THE Country Co-ordinator of the United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in Ghana, Dr Leo Zekeng, has warned Ghanaians not to be complacent about their achievement in reducing the HIV prevalence rate, else the country would be overtaken by events.
At the opening of a four-day special meeting of the International Advisory Board of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial in Accra yesterday, Dr Zekeng said the reduction in the HIV prevalence rate from 3.6 per cent in 2003 to 2.7 per cent in 2005 to the present figure of 1.7 per cent should rather encourage the people to do more to reduce the rate further.
Members of this board are the regional co-ordinators for the AIDS Candlelight Memorial from around the world.
In his address, Dr Zekeng stressed that what all Ghanaians should aim at now was to continue the fight to achieve an HIV prevalence of less than one per cent, adding that there was the need to involve the communities if much should be achieved.
Quoting from the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey report, he said more than 95 per cent of Ghanaians had knowledge of HIV and AIDS and noted that it was important people practised what they knew.
Addressing the participants, the President of Afro Global Alliance, Chief Austin Arinze Obiefuna, said although Ghana seemed to be winning the fight against HIV and AIDS, the same could not be said about other African countries.
He noted that the sub-Saharan Africa was the region with the largest burden of the AIDS pandemic as indicated in the 2006 UNAIDS report and said about 2.1 million Africans died of AIDS in 2006, which was almost three quarters or 72 per cent of all AIDS-related deaths globally.
Describing the situation as alarming, Chief Obiefuna urged the participants to use the meeting as an opportunity to set in motion strong advocacy at all levels, especially in the communities.
"We should let our people recognise that their health constitutes their wealth and that every successful endeavour hinges on good health," he stressed.
The International Outreach Co-ordinator of the Global Health Council, Mr Todd Lawrence, said the council's decision to choose Ghana for the meeting was based on the country's success in bringing down the HIV prevalence rate.
He said although there had been similar meetings in some African countries, there had never been such a meeting in West Africa, hence the decision to organise it in Accra.
He expressed the hope that at the end of the meeting, issues of universal access to treatment, human rights violation and stigmatisation would be tackled.
In a speech read on her behalf, the acting Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr Angela El-Adas, said about 33 million people suffered from HIV and AIDS world-wide and expressed the hope that the meeting would deliberate on crucial issues that could help in fighting the pandemic.
The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, which is a Global Health programme, is one of the oldest and largest grass roots mobilisation campaigns for HIV and AIDS awareness. The campaign, which started in 1983, takes place every third Sunday of May and is led by a coalition of about 1,200 community organisations in 155 countries hosting local memorials to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
Meanwhile a statement released at the meeting indicated that conditions related to pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) accounted for a third of the global disease burden among women and girls aged 15 to 44.
In addition, it said, the lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes for women in developing countries was nearly 100 times higher than those in the developed world.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Ghana deserves Mental Health Law (health page)
WORD about Agnes (not her real name), a 24-year-old lady I had never met, got to me one evening after I had returned home from work. My younger brother, who works in the community Agnes lived in told me about how he responded to a call from Agnes who called from the window of an uncompleted building only for him to find out that the lady had been chained to a bed post. She therefore could not move.
"Teacher come and see, my people say I am not well and because of that they have chained me. I cannot move that is why I had to call you", said Agnes and then she continued with other sentences which were not easy to comprehend.
Agnes, according to my brother was a practising hairdresser and a mother of a six-year-old girl. He described her as an easy-going and an affable young lady who was nice to people in the community.
When I got to where she had been chained, I saw Agnes in a depressed state as she sat on a bed whose post she had been tied to. She could not move around and had to respond to nature's call right where she sat. It was the same place she ate and slept.
Agnes had been isolated in an uncompleted structure which formed part of the family house while part was occupied by her daughter who lived with her grandmother (Agnes' mother ), an auntie and an uncle.
When I heard about Agnes' predicament, my human instinct together with my little knowledge about the vulnerability of mental patients, pressed me to do something to save her from imminent harm. To me, she could be at the mercy of flies, mosquitoes, rapists and even murderers.
What I heard from the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, when I called him to advise me as to what could be done about a situation of that nature, made my heart jump.
As he tried to explain things to me, I realised that though I wish to help Agnes, it might not be possible. The reason being that I could not send her to the hospital without permission from her family and if they refuse, there was nothing I could do.
“Does that mean that I cannot do anything if the family does not believe in seeking orthodox treatment for Agnes but preferred other methods which might not help her?”. I asked Dr Osei and he confirmed my fears by saying yes.
He went further to say that as things stood now, there was no law to protect people with mental health and for that reason, such people were always at the mercy of family members.
I realised that the life of a human being whose condition did not allow her to seek help for herself was in danger. Frantically, I started making calls to Agnes’ junior sister whose number I got from my brother. After a couple of hours of “negotiations”, a key to the chain which tied Agnes to the bed was finally found. Around mid-day, Agnes was brought to my workplace in a hired taxi. She is now at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital receiving treatment.
Although I have, on a number of occasions, attended programmes on mental health, especially those held by the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), BasicNeeds, to deliberate on the Mental Health Bill, my experience with Agnes had strengthened my resolve to join advocates in support of the passage of the bill into law as soon as possible.
The new Mental Health Bill , as it stands now, seeks to improve the care of the mentally ill in the country. It will also address human right abuses suffered by those who have mentally ill patients under their care.
The bill addresses decentralisation of mental health care at the community, spiritual and traditional setting and also allow supervision and revision of mental health care practices.
On the number of occasions that I have listened to Dr Osei, he had repeated that between 30 to 40 per cent of the population of a country suffered from various forms of mental illness, a situation Ghana could not run away from.
Dr Osei explained that people tended to ignore issues of mental health because they always associated it with those who suffered the severest form of the illness and ignored the commonest ones like depression and dementia ( disorder impairing a person’s capacity to function normally and safely), which affect many people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia which occur in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stressed.
At a recent advocacy training programme for journalists in Accra , Dr Osei reiterated an earlier call on people in position to effect changes in mental health care to do so since the general public stands to gain when there are better services.
That, according to the Chief Psychiatrist, was necessary since mental health was no respector of persons, but could affect any one at a point in his or her lifetime.
That, to him is the reason why Ghana needs better laws to regulate mental health care. When the new Mental Health Bill is passed, Ghana will have Mental Health Authority under a Mental Health Service which would be separate from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and therefore, ensure that adequate logistics are provided for better health services; there would be a Mental Health Review Tribunal to rule on abuse of rights of mental patients; there will be Visiting Committees to ensure the right things are being done for mental patients as well as availability of Voluntary Treatment and Involuntary Treatment to take care of people like Agnes.
Other conditions under the bill are rights of persons with mental disorder; protection of vulnerable groups who suffer from mental illness and any other condition which the law would prescribe.
Unlike other existing laws on mental health care, the new law will provide for adequate human rights provision, basic human rights, incapacity and human rights, standard of treatment, seclusion and restraint, complaints and treatment management, confidentiality, privacy and autonomy and well as access to information and employment rights.
The bill was sent to the Ministry of Health as back as 2006. It is now left for the draft bill to be sent to Cabinet and then to Parliament for consideration.
Until that is done, people like Agnes will continue to be left at the mercy of ignorant family members who would not know that mental patients should not be chained to bed posts but should be sent to hospitals for proper treatment and cure.
WORD about Agnes (not her real name), a 24-year-old lady I had never met, got to me one evening after I had returned home from work. My younger brother, who works in the community Agnes lived in told me about how he responded to a call from Agnes who called from the window of an uncompleted building only for him to find out that the lady had been chained to a bed post. She therefore could not move.
"Teacher come and see, my people say I am not well and because of that they have chained me. I cannot move that is why I had to call you", said Agnes and then she continued with other sentences which were not easy to comprehend.
Agnes, according to my brother was a practising hairdresser and a mother of a six-year-old girl. He described her as an easy-going and an affable young lady who was nice to people in the community.
When I got to where she had been chained, I saw Agnes in a depressed state as she sat on a bed whose post she had been tied to. She could not move around and had to respond to nature's call right where she sat. It was the same place she ate and slept.
Agnes had been isolated in an uncompleted structure which formed part of the family house while part was occupied by her daughter who lived with her grandmother (Agnes' mother ), an auntie and an uncle.
When I heard about Agnes' predicament, my human instinct together with my little knowledge about the vulnerability of mental patients, pressed me to do something to save her from imminent harm. To me, she could be at the mercy of flies, mosquitoes, rapists and even murderers.
What I heard from the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, when I called him to advise me as to what could be done about a situation of that nature, made my heart jump.
As he tried to explain things to me, I realised that though I wish to help Agnes, it might not be possible. The reason being that I could not send her to the hospital without permission from her family and if they refuse, there was nothing I could do.
“Does that mean that I cannot do anything if the family does not believe in seeking orthodox treatment for Agnes but preferred other methods which might not help her?”. I asked Dr Osei and he confirmed my fears by saying yes.
He went further to say that as things stood now, there was no law to protect people with mental health and for that reason, such people were always at the mercy of family members.
I realised that the life of a human being whose condition did not allow her to seek help for herself was in danger. Frantically, I started making calls to Agnes’ junior sister whose number I got from my brother. After a couple of hours of “negotiations”, a key to the chain which tied Agnes to the bed was finally found. Around mid-day, Agnes was brought to my workplace in a hired taxi. She is now at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital receiving treatment.
Although I have, on a number of occasions, attended programmes on mental health, especially those held by the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), BasicNeeds, to deliberate on the Mental Health Bill, my experience with Agnes had strengthened my resolve to join advocates in support of the passage of the bill into law as soon as possible.
The new Mental Health Bill , as it stands now, seeks to improve the care of the mentally ill in the country. It will also address human right abuses suffered by those who have mentally ill patients under their care.
The bill addresses decentralisation of mental health care at the community, spiritual and traditional setting and also allow supervision and revision of mental health care practices.
On the number of occasions that I have listened to Dr Osei, he had repeated that between 30 to 40 per cent of the population of a country suffered from various forms of mental illness, a situation Ghana could not run away from.
Dr Osei explained that people tended to ignore issues of mental health because they always associated it with those who suffered the severest form of the illness and ignored the commonest ones like depression and dementia ( disorder impairing a person’s capacity to function normally and safely), which affect many people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia which occur in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stressed.
At a recent advocacy training programme for journalists in Accra , Dr Osei reiterated an earlier call on people in position to effect changes in mental health care to do so since the general public stands to gain when there are better services.
That, according to the Chief Psychiatrist, was necessary since mental health was no respector of persons, but could affect any one at a point in his or her lifetime.
That, to him is the reason why Ghana needs better laws to regulate mental health care. When the new Mental Health Bill is passed, Ghana will have Mental Health Authority under a Mental Health Service which would be separate from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and therefore, ensure that adequate logistics are provided for better health services; there would be a Mental Health Review Tribunal to rule on abuse of rights of mental patients; there will be Visiting Committees to ensure the right things are being done for mental patients as well as availability of Voluntary Treatment and Involuntary Treatment to take care of people like Agnes.
Other conditions under the bill are rights of persons with mental disorder; protection of vulnerable groups who suffer from mental illness and any other condition which the law would prescribe.
Unlike other existing laws on mental health care, the new law will provide for adequate human rights provision, basic human rights, incapacity and human rights, standard of treatment, seclusion and restraint, complaints and treatment management, confidentiality, privacy and autonomy and well as access to information and employment rights.
The bill was sent to the Ministry of Health as back as 2006. It is now left for the draft bill to be sent to Cabinet and then to Parliament for consideration.
Until that is done, people like Agnes will continue to be left at the mercy of ignorant family members who would not know that mental patients should not be chained to bed posts but should be sent to hospitals for proper treatment and cure.
"Teacher come and see, my people say I am not well and because of that they have chained me. I cannot move that is why I had to call you", said Agnes and then she continued with other sentences which were not easy to comprehend.
Agnes, according to my brother was a practising hairdresser and a mother of a six-year-old girl. He described her as an easy-going and an affable young lady who was nice to people in the community.
When I got to where she had been chained, I saw Agnes in a depressed state as she sat on a bed whose post she had been tied to. She could not move around and had to respond to nature's call right where she sat. It was the same place she ate and slept.
Agnes had been isolated in an uncompleted structure which formed part of the family house while part was occupied by her daughter who lived with her grandmother (Agnes' mother ), an auntie and an uncle.
When I heard about Agnes' predicament, my human instinct together with my little knowledge about the vulnerability of mental patients, pressed me to do something to save her from imminent harm. To me, she could be at the mercy of flies, mosquitoes, rapists and even murderers.
What I heard from the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, when I called him to advise me as to what could be done about a situation of that nature, made my heart jump.
As he tried to explain things to me, I realised that though I wish to help Agnes, it might not be possible. The reason being that I could not send her to the hospital without permission from her family and if they refuse, there was nothing I could do.
“Does that mean that I cannot do anything if the family does not believe in seeking orthodox treatment for Agnes but preferred other methods which might not help her?”. I asked Dr Osei and he confirmed my fears by saying yes.
He went further to say that as things stood now, there was no law to protect people with mental health and for that reason, such people were always at the mercy of family members.
I realised that the life of a human being whose condition did not allow her to seek help for herself was in danger. Frantically, I started making calls to Agnes’ junior sister whose number I got from my brother. After a couple of hours of “negotiations”, a key to the chain which tied Agnes to the bed was finally found. Around mid-day, Agnes was brought to my workplace in a hired taxi. She is now at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital receiving treatment.
Although I have, on a number of occasions, attended programmes on mental health, especially those held by the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), BasicNeeds, to deliberate on the Mental Health Bill, my experience with Agnes had strengthened my resolve to join advocates in support of the passage of the bill into law as soon as possible.
The new Mental Health Bill , as it stands now, seeks to improve the care of the mentally ill in the country. It will also address human right abuses suffered by those who have mentally ill patients under their care.
The bill addresses decentralisation of mental health care at the community, spiritual and traditional setting and also allow supervision and revision of mental health care practices.
On the number of occasions that I have listened to Dr Osei, he had repeated that between 30 to 40 per cent of the population of a country suffered from various forms of mental illness, a situation Ghana could not run away from.
Dr Osei explained that people tended to ignore issues of mental health because they always associated it with those who suffered the severest form of the illness and ignored the commonest ones like depression and dementia ( disorder impairing a person’s capacity to function normally and safely), which affect many people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia which occur in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stressed.
At a recent advocacy training programme for journalists in Accra , Dr Osei reiterated an earlier call on people in position to effect changes in mental health care to do so since the general public stands to gain when there are better services.
That, according to the Chief Psychiatrist, was necessary since mental health was no respector of persons, but could affect any one at a point in his or her lifetime.
That, to him is the reason why Ghana needs better laws to regulate mental health care. When the new Mental Health Bill is passed, Ghana will have Mental Health Authority under a Mental Health Service which would be separate from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and therefore, ensure that adequate logistics are provided for better health services; there would be a Mental Health Review Tribunal to rule on abuse of rights of mental patients; there will be Visiting Committees to ensure the right things are being done for mental patients as well as availability of Voluntary Treatment and Involuntary Treatment to take care of people like Agnes.
Other conditions under the bill are rights of persons with mental disorder; protection of vulnerable groups who suffer from mental illness and any other condition which the law would prescribe.
Unlike other existing laws on mental health care, the new law will provide for adequate human rights provision, basic human rights, incapacity and human rights, standard of treatment, seclusion and restraint, complaints and treatment management, confidentiality, privacy and autonomy and well as access to information and employment rights.
The bill was sent to the Ministry of Health as back as 2006. It is now left for the draft bill to be sent to Cabinet and then to Parliament for consideration.
Until that is done, people like Agnes will continue to be left at the mercy of ignorant family members who would not know that mental patients should not be chained to bed posts but should be sent to hospitals for proper treatment and cure.
WORD about Agnes (not her real name), a 24-year-old lady I had never met, got to me one evening after I had returned home from work. My younger brother, who works in the community Agnes lived in told me about how he responded to a call from Agnes who called from the window of an uncompleted building only for him to find out that the lady had been chained to a bed post. She therefore could not move.
"Teacher come and see, my people say I am not well and because of that they have chained me. I cannot move that is why I had to call you", said Agnes and then she continued with other sentences which were not easy to comprehend.
Agnes, according to my brother was a practising hairdresser and a mother of a six-year-old girl. He described her as an easy-going and an affable young lady who was nice to people in the community.
When I got to where she had been chained, I saw Agnes in a depressed state as she sat on a bed whose post she had been tied to. She could not move around and had to respond to nature's call right where she sat. It was the same place she ate and slept.
Agnes had been isolated in an uncompleted structure which formed part of the family house while part was occupied by her daughter who lived with her grandmother (Agnes' mother ), an auntie and an uncle.
When I heard about Agnes' predicament, my human instinct together with my little knowledge about the vulnerability of mental patients, pressed me to do something to save her from imminent harm. To me, she could be at the mercy of flies, mosquitoes, rapists and even murderers.
What I heard from the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, when I called him to advise me as to what could be done about a situation of that nature, made my heart jump.
