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Ghanaian Scientist Uses Math to Tackle Food Safety Risks in Online Food Delivery Era
Emmanuel Addai, a Ghanaian Ph.D. researcher specializing in Mathematical and Data-driven Modeling of infectious disease and cyber forensics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has co-authored a pioneering study that reveals how the rapid growth of online food delivery services is fueling the spread of food-borne illnesses.
In the peer-reviewed article, Addai and his collaborators developed a mathematical model that incorporates both human and insect populations (particularly flies) to simulate how food safety is compromised during doorstep food deliveries.
The model uniquely uses fractional calculus (Caputo operator) to reflect real-world memory effects such as poor hygiene practices and delayed policy responses.
The study shows that:
• Asymptomatic carriers, delivery personnel, and flies are critical transmission vectors.
• Government interventions such as food safety training for restaurant staff and stricter hygiene enforcement can significantly reduce outbreaks without disrupting food delivery services.
• The model was proven stable and accurate under rigorous mathematical conditions and tested using numerical simulations in MATLAB.
By integrating public health, data science, and mathematical modeling, Addai’s work provides a policy-ready framework for managing infectious outbreaks in urban food systems.
This research aligns with global food safety goals and supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, 11, and 12).
For Ghana and beyond, this research underscores the urgent need for better regulation, monitoring, and public health oversight of digital food platforms, particularly in rapidly urbanizing and densely populated cities.
As the online food delivery industry continues to grow, especially in emerging economies such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and India, the lack of standardized food safety protocols and oversight for delivery chains has emerged as a major public health risk.
Emmanuel Addai’s research provides an evidence-based mathematical framework for policymakers to anticipate and manage these risks through optimal interventions.
This work is particularly impactful for developing nations, where informal food vendors and under-regulated delivery systems often operate outside the scope of national health standards.
His model can be adapted to simulate various real-world conditions urban slums, peri-urban hubs, and even cross-border trade routes, allowing government agencies and health departments to simulate outbreak scenarios, prioritize inspection strategies, and develop early-warning systems.
Furthermore, Addai’s contribution supports Ghana’s national priorities under the Ghana Food Safety Policy and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially:
• SDG 3: Good health and well-being,
• SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities,
• SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production.
Ultimately, Emmanuel Addai’s contribution stands as a critical bridge between theoretical science and practical policy application, enabling stakeholders to make data-driven decisions in regulating the fast-growing online food delivery ecosystem.
This makes his research not only nationally important to Ghana’s public health strategy but also internationally recognized as a novel methodology applicable in both low- and high-income settings.
ByJulius Kofi Satsi
ODORGONNO Senior High School (SHS) has won the maiden 2026 Senior High School Plastic Waste Reuse Innovation Awards, organised among five SHSs in Accra to promote plastic waste recycling and reuse.
Odorgonno SHS received a cash prize of GH¢8,000 after securing 97 points. Accra Senior High School placed second with 96 points and received GH¢4,000, while O’Reilly SHS placed third with 90 points and received GH¢2,000.
Forces Senior High Technical School placed fourth with 83 points, while St John’s Grammar SHS came fifth with 72 points. Both schools received GH¢1,000 each as cash prizes.
Outstanding students from the participating school clubs were also recognised with gold medals and certificates. St John’s Grammar SHS received five plastic recovery cages as the school with the highest volume of recovered plastic waste.
The awards formed part of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Schools Plastics Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at promoting plastic waste recovery, responsible environmental practices and the productive use of recovered materials.
The project included educational campaigns in all five participating schools, the provision of metal cages for plastic source segregation, an educational excursion to a Miniplast recycling factory and a plastics challenge that encouraged innovative reuse of plastic waste.
The Project Lead and Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-IIR, Dr Boniface Yeboah Antwi, said the project demonstrated how young people could become active contributors to solving Ghana’s environmental challenges while providing financial incentives to sustain their efforts.
He said when schools generated income from recovered materials, they could support the maintenance of collection infrastructure, reinforce responsible waste management and instil an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Dr Antwi explained that within the first month, the participating schools recovered 1.5 tonnes, or 1,500 kilogrammes, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 one-litre water bottles.
He said the recovery generated GH¢2,000 in revenue for the schools, demonstrating that plastic waste could become a source of value rather than an environmental burden.
The Group Head of General Operations at OmniBSIC Bank, Mr Dominic Donkoh, urged the participating schools to sustain their plastic waste segregation, collection and sales activities.
He said the proceeds could support school environmental clubs and other worthwhile initiatives while providing students with practical lessons in saving, budgeting and responsible financial management.
“We encourage students to apply the financial literacy lessons acquired during this engagement. Learn to manage the proceeds from your recycling activities responsibly, appreciate the importance of saving, and explore innovative ways to create both environmental and financial value,” he added.
–GNA
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Parents have been urged to prioritise girls’ education over early marriage to protect them from losing their childhood, education and opportunities for a better future.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator, Madam Margaret Blay, said child marriage disrupted girls’ education, threatened their health and well-being, and limited their ability to realise their full potential.
“Keep her in school, not in a man’s house,” she urged parents, stressing the need for families and communities to protect girls’ right to education and personal development.
She made the call in a welcome address at the 2026 celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, held under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Madam Blay said ending child marriage required collective action from parents, teachers, traditional leaders, government institutions and communities to ensure that girls were protected and given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
She noted that child marriage often forced girls out of school before they were physically, emotionally and socially prepared for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
She said investing in girls’ rights was not merely a moral obligation but also an investment in the future of communities and the nation.
According to her, girls who remained in school, had their voices heard and received the necessary support could grow into leaders, professionals, innovators and active contributors to national development.
Madam Blay called on teachers to protect girls’ access to education, create supportive learning environments and empower them to express themselves confidently.
She also appealed to traditional leaders to help address harmful cultural practices and social norms that denied girls opportunities to develop their potential.
The government and relevant institutions, she said, must strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws to ensure that every girl received adequate protection.
She further urged communities to speak out against child marriage, report cases and work together to create safe environments where girls could learn, grow and thrive.
Madam Blay said every girl deserved the freedom to dream, acquire an education and determine her own future.
She expressed the hope that the celebration would strengthen stakeholders’ collective resolve to end child marriage and invest in the rights, education and future of every girl.
Madam Karen Ama Moses, Assembly Member for the Takoradi Railway and Harbour Electoral Area, said keeping girls in school would lead to enlightened mothers, well-informed families, resilient communities and, ultimately, a better Ghana.
She stressed that no child should be forced into marriage, adding that “every child must have the freedom to learn, grow, dream and choose her future.”
Some of the schoolchildren expressed concern that their parents did not always listen to their concerns during difficult times, while others said some children were exposed to abuse and early marriage.
Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metropolitan School Health Coordinator, urged children experiencing abuse or any situation that threatened their well-being to report to the police, the Department of Social Welfare, the media, their teachers or the Metropolitan Education Directorate for assistance.
— GNA
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