Life has always remained a profound mystery, especially with the issue of inheritance, where no one knew how information was transmitted or stored. When it comes to the stability of life over a huge amount of time and its mutability in evolution, the DNA molecule forms a bigger part of the story than any individual might have thought. The discovery of DNA is considered a passport to all mysteries of life and the present challenges in health, agriculture, crime solving and environmental challenges in Ghana suggest that the national relevance of the DNA revolution will contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals in Ghana. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2022-03-02-010 Full Text: PDF
Forensic science applications in criminal investigation are very profound to crime resolution. However, there is a wide gap between the application of specialist skills and public knowledge and awareness of forensic science in criminal investigations and it has generated complex practical problems in justice delivery in Ghana. The study attempts to assess the state of forensic support to criminal investigations by accessing public knowledge and perception of forensic science in Ghana. To this account, an elaborate and tortuous survey was conducted using 200 consented respondents in selected neighborhoods in Accra based on homogeneity, population density, economic or industrial activities, and the nature of crime and police activities. The survey included face to face interviews, questionnaire responding, and random phone calls. The final data which was subjected to a simple linear regression model were analyzed with STATA 13. The study revealed that indeed, forensic science in Ghana has "gone dark" as 165(82.5%) who had a formal education of various levels had very limited knowledge about forensic science and procedures. The majority of the respondents 179(89.5%) had no idea about forensics and for that matter lacked awareness of forensics in Ghana before the research while the state of forensics in Ghana was rated on the scale of good (10.5%), bad (81.5%) and very bad (8%) out of the 200 respondentswiththe respondentlevel of education, perception, knowledge, andawareness of forensic science and support significantly impacting the wellbeing of the research.The findings of this study call for government and respective stakeholders and policymakers of various institutions, and the adversarial system of Ghana to prioritize the need for forensic science. This is to support criminal investigations to assure the Ghanaian citizens of their safety, security, and fundamental Human rights to justice.
The study assessed the state of forensic support to criminal investigations by measuring public awareness, knowledge and perception of forensic science in Ghana. A simple random technique was employed to elicit information from 200 consented respondents in selected neighbourhoods in Accra through face to face interviews, questionnaire responses, and random phone calls. The study identified forensic science education as a key challenge among others in the forensic sector. The state of forensics support to criminal investigations in Ghana was rated on the scale of good (10.5%), bad (81.5%) and very bad (8%) indicating that forensic science in Ghana has “gone dark”. The study’s findings call for respective stakeholders and policymakers of Ghana to prioritize forensic support to criminal investigations to promote safety, security, and sustainable economic development.
Despite its seriousness, food fraud has not received the necessary attention in Ghana’s discourse on food safety. Food fraud is generally considered as the intentional misrepresentation of the contents or identity of food for economic gain. The study was aimed at assessing the food fraud awareness level of participants as well as the foods most likely to be implicated in food fraud cases in Tamale, Ghana. Data was collected from 385 participants, including food business operators and consumers, via a simple random sampling technique using a structured questionnaire. Most participants (54%) were not aware of food fraud and its related activities before the study. Beverages and juices, fruits and vegetables, spices, oils, meat and fish, baked foods, honey, milk, and semi-processed local foods such as groundnut paste, "Dawadawa," “Kulikuli zim,” and “Agushi powder” were all revealed to be implicated in food fraud by respondents. Adulteration was the most common food fraud action, but tampering, substitution, and mislabeling were also identified as ongoing in the study area. “Moora” (Bixa orellana seeds) was revealed as the key adulterant used in most foods. Food fraud, which is a threat to consumer health and well-being, is active in the region and is predicted to increase without strict regulation and increased sensitization about its dangers. The fight against food fraud should be refocused on making food defense systems like vulnerability analysis and critical control points (VACCP) a key aspect of food safety systems to tackle food fraud.
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