As he tried to explain things to me, I realised that though I wish to help Agnes, it might not be possible. The reason being that I could not send her to the hospital without permission from her family and if they refuse, there was nothing I could do.
“Does that mean that I cannot do anything if the family does not believe in seeking orthodox treatment for Agnes but preferred other methods which might not help her?”. I asked Dr Osei and he confirmed my fears by saying yes.
He went further to say that as things stood now, there was no law to protect people with mental health and for that reason, such people were always at the mercy of family members.
I realised that the life of a human being whose condition did not allow her to seek help for herself was in danger. Frantically, I started making calls to Agnes’ junior sister whose number I got from my brother. After a couple of hours of “negotiations”, a key to the chain which tied Agnes to the bed was finally found. Around mid-day, Agnes was brought to my workplace in a hired taxi. She is now at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital receiving treatment.
Although I have, on a number of occasions, attended programmes on mental health, especially those held by the Accra Psychiatric Hospital and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), BasicNeeds, to deliberate on the Mental Health Bill, my experience with Agnes had strengthened my resolve to join advocates in support of the passage of the bill into law as soon as possible.
The new Mental Health Bill , as it stands now, seeks to improve the care of the mentally ill in the country. It will also address human right abuses suffered by those who have mentally ill patients under their care.
The bill addresses decentralisation of mental health care at the community, spiritual and traditional setting and also allow supervision and revision of mental health care practices.
On the number of occasions that I have listened to Dr Osei, he had repeated that between 30 to 40 per cent of the population of a country suffered from various forms of mental illness, a situation Ghana could not run away from.
Dr Osei explained that people tended to ignore issues of mental health because they always associated it with those who suffered the severest form of the illness and ignored the commonest ones like depression and dementia ( disorder impairing a person’s capacity to function normally and safely), which affect many people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia which occur in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stressed.
At a recent advocacy training programme for journalists in Accra , Dr Osei reiterated an earlier call on people in position to effect changes in mental health care to do so since the general public stands to gain when there are better services.
That, according to the Chief Psychiatrist, was necessary since mental health was no respector of persons, but could affect any one at a point in his or her lifetime.
That, to him is the reason why Ghana needs better laws to regulate mental health care. When the new Mental Health Bill is passed, Ghana will have Mental Health Authority under a Mental Health Service which would be separate from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and therefore, ensure that adequate logistics are provided for better health services; there would be a Mental Health Review Tribunal to rule on abuse of rights of mental patients; there will be Visiting Committees to ensure the right things are being done for mental patients as well as availability of Voluntary Treatment and Involuntary Treatment to take care of people like Agnes.
Other conditions under the bill are rights of persons with mental disorder; protection of vulnerable groups who suffer from mental illness and any other condition which the law would prescribe.
Unlike other existing laws on mental health care, the new law will provide for adequate human rights provision, basic human rights, incapacity and human rights, standard of treatment, seclusion and restraint, complaints and treatment management, confidentiality, privacy and autonomy and well as access to information and employment rights.
The bill was sent to the Ministry of Health as back as 2006. It is now left for the draft bill to be sent to Cabinet and then to Parliament for consideration.
Until that is done, people like Agnes will continue to be left at the mercy of ignorant family members who would not know that mental patients should not be chained to bed posts but should be sent to hospitals for proper treatment and cure.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Develop tourists sites (spread)
A GROUP of writers on travelling, who visited tourist sites in the Central, Ashanti and Eastern regions last week, have observed that the diverse range of tourist attractions in Ghana gives the country immense advantage over many other countries on the continent.
The writers, some of whom had travelled to more than 100 countries world-wide, said the country had tremendous tourism potential and underscored the need for it to be developed in order to reap its full benefits.
The writers, who are considered world renowned travel writers, included international journalists and broadcasting experts, editors, photographers and reporters from major travel industry publications and media houses in Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Canada.
They made the observations when they paid visits to Cape Coast, Kumasi, Kyebi and other towns in the three regions as part of the just ended World Tourism Day celebrations in Ghana.
The visit was intended to sell Ghana to the outside world through write-ups and pictorials.
The Fairs and Communications Assistance Officer of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Ms Alla Peressolova, who led the team described the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality as a great asset in the country’s effort to promote tourism.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Ahwiaa, near Kumasi, Ms Peressolova said the welcoming smiles that easily came from the faces of Ghanaians were enough to attract any first time visitor to Ghana to visit the country again.
Ms Peressolova, who has extensive travel experience, said all that Ghana required to do now to become the number one tourist destination was to develop its abundant tourism sites.
She said from the hospitality of the people to the availability of forts and castles and the history behind them; the sea and the beaches; the land mass and the vegetation, mountains and lakes and the different animal species were enough to attract people from all over the world.
Other areas which attracted the writers and other tourists into the country were the traditions and culture of the Ghanaian people, which were seen in chieftancy, historical narration, songs, dances, clothing, notably kente and fugu, leatherware, carvings, beads and variety of food, among others.
In the company of a senior tour guide, Mr Kwaku Passah, and some local journalists, the travel writers had the opportunity to visit the Kakum National Park, the Cape Coast and Elmina castles, all in the Central Region; the Asantehene’s Palace where they had the opportunity to visit the Royal Museum and sat in a meeting of some chiefs and elders presided over by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace.
Other areas they visited were the Ahwiaa Craft Centre, Ntonso, Adanwomase and Bonwire kente and Adinkra production communities, all in the Ashanti Region, to witness wood carving, kuntunkuni designing (local dyeing industry) and also kente weaving.
In the Eastern Region, the travel writers visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Tafo, the Bunso Arboretum and the Okyehene’s Palace where they met some chiefs and queens.
In all those areas, tourism officials and the local people talked to them about those attractions.
The purpose of the World Tourism Day Celebrations, which is supported by the UN, is to create awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and to showcase its effects on social, cultural, political and economic values world-wide.
The writers, some of whom had travelled to more than 100 countries world-wide, said the country had tremendous tourism potential and underscored the need for it to be developed in order to reap its full benefits.
The writers, who are considered world renowned travel writers, included international journalists and broadcasting experts, editors, photographers and reporters from major travel industry publications and media houses in Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Canada.
They made the observations when they paid visits to Cape Coast, Kumasi, Kyebi and other towns in the three regions as part of the just ended World Tourism Day celebrations in Ghana.
The visit was intended to sell Ghana to the outside world through write-ups and pictorials.
The Fairs and Communications Assistance Officer of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Ms Alla Peressolova, who led the team described the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality as a great asset in the country’s effort to promote tourism.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Ahwiaa, near Kumasi, Ms Peressolova said the welcoming smiles that easily came from the faces of Ghanaians were enough to attract any first time visitor to Ghana to visit the country again.
Ms Peressolova, who has extensive travel experience, said all that Ghana required to do now to become the number one tourist destination was to develop its abundant tourism sites.
She said from the hospitality of the people to the availability of forts and castles and the history behind them; the sea and the beaches; the land mass and the vegetation, mountains and lakes and the different animal species were enough to attract people from all over the world.
Other areas which attracted the writers and other tourists into the country were the traditions and culture of the Ghanaian people, which were seen in chieftancy, historical narration, songs, dances, clothing, notably kente and fugu, leatherware, carvings, beads and variety of food, among others.
In the company of a senior tour guide, Mr Kwaku Passah, and some local journalists, the travel writers had the opportunity to visit the Kakum National Park, the Cape Coast and Elmina castles, all in the Central Region; the Asantehene’s Palace where they had the opportunity to visit the Royal Museum and sat in a meeting of some chiefs and elders presided over by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace.
Other areas they visited were the Ahwiaa Craft Centre, Ntonso, Adanwomase and Bonwire kente and Adinkra production communities, all in the Ashanti Region, to witness wood carving, kuntunkuni designing (local dyeing industry) and also kente weaving.
In the Eastern Region, the travel writers visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Tafo, the Bunso Arboretum and the Okyehene’s Palace where they met some chiefs and queens.
In all those areas, tourism officials and the local people talked to them about those attractions.
The purpose of the World Tourism Day Celebrations, which is supported by the UN, is to create awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and to showcase its effects on social, cultural, political and economic values world-wide.
25 slums in Accra
A REPORT by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has stated that there are more than 25 slum communities in Accra alone.
The report revealed that residents of slum communities rarely had security of tenure, which placed them at constant risk of forcible eviction.
This was contained in a statement by Amnesty International Ghana as a prelude to the launch of the “Demand for Dignity Campaign” on World Habitat Day scheduled for October 5, 2009.
World Habitat Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of October each year, is designated by the United Nations (UN) to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic human rights to adequate housing.
The statement, which was signed by the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Mr Lawrence Amenu, said, “Slum neighbourhoods are also, like all urban communities, places where residents live, work, eat, sleep and raise their children and they deserve dignity.”
It noted that those neighbourhoods shared common characteristics such as inadequate housing, sanitation and drainage, poor water and electricity services, overcrowding, as well as high levels of violence.
“Without adequate housing, employment is difficult to secure and maintain, physical and mental health is threatened, education is impeded, violence is more easily perpetuated, privacy is impaired and relationships are strained,” it stressed.
Amnesty International said under the right to adequate housing, everyone should have a degree of security of tenure, protecting him or her from forced eviction, harassment and other threats.
The statement pointed out that globally, more than one billion people lacked adequate housing, while more than 100 million were homeless.
“Housing should be accessible to all, including the poor, and priority should be given to the most vulnerable,” it pointed out.
The report revealed that residents of slum communities rarely had security of tenure, which placed them at constant risk of forcible eviction.
This was contained in a statement by Amnesty International Ghana as a prelude to the launch of the “Demand for Dignity Campaign” on World Habitat Day scheduled for October 5, 2009.
World Habitat Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of October each year, is designated by the United Nations (UN) to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic human rights to adequate housing.
The statement, which was signed by the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Mr Lawrence Amenu, said, “Slum neighbourhoods are also, like all urban communities, places where residents live, work, eat, sleep and raise their children and they deserve dignity.”
It noted that those neighbourhoods shared common characteristics such as inadequate housing, sanitation and drainage, poor water and electricity services, overcrowding, as well as high levels of violence.
“Without adequate housing, employment is difficult to secure and maintain, physical and mental health is threatened, education is impeded, violence is more easily perpetuated, privacy is impaired and relationships are strained,” it stressed.
Amnesty International said under the right to adequate housing, everyone should have a degree of security of tenure, protecting him or her from forced eviction, harassment and other threats.
The statement pointed out that globally, more than one billion people lacked adequate housing, while more than 100 million were homeless.
“Housing should be accessible to all, including the poor, and priority should be given to the most vulnerable,” it pointed out.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Central Region opens door to tourists (September 25, 2009)
THE Central Region last Wednesday opened its vast tourism potentials to international journalists from the U.S., the UK, Italy, Canada, Russia, Netherlands, Spain and Germany who are participating in the World Tourism Day in Ghana.
At a reception organised by the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) for the group and a number of local journalists in Cape Coast, the Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, took advantage of Ghana's position as the host of this year's World Tourism Day celebrations to sell the region to the world.
"As you come to our region, we are ready to assist you to enjoy and, if you wish, invest in it.”
The celebration is on the theme, "Tourism Celebrating Diversity".
The week-long event was launched in Accra on September 22, 2009 ahead of September 27, which is the actual date designated by the UNWTO for the celebration of tourism globally.
The journalists visited the Central Region, to see the tourist and investment potentials there.
Addressing the visitors, Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said apart from forts, castles, the Kakum National Park and beaches which serve as tourist attractions in the Central Region, all the 17 districts in the region had investment potentials in the vast land which could be used for palm, coconut, citrus, pineapple, cocoa and teak plantations.
For his part, the acting Executive Director of the Central Regional Development Commission (CEDECOM), Mr Spencer Fancis Taylor, described the region as the heart beat of tourism in Ghana.
He also urged tourists and investors to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the region and do business with the people.
Mr Taylor said in addition to agriculture, investors were welcome to invest in salt production, fish storage and processing and preservation of fruits and vegetables.
He noted that roads leading to the region were among the best in the country, adding that good telecommunications system, electricity and water were also available.
The Executive Director stated that the commission had a one-stop investment centre where potential investors were assisted to acquire land and also get all the necessary documentations prepared.
Mr Taylor also pointed out that being the only region with a Development Commission (CEDE-com), the region was prepared to facilitate investment processes at a reduced cost and make business in the region easier.
Mr Taylor described the Central Region as Prez Obama's preferred tourism destination and urged the visiting journalists to help sell it to the outside world.
On behalf of the RCC, Mrs Benyiwa Doe presented Kente to each of the visiting journalists, staff of the Ministry of Tourism and the tourist guide who accompanied the team.
Present at the reception was the Ghana National Fire Service Band in Cape Coast, which provided music.
At a reception organised by the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) for the group and a number of local journalists in Cape Coast, the Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, took advantage of Ghana's position as the host of this year's World Tourism Day celebrations to sell the region to the world.
"As you come to our region, we are ready to assist you to enjoy and, if you wish, invest in it.”
The celebration is on the theme, "Tourism Celebrating Diversity".
The week-long event was launched in Accra on September 22, 2009 ahead of September 27, which is the actual date designated by the UNWTO for the celebration of tourism globally.
The journalists visited the Central Region, to see the tourist and investment potentials there.
Addressing the visitors, Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said apart from forts, castles, the Kakum National Park and beaches which serve as tourist attractions in the Central Region, all the 17 districts in the region had investment potentials in the vast land which could be used for palm, coconut, citrus, pineapple, cocoa and teak plantations.
For his part, the acting Executive Director of the Central Regional Development Commission (CEDECOM), Mr Spencer Fancis Taylor, described the region as the heart beat of tourism in Ghana.
He also urged tourists and investors to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the region and do business with the people.
Mr Taylor said in addition to agriculture, investors were welcome to invest in salt production, fish storage and processing and preservation of fruits and vegetables.
He noted that roads leading to the region were among the best in the country, adding that good telecommunications system, electricity and water were also available.
The Executive Director stated that the commission had a one-stop investment centre where potential investors were assisted to acquire land and also get all the necessary documentations prepared.
Mr Taylor also pointed out that being the only region with a Development Commission (CEDE-com), the region was prepared to facilitate investment processes at a reduced cost and make business in the region easier.
Mr Taylor described the Central Region as Prez Obama's preferred tourism destination and urged the visiting journalists to help sell it to the outside world.
On behalf of the RCC, Mrs Benyiwa Doe presented Kente to each of the visiting journalists, staff of the Ministry of Tourism and the tourist guide who accompanied the team.
Present at the reception was the Ghana National Fire Service Band in Cape Coast, which provided music.
Expand School Feeding programme-Urges Amoako Tuffuor (September, 25, 2009
THE former National Co-ordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor, has stressed the need to expand the GSFP to benefit more children instead of wasting time to fight over who has the right or not to cook for the children.
He said there were about three times more schools and children to benefit under the programme, while all those involved stood to gain, if the programme was expanded.
Dr Amoako Tuffuor, who was reacting to the recent controversy surrounding the GSFP, condemned the politicisation of the GSFP and said the programme was about Ghanaian children who needed to be fed to enable them to concentrate on their education and not about politics.
He emphasised that attacking existing caterers or fighting with each other was not the solution, adding that the solution to the issue rested with Ghanaians and the efforts to expand the programme to take care of more schools without hurting the children.
Dr Amoako Tuffuor advised against the politicisation of the programme, stressing that “NDC and NPP children who go to school do not go to school in party colours. They are being fed because they are citizens of the country”.
He took the opportunity to appeal to President J.E.A. Mills to put together a team to solve the problems confronting the programme to ensure its sustenance.
Dr Tuffuor pointed out that it was unfortunate that some people were associating politics with the programme, which everybody agrees is good for the children, and said he was equally amazed about the hatred from people, stressing that the attacks and vilification were totally unacceptable.
He said the controversy was about people not recognising the role the school feeding programme was playing in the country’s socio-economic development.
Elaborating the importance of the programme, he said the GSFP was to provide the children with good nutrition and to help promote their health, increase school attendance and help poor parents to save some money.
He noted that with the programme in place, farmers benefited when their foodstuffs were bought for the meals, a situation Dr Tuffuor said could serve as incentive to the farmers to cultivate more crops.
Dr Tuffuor said it would be suicidal for the government to cancel the programme, for the children would be denied their alienable right to food.
“Why should politics divide us on important issues of nation building?” he queried. The former co-ordinator however complained that in spite of all the contributions he made in the programme, it was amazing that he had been publicly vilified and undermined for different reasons, especially for poor management and financial malfeasance.
“These were absolute lies and politically motivated”, he stressed, adding that he managed the GSFP so successfully that within two years the programme had become the best in Africa and the government audit service had fully exonerated and vindicated him from all financial malpractices.
He noted that he was personally committed to children and ready to fight against hunger and poverty, especially among children, and would, therefore, not do anyting to hurt them.
He said there were about three times more schools and children to benefit under the programme, while all those involved stood to gain, if the programme was expanded.
