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Tag: statistics

  • GSS collaborates with Statistics Denmark to host a hackathon

    GSS collaborates with Statistics Denmark to host a hackathon

    The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), in collaboration with Statistics Denmark, is organizing a hackathon aimed at university students. The primary objectives are to raise awareness about the GSS StatsBank and to encourage the use of census data for policy-oriented research.

    This hackathon involves five selected tertiary institutions: the University of Ghana (UG), the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the University for Development Studies (UDS).

    Currently, six teams have been chosen to participate in the UG hackathon, offering them unique opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and the development of teamwork skills. The winning team from UG will then compete with winners from other universities in the national hackathon scheduled for October 5th to 6th, 2023.

    A panel is responsible for selecting participants based on criteria such as the relevant skills and experience of team members in data analysis, programming, and data visualization, a genuine interest in the hackathon’s theme, and a strong motivation to learn from the diverse skills and backgrounds of team members.

    As part of the event, there will be an academic launch of the StatsBank. This launch will provide a comprehensive introduction to the platform, highlighting its features and data availability to the university community and invited stakeholders. The main objective is to increase awareness within the university community about the availability of census data in the StatsBank and to foster stronger cooperation between the GSS, academic institutions, and key institutions in industry, the public sector, civil society, and the development partner community.

    The Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, will lead the program, alongside other speakers including the Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim; Director of the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), Professor Ayaga A. Bawah; and the Deputy Ambassador for the Denmark Embassy, Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen. An awards ceremony will also be held during the launch to recognize the winning hackathon team.

    About StatsBank: The GSS StatsBank is an online database that provides access to disaggregated census statistics. It contains over 300 million unique statistics from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) reports and allows users to generate customized tables and maps at the national and sub-national levels at no cost. The development of StatsBank is part of GSS’s commitment to using innovative and user-friendly methods to disseminate findings from Ghana’s first fully digital census and promote the utilization of the data for decision-making.

  • Inflation in Egypt hits 36.8% high in June — Report

    Inflation in Egypt hits 36.8% high in June — Report

    Official figures released on Monday revealed that annual inflation in Egypt reached a record high of 36.8 percent in June. This marks a significant milestone for the country as it grapples with a severe economic crisis.

    The previous record of 34.2 percent, set in July 2017, was also linked to a sharp currency devaluation associated with a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund.

    The Egyptian pound has depreciated by half against the US dollar since early last year, leading to a surge in prices and further burdening families struggling to meet their needs in this import-dependent nation.

    The latest figures indicate an almost 37 percent increase compared to June of the previous year. Additionally, there was a two percent month-on-month rise from May of this year.

    While official data had previously shown some signs of easing inflation in recent months, the new figures highlight a staggering 64.9 percent increase in food and drink prices alone compared to June 2022, as announced by the state statistics agency CAPMAS.

    The economic crisis has been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which disrupted crucial food imports. Even before this, the World Bank reported that 30 percent of Egyptians were living below the poverty line.

    The invasion’s impact on global markets prompted investors to withdraw billions of dollars from Cairo’s foreign reserves. While reserves have shown a slight increase this year, reaching $34.8 billion in March (up $500 million since February), they are still $7 billion lower than pre-war levels.

    Of the total reserves, approximately $28 billion consists of deposits from wealthy Gulf allies, whose plans to purchase Egyptian state assets have experienced delays in recent months.

    Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, has relied on bailouts from both Gulf allies and the IMF in recent years to address its economic challenges.

  • Why South Sudan is using an age-old dowry system to reverse girl dropouts statistics in school

    Why South Sudan is using an age-old dowry system to reverse girl dropouts statistics in school

    In some regions of South Sudan, a girl’s value is based on how many animals the potential husband demands in exchange for her hand in marriage. Cattle are not simply another type of animal or a food source; they are also considered to be a symbol of stability, wealth, and security. Owning a herd of cattle is the equivalent of saving money in some areas. Pastoral people in Sudan take great satisfaction in caring for their cattle; it has been done in this way for thousands of years.

