbabwe and Nigeria.

The fact that the hallmark for a successful election is that it is peaceful is seen by some as a worrying sign of just how low the bar has been set when it comes to judging democracy in Africa, he adds. Ghana was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957, but was plagued by coups until the return to multi-party democracy in 1992. It is the world's second biggest cocoa grower and Africa's number two gold miner. 

Source: BBC News

BarCamp Ghana - Nii Simmonds Interview

Check out our video interview with Nii Simmonds, who discusses the upcoming BarCamp Ghana in Accra on December 22nd, 2008. Simmonds, African blogger and sustainable business consultant, is one of the main organizers of BarCamp Ghana. BarCamp Ghana will feature keynote speakers Estelle Sowah of BusyInternet and software entrepreneur (”Bill Gates of Ghana”) Herman Chinery-Hesse as well as many grassroots sessions.

Source: barcampafrica.com

Press Centre ready to Telecast live certified election results

The Ghana International Press Centre is ready to telecast live the election results. The Ghana Journalist Association has set up huge screens to telecast certified results from the Electoral Commission. The project is to provide first hand certified results to various media houses across the country.

 

A number of media organisations have pitched camp at the Press Centre ready to relay the certified results on their networks. Most local TV stations have taken advantage to telecast live from the centre. There is also a huge international media presence at the centre.

 

The project is part of a collaboration of the  GJA and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Source: ghanaelectionshotline.com

Voting officially closes

Queues have officially ended at all polling stations in Ghana where national elections are underway to elect a president and 230 parliamentarians.

Many voters remain in queues in several polling stations strewn across the country waiting to cast their votes, while in several other polling stations, sorting and actual counting of ballots have actually started.

Polling centre results are expected shortly.

Source: myjoyonline.com 

Voting underway

Voting has started across Ghana as the nation elects a new president and 230 parliamentarians.

Voting started at 7am at the 21,008 polling stations except a few where voting materials were delayed.

Reports accross the country indicates smooth process. In all 12,472,864 (Twelve million, four hundred and seventy-two thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four) eligible voters are expected to vote, according to the Electoral Commission.

In some areas queues formed as early as 3am, as voters anticipating large turnouts strategized to beat the anticipated long waits in the sun. 

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Ghanaians go to poll today

Sunday, December 07, 2008 marks the day Ghanaians go to the polls to elect a new president and parliamentary candidates to govern the country for the next 4 years

The three main Ghanaian presidential candidates in Ghana's 7 December election have been speaking to the BBC's Network Africa programme. 

Nana Akufo-Addo - NPP

John Atta Mills - NDC

Papa Kwesi Nduom - CPP

Peaceful elections, as most observers are expecting, would be a shot in the arm for African democracy campaigners after electoral violence in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria

Seven other candidates are standing for the presidency but many Ghanaians expect the vote to end in a run-off between Akufo-Addo and main opposition candidate and tax law expert John Atta Mills, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Credit: BBC Network Africa