Dr Amoako Tuffuor, who was reacting to the recent controversy surrounding the GSFP, condemned the politicisation of the GSFP and said the programme was about Ghanaian children who needed to be fed to enable them to concentrate on their education and not about politics.
He emphasised that attacking existing caterers or fighting with each other was not the solution, adding that the solution to the issue rested with Ghanaians and the efforts to expand the programme to take care of more schools without hurting the children.
Dr Amoako Tuffuor advised against the politicisation of the programme, stressing that “NDC and NPP children who go to school do not go to school in party colours. They are being fed because they are citizens of the country”.
He took the opportunity to appeal to President J.E.A. Mills to put together a team to solve the problems confronting the programme to ensure its sustenance.
Dr Tuffuor pointed out that it was unfortunate that some people were associating politics with the programme, which everybody agrees is good for the children, and said he was equally amazed about the hatred from people, stressing that the attacks and vilification were totally unacceptable.
He said the controversy was about people not recognising the role the school feeding programme was playing in the country’s socio-economic development.
Elaborating the importance of the programme, he said the GSFP was to provide the children with good nutrition and to help promote their health, increase school attendance and help poor parents to save some money.
He noted that with the programme in place, farmers benefited when their foodstuffs were bought for the meals, a situation Dr Tuffuor said could serve as incentive to the farmers to cultivate more crops.
Dr Tuffuor said it would be suicidal for the government to cancel the programme, for the children would be denied their alienable right to food.
“Why should politics divide us on important issues of nation building?” he queried. The former co-ordinator however complained that in spite of all the contributions he made in the programme, it was amazing that he had been publicly vilified and undermined for different reasons, especially for poor management and financial malfeasance.
“These were absolute lies and politically motivated”, he stressed, adding that he managed the GSFP so successfully that within two years the programme had become the best in Africa and the government audit service had fully exonerated and vindicated him from all financial malpractices.
He noted that he was personally committed to children and ready to fight against hunger and poverty, especially among children, and would, therefore, not do anyting to hurt them.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Akwaaba! 50 countries coming for World Tourism Day (Front Page)
THE prevailing excitement and euphoria characterising the centenary celebration of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, will earn a further boost today with the ushering in of a programme to project Ghana as host of this year’s World Tourism Day.
Being held on the theme, "Tourism, Celebrating Diversity" Ghana will be at the centre of the tourism world between now and Sunday, at a time the country also celebrates the life of Africa’s foremost revolutionary, Dr Nkrumah.
The world tourism celebration is expected to attract delegates from more than 50 countries worldwide. And according to the United Nations, the celebration is to create the awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and showcase its effect on social, cultural, political, and economic values worldwide.
A release from the Ministry of Tourism in Accra indicated that already in the country were 11 world renowned travel writers which include international journalists and broadcasting experts, editors, photographers and reporters from major travel industry publications, as well as freelance writers.
They are said to represent publications in renowned world tourism destinations such as Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, Italy, Holland and Canada.
Among activities planned to celebrate this special occasion are an exhibition for tourism industry players, which include hotels, tourism attraction sites, incentive travel organisers, travel and tour operators, cruise ship organisers and special event promoters. The events will take place at the Accra International Conference Centre between Tuesday, September 22 to September 27, 2009.
There will also be a gastronomy fair to promote indigenous Ghanaian cuisine on Friday, September 25, 2009 and an official Cocoa Trail to Tetteh Quarshie's original farm through the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo to the Bunso arboretum to afford delegates the opportunity of knowing the origins and the economic significance of cocoa to Ghana and the world.
As part of the celebration, a tourism conference, a communication conference and a think tank forum on the theme, "Tourism, celebrating diversity" will be organised to highlight the variety which is at the very centre of the tourism industry.
Panellists at the think tank will be selected from representatives of National Tourism Administrators, national and local governments, accommodation providers, educational institutions, district assemblies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media.
Other than adding perspective to the role of globalisation in balancing tourism influx and environmental and cultural sustainability, this year’s theme also aims to shed light on the most human side of the industry — its capacity to build understanding, foster social inclusion, and promote higher standards of living.
Meanwhile, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Dr Taleb Rifai, underscores tourism’s potential as a reliable job creator and contributor to wealth.
“There is increasing awareness of tourism’s role as a productive activity and its undisputed potential to generate employment, income, and other benefits whether directly or through induced effects in the economy. Tourism is a global industry and as such has a responsibility to make positive contributions worldwide.”
World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on September 27. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contributions the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.
Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27. This date was chosen, since it was that day in 1970 that the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
At its Twelfth Session in Istanbul, Turkey, in October of 1997, the UNWTO General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to act as the Organisation’s partner in the celebration of World Tourism Day.
At its Fifteenth Session in Beijing, China, in October of 2003, the Assembly decided the following geographic order to be followed for World Tourism Day celebrations: 2006 in Europe; 2007 in South Asia; 2008 in the Americas and 2009 in Africa.
Being held on the theme, "Tourism, Celebrating Diversity" Ghana will be at the centre of the tourism world between now and Sunday, at a time the country also celebrates the life of Africa’s foremost revolutionary, Dr Nkrumah.
The world tourism celebration is expected to attract delegates from more than 50 countries worldwide. And according to the United Nations, the celebration is to create the awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and showcase its effect on social, cultural, political, and economic values worldwide.
A release from the Ministry of Tourism in Accra indicated that already in the country were 11 world renowned travel writers which include international journalists and broadcasting experts, editors, photographers and reporters from major travel industry publications, as well as freelance writers.
They are said to represent publications in renowned world tourism destinations such as Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, Italy, Holland and Canada.
Among activities planned to celebrate this special occasion are an exhibition for tourism industry players, which include hotels, tourism attraction sites, incentive travel organisers, travel and tour operators, cruise ship organisers and special event promoters. The events will take place at the Accra International Conference Centre between Tuesday, September 22 to September 27, 2009.
There will also be a gastronomy fair to promote indigenous Ghanaian cuisine on Friday, September 25, 2009 and an official Cocoa Trail to Tetteh Quarshie's original farm through the Cocoa Research Institute at Tafo to the Bunso arboretum to afford delegates the opportunity of knowing the origins and the economic significance of cocoa to Ghana and the world.
As part of the celebration, a tourism conference, a communication conference and a think tank forum on the theme, "Tourism, celebrating diversity" will be organised to highlight the variety which is at the very centre of the tourism industry.
Panellists at the think tank will be selected from representatives of National Tourism Administrators, national and local governments, accommodation providers, educational institutions, district assemblies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media.
Other than adding perspective to the role of globalisation in balancing tourism influx and environmental and cultural sustainability, this year’s theme also aims to shed light on the most human side of the industry — its capacity to build understanding, foster social inclusion, and promote higher standards of living.
Meanwhile, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Dr Taleb Rifai, underscores tourism’s potential as a reliable job creator and contributor to wealth.
“There is increasing awareness of tourism’s role as a productive activity and its undisputed potential to generate employment, income, and other benefits whether directly or through induced effects in the economy. Tourism is a global industry and as such has a responsibility to make positive contributions worldwide.”
World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on September 27. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to highlight the contributions the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.
Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27. This date was chosen, since it was that day in 1970 that the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
At its Twelfth Session in Istanbul, Turkey, in October of 1997, the UNWTO General Assembly decided to designate a host country each year to act as the Organisation’s partner in the celebration of World Tourism Day.
At its Fifteenth Session in Beijing, China, in October of 2003, the Assembly decided the following geographic order to be followed for World Tourism Day celebrations: 2006 in Europe; 2007 in South Asia; 2008 in the Americas and 2009 in Africa.
13 cases of H1N1 influenza recorded
CASES of H1N1 influenza in Ghana have increased gradually from the initial two patients recorded on August 6, this year, to 13 currently.
Fortunately, no deaths have so far been recorded but health professionals have cautioned against complacency and advised that precautionary measures should be taken seriously to prevent an outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
While 10 of the victims have been treated and cleared of the presence of any virus, the last three are undergoing treatment at home.
Addressing heads and teachers of both private and public schools at the basic level in the Greater Accra Region, the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Joseph Amankwah, said schools were considered a high-risk area because of the large numbers of people involved. For that reason, he said all efforts must be made to prevent the disease.
The one-day programme which had the theme "Institutional preparedness to mitigate the impact of the pandemic influenza (H1N1) outbreaks in schools", was organised by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) with support from the UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Dr Amankwah said in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Health had made adequate preparations to handle additional cases, should they occur, it was important for Ghanaians to follow all the necessary guidelines made available by health personnel to protect themselves against any infection.
Dr Amankwah announced that in addition to the needed logistics made available to the Noguchi Memorial Institute into Medical Research (NMIMR) to effectively test samples from any hospital in the country, the GHS had about 400,000 capsules of the recommended drug for the treatment of the disease.
The Director of Public Health said unlike other known pandemics which usually affected children under five and adults above 65 globally, the new influenza seemed to affect persons between 15 and 45 who belonged to the productive age.
A representative of the Ministry of Education, Mr Victor Kofi Mantey acknowledged the role of schools in the prevention of an outbreak of the pandemic in Ghana, and explained that teachers were being e trained on the emergency preparedness plan for educational institutions.
Mr Mantey, who is the Director of Teacher Education, appealed to heads of schools to plan and ensure that the teaching and learning process continued even if some teachers or pupils were infected and had to stay at home.
He went ahead to talk about the signs and symptoms of the influenza and also how people could protect themselves from being infected.
He mentioned hand washing and respiratory etiquette as well as early treatment as some of the measures one could take to stay safe from the virus.
The National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the organisation would continue to help in the education of the public but not wait till the situation got out of hand.
The chairperson for the function, Mrs Ellen Mensah who is also an educationalist, said there were more than six million schoolchildren in both the public and private basic schools, including the kindergarten who had to be protected from the pandemic.
She appealed to the participants to take the training programme seriously to enable them identify the symptoms of the disease, should any pupil suffer from it to ensure early treatment.
Fortunately, no deaths have so far been recorded but health professionals have cautioned against complacency and advised that precautionary measures should be taken seriously to prevent an outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
While 10 of the victims have been treated and cleared of the presence of any virus, the last three are undergoing treatment at home.
Addressing heads and teachers of both private and public schools at the basic level in the Greater Accra Region, the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Joseph Amankwah, said schools were considered a high-risk area because of the large numbers of people involved. For that reason, he said all efforts must be made to prevent the disease.
The one-day programme which had the theme "Institutional preparedness to mitigate the impact of the pandemic influenza (H1N1) outbreaks in schools", was organised by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) with support from the UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Dr Amankwah said in spite of the fact that the Ministry of Health had made adequate preparations to handle additional cases, should they occur, it was important for Ghanaians to follow all the necessary guidelines made available by health personnel to protect themselves against any infection.
Dr Amankwah announced that in addition to the needed logistics made available to the Noguchi Memorial Institute into Medical Research (NMIMR) to effectively test samples from any hospital in the country, the GHS had about 400,000 capsules of the recommended drug for the treatment of the disease.
The Director of Public Health said unlike other known pandemics which usually affected children under five and adults above 65 globally, the new influenza seemed to affect persons between 15 and 45 who belonged to the productive age.
A representative of the Ministry of Education, Mr Victor Kofi Mantey acknowledged the role of schools in the prevention of an outbreak of the pandemic in Ghana, and explained that teachers were being e trained on the emergency preparedness plan for educational institutions.
Mr Mantey, who is the Director of Teacher Education, appealed to heads of schools to plan and ensure that the teaching and learning process continued even if some teachers or pupils were infected and had to stay at home.
He went ahead to talk about the signs and symptoms of the influenza and also how people could protect themselves from being infected.
He mentioned hand washing and respiratory etiquette as well as early treatment as some of the measures one could take to stay safe from the virus.
The National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Kofi Portuphy, said the organisation would continue to help in the education of the public but not wait till the situation got out of hand.
The chairperson for the function, Mrs Ellen Mensah who is also an educationalist, said there were more than six million schoolchildren in both the public and private basic schools, including the kindergarten who had to be protected from the pandemic.
She appealed to the participants to take the training programme seriously to enable them identify the symptoms of the disease, should any pupil suffer from it to ensure early treatment.
MoH to regularise foreign voluntary medical service (Monday, Sept 21, 2009)
THE Ministry of Health (MoH) is to establish a Foreign Voluntary Medical Service Department to regularise the activities of visiting medical teams into the country.
In addition, the ministry would develop a register of all Ghanaians as well as non-Ghanaian medical doctors resident in the US who would like to work in Ghana to enable the ministry facilitate their entry and operations when the time comes.
This was announced by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, in Accra last Thursday, at a meeting with a team of health professionals from Kybele Education, a non-profit making organisation, based in the US, which collaborates with health sectors in developing countries on issues relating to maternal health.
The team, which has established partnership with mainly the Ridge Hospital in Accra for years, is currently in the country with 20 of its members to continue with that collaborative effort and also extend it to the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani for the next couple of weeks.
To facilitate the work of medical visiting teams in the future, Dr Yankey has asked the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) to shorten the period the teams went through to get certification to enable them work here.
He also requested the council to scrap the $400 registration fee paid by a visiting medical team, since it was Ghana that benefited from services provided by such visits.
Explaining the rationale behind the establishment of the Foreign Voluntary Medical Service Department, the minister said it would regularise and institutionalise contributions made by visiting medical teams to the country's health delivery system.
Dr Yankey said to enable the country continue to benefit from the "brain gain" it was enjoying, the ministry would develop a register of all Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian medical doctors resident in the US who would like to work in Ghana.
He said the attempt was part of the Government's desire to make Ghana the number one medical hub of Africa, since the country would benefit from a wide range of expertise during such visits.
Addressing the team, the Health Minister said, "We will wish that some of your members with expertise and specialities which we do not currently have here will make these available to us, and as we move our programme forward, we will need the services of these specialists to support our medical doctors and other health workers undertake scheduled surgical procedures.”
In her presentation, Dr Medge Owen, who is the President of Kybele Education, said her organisation's collaboration with the Ridge Hospital over the years had helped to improve operations of the hospital significantly.
She said the various interventions introduced because of the partnership had helped to reduce maternal mortality rate by 20 per cent and also the incidence of stillbirth by 30 per cent.
She stated that the assistance came in the area of training in relieving labour, improved delivery rooms, creation of strategic plans, ultrasound training programmes, equipment servicing, nurse anaesthetic training as well as computerised record system among many other programmes.
For his part, Dr Yemi Olufolabi of the Duke University, Anaesthesia Department, North Carolina, US, talked about that introduction at the Ridge Hospital, a method which allowed women to undergo Caesarian section without being put to sleep.
He commended the Ghanaian health authorities for providing all the needed assistance to the team as well as the collaborative work provided by the local professionals which had so far helped the visitors to perform successfully.
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, expressed his gratitude to the visiting medical professionals, and expressed hope that the collaborative efforts would continue and extend to other health facilities.
In addition, the ministry would develop a register of all Ghanaians as well as non-Ghanaian medical doctors resident in the US who would like to work in Ghana to enable the ministry facilitate their entry and operations when the time comes.
This was announced by the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, in Accra last Thursday, at a meeting with a team of health professionals from Kybele Education, a non-profit making organisation, based in the US, which collaborates with health sectors in developing countries on issues relating to maternal health.
The team, which has established partnership with mainly the Ridge Hospital in Accra for years, is currently in the country with 20 of its members to continue with that collaborative effort and also extend it to the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani for the next couple of weeks.
To facilitate the work of medical visiting teams in the future, Dr Yankey has asked the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) to shorten the period the teams went through to get certification to enable them work here.
He also requested the council to scrap the $400 registration fee paid by a visiting medical team, since it was Ghana that benefited from services provided by such visits.
Explaining the rationale behind the establishment of the Foreign Voluntary Medical Service Department, the minister said it would regularise and institutionalise contributions made by visiting medical teams to the country's health delivery system.
Dr Yankey said to enable the country continue to benefit from the "brain gain" it was enjoying, the ministry would develop a register of all Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian medical doctors resident in the US who would like to work in Ghana.
He said the attempt was part of the Government's desire to make Ghana the number one medical hub of Africa, since the country would benefit from a wide range of expertise during such visits.
Addressing the team, the Health Minister said, "We will wish that some of your members with expertise and specialities which we do not currently have here will make these available to us, and as we move our programme forward, we will need the services of these specialists to support our medical doctors and other health workers undertake scheduled surgical procedures.”
In her presentation, Dr Medge Owen, who is the President of Kybele Education, said her organisation's collaboration with the Ridge Hospital over the years had helped to improve operations of the hospital significantly.
She said the various interventions introduced because of the partnership had helped to reduce maternal mortality rate by 20 per cent and also the incidence of stillbirth by 30 per cent.
She stated that the assistance came in the area of training in relieving labour, improved delivery rooms, creation of strategic plans, ultrasound training programmes, equipment servicing, nurse anaesthetic training as well as computerised record system among many other programmes.
For his part, Dr Yemi Olufolabi of the Duke University, Anaesthesia Department, North Carolina, US, talked about that introduction at the Ridge Hospital, a method which allowed women to undergo Caesarian section without being put to sleep.