    The recent civil war in the nation may have upset numerous long-standing traditions that the people had upheld for ages, but one of them has endured: their marriage custom. When a man wants to get married, it is mandatory he works toward securing dowries, which traditionally come in the form of cattle. The bidding for eligible women in some instances can cost prospective grooms and their families a lot of cattle worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

    Aside from the associated costs, there are laid down determinants for the number of cattle a man needs to provide before a girl’s hand is given out in marriage. These elements include the height of the woman, her level of education, and the family background she belongs to. If a woman is very tall and voluptuous with a good pedigree, the possibility of the man providing more cattle is high. The average dowries in this case can range from 10 to 60 cattle, according to the Times.

    In some pastoral communities, the number of cattle demanded is tied to the girl’s level of education. This emerging trend has become an incentive for some families to educate their girl child to higher levels. The reason is simple, a well-educated girl attracts more cattle, which costs $250 per head. According to UNICEF, 35 percent of South Sudanese girls go to school.

    It is significant that many communities are using this age-old tradition to stem the tide of high school dropouts among girls. Staying in school is now more attractive for girls because the length of a girl’s educational period determines the weight and demands of her dowry. The families consider paying tuition as a form of investment that can be retrieved when the dowries of their daughters are paid, according to relief web.

    UNICEF states that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to promote development and growth. In the past, marriage has been a way of ending the education of girls and getting them tied to domestic chores. A positive trend has emerged in more recent times as a result of the premium placed on educating girls.

    This has also inadvertently influenced the type of cattle the family requires. There are age-old classifications the bull or cow must meet; the key characteristic that is looked out for is the color of the coat. This is followed by the horns the animal must have. A bull is considered a prized one when the horn is neither too big nor small and is slightly bent, which is an indication that it is unique and extraordinary. With such qualities, the groom will be willing to pay any price to enhance their chances of winning the bride.

  • Need for continuous traffic education to minimize accidents – Expert

    Statistics from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) indicate that over 45,000 people died in road accidents between 2000 and 2021 alone in Ghana.

    The general road safety problems identified as the causes of the carnage were indiscipline among road users such as speeding excessively, wrong overtaking, drink-driving, non-adherence to mandatory rest periods, inattentiveness and distraction.

    Others were pedestrians road crossing without due care, passengers not wearing seatbelts, motorcyclists not wearing crash helmets and disrespect to traffic rules, especially at signalized intersections.

    Mr Daniel Wuaku, the Director of Planning and Programmes of the NRSA, made this known to the Ghana News Agency at a two-day workshop on Strategic Communication for Road Safety in Accra as part of efforts to help reduce accidents.

    It was sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and its international partners Vital Strategies, Johns Hopkins University, World Bank, Global Road Safety Fund, World Health Organisation and the World Resource Institute.

    Mr Wuaku said with the regional distribution of fatalities in Ghana, Greater Accra top the list with 43.1 per cent, followed by Ashanti at 23.5 per cent and Eastern Region at 10.5 per cent.

    He said travel speeds had a major effect on the probability of road traffic crashes and the severity of the injuries.

    The Road Safety Expert said: “When a car knocked you down running on a speed limit of 32 kilometres your chance of survival is 95 per cent but when it was running on a limit of 64 kilometres your survival rate is 15 per cent.”

    Mr Wuaku said, in view of the problems, the NRSA introduced the use of vehicle logbooks targeted at transport operators to help enforce the protocols on maximum driving hours and high speeds.

    Another activity to enforce road regulation is a supply of speed guns to the Motor Transport and Traffic Department of the Police Service to check over-speeding and ongoing dialogue on the speed limiters in commercial vehicles.

    He urged drivers to abide by road safety regulations and desist from acts such as speeding that puts the lives of passengers in danger.

    Mr Osei Kuffour, the Initiative Coordinator for Bloomberg Philanthropies, highlighted some of the achievements when he welcomed the participants such as the launch of the Accra Road Safety Strategy Council, to effectively tackle the menace in the Accra Metropolis.

    Others were donations of several policing items to the Police MTTD Taskforce, road safety enhancement work in several places in Accra and the commissioning of the Tactical Urbanism Project at James Town to curb fatalities.

    Source:GNA