He commended the Ghanaian health authorities for providing all the needed assistance to the team as well as the collaborative work provided by the local professionals which had so far helped the visitors to perform successfully.
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, expressed his gratitude to the visiting medical professionals, and expressed hope that the collaborative efforts would continue and extend to other health facilities.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Fathia: The rock of the Nkrumah family (Page 20)
“It was not meant to be a marriage made in heaven. It was a political union between Mediterranean-oriented North Africa and the rest of the continent, often pejoratively termed sub-Saharan or Black Africa. Yet Fathia Nkrumah’s life story is a modern fable representative of a certain era. For fleeting moments in the late '50s and early '60s, it captured the public imagination throughout Africa. The young Egyptian woman who left her country to marry the most illustrious African anti-colonial leader of his time was inevitably invested with iconic qualities,” this was contained in a profile of Madam Fathia Nkrumah by her eldest son, Gamal Nkrumah (Source: Al-Ahram Weekly. 14 - 20 September 2000)
Fathia Nkrumah, born Fathia Rizk in 1932, was the wife of the First President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Fathia was born and brought up in Zeitoun, Egypt, the third daughter of a civil servant and a diminutive but iron-willed woman who raised her children single-handedly after her husband's untimely death.
After completing her secondary education, Fathia worked as a teacher in her school, Notre Dame des Apôtres. Teaching did not appeal to her, however, and she took a job in a bank. Then opportunity knocked, in the person of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Reports indicated the first born of Fathia’s mother had left Egypt with his English bride and so when Nkrumah proposed, the old lady was reluctant to see another of her children marry a foreigner and leave the country. Fathia had to convince her old mother that Nkrumah was an anti-colonial hero, like Nasser. Yet the old lady did not relent: She refused to speak to Fathia or bless the marriage.
Fathia’s marriage was full of uncertainties. In her profile refereed to earlier, Gamal was quoted as saying that: “The new bride, who had cut herself off from her family and country by marrying Nkrumah, was isolated in more ways than one. She spoke little English, while her groom spoke neither Arabic nor French. Within three months, however, her tenacity had served her well, and she was able to deliver speeches in English, Ghana's official language.”
Genuinely fond of her new adopted home, Ghana’s first First Lady rarely yearned for Egypt. She was said to be happy to escape the suffocatingly conservative culture she grew up in and happily embraced the rich vibrancy of Ghanaian culture. In fact she was said to be amazed at the fierce independence of Ghanaian women.
They liked her in return; the powerful "market women" who controlled the textile trade even named a traditional Kente cloth design after her, called Fathia fata Nkrumah, translated into English thus, "Fathia deserves Nkrumah".
Against her family's wishes, then, she embarked on a journey deep into the colonial Africa of the late 1950s. Only her uncle agreed to accompany her on the long journey to newly independent Ghana. For a month before the wedding, the young bride could not sleep a wink. She had been summoned by President Nasser, who asked her if she was sure that she wanted to accept Nkrumah's proposal of marriage. Marrying a head of state of the first African country to achieve independence from British rule, in fact, entailed duties and responsibilities, sacrifices and potential risks.
Having heard the president's warning, Fathia replied promptly: "I would like to go and marry this anti-colonial leader. I read his autobiography, I know of his trials and tribulations, of his struggles during his student days in America and Britain, and of his spearheading the anti-colonial struggle upon his return to his homeland. I am deeply impressed." Only her family stood in the way, she informed Nasser. She had little idea of the challenges that lay ahead.
It was late December and Cairo was experiencing an exceptionally cold winter. Khartoum, the first stop on her journey, was very hot, unbearably so. She spent the night there with her uncle and the next morning headed west, stopping over in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, before landing in Accra.
The bride-to-be reacted to the tropical climate in a decidedly unromantic way: with swollen feet and a heat rash that turned her pale skin screaming scarlet. A doctor was summoned. "What's wrong with her?" the prospective groom demanded. The doctor reassured him and the wedding went ahead. Not one to waste time, Nkrumah married Fathia the evening of her arrival in Ghana: New Year's Eve, 1957-1958.
Few were told about the marriage plans. Even Nkrumah’s secretary was taken by surprise when she heard the news on the radio. The ceremony was a very simple affair, which came as a shock to an Egyptian bride who expected an ostentatious marriage ceremony befitting a head of state.
It was to be the first of many such cultural shocks. A handful of ministers and Nkrumah’s mother, Nyaneba, were present. It was a simple ceremony, a civil marriage, since Nkrumah refused religious rites.
At first, many Ghanaian women did not take kindly to the idea of Kwame Nkrumah marrying a foreigner. The militant women's league of the ruling Convention People's Party (CPP) was especially disappointed that the national hero had married a "white woman", even though Nkrumah was said to have explained to them that his bride was an African despite her fair skin.
Christianborg Castle, renamed Osu Castle after independence, was at the time the seat of government and Nkrumah's official residence. It was also to be Fathia’s home for the next five years. Both sons of Fathia: Gamal and Sekou, were born in Christianborg, while the only daughter, Samia, was born in Aburi, a beautiful mountain retreat some 30km north of Accra.
Fathia was said to have loved the cool and refreshing mountain air at Aburi and it was her favourite escape from her official duties as First Lady.
Much of Fathia’s experience in Ghana first lay behind the Castle walls, and later within the confines of the presidential palace, Flagstaff House. Presidential life was far from idyllic as her daily routine was frequently punctuated with nerve-wracking assassination attempts on her husband. In all these, Fathia was said to be always poised and calm in such situations.
In August 1962, Nkrumah, who was away in northern Ghana, had a hand grenade hurled at him at close range. It missed him, but killed a small girl who was offering him a bouquet of flowers. Nkrumah had to be hospitalised for two weeks for his deep shrapnel wounds.
In the days of Fathia, women ambassadors were a rarity and, by virtue of the political nature of her marriage, she became an unofficial envoy of Ghana. She mingled with African and world leaders, playing hostess to Charles de Gaulle, Haile Sellassie, Chou En-Lai and Nikita Khruschev. She had the honour of being the only Egyptian woman to dance with the Duke of Edinburgh when he accompanied Queen Elizabeth II on an official visit to Ghana in 1962.
She understood what part she was to play when she stepped on stage, and she also learned how to come to terms with life behind the last curtain.
Fathia Nkrumah was a very young wife and mother of three very young children when her husband was overthrown in Ghana's first successful military coup d'état on February 24, 1966. She had to take her children to Cairo, Egypt to be raised there while her husband went to exile.
A new chapter in Fathia's life opened after her husband, President Nkrumah, was overthrown. After six years of raising her three children virtually single-handedly, she learned of her husband’s death on April 28, 1972.
A lot of things happened in her life after Nkrumah’s death. He was earlier buried in Guinea where his body was exhumed and returned to Ghana on July 7, 1972, more than two months after his death. An Air Guinea aircraft landed in Accra with Nkrumah's coffin and widow aboard. After a brief stopover, the sad party travelled to Nkrumah's burial at Nkroful, his birthplace in western Ghana where Nkrumah’s mother, Nyaneba, then well into her 90s, waited patiently for her son. Madam Nyaneba passed away seven years later in Fathia’s arms, aged 102. Fathia could not live in Ghana after this incident.
It was an emotional event when she visited Ghana in 1997 to attend the celebrations held to mark 40 years of Ghana’s independence. Together with Gamal, they visited the marble mausoleum at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, built in President Nkrumah’s honour by the Chinese. The two, mother and son, stood before a statue of Nkrumah inscribed with the Convention People’s Party (CCP) slogan, “Forward Ever” at the spot where Nkrumah declared independence on March 6, 1957.
Madam Fathia Nkrumah, the widow of the late President Nkrumah, died at age 75, in May 31, 2007. She suffered from stroke and died at the Badrawy Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. One of the sons of Madam Fathia, Mr Sekou Nkrumah, told Joy News shortly after her death that although his mother’s death was sad to hear, it was something the family expected due to the complicated nature of the illness.
Fathia was first laid to rest at the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church in Cairo (reputed to be the oldest Church in the world) where the solemn service was held but was later buried at the Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, Ghana beside her late husband, whose birthday Ghana and the rest of Africa celebrate on September 21, 2009.
Fathia Nkrumah is remembered by many as the woman who against all odds, stood by her husband to pursue the vision of spearheading the fight to liberate Africa.
.
Fathia Nkrumah, born Fathia Rizk in 1932, was the wife of the First President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Fathia was born and brought up in Zeitoun, Egypt, the third daughter of a civil servant and a diminutive but iron-willed woman who raised her children single-handedly after her husband's untimely death.
After completing her secondary education, Fathia worked as a teacher in her school, Notre Dame des Apôtres. Teaching did not appeal to her, however, and she took a job in a bank. Then opportunity knocked, in the person of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Reports indicated the first born of Fathia’s mother had left Egypt with his English bride and so when Nkrumah proposed, the old lady was reluctant to see another of her children marry a foreigner and leave the country. Fathia had to convince her old mother that Nkrumah was an anti-colonial hero, like Nasser. Yet the old lady did not relent: She refused to speak to Fathia or bless the marriage.
Fathia’s marriage was full of uncertainties. In her profile refereed to earlier, Gamal was quoted as saying that: “The new bride, who had cut herself off from her family and country by marrying Nkrumah, was isolated in more ways than one. She spoke little English, while her groom spoke neither Arabic nor French. Within three months, however, her tenacity had served her well, and she was able to deliver speeches in English, Ghana's official language.”
Genuinely fond of her new adopted home, Ghana’s first First Lady rarely yearned for Egypt. She was said to be happy to escape the suffocatingly conservative culture she grew up in and happily embraced the rich vibrancy of Ghanaian culture. In fact she was said to be amazed at the fierce independence of Ghanaian women.
They liked her in return; the powerful "market women" who controlled the textile trade even named a traditional Kente cloth design after her, called Fathia fata Nkrumah, translated into English thus, "Fathia deserves Nkrumah".
Against her family's wishes, then, she embarked on a journey deep into the colonial Africa of the late 1950s. Only her uncle agreed to accompany her on the long journey to newly independent Ghana. For a month before the wedding, the young bride could not sleep a wink. She had been summoned by President Nasser, who asked her if she was sure that she wanted to accept Nkrumah's proposal of marriage. Marrying a head of state of the first African country to achieve independence from British rule, in fact, entailed duties and responsibilities, sacrifices and potential risks.
Having heard the president's warning, Fathia replied promptly: "I would like to go and marry this anti-colonial leader. I read his autobiography, I know of his trials and tribulations, of his struggles during his student days in America and Britain, and of his spearheading the anti-colonial struggle upon his return to his homeland. I am deeply impressed." Only her family stood in the way, she informed Nasser. She had little idea of the challenges that lay ahead.
It was late December and Cairo was experiencing an exceptionally cold winter. Khartoum, the first stop on her journey, was very hot, unbearably so. She spent the night there with her uncle and the next morning headed west, stopping over in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, before landing in Accra.
The bride-to-be reacted to the tropical climate in a decidedly unromantic way: with swollen feet and a heat rash that turned her pale skin screaming scarlet. A doctor was summoned. "What's wrong with her?" the prospective groom demanded. The doctor reassured him and the wedding went ahead. Not one to waste time, Nkrumah married Fathia the evening of her arrival in Ghana: New Year's Eve, 1957-1958.
Few were told about the marriage plans. Even Nkrumah’s secretary was taken by surprise when she heard the news on the radio. The ceremony was a very simple affair, which came as a shock to an Egyptian bride who expected an ostentatious marriage ceremony befitting a head of state.
It was to be the first of many such cultural shocks. A handful of ministers and Nkrumah’s mother, Nyaneba, were present. It was a simple ceremony, a civil marriage, since Nkrumah refused religious rites.
At first, many Ghanaian women did not take kindly to the idea of Kwame Nkrumah marrying a foreigner. The militant women's league of the ruling Convention People's Party (CPP) was especially disappointed that the national hero had married a "white woman", even though Nkrumah was said to have explained to them that his bride was an African despite her fair skin.
Christianborg Castle, renamed Osu Castle after independence, was at the time the seat of government and Nkrumah's official residence. It was also to be Fathia’s home for the next five years. Both sons of Fathia: Gamal and Sekou, were born in Christianborg, while the only daughter, Samia, was born in Aburi, a beautiful mountain retreat some 30km north of Accra.
Fathia was said to have loved the cool and refreshing mountain air at Aburi and it was her favourite escape from her official duties as First Lady.
Much of Fathia’s experience in Ghana first lay behind the Castle walls, and later within the confines of the presidential palace, Flagstaff House. Presidential life was far from idyllic as her daily routine was frequently punctuated with nerve-wracking assassination attempts on her husband. In all these, Fathia was said to be always poised and calm in such situations.
In August 1962, Nkrumah, who was away in northern Ghana, had a hand grenade hurled at him at close range. It missed him, but killed a small girl who was offering him a bouquet of flowers. Nkrumah had to be hospitalised for two weeks for his deep shrapnel wounds.
In the days of Fathia, women ambassadors were a rarity and, by virtue of the political nature of her marriage, she became an unofficial envoy of Ghana. She mingled with African and world leaders, playing hostess to Charles de Gaulle, Haile Sellassie, Chou En-Lai and Nikita Khruschev. She had the honour of being the only Egyptian woman to dance with the Duke of Edinburgh when he accompanied Queen Elizabeth II on an official visit to Ghana in 1962.
She understood what part she was to play when she stepped on stage, and she also learned how to come to terms with life behind the last curtain.
Fathia Nkrumah was a very young wife and mother of three very young children when her husband was overthrown in Ghana's first successful military coup d'état on February 24, 1966. She had to take her children to Cairo, Egypt to be raised there while her husband went to exile.
A new chapter in Fathia's life opened after her husband, President Nkrumah, was overthrown. After six years of raising her three children virtually single-handedly, she learned of her husband’s death on April 28, 1972.
A lot of things happened in her life after Nkrumah’s death. He was earlier buried in Guinea where his body was exhumed and returned to Ghana on July 7, 1972, more than two months after his death. An Air Guinea aircraft landed in Accra with Nkrumah's coffin and widow aboard. After a brief stopover, the sad party travelled to Nkrumah's burial at Nkroful, his birthplace in western Ghana where Nkrumah’s mother, Nyaneba, then well into her 90s, waited patiently for her son. Madam Nyaneba passed away seven years later in Fathia’s arms, aged 102. Fathia could not live in Ghana after this incident.
It was an emotional event when she visited Ghana in 1997 to attend the celebrations held to mark 40 years of Ghana’s independence. Together with Gamal, they visited the marble mausoleum at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, built in President Nkrumah’s honour by the Chinese. The two, mother and son, stood before a statue of Nkrumah inscribed with the Convention People’s Party (CCP) slogan, “Forward Ever” at the spot where Nkrumah declared independence on March 6, 1957.
Madam Fathia Nkrumah, the widow of the late President Nkrumah, died at age 75, in May 31, 2007. She suffered from stroke and died at the Badrawy Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. One of the sons of Madam Fathia, Mr Sekou Nkrumah, told Joy News shortly after her death that although his mother’s death was sad to hear, it was something the family expected due to the complicated nature of the illness.
Fathia was first laid to rest at the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church in Cairo (reputed to be the oldest Church in the world) where the solemn service was held but was later buried at the Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, Ghana beside her late husband, whose birthday Ghana and the rest of Africa celebrate on September 21, 2009.
Fathia Nkrumah is remembered by many as the woman who against all odds, stood by her husband to pursue the vision of spearheading the fight to liberate Africa.
.
Samia: In her father's footsteps (Page 20)
SAMIA Yaba Christina Nkrumah, born on June 23, 1960, is the daughter of the first president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his Egyptian wife, Fathia Rizk.
She was born at Aburi in the Eastern Region of Ghana but was later forced to leave Ghana with her mother and two of her brothers, Gamel and Sekou, on the day of the 1966 coup which overthrew their father. They were resettled in Egypt by the Egyptian government.
Samia returned with her family in 1975 at the invitation of General Acheampong’s National Redemption Council government and attended the Achimota School. She, however, left the country again when her mother decided to return to Egypt in the early 1980s. She proceeded to London, later completing her studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in the United Kingdom, where she obtained the degree of Bachelor in Arabic Studies in 1991. She also completed a Master's degree at the same institution in 1993.
A Ghanaweb report based on an interview conducted in Rome at a press conference hosted by the Ghana Embassy in Italy to launch activities planned for the Ghana at 50 celebrations, Samia was quoted as saying that his father’s (Dr Nkrumah’s) priority was his work.
“We got to understand this at an early age. And we also understood that his life was in danger on many occasions and this necessitated a different kind of family relationship. A man who has had to endure half a dozen assassination attempts on his life, and some of them with lasting physical damage, must take certain precautions even if these included being separated from his family.”
That was when she was asked how her father, Dr Nkrumah, who was known to be a great politician mixed his political duties with family life at home.
When she was asked to say something about the family in her early years as she grew up, Samia said, “When I was younger it felt that we, Nkrumah’s immediate family, had to take second place in his life. We did not see much of our father and we did not spend much time with him.
“But as I grew, I saw that in a sense his presence with us has been constant and powerful and his influence on us has been understandably huge. I have said before that while he left us no material inheritance, he left us a rich consciousness that continues to guide us in our lives. We have a solid understanding that we Africans hold the key to solving our problems. I have no doubt that as he once said, “When Africa becomes a strong and united nation, Africans will respect themselves and everyone will respect Africans.” “When you are serving a big cause, a cause that concerns many people, you do not see a difference between the personal and the public. Personal sacrifices are not regarded as losses but as great gains because your happiness is linked to many others. That is how Nkrumah lived his life up till the very end and that is what he has transmitted to us his children”.
Samia said Nkrumah never lost sight of Ghana and never gave up on his dream and social development. To him, one could not happen without the other.
She said Nkrumah certainly wanted to get back to Ghana after the coup and never lost hope of doing so.
“If he had returned to Ghana, there would have been fundamental changes. For example, he had said that the coup had made plain that the CPP could no longer follow the old line and it had to develop and reform. At the same time, he was equally concerned with diffusing his ideas on Pan-Africanism because he was convinced that they would outlive him anyway.”
When she was asked whether Nkrumah was in contact with the family whilst in exile and also whether he mentioned anything about the coup and the people who ousted him from power, Samia said Nkrumah spoke to the family on phone on few occasions while in exile.
Recounting what actually took place during those trying moments, Samia said, “Father spoke to us on the phone on very few occasions. We corresponded on a regular, if not frequent, basis. He did not talk to us about his plans and work. Nkrumah, however, detailed all his experiences and thoughts in the various books he wrote after the coup while living in Guinea. Nkrumah wrote some 14 books on various subjects ranging from the African unity project to specific problems in certain African countries at the time, see Challenge of the Congo and Rhodesia. Many of the books were completed while he was in Guinea after 1966. In his book, Dark Days in Ghana, he talks exhaustively about the coup.
Being the daughter of Nkrumah Samia followed his footsteps and entered politics. Currently she is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Convention People's Party (CPP). In the 2008 parliamentary election, she won the Jomoro Constituency seat at her first attempt. She is also a freelance journalist.
Samia started work as a bank clerk with the London branch of the Bank of India in 1984. She then worked with the Al-Ahram newspaper as a journalist in various capacities starting from 1989.
She is one of the founders of Africa Must Unite which aims to promote Kwame Nkrumah's vision and political culture. As part of this philosophy, she decided to go into active politics in Ghana. She contested the Jomoro Constituency seat in the Western Region of Ghana and beat the incumbent Member of Parliament ( MP), Mr Lee Ocran of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with a majority of 6,571, winning about 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Samia is the second child of Kwame and Fathia Nkrumah. She has two brothers, Gorkeh Gamel and Sekou. She also has an older half-brother, Professor Francis Nkrumah, a retired lecturer and consultant paediatrician. She is married to Michele Melega, an Italian-Danish man and they have one son, Kwame.
She was born at Aburi in the Eastern Region of Ghana but was later forced to leave Ghana with her mother and two of her brothers, Gamel and Sekou, on the day of the 1966 coup which overthrew their father. They were resettled in Egypt by the Egyptian government.
Samia returned with her family in 1975 at the invitation of General Acheampong’s National Redemption Council government and attended the Achimota School. She, however, left the country again when her mother decided to return to Egypt in the early 1980s. She proceeded to London, later completing her studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in the United Kingdom, where she obtained the degree of Bachelor in Arabic Studies in 1991. She also completed a Master's degree at the same institution in 1993.
A Ghanaweb report based on an interview conducted in Rome at a press conference hosted by the Ghana Embassy in Italy to launch activities planned for the Ghana at 50 celebrations, Samia was quoted as saying that his father’s (Dr Nkrumah’s) priority was his work.
“We got to understand this at an early age. And we also understood that his life was in danger on many occasions and this necessitated a different kind of family relationship. A man who has had to endure half a dozen assassination attempts on his life, and some of them with lasting physical damage, must take certain precautions even if these included being separated from his family.”
That was when she was asked how her father, Dr Nkrumah, who was known to be a great politician mixed his political duties with family life at home.
When she was asked to say something about the family in her early years as she grew up, Samia said, “When I was younger it felt that we, Nkrumah’s immediate family, had to take second place in his life. We did not see much of our father and we did not spend much time with him.
“But as I grew, I saw that in a sense his presence with us has been constant and powerful and his influence on us has been understandably huge. I have said before that while he left us no material inheritance, he left us a rich consciousness that continues to guide us in our lives. We have a solid understanding that we Africans hold the key to solving our problems. I have no doubt that as he once said, “When Africa becomes a strong and united nation, Africans will respect themselves and everyone will respect Africans.” “When you are serving a big cause, a cause that concerns many people, you do not see a difference between the personal and the public. Personal sacrifices are not regarded as losses but as great gains because your happiness is linked to many others. That is how Nkrumah lived his life up till the very end and that is what he has transmitted to us his children”.
Samia said Nkrumah never lost sight of Ghana and never gave up on his dream and social development. To him, one could not happen without the other.
She said Nkrumah certainly wanted to get back to Ghana after the coup and never lost hope of doing so.
“If he had returned to Ghana, there would have been fundamental changes. For example, he had said that the coup had made plain that the CPP could no longer follow the old line and it had to develop and reform. At the same time, he was equally concerned with diffusing his ideas on Pan-Africanism because he was convinced that they would outlive him anyway.”
When she was asked whether Nkrumah was in contact with the family whilst in exile and also whether he mentioned anything about the coup and the people who ousted him from power, Samia said Nkrumah spoke to the family on phone on few occasions while in exile.
Recounting what actually took place during those trying moments, Samia said, “Father spoke to us on the phone on very few occasions. We corresponded on a regular, if not frequent, basis. He did not talk to us about his plans and work. Nkrumah, however, detailed all his experiences and thoughts in the various books he wrote after the coup while living in Guinea. Nkrumah wrote some 14 books on various subjects ranging from the African unity project to specific problems in certain African countries at the time, see Challenge of the Congo and Rhodesia. Many of the books were completed while he was in Guinea after 1966. In his book, Dark Days in Ghana, he talks exhaustively about the coup.
Being the daughter of Nkrumah Samia followed his footsteps and entered politics. Currently she is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Convention People's Party (CPP). In the 2008 parliamentary election, she won the Jomoro Constituency seat at her first attempt. She is also a freelance journalist.
Samia started work as a bank clerk with the London branch of the Bank of India in 1984. She then worked with the Al-Ahram newspaper as a journalist in various capacities starting from 1989.
She is one of the founders of Africa Must Unite which aims to promote Kwame Nkrumah's vision and political culture. As part of this philosophy, she decided to go into active politics in Ghana. She contested the Jomoro Constituency seat in the Western Region of Ghana and beat the incumbent Member of Parliament ( MP), Mr Lee Ocran of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with a majority of 6,571, winning about 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast.
Samia is the second child of Kwame and Fathia Nkrumah. She has two brothers, Gorkeh Gamel and Sekou. She also has an older half-brother, Professor Francis Nkrumah, a retired lecturer and consultant paediatrician. She is married to Michele Melega, an Italian-Danish man and they have one son, Kwame.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sexual, reproductive health essential for women
Sexual and reproductive health care are essential components of women’s health. For millions of women, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services were the primary point of contact with the health care system.
Integrating sexual health care (SHC) and HIV and AIDS programmes is therefore critical to increasing women’s access to HIV prevention, treatment and care which include prevention of mother to child transmission.
To provide women access to information on HIV and AIDS, the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) Ghana, organised a day’s advocacy meeting for donors, key sector ministers and their spouses and advocacy groups in Accra on Friday.
The meeting was to ensure that more women get informed about HIV and AIDS, as well as reproductive health issues to enable them to educate others.
In her presentation, the President of SWAA Ghana, Mrs Cecilia Lodonu Senoo, touching on challenges to achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, 5 and 6, which relate to reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV and AIDS.
She said 536,000 maternal deaths occurred annually world-wide, with 120 million couples having unmet needs for safe and effective contraception resulting in 80 million unwanted pregnancies.
In addition, she said 68,000 deaths occurred from unsafe abortions, and three million girls underwent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Presenting the Ghanaian picture, she said induced abortion was the second most common cause of maternal deaths in Ghana and that only 14 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 used a modern method of family planning.
Quoting from the 2008 HIV and AIDS Sentinel Survey conducted in Ghana, Mrs Senoo stated that out of an estimated number of 236,151 persons living with HIV and AIDS, 98,306 were males and 137,845 were females .
For her part, the acting Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr Angela El-Adas, said individuals who were infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, herpes or chancroids were at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV.
“Sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia and gonorrhoea increase the concentration of cells in genital secretion that can serve as targets for HIV infection”, she stressed.
Dr El-Adas added that men infected with gonorrhoea were more likely to shed HIV virus in their genital secretions than those who were HIV positive but had not contracted gonorrhoea.
She said Ghana had HIV counselling and testing coverage of 28 per cent for all pregnant women accessing ante-natal care services, and stressed that, that was drastically short of 80 per cent target for achieving universal access by 2010.
In her remarks, the President of SWAA International, Mrs Bernice Heloo, stated that SWAA was a pan-African women's organisation dedicated to women and their families in the fight against HIV and AIDS, pointing out that the organisation had supported many African countries in the area of education and advocacy.
A representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms Esi Awotwi, advised the participants to take the issue of sexual and reproductive health care seriously.
Integrating sexual health care (SHC) and HIV and AIDS programmes is therefore critical to increasing women’s access to HIV prevention, treatment and care which include prevention of mother to child transmission.
To provide women access to information on HIV and AIDS, the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) Ghana, organised a day’s advocacy meeting for donors, key sector ministers and their spouses and advocacy groups in Accra on Friday.
The meeting was to ensure that more women get informed about HIV and AIDS, as well as reproductive health issues to enable them to educate others.
In her presentation, the President of SWAA Ghana, Mrs Cecilia Lodonu Senoo, touching on challenges to achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4, 5 and 6, which relate to reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV and AIDS.
She said 536,000 maternal deaths occurred annually world-wide, with 120 million couples having unmet needs for safe and effective contraception resulting in 80 million unwanted pregnancies.
In addition, she said 68,000 deaths occurred from unsafe abortions, and three million girls underwent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Presenting the Ghanaian picture, she said induced abortion was the second most common cause of maternal deaths in Ghana and that only 14 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 used a modern method of family planning.
Quoting from the 2008 HIV and AIDS Sentinel Survey conducted in Ghana, Mrs Senoo stated that out of an estimated number of 236,151 persons living with HIV and AIDS, 98,306 were males and 137,845 were females .
For her part, the acting Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), Dr Angela El-Adas, said individuals who were infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, herpes or chancroids were at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV.
“Sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia and gonorrhoea increase the concentration of cells in genital secretion that can serve as targets for HIV infection”, she stressed.
Dr El-Adas added that men infected with gonorrhoea were more likely to shed HIV virus in their genital secretions than those who were HIV positive but had not contracted gonorrhoea.
She said Ghana had HIV counselling and testing coverage of 28 per cent for all pregnant women accessing ante-natal care services, and stressed that, that was drastically short of 80 per cent target for achieving universal access by 2010.
In her remarks, the President of SWAA International, Mrs Bernice Heloo, stated that SWAA was a pan-African women's organisation dedicated to women and their families in the fight against HIV and AIDS, pointing out that the organisation had supported many African countries in the area of education and advocacy.
A representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms Esi Awotwi, advised the participants to take the issue of sexual and reproductive health care seriously.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Government requires strong partnership-To produce results (Sat Sept 12, 2009)
GOVERNMENT requires private partnership to produce results of a growing economy, clean environment as well as strong and prosperous communities.
Specific areas where such a collaboration was needed are the building of inter-city highway, rehabilitation of the rail network, development of education facilities and provision of health and social services.
In a statement read on his behalf at the opening of the second Annual National Public Private Partnership (PPP) conference in Accra last Thursday, the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama said Government faced monumental challenges in the sourcing of adequate capital to undertake those projects.
“The traditional domestic and external borrowing impacts negatively on the country’s debt sustainability and creditworthiness. Government, therefore, has to strike a balance between debt sustainability and solving the overreaching problem of infrastructure development”, he pointed out.
The two-day conference which was on the theme: “Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Social Services and Infrastructure” has the aim of increasing and deepening participants’ understanding and awareness of the PPP concept and how it could help in the rapid execution and growth of the country’s infrastructure. It was sponsored by the World Bank.
Mr Mahama said the Government had made commitments to the people of Ghana which put its under obligation to invest in modern infrastructure and social services adding,“If we are going to make these investments, we need to rethink the traditional methods of funding projects through tax revenues, domestic borrowing, external loans, and donor support”.
“We must look beyond the box, and look to reinventing the box”, he stressed.
The Vice-President observed that to build a better Ghana with a strong economic foundation, the country needed to create a Ghanaian infrastructure advantage which he said required strategic investments in projects designed to produce results in areas of national importance.
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fiifi Kwettey, said Ghana, like other African countries faced a significant infrastructure gap, adding that the country’s current medium-term annual infrastructure gap was estimated at US$2.5 billion.
He reiterated the fact that financing the gap would required funds from a range of sources which included PPPs.
The Chairman for function, Professor Newman Kwadwo Kusi said the conference came at an appropriate time when the country needed to either devised a new approach to the problem of social services and infrastructure delivery or invite increased economic stagnation and national instability.
Prof. Kusi who is also the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, noted that the transformation of the Ghanaian economy to create jobs, generate income and reduced poverty, was the single most important challenge and stressed that underpinning that challenge was needed to provide and sustain adequate and appropriate social service infrastructure.
Specific areas where such a collaboration was needed are the building of inter-city highway, rehabilitation of the rail network, development of education facilities and provision of health and social services.
In a statement read on his behalf at the opening of the second Annual National Public Private Partnership (PPP) conference in Accra last Thursday, the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama said Government faced monumental challenges in the sourcing of adequate capital to undertake those projects.
“The traditional domestic and external borrowing impacts negatively on the country’s debt sustainability and creditworthiness. Government, therefore, has to strike a balance between debt sustainability and solving the overreaching problem of infrastructure development”, he pointed out.
The two-day conference which was on the theme: “Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Social Services and Infrastructure” has the aim of increasing and deepening participants’ understanding and awareness of the PPP concept and how it could help in the rapid execution and growth of the country’s infrastructure. It was sponsored by the World Bank.
Mr Mahama said the Government had made commitments to the people of Ghana which put its under obligation to invest in modern infrastructure and social services adding,“If we are going to make these investments, we need to rethink the traditional methods of funding projects through tax revenues, domestic borrowing, external loans, and donor support”.
“We must look beyond the box, and look to reinventing the box”, he stressed.
The Vice-President observed that to build a better Ghana with a strong economic foundation, the country needed to create a Ghanaian infrastructure advantage which he said required strategic investments in projects designed to produce results in areas of national importance.
A Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fiifi Kwettey, said Ghana, like other African countries faced a significant infrastructure gap, adding that the country’s current medium-term annual infrastructure gap was estimated at US$2.5 billion.
He reiterated the fact that financing the gap would required funds from a range of sources which included PPPs.
The Chairman for function, Professor Newman Kwadwo Kusi said the conference came at an appropriate time when the country needed to either devised a new approach to the problem of social services and infrastructure delivery or invite increased economic stagnation and national instability.
Prof. Kusi who is also the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, noted that the transformation of the Ghanaian economy to create jobs, generate income and reduced poverty, was the single most important challenge and stressed that underpinning that challenge was needed to provide and sustain adequate and appropriate social service infrastructure.
All NHIS claims to paid in November
ALL outstanding claims due service providers under the National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) will be paid by November, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Sylvester Mensah has said.
In addition, the CEO said currently, a system was being put in place to ensure that claims were paid within 30 days after their submission by the various District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes to the authority.
He explained that a technical team from The Netherlands was designing a new claims management format to ensure early payment of claims.
Mr Mensah made these known at a stakeholders meeting organised at Dodowa for service providers which comprised managers of public and private health care facilities, the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) as well as pharmacies in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Mensah said the NHIA had between January and June this year paid a total of GH¢142 million as claims to some providers throughout the country, adding that a lot more work was going on to ensure that the NHIS was sustained to continue providing quality and equal health care to all residents in Ghana.
Under the National Health Insurance Act 650 of 2003, the NHIA is a re-insurance entity. Article 76 states that “there is establishment by this Act of the National Health Insurance Fund, referred in this act as the Fund” with the objective of providing finance to subsidise the cost of provision of health care services to members of the district schemes.
Touching on the disbursement of the Fund, article 77 (2) (b) of the Act stated that it is to “reinsure district mutual health insurance schemes against random fluctuations on cost under conditions to be determined by the Council”.
The NHIA, therefore has the responsibility of going to the aid of individual DMHIS which are unable to pay their service providers from the periodic budgetary allocations given to them by the authority in addition to the premium they collect.
A Daily Graphic special feature on Saturday, September 12, 2009 indicated that reports of severe shortage of medical staff, high prices of drugs as well as late submission and payment of claims were inhibiting the smooth operations of the NHIS across the country, with the Western and Eastern regions providing, probably, the only exceptions.
As our news team gathered from the regions, while the scheme appears to be making some progress in the Western and Eastern regions, the biggest challenges are in the Volta and Northern regions as well as in some parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Answering questions from participants, Mr Mensah said a new drug list would be available by October, adding that a review team tasked to work on the list had already completed its work which was currently going through fine tuning.
He stated that since the cost of drugs alone constituted more that 60 per cent of the cost of running a scheme, care must be taken to check any anomaly which might occur.
On the issue of one-time payment of premium, he stressed that nothing could change the government’s resolve to implement that decision.
He explained that an initial report presented by the International Labour Organisation indicated that the project was feasible.
The Project Coordinator of the Health Insurance World Bank Project, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru, said there were plans to provide more computers to providers to ensure efficient data entry in the facilities.
He also explained that the free maternal care introduced in July, 2008 was part of the NHIS and urged the service providers to encourage pregnant women to register with the schemes to enable them enjoy health care services after delivery.
The Ghana Health Service Focal Person on HNIS, Mr Phillip Akanzinge, complained about the increase in incidents of severe malaria in out patients departments throughout the country.
He wondered why there such records and at the same time reports indicated that large numbers of Ghanaians had been provided with insecticide treated nets, adding that it was possible that some of the providers recorded severe malaria in order to charge high fees which went against the schemes.
In addition, the CEO said currently, a system was being put in place to ensure that claims were paid within 30 days after their submission by the various District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes to the authority.
He explained that a technical team from The Netherlands was designing a new claims management format to ensure early payment of claims.
Mr Mensah made these known at a stakeholders meeting organised at Dodowa for service providers which comprised managers of public and private health care facilities, the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) as well as pharmacies in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Mensah said the NHIA had between January and June this year paid a total of GH¢142 million as claims to some providers throughout the country, adding that a lot more work was going on to ensure that the NHIS was sustained to continue providing quality and equal health care to all residents in Ghana.
Under the National Health Insurance Act 650 of 2003, the NHIA is a re-insurance entity. Article 76 states that “there is establishment by this Act of the National Health Insurance Fund, referred in this act as the Fund” with the objective of providing finance to subsidise the cost of provision of health care services to members of the district schemes.
Touching on the disbursement of the Fund, article 77 (2) (b) of the Act stated that it is to “reinsure district mutual health insurance schemes against random fluctuations on cost under conditions to be determined by the Council”.
The NHIA, therefore has the responsibility of going to the aid of individual DMHIS which are unable to pay their service providers from the periodic budgetary allocations given to them by the authority in addition to the premium they collect.
A Daily Graphic special feature on Saturday, September 12, 2009 indicated that reports of severe shortage of medical staff, high prices of drugs as well as late submission and payment of claims were inhibiting the smooth operations of the NHIS across the country, with the Western and Eastern regions providing, probably, the only exceptions.
As our news team gathered from the regions, while the scheme appears to be making some progress in the Western and Eastern regions, the biggest challenges are in the Volta and Northern regions as well as in some parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Answering questions from participants, Mr Mensah said a new drug list would be available by October, adding that a review team tasked to work on the list had already completed its work which was currently going through fine tuning.
He stated that since the cost of drugs alone constituted more that 60 per cent of the cost of running a scheme, care must be taken to check any anomaly which might occur.
On the issue of one-time payment of premium, he stressed that nothing could change the government’s resolve to implement that decision.
He explained that an initial report presented by the International Labour Organisation indicated that the project was feasible.
The Project Coordinator of the Health Insurance World Bank Project, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru, said there were plans to provide more computers to providers to ensure efficient data entry in the facilities.
He also explained that the free maternal care introduced in July, 2008 was part of the NHIS and urged the service providers to encourage pregnant women to register with the schemes to enable them enjoy health care services after delivery.
The Ghana Health Service Focal Person on HNIS, Mr Phillip Akanzinge, complained about the increase in incidents of severe malaria in out patients departments throughout the country.
He wondered why there such records and at the same time reports indicated that large numbers of Ghanaians had been provided with insecticide treated nets, adding that it was possible that some of the providers recorded severe malaria in order to charge high fees which went against the schemes.
Good mental health care will benefit all — Chief Psychiatrist
THE Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, has urged people in position to effect changes in mental health care to do so since the general public stands to gain when there are better services.
He said since every individual stood the risk of suffering from one mental illness or another in a lifetime, there was the need for the country to put in place good services for the benefit of the people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stated.
Dr Osei made the observation when he presented a paper at a day’s workshop for journalists in Accra on the State of the Mental Health Bill in Ghana. The workshop was organised by BasicNeeds, an international non-governmental organisation(NGO) that deals with people affected with mental illness.
The Chief Psychiatrist said the passage of the bill would equip the country to put in place better treatment conditions for a disease which could affect each individual either directly or indirectly because the bill allowed the sector to be autonomous under a proposed Mental Health Authority.
He stated that mental illness was an everyday occurrence and noted that apart from the extreme form of mental disorder, which many people wrongly refereed to as madness, there were minor ones which affected people on daily basis and also needed to be treated.
He mentioned some of the cases as depression, mania, phobia (extreme fear), dementia, psychosis and schizophrenia.
He said the bill, whose drafting began in 2004, had gone through 10 different drafts and pointed out that the bill had been described as a model bill by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was waiting for its passage to use as a standard bill for other countries.
Speaking on the “Justification for Mental Health Authority”, a retired Chief Psychiatrist, Dr J.B. Asare, said the new mental bill sought to improve the care of mentally ill patients in the country and also could address human rights abuses by those who had mental patients under their care.
He stressed that the bill, when passed, would in addition address decentralisation of mental health care and cover mental health care at the community and in the spiritual and traditional setting, a situation, he pointed out, would pave the way for supervision and revision of the care practices.
Dr Asare said the bill had delayed because there was lack of interest on the part of policy makers in mental health issues and called for change of attitude since a good mental health care practice was good for every country.
A Health Management Consultant, Dr Kofi Ahmed, described mental disorder or mental illness “as a psychological or behavioural pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture”.
Based on that description, Dr Ahmed said each person could suffer from mental illness and urged all to have interest in the issue.
A representative of the Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC), Ms Maria Amanor-Akrofi, observed that people with mental disabilities experienced some of the harshest conditions of living that existed in any society.
She stated that the hardships were caused by discrimination and the absence of legal protections against improper and abusive treatment, which makes mental health a human rights concern.
The chairperson for the occasion, who is also the Director of Legal Drafting Department at the Attorney General’s Department, Mrs Estella Appiah, urged the various advocacy groups to continue to lobby policy makers to get the bill passed, since a lot of work had gone into it.
He said since every individual stood the risk of suffering from one mental illness or another in a lifetime, there was the need for the country to put in place good services for the benefit of the people.
“Mental disorders such as depression and dementia in old age are common illnesses which can affect anybody,” he stated.
Dr Osei made the observation when he presented a paper at a day’s workshop for journalists in Accra on the State of the Mental Health Bill in Ghana. The workshop was organised by BasicNeeds, an international non-governmental organisation(NGO) that deals with people affected with mental illness.
The Chief Psychiatrist said the passage of the bill would equip the country to put in place better treatment conditions for a disease which could affect each individual either directly or indirectly because the bill allowed the sector to be autonomous under a proposed Mental Health Authority.
He stated that mental illness was an everyday occurrence and noted that apart from the extreme form of mental disorder, which many people wrongly refereed to as madness, there were minor ones which affected people on daily basis and also needed to be treated.
He mentioned some of the cases as depression, mania, phobia (extreme fear), dementia, psychosis and schizophrenia.
He said the bill, whose drafting began in 2004, had gone through 10 different drafts and pointed out that the bill had been described as a model bill by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was waiting for its passage to use as a standard bill for other countries.
Speaking on the “Justification for Mental Health Authority”, a retired Chief Psychiatrist, Dr J.B. Asare, said the new mental bill sought to improve the care of mentally ill patients in the country and also could address human rights abuses by those who had mental patients under their care.
He stressed that the bill, when passed, would in addition address decentralisation of mental health care and cover mental health care at the community and in the spiritual and traditional setting, a situation, he pointed out, would pave the way for supervision and revision of the care practices.
Dr Asare said the bill had delayed because there was lack of interest on the part of policy makers in mental health issues and called for change of attitude since a good mental health care practice was good for every country.
A Health Management Consultant, Dr Kofi Ahmed, described mental disorder or mental illness “as a psychological or behavioural pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture”.
Based on that description, Dr Ahmed said each person could suffer from mental illness and urged all to have interest in the issue.
A representative of the Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC), Ms Maria Amanor-Akrofi, observed that people with mental disabilities experienced some of the harshest conditions of living that existed in any society.
She stated that the hardships were caused by discrimination and the absence of legal protections against improper and abusive treatment, which makes mental health a human rights concern.
The chairperson for the occasion, who is also the Director of Legal Drafting Department at the Attorney General’s Department, Mrs Estella Appiah, urged the various advocacy groups to continue to lobby policy makers to get the bill passed, since a lot of work had gone into it.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Standards Board calls for close collaboration with MoH — To check private labs
THE Ghana Standard Board (GSB) has called for collaboration from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to assess the operations of medical laboratories in the country to ensure standards.
The Head of Marketing and Public Relations of the board, Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako, in an interview in Accra, said although the board was well equipped to carry out calibration of the various equipment used by laboratories, it could not do that without permission from the health sector.
“The standard promotes a common approach to the quality management of medical laboratories and all aspects of its operation, from patient preparation and identification to the collection and examination of clinical samples,” he pointed out.
Mr Amponsah-Bediako was reacting to a Daily Graphic story about the absence of a law to enforce guidelines, standards and codes of practice to regulate private medical laboratories in the country.
The Association of Private Medical Laboratories (APML) had warned of the possibility of widespread wrong diagnosis of diseases, hence wrong treatment that would lead to avoidable deaths.
That dangerous trend, according to the immediate past president of the association, Mr Otuo Adade-Boateng, was due to the absence of a law to enforce guidelines, standards and codes of practice to regulate private medical laboratories in the country.
Commenting on the situation, Mr Amponsah-Bediako said there were standards in the delivery of excellent medical laboratory services in Ghana, but the issue was that they were not being adhered to since no institution monitored operations of those laboratories.
He said laboratories in Ghana, like elsewhere, were expected to meet the requirements for quality and competence prescribed by the International Standard (ISO 15189:2007) under Medical Laboratories Particular Requirements for Quality and Competence and called for an immediate decision on the issue.
He reiterated the fact that the possibility of wrong diagnosis of diseases and treatment due to non-compliance of medical laboratories with the requirements for quality and competence of testing and calibration was real.
That, Mr Amponsah-Bediako said, was because diagnosis based on “false negative result and false positive result” could lead to wrong prescription of drugs, which could lead to loss of income, emotional stress or even death.
He stated that medical laboratories formed indispensable part of the health care service of every country.
“The absence or lack of quality in their test results severely hampers the ability of physicians to accurately diagnose and treat patients,” he stressed.
He observed that lack of control in the sector had over the years resulted in the proliferation of private medical laboratories in the country.
He said that medical laboratory professionals were not subject to any form of regulation or control in their practice, an issue which needs to be addressed.
Mr Amponsah-Bediako said to get the best out of medical laboratories, there was the need for personnel with the requisite know-how to inspect the available facilities and how they were being managed.
He explained that a laboratory could have the best equipment but could perform abysmally, if the equipment was not being managed by competent staff who underwent regular training to upgrade their skills.
Touching on the safety of some of the laboratories, he pointed out the way samples were handled was not the best and added that the environment in which some of them operated did not make their activities safe.
Touching on the operations of the GSB, the Head of Marketing and Public Relations said the board was equipped to carry out a lot of tests which included those on medical equipment such as those for testing of blood pressure and temperature, as well as those used in laboratories to ensure that standards were followed to protect lives.
The Head of Marketing and Public Relations of the board, Mr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako, in an interview in Accra, said although the board was well equipped to carry out calibration of the various equipment used by laboratories, it could not do that without permission from the health sector.
“The standard promotes a common approach to the quality management of medical laboratories and all aspects of its operation, from patient preparation and identification to the collection and examination of clinical samples,” he pointed out.
Mr Amponsah-Bediako was reacting to a Daily Graphic story about the absence of a law to enforce guidelines, standards and codes of practice to regulate private medical laboratories in the country.
The Association of Private Medical Laboratories (APML) had warned of the possibility of widespread wrong diagnosis of diseases, hence wrong treatment that would lead to avoidable deaths.
That dangerous trend, according to the immediate past president of the association, Mr Otuo Adade-Boateng, was due to the absence of a law to enforce guidelines, standards and codes of practice to regulate private medical laboratories in the country.
Commenting on the situation, Mr Amponsah-Bediako said there were standards in the delivery of excellent medical laboratory services in Ghana, but the issue was that they were not being adhered to since no institution monitored operations of those laboratories.
He said laboratories in Ghana, like elsewhere, were expected to meet the requirements for quality and competence prescribed by the International Standard (ISO 15189:2007) under Medical Laboratories Particular Requirements for Quality and Competence and called for an immediate decision on the issue.
He reiterated the fact that the possibility of wrong diagnosis of diseases and treatment due to non-compliance of medical laboratories with the requirements for quality and competence of testing and calibration was real.
That, Mr Amponsah-Bediako said, was because diagnosis based on “false negative result and false positive result” could lead to wrong prescription of drugs, which could lead to loss of income, emotional stress or even death.
He stated that medical laboratories formed indispensable part of the health care service of every country.
“The absence or lack of quality in their test results severely hampers the ability of physicians to accurately diagnose and treat patients,” he stressed.
He observed that lack of control in the sector had over the years resulted in the proliferation of private medical laboratories in the country.
He said that medical laboratory professionals were not subject to any form of regulation or control in their practice, an issue which needs to be addressed.
Mr Amponsah-Bediako said to get the best out of medical laboratories, there was the need for personnel with the requisite know-how to inspect the available facilities and how they were being managed.
He explained that a laboratory could have the best equipment but could perform abysmally, if the equipment was not being managed by competent staff who underwent regular training to upgrade their skills.
Touching on the safety of some of the laboratories, he pointed out the way samples were handled was not the best and added that the environment in which some of them operated did not make their activities safe.
Touching on the operations of the GSB, the Head of Marketing and Public Relations said the board was equipped to carry out a lot of tests which included those on medical equipment such as those for testing of blood pressure and temperature, as well as those used in laboratories to ensure that standards were followed to protect lives.
Monday, September 7, 2009
...Spillage of Bagre Dam-NADMO dispatches team (Sat, August 5, 2009)
A Rapid Response Team, comprising officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and personnel from the military, police and fire service, has been dispatched to the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta ahead of a probable spillage of water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.
The planned opening of the Bagre Dam by the Burkinabe authorities was set for Friday, September 4, and likely to cause flooding in low-lying areas along the Black and White Volta in the three northern regions.
Other communities likely to be affected by the spillage are those along the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers, both in the northern part of Ghana.
The National Co-ordinator of the organisation, Mr Kofi Portuphy, in a statement, advised communities along the Volta Lake and those along other tributaries to take precautionary measures as these water bodies were likely to overflow their banks and cause havoc.
He said a monitoring team had already been put in place and “is on the ground to respond to any emergency situation”.
Mr Portuphy, however, stressed that “NADMO has appealed to all communities living in the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta, the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers to move away from areas likely to be flooded due to the spillage to avoid any disasters”.
In an interview in Accra, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the NADMO headquarters, Major Nicholas Mensah(retd), said the organisation received a letter on the intended spillage of the dam from the Burkinabe officials about a month ago but added that they were not specific as to when the action would take place.
He, however, stated that because there was an earlier information on the issue, both the district and regional offices of NADMO prepared accordingly to forestall any eventuality.
He pointed out that with past experience in mind, there was an official discussion with the Burkinabes for an assurance that the spillage would be done in a gradual manner so as not to create too much problem for people living in the water way.
“There is a standing order on the matter to ensure that the spillage is done gradually,” he pointed out.
The PRO observed that although some living quarters could be affected if the area is flooded, majority of the areas were farmlands and settlements for fisherfolks.
He said public education was ongoing within the communities and added that some of the people living too close to the lake and the rivers had already been relocated to higher grounds.
Maj Mensah said a number of safe havens had also been identified and tents made available for use should the need arise.
The areas most likely to be affected are Binduri, Nagoliga, Natinga and Vokop in the Bawku municipality and Sapeliga, Gogo, Saka and Bazua in the Bawku West District.
The rest are Pwalugu, Wuyimma, Gbimma, Bulbiya, Soo, Kpasinkpe, Logri No 1, Yagaba, Yag-Namoo, Soh-Namoo, Kpatorigu, Fio, Chamma, Salugu and Janga all in the West Mamprusi District.
The planned opening of the Bagre Dam by the Burkinabe authorities was set for Friday, September 4, and likely to cause flooding in low-lying areas along the Black and White Volta in the three northern regions.
Other communities likely to be affected by the spillage are those along the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers, both in the northern part of Ghana.
The National Co-ordinator of the organisation, Mr Kofi Portuphy, in a statement, advised communities along the Volta Lake and those along other tributaries to take precautionary measures as these water bodies were likely to overflow their banks and cause havoc.
He said a monitoring team had already been put in place and “is on the ground to respond to any emergency situation”.
Mr Portuphy, however, stressed that “NADMO has appealed to all communities living in the catchment areas of the Black and White Volta, the Sisili and Kulpawn rivers to move away from areas likely to be flooded due to the spillage to avoid any disasters”.
In an interview in Accra, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the NADMO headquarters, Major Nicholas Mensah(retd), said the organisation received a letter on the intended spillage of the dam from the Burkinabe officials about a month ago but added that they were not specific as to when the action would take place.
He, however, stated that because there was an earlier information on the issue, both the district and regional offices of NADMO prepared accordingly to forestall any eventuality.
He pointed out that with past experience in mind, there was an official discussion with the Burkinabes for an assurance that the spillage would be done in a gradual manner so as not to create too much problem for people living in the water way.
“There is a standing order on the matter to ensure that the spillage is done gradually,” he pointed out.
The PRO observed that although some living quarters could be affected if the area is flooded, majority of the areas were farmlands and settlements for fisherfolks.
He said public education was ongoing within the communities and added that some of the people living too close to the lake and the rivers had already been relocated to higher grounds.
Maj Mensah said a number of safe havens had also been identified and tents made available for use should the need arise.
The areas most likely to be affected are Binduri, Nagoliga, Natinga and Vokop in the Bawku municipality and Sapeliga, Gogo, Saka and Bazua in the Bawku West District.
The rest are Pwalugu, Wuyimma, Gbimma, Bulbiya, Soo, Kpasinkpe, Logri No 1, Yagaba, Yag-Namoo, Soh-Namoo, Kpatorigu, Fio, Chamma, Salugu and Janga all in the West Mamprusi District.
Govt Releases money to fight H1N1
TWO million Ghana cedis has been released by the government to help contain the spread of H1N1 influenza in the country.
At the moment, a total of 10 persons have been infected with the disease. All the 10 are persons who have either returned from abroad or have had contacts with others who have returned from abroad.
So far, eight of the patients have been treated and cleared of the virus, while the last two, a man who returned from Dubai and his wife, are being cared for in their home.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, told the Daily Graphic that the fund was meant for various purposes in fighting the disease and mentioned public education and acquisition of the needed materials for diagnostic testing at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), which was the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated laboratory.
Other items are medicines for treatment, as well as protective kits for health workers.
The Health Minister reiterated the need for Ghanaians to adhere to the advice from health professionals to protect themselves from the deadly H1N1 influenza.
Information provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Accra showed that regular washing of hands with soap, rubbing the hands with alcohol, where available, and keeping a distance of at least one metre from an infected person to avoid coming into contact with the influenza droplets were highly recommended.
In addition, if contact with a sick person or with potentially infected person or objects occurs, those involved must not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Signs of influenza H1N1 are similar to those of common cold, which include fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pains, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. Health experts say one thing that stands out during infection of the new flu is the intense nature of the fever associated with it.
For his part, the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Alex Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic that about 100 suspected cases had been tested at the institute, out of which 10 had been proved positive.
He said since it was a national problem, the MoH was providing all the necessary materials needed for testing of cases which they received from other health facilities.
Dr Nyarko gave the assurance that the situation was under control as the institute had the expertise and equipment to handle the situation.
At the moment, a total of 10 persons have been infected with the disease. All the 10 are persons who have either returned from abroad or have had contacts with others who have returned from abroad.
So far, eight of the patients have been treated and cleared of the virus, while the last two, a man who returned from Dubai and his wife, are being cared for in their home.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, told the Daily Graphic that the fund was meant for various purposes in fighting the disease and mentioned public education and acquisition of the needed materials for diagnostic testing at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), which was the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated laboratory.
Other items are medicines for treatment, as well as protective kits for health workers.
The Health Minister reiterated the need for Ghanaians to adhere to the advice from health professionals to protect themselves from the deadly H1N1 influenza.
Information provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Accra showed that regular washing of hands with soap, rubbing the hands with alcohol, where available, and keeping a distance of at least one metre from an infected person to avoid coming into contact with the influenza droplets were highly recommended.
In addition, if contact with a sick person or with potentially infected person or objects occurs, those involved must not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Signs of influenza H1N1 are similar to those of common cold, which include fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pains, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. Health experts say one thing that stands out during infection of the new flu is the intense nature of the fever associated with it.
For his part, the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Alex Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic that about 100 suspected cases had been tested at the institute, out of which 10 had been proved positive.
He said since it was a national problem, the MoH was providing all the necessary materials needed for testing of cases which they received from other health facilities.
Dr Nyarko gave the assurance that the situation was under control as the institute had the expertise and equipment to handle the situation.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Football as medium to fight malaria (Back Page)
A multi-sectoral team with the aim of using football to help push the fight against malaria in Ghana has been launched in Accra.
Dubbed, ‘United Against Malaria” (UAM), the group is a partnership of football teams and heroes, celebrities, health advocacy organisations, governments, corporate bodies and individuals who have united ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to fight against malaria.
On the theme, “Opponents on the Field, United Against Malaria”, the UAM campaign will create and implement an array of activities including forming teams, broadcasting messages on malaria, engaging leadership, distributing nets and medicines and using unconventional means to attract attention and support for the fight.
Similar teams have already been formed in Mali, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and others such as Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon and Guinea, have also begun to formulate their programmes to get their teams in place.
The UAM partnership with football, the world’s most popular sport, has the aim of raising global awareness and renewing worldwide commitment to ending malaria, as well as increasing the use of prevention tools and malarial treatment in Africa.
In Ghana, the period is seen as an opportune time to join forces, use the football fever and build the political and popular will needed to win the fight against the disease, which is claiming many lives.
Some of the dignitaries who attended the programme and signed up to the UAM ceremonial ball to signify their commitment to the fight against malaria, were Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, the Minister of Health; Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, the Minister of Tourism; Professor Issabella Quarkyi, School of Public Health; Mrs Naa Norkor Dua, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lowe Lintas, who is also the Marketing Woman of the Year 2008, and Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey of the Johns Hopkins University/Voices for a Malaria Free-Future in Ghana.
Others are Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA); Mr Worlanyo Agrah, the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Sports Council, who also represented Mr Rashid Pelpuo, the acting Minister of Sports, who incidentally was down with malaria; Mr Ackah Anthony, the President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), some retired footballers and senior media practitioners, as well as representatives of Accra Hearts of Oak, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Swedru All Blacks football clubs.
Addressing the participants, the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, said the UAM project was of great importance and in fulfilment of the government’s decision to effectively fight malaria and eliminate it from the Ghanaian society.
He expressed delight that as the national football team, the Black Stars, geared up for action, the UAM team had come together to unite against malaria, adding that “the dream of all Ghanaians is to see our Black Stars win the World Cup one day and so is the goal of winning the fight against malaria which we can achieve in the shortest possible time if we effectively play our part”.
The minister reminded the participants that as they signed up to the UAM in Ghana, it was a decision to change the course of the disease, change the course of the country and also the course of sub-Saharan Africa where the disease killed nearly one million people each year and also $12 billion of GDP lost due to its impact.
For her part, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, said the tourism sector could not allow malaria to scare away visitors to the country and for that reason, the ministry was prepared to do all that it could to support the fight against the disease in Ghana.
In a speech read on his behalf, the acting Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, lauded the idea of using football to fight malaria, adding that “let us vouch to ourselves that every goal we score against any team we play must be a goal against malaria, for wining the fight against this disease should be a goal we can all help to achieve”.
Many of the participants gave statements to show their willingness and commitment to help in the fight against malaria.
Dubbed, ‘United Against Malaria” (UAM), the group is a partnership of football teams and heroes, celebrities, health advocacy organisations, governments, corporate bodies and individuals who have united ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa to fight against malaria.
On the theme, “Opponents on the Field, United Against Malaria”, the UAM campaign will create and implement an array of activities including forming teams, broadcasting messages on malaria, engaging leadership, distributing nets and medicines and using unconventional means to attract attention and support for the fight.
Similar teams have already been formed in Mali, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and others such as Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon and Guinea, have also begun to formulate their programmes to get their teams in place.
The UAM partnership with football, the world’s most popular sport, has the aim of raising global awareness and renewing worldwide commitment to ending malaria, as well as increasing the use of prevention tools and malarial treatment in Africa.
In Ghana, the period is seen as an opportune time to join forces, use the football fever and build the political and popular will needed to win the fight against the disease, which is claiming many lives.
Some of the dignitaries who attended the programme and signed up to the UAM ceremonial ball to signify their commitment to the fight against malaria, were Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, the Minister of Health; Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, the Minister of Tourism; Professor Issabella Quarkyi, School of Public Health; Mrs Naa Norkor Dua, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lowe Lintas, who is also the Marketing Woman of the Year 2008, and Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey of the Johns Hopkins University/Voices for a Malaria Free-Future in Ghana.
Others are Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA); Mr Worlanyo Agrah, the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Sports Council, who also represented Mr Rashid Pelpuo, the acting Minister of Sports, who incidentally was down with malaria; Mr Ackah Anthony, the President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), some retired footballers and senior media practitioners, as well as representatives of Accra Hearts of Oak, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Swedru All Blacks football clubs.
Addressing the participants, the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, said the UAM project was of great importance and in fulfilment of the government’s decision to effectively fight malaria and eliminate it from the Ghanaian society.
He expressed delight that as the national football team, the Black Stars, geared up for action, the UAM team had come together to unite against malaria, adding that “the dream of all Ghanaians is to see our Black Stars win the World Cup one day and so is the goal of winning the fight against malaria which we can achieve in the shortest possible time if we effectively play our part”.
The minister reminded the participants that as they signed up to the UAM in Ghana, it was a decision to change the course of the disease, change the course of the country and also the course of sub-Saharan Africa where the disease killed nearly one million people each year and also $12 billion of GDP lost due to its impact.
For her part, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, said the tourism sector could not allow malaria to scare away visitors to the country and for that reason, the ministry was prepared to do all that it could to support the fight against the disease in Ghana.
In a speech read on his behalf, the acting Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, lauded the idea of using football to fight malaria, adding that “let us vouch to ourselves that every goal we score against any team we play must be a goal against malaria, for wining the fight against this disease should be a goal we can all help to achieve”.
Many of the participants gave statements to show their willingness and commitment to help in the fight against malaria.
H1N1 victims doing well (Page 3)
THE H1N1 influenza which has so far affected eight persons in the country is under control, according to the Director of Public Health, Dr Joseph Amankwah.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Amankwah stressed that the health sector was well equipped to handle the current situation but was quick to add that everything possible must be done to contain it else “we find ourselves in a serious situation like other countries”.
Touching on the eighth and the latest victim of the disease to be recorded in the country, Dr Amankwah said she was a six-year-old girl who joined a relation abroad and returned to Ghana with the virus.
The director said because the condition of the girl was not severe she was being treated at home where the rest of her family were observed.
The first two people to have contracted the disease in Ghana were kept at a hospital but five others who were members of a family were quarantined in their own home where treatment was administered. All seven patients have successfully been treated.
Dr Amankwah explained that health professionals who were made to visit the homes of people infected with the H1N1 influenza were provided with protective clothing to protect themselves from contracting the disease.
In addition, he said family members who lived and cared for such people were also taken care of by health professionals.
Although there is no vaccine against the virus at the moment, Dr Amankwah said the disease could be prevented from spreading by ensuring frequent hand washing with soap and staying away from people who presented symptoms of influenza.
He also asked Ghanaians to observe social etiquette by covering their mouths when coughing and their noses when sneezing to contain the spread of the virus.
He said since the H1N1 influenza had similar symptoms like ordinary cold, people should report to the nearest health facility when they suffered from any of such symptoms for early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Amankwah reiterated the fact that there was no cause for alarm and pointed out that medicines to treat the disease had been sent from the national head office to the regional and district directorates for use in the communities should any one get the disease.
He added that there were also protective kits for use by health workers in those areas if the need arise.
Throwing more light on the issue, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said now that Ghana had not recorded any local incident of the disease, all efforts should be made to control it.
He also added his voice to the fact that the situation was not alarming and called on the public not to panic but rather take measures to protect themselves.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Amankwah stressed that the health sector was well equipped to handle the current situation but was quick to add that everything possible must be done to contain it else “we find ourselves in a serious situation like other countries”.
Touching on the eighth and the latest victim of the disease to be recorded in the country, Dr Amankwah said she was a six-year-old girl who joined a relation abroad and returned to Ghana with the virus.
The director said because the condition of the girl was not severe she was being treated at home where the rest of her family were observed.
The first two people to have contracted the disease in Ghana were kept at a hospital but five others who were members of a family were quarantined in their own home where treatment was administered. All seven patients have successfully been treated.
Dr Amankwah explained that health professionals who were made to visit the homes of people infected with the H1N1 influenza were provided with protective clothing to protect themselves from contracting the disease.
In addition, he said family members who lived and cared for such people were also taken care of by health professionals.
Although there is no vaccine against the virus at the moment, Dr Amankwah said the disease could be prevented from spreading by ensuring frequent hand washing with soap and staying away from people who presented symptoms of influenza.
He also asked Ghanaians to observe social etiquette by covering their mouths when coughing and their noses when sneezing to contain the spread of the virus.
He said since the H1N1 influenza had similar symptoms like ordinary cold, people should report to the nearest health facility when they suffered from any of such symptoms for early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Amankwah reiterated the fact that there was no cause for alarm and pointed out that medicines to treat the disease had been sent from the national head office to the regional and district directorates for use in the communities should any one get the disease.
He added that there were also protective kits for use by health workers in those areas if the need arise.
Throwing more light on the issue, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said now that Ghana had not recorded any local incident of the disease, all efforts should be made to control it.
He also added his voice to the fact that the situation was not alarming and called on the public not to panic but rather take measures to protect themselves.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Govt takes steps to integrate orthodox, herbal medicine
A NATIONAL Herbal Medicine Fair is to be held in Accra within the next few months with the aim of integrating the practice of orthodox and herbal medicine.
Inaugurating the Ghana Health Service Council (GHSC) in Accra on Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, said the move is to cut down on the country’s medical imports and help develop the country’s natural resources.
He said since Ghanaians imported and used Chinese herbal medicine at a cost, the country could improve on what was available locally for the people to patronise.
The 12-member council has Professor Joseph Odai Oliver-Commey as the chairman. Other members are Prof Isabella Quakyi, Prof Rev. Father G. A. Ankrah-Badu, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, Prof Hector Addo, and Prof Jennifer Welbeck.
The rest are Dr Elias Sory, Mrs Helen Mensah, Mrs Levina Owusu, Madam Salimata Abdul-Salam and Rev Richard Kwesi Yeboah.
The members were made to swear the Official Oath and the Oath of Secrecy administered by the health minister in the conference room of the Ministry of Health.
Addressing the council, Dr Yankey urged them to improve on the existing collaborative efforts between the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, to do more in the area of local herbal medicine.
He said with their respective rich experience, mostly in the health sector, each member was expected to support the government’s efforts at improving the health of Ghanaians.
Dr Yankey observed that the council had been reconstituted at a time the health sector was facing a difficult situation and went ahead to mention the presence of the deadly H1N1 influenza in the country, which, he said, needed much attention to prevent its spread.
He, however, gave the assurance that the government had made adequate preparation to contain the spread of the disease and added that funds had been provided to acquire the necessary logistics for both prevention and treatment of the disease.
On the issue of frequent industrial actions by the country’s health workers, the health minister expressed delight that there was some level of understanding at the moment and urged the council to help the sector find lasting solution to the problems.
Speaking on behalf the council members, the Chairman, Prof Oliver-Commey, said they would acquaint themselves with the activities of the health sector to enable them to perform creditably.
He also gave the assurance that the council would collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector to ensure quality health care delivery to Ghanaians.
Inaugurating the Ghana Health Service Council (GHSC) in Accra on Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, said the move is to cut down on the country’s medical imports and help develop the country’s natural resources.
He said since Ghanaians imported and used Chinese herbal medicine at a cost, the country could improve on what was available locally for the people to patronise.
The 12-member council has Professor Joseph Odai Oliver-Commey as the chairman. Other members are Prof Isabella Quakyi, Prof Rev. Father G. A. Ankrah-Badu, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, Prof Hector Addo, and Prof Jennifer Welbeck.
The rest are Dr Elias Sory, Mrs Helen Mensah, Mrs Levina Owusu, Madam Salimata Abdul-Salam and Rev Richard Kwesi Yeboah.
The members were made to swear the Official Oath and the Oath of Secrecy administered by the health minister in the conference room of the Ministry of Health.
Addressing the council, Dr Yankey urged them to improve on the existing collaborative efforts between the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and the Mampong Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, to do more in the area of local herbal medicine.
He said with their respective rich experience, mostly in the health sector, each member was expected to support the government’s efforts at improving the health of Ghanaians.
Dr Yankey observed that the council had been reconstituted at a time the health sector was facing a difficult situation and went ahead to mention the presence of the deadly H1N1 influenza in the country, which, he said, needed much attention to prevent its spread.
He, however, gave the assurance that the government had made adequate preparation to contain the spread of the disease and added that funds had been provided to acquire the necessary logistics for both prevention and treatment of the disease.
On the issue of frequent industrial actions by the country’s health workers, the health minister expressed delight that there was some level of understanding at the moment and urged the council to help the sector find lasting solution to the problems.
Speaking on behalf the council members, the Chairman, Prof Oliver-Commey, said they would acquaint themselves with the activities of the health sector to enable them to perform creditably.
He also gave the assurance that the council would collaborate with other stakeholders in the health sector to ensure quality health care delivery to Ghanaians.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
GHS begins pilot project on CHPS system
THE Ghana Health Service (GHS) has begun a pilot project in two urban settlements to test the feasibility of the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system in underdeveloped urban communities in Ghana.
The project is taking place at U-Compund in the Tema Municipality and Glefe in the Accra metropolis.
The CHPS concept was introduced by the GHS in 2000 to deliver close-to-client health services to local communities in Ghana as a way of improving their health conditions.
The decision to pilot the CHPS concept, which was originally designed to benefit the rural folks in some urban settings, was taken after a study had revealed that inequalities arising from unemployment, improper housing and low family incomes, predisposed the urban poor to health conditions which needed intervention.
The study was undertaken by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in collaboration with some local organisations — Quality Health Partners (QHP), Community-Based Health Planning and Services Technical Assistance Project (CHPS-TA) and Ghana Sustainable Change Project (GSCP).
The objective of the project, which took place in 37 districts in seven southern regions from June 2004 to August 2009, was to help reduce maternal and under five mortality, as well as fertility rate.
Presenting a paper at an end of projects dissemination meeting held in Accra, a Programmes Director (Chief of Party) of CHPS-TA, Dr Kobina Atta Bainson, said lessons learnt from these pilots would guide efforts to bring CHPS to scale in urban setting in Ghana.
“Although CHPS was originally designed to improve access to health care in rural communities, little is known about its implementation in an urban context,” he explained.
He noted that some of the poor health conditions which people in those poor urban settlements faced were reproductive and child health, increase in communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as rise in morbidity and mortality.
He pointed out that Ghana was urbanising steadily, with urban and rural population growth rates at four per cent and two per cent respectively.
Dr Bainson said urban access priority health services, especially in under-served poor urban areas, were of particular concern to the health sector, hence the need for some measures to change the trend.
For his part, a Chief of Party from Quality Health Partners (QHP), Dr Richard E. Killian, said his organisation had supported Ghana in diverse ways, especially in the area of healthcare delivery.
Some of the areas he mentioned were strengthening institutional capacity of the GHS to provide high quality health services using approved standards and guidelines; improved systems for human resource capacity development, as well as improved supervision, monitoring, problem identification and problem solving.
Dr Killian also talked about QHP’s support in communication skills, raising standard of quality in both private and public health facilities and development of a franchising approach, among others.
The chairman for the programme, who is also the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, commended the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which supported the implementation of the project, for its assistance to the health sector over the years.
He also expressed gratitude to the country’s health professionals for doing so well in the fight against diseases.
The project is taking place at U-Compund in the Tema Municipality and Glefe in the Accra metropolis.
The CHPS concept was introduced by the GHS in 2000 to deliver close-to-client health services to local communities in Ghana as a way of improving their health conditions.
The decision to pilot the CHPS concept, which was originally designed to benefit the rural folks in some urban settings, was taken after a study had revealed that inequalities arising from unemployment, improper housing and low family incomes, predisposed the urban poor to health conditions which needed intervention.
The study was undertaken by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in collaboration with some local organisations — Quality Health Partners (QHP), Community-Based Health Planning and Services Technical Assistance Project (CHPS-TA) and Ghana Sustainable Change Project (GSCP).
The objective of the project, which took place in 37 districts in seven southern regions from June 2004 to August 2009, was to help reduce maternal and under five mortality, as well as fertility rate.
Presenting a paper at an end of projects dissemination meeting held in Accra, a Programmes Director (Chief of Party) of CHPS-TA, Dr Kobina Atta Bainson, said lessons learnt from these pilots would guide efforts to bring CHPS to scale in urban setting in Ghana.
“Although CHPS was originally designed to improve access to health care in rural communities, little is known about its implementation in an urban context,” he explained.
He noted that some of the poor health conditions which people in those poor urban settlements faced were reproductive and child health, increase in communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as rise in morbidity and mortality.
He pointed out that Ghana was urbanising steadily, with urban and rural population growth rates at four per cent and two per cent respectively.
Dr Bainson said urban access priority health services, especially in under-served poor urban areas, were of particular concern to the health sector, hence the need for some measures to change the trend.
For his part, a Chief of Party from Quality Health Partners (QHP), Dr Richard E. Killian, said his organisation had supported Ghana in diverse ways, especially in the area of healthcare delivery.
Some of the areas he mentioned were strengthening institutional capacity of the GHS to provide high quality health services using approved standards and guidelines; improved systems for human resource capacity development, as well as improved supervision, monitoring, problem identification and problem solving.
Dr Killian also talked about QHP’s support in communication skills, raising standard of quality in both private and public health facilities and development of a franchising approach, among others.
The chairman for the programme, who is also the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias Sory, commended the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which supported the implementation of the project, for its assistance to the health sector over the years.
He also expressed gratitude to the country’s health professionals for doing so well in the fight against diseases.
NHIA embarks on evaluation exercise (Spread)
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has begun an exercise to evaluate all its 4,251 accredited service providers to ensure quality, safe, effective and acceptable health care services.
For a start, a total of 40 health professionals engaged by the authority have gathered data on 603 health facilities, which include CHPS compounds, maternity homes, clinics, hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies for study.
The exercise has become necessary due to the fact that provisional accreditation given to many of the service providers when the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced were based on certification by existing regulatory bodies such as the Medical Dental Council (MDC), the Ghana Private Medical Practitioners Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG) and the Registered Midwives Association.
A visit by the Daily Graphic to some of the accredited facilities in the western part of Accra, notably Mallam, Gbawe, Awoshie, Santa Maria and Kwashieman, revealed that all was not well.
The problems ranged from absence of medical doctors and midwives, as well as inadequate number of nurses and other health workers through dirty bedding in emergency wards to unclean environment which could worsen one's health condition.
To determine which of the facilities could continue to provide services under the NHIS, the evaluation team is using a new set of standard guidelines developed by the authority to ensure best practices under the scheme.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester A. Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that the rationale behind the evaluation was that the authority should get the best of services for the clients of the NHIS.
He said as a regulatory body, the law (Act 650) allowed the NHIA to undertake that exercise, which, he said, began about a month ago.
Section 2 of the National Health Insurance Act (Act 650 of 2003) states that for the purposes of achieving its objectives, the authority has the responsibility to (a) register, license and regulate health insurance schemes; (b) supervise the operations of health insurance schemes; (c) grant accreditation to health care providers and monitor their performance and (d) ensure that health care services rendered to beneficiaries of the schemes by accredited health care providers are of good quality, among others.
Under the NHIS, health facilities are to be accredited to ensure that they are in the position to provide health services to people and also to promote the provision and delivery of quality, safe, effective and acceptable health care services to people living in Ghana.
The Media Relations Officer of the NHIA, Mr Akwasi Acquah, explained that the evaluation exercise, which began about a month ago, was expected to cover all the 4,251 service providers throughout the country.
Mr Acquah said 1,551 of the facilities were privately owned and 2,700 owned by the state, quasi-government as well as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).
Throwing more light on the issue, the Provider Relations Manager of the NHIA, Mrs Vivian Addo-Cobbiah, said the evaluation exercise would cover all the 4,251 health providers.
She pointed out that there were new sets of standard guidelines which the service providers were expected to follow and mentioned some of the areas to be looked at as: range of service, staffing, environment and infrastructure, as well as basic equipment.
The rest were organisation and management, safety and quality management, out-patient care, in-patient care, maternity care, specialised care, diagnostic services and pharmaceutical services.
She explained that the time had come for all the facilities to be properly evaluated because initially provisional accreditation was given to some of the service providers based on recommendations from bodies other than the NHIA.
She observed that initial reports received from the evaluation team had revealed that some of the facilities were doing excellent job while others were far below standard.
She said although the exercise had not been completed, there was an indication that some of the facilities would be asked to stop providing services since the NHIA could not entrust the health of Ghanaians into the hands of unprofessional people.
Mrs Addo-Cobbiah pointed out that there were plans to introduce a grading system for the various facilities at the various levels to encourage them to perform better.
She said the NHIA had plans to intensify its monitoring system to enable the facilities to improve on service delivery.
The accreditation manual provided by the NHIS states that, “To achieve the above objectives and enhance acceptability, the Accreditation Programme shall deliberately and diligently apply the principles of neutrality, transparency, fairness, firmness, equity, reliability, credibility and accountability”.
For a start, a total of 40 health professionals engaged by the authority have gathered data on 603 health facilities, which include CHPS compounds, maternity homes, clinics, hospitals, laboratories and pharmacies for study.
The exercise has become necessary due to the fact that provisional accreditation given to many of the service providers when the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced were based on certification by existing regulatory bodies such as the Medical Dental Council (MDC), the Ghana Private Medical Practitioners Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG) and the Registered Midwives Association.
A visit by the Daily Graphic to some of the accredited facilities in the western part of Accra, notably Mallam, Gbawe, Awoshie, Santa Maria and Kwashieman, revealed that all was not well.
The problems ranged from absence of medical doctors and midwives, as well as inadequate number of nurses and other health workers through dirty bedding in emergency wards to unclean environment which could worsen one's health condition.
To determine which of the facilities could continue to provide services under the NHIS, the evaluation team is using a new set of standard guidelines developed by the authority to ensure best practices under the scheme.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester A. Mensah, told the Daily Graphic that the rationale behind the evaluation was that the authority should get the best of services for the clients of the NHIS.
He said as a regulatory body, the law (Act 650) allowed the NHIA to undertake that exercise, which, he said, began about a month ago.
Section 2 of the National Health Insurance Act (Act 650 of 2003) states that for the purposes of achieving its objectives, the authority has the responsibility to (a) register, license and regulate health insurance schemes; (b) supervise the operations of health insurance schemes; (c) grant accreditation to health care providers and monitor their performance and (d) ensure that health care services rendered to beneficiaries of the schemes by accredited health care providers are of good quality, among others.
Under the NHIS, health facilities are to be accredited to ensure that they are in the position to provide health services to people and also to promote the provision and delivery of quality, safe, effective and acceptable health care services to people living in Ghana.
The Media Relations Officer of the NHIA, Mr Akwasi Acquah, explained that the evaluation exercise, which began about a month ago, was expected to cover all the 4,251 service providers throughout the country.
Mr Acquah said 1,551 of the facilities were privately owned and 2,700 owned by the state, quasi-government as well as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).
Throwing more light on the issue, the Provider Relations Manager of the NHIA, Mrs Vivian Addo-Cobbiah, said the evaluation exercise would cover all the 4,251 health providers.
She pointed out that there were new sets of standard guidelines which the service providers were expected to follow and mentioned some of the areas to be looked at as: range of service, staffing, environment and infrastructure, as well as basic equipment.
The rest were organisation and management, safety and quality management, out-patient care, in-patient care, maternity care, specialised care, diagnostic services and pharmaceutical services.
She explained that the time had come for all the facilities to be properly evaluated because initially provisional accreditation was given to some of the service providers based on recommendations from bodies other than the NHIA.
She observed that initial reports received from the evaluation team had revealed that some of the facilities were doing excellent job while others were far below standard.
She said although the exercise had not been completed, there was an indication that some of the facilities would be asked to stop providing services since the NHIA could not entrust the health of Ghanaians into the hands of unprofessional people.
Mrs Addo-Cobbiah pointed out that there were plans to introduce a grading system for the various facilities at the various levels to encourage them to perform better.
She said the NHIA had plans to intensify its monitoring system to enable the facilities to improve on service delivery.
The accreditation manual provided by the NHIS states that, “To achieve the above objectives and enhance acceptability, the Accreditation Programme shall deliberately and diligently apply the principles of neutrality, transparency, fairness, firmness, equity, reliability, credibility and accountability”.
NHIA management staff hold strategic meeting (August 31, 2009)
THE Management staff of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has held a three-day strategic meeting to set the tone for the implementation of a one-time-premium payment policy expected to take off by December, 2010.
One area which is likely to be looked at is the autonomy given to the individual District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes (DMHISs) under Act 650, which limits the role of the NHIA in its duty as the regulatory body.
Addressing participants at the strategic meeting which took place at Sogakope in the Volta Region, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, said the one-time-premium policy was to ensure universality of health care for residents in Ghana and at the same time recover some of the cost.
He said to get things moving, there should be some organisational restructuring at all levels of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He observed that the changes were likely to pose some challenges since currently the management staff were used to being the final decision makers at certain levels of operations of the scheme.
Dr Kunbuor expressed the hope that the seminar would provide the opportunity for members to discuss issues bordering on the pending changes and went further to call for structures at the workplace to allow the staff to communicate effectively to avoid conflict and misunderstanding.
Stressing the need for the changes to ensure the success of the new policy, he said, “we need to put new structures in place and review old ones as we go along”.
He reminded the participants that the policy of one-time-premium payment was a promise that must be delivered, adding that it was up to the managers to ensure that it was effectively implemented.
“While I congratulate you on your effort to shape the strategy, let me be quick to state that as scheme managers, you need to understand that the real work actually starts with the implementation of the policy,” he stressed.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester A. Mensah, said by December 31, 2010, the authority was expected to have achieved a health insurance system that guaranteed one-time premium payment and a fully portable and sustainable scheme supported and driven by robust ICT solution.
He also touched on the need for a revised legal regime that would address most of the internal, horizontal and vertical inconsistencies that had characterised the current legal regime; an entirely restructured architecture of the authority and scheme; an improved communication strategy to effectively market the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); and an authority that was focused on its business.
For his part, the Chairman of the National Health Insurance Council, Mr Doe Adjaho, said that the seminar was appropriate as it would set the tone for refocusing on the overall goals of securing universal, equitable and affordable health care services for residents in Ghana.
Mr Adjaho, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the Council was interested in seeing how the management strategised towards achieving the objectives of the NHIS as set out in Act 650 and the policy change that the government of Professor J.E.A. Mills required.
He also touched on a legislative review involving the scheme and said it would set the tone for moving the NHIS to a higher level of efficiency and portability for the well-being of the average Ghanaian.
One area which is likely to be looked at is the autonomy given to the individual District Mutual Health Insurance Schemes (DMHISs) under Act 650, which limits the role of the NHIA in its duty as the regulatory body.
Addressing participants at the strategic meeting which took place at Sogakope in the Volta Region, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, said the one-time-premium policy was to ensure universality of health care for residents in Ghana and at the same time recover some of the cost.
He said to get things moving, there should be some organisational restructuring at all levels of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He observed that the changes were likely to pose some challenges since currently the management staff were used to being the final decision makers at certain levels of operations of the scheme.
Dr Kunbuor expressed the hope that the seminar would provide the opportunity for members to discuss issues bordering on the pending changes and went further to call for structures at the workplace to allow the staff to communicate effectively to avoid conflict and misunderstanding.
Stressing the need for the changes to ensure the success of the new policy, he said, “we need to put new structures in place and review old ones as we go along”.
He reminded the participants that the policy of one-time-premium payment was a promise that must be delivered, adding that it was up to the managers to ensure that it was effectively implemented.
“While I congratulate you on your effort to shape the strategy, let me be quick to state that as scheme managers, you need to understand that the real work actually starts with the implementation of the policy,” he stressed.
The acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester A. Mensah, said by December 31, 2010, the authority was expected to have achieved a health insurance system that guaranteed one-time premium payment and a fully portable and sustainable scheme supported and driven by robust ICT solution.
He also touched on the need for a revised legal regime that would address most of the internal, horizontal and vertical inconsistencies that had characterised the current legal regime; an entirely restructured architecture of the authority and scheme; an improved communication strategy to effectively market the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); and an authority that was focused on its business.
For his part, the Chairman of the National Health Insurance Council, Mr Doe Adjaho, said that the seminar was appropriate as it would set the tone for refocusing on the overall goals of securing universal, equitable and affordable health care services for residents in Ghana.
Mr Adjaho, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the Council was interested in seeing how the management strategised towards achieving the objectives of the NHIS as set out in Act 650 and the policy change that the government of Professor J.E.A. Mills required.
He also touched on a legislative review involving the scheme and said it would set the tone for moving the NHIS to a higher level of efficiency and portability for the well-being of the average Ghanaian.
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