Article: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
MERCY Boampong, a 27-year-old female teacher was nearly forced to abandon her career when members of the community in which she stayed got to know that she was suffering from tuberculosis (TB).
Although Mercy had started treatment which made her incapable of infecting anyone with the disease, those who knew she had it avoided her completely. She could neither fetch water from the public stand pipe nor go to the market. The painful aspect of the issue was the fact that even members of her church refused to share the same pew with her and when they did, they made sure they sat far from her.
Finally, she asked for transfer to another station outside the region where she believed, she could have the peace to do what she knew best, teaching.
What is tuberculosis (TB)?
At a seminar to equip some health personnel to embark on public education on TB as part of the World TB Day celebration, the Programme Manager of the National TB Control Programme, Dr Frank Bonsu, defined TB as a bacterial disease usually affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB). Other parts of the body can also be affected, for example lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints, among other parts which are known as extra-pulmonary TB.
World TB Day
History has it that on March 24, 1882, Dr Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). During this time, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. Dr Koch’s discovery was the most important step toward the control and elimination of this deadly disease.
In 1982, a century after Dr Koch's announcement, the first World TB Day was sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD).
The event which had continued till today was intended to educate the public about the devastating health and economic consequences of TB, its effect on developing countries, and its continued tragic impact on global health.
Today, World TB Day is commemorated across the globe with activities as diverse as the locations in which they are held. But more can be done to raise awareness about the effects of TB. Among infectious diseases, TB remains the second leading killer of adults in the world, with more than two million TB-related deaths each year.
Until TB is controlled, World TB Day would not be just a celebration but a valuable opportunity to educate the public about the devastation TB can spread and how it can be stopped.
This year’s celebration has the theme ,“I am Stopping TB” which should be seen as more than a slogan. It is the start of a two-year campaign that belongs to people everywhere who are doing their part to Stop TB.
This year's World TB Day is about celebrating the lives and stories of people affected by TB: Women, men and children who have taken TB treatment; nurses; doctors; researchers; community workers—anyone who has contributed towards the global fight against TB.
In Ghana, the this year’s commemoration has been shifted from the March 24, to March 18, 2008 because March, 24 is Easter Monday which is a public holiday. The event is scheduled to take place at the Jubilee Park in Wa in the Upper West Region.
As part of the programme, the National Planning Committee, in conjunction with the Upper West Regional Directorate and the National TB Control Programme had planned series of activities to mobilise health workers, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the media and the government to take action as groups and individuals to address issues militating against the control, care and prevention of the disease in Ghana.
At the seminar held in Accra , Dr Bonsu of the National TB Control Programme reiterated that TB could affect anyone of any age but people with weakened immune systems were at increased risk.
He pointed out that TB was spread through the air when a person with untreated pulmonary TB coughs or sneezes. Also, prolonged exposure to a person with untreated TB could usually cause an infection .
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
According to Dr Bonsu, the symptoms of TB include fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and a persistent cough for more than two weeks, among other symptoms. Some people, according to him, may not have obvious symptoms and also most people infected with the germ that causes TB never develop active TB. That condition, Dr Bonsu said, was referred to as latent TB infection.
An individual with TB disease may remain contagious until he or she has been on appropriate treatment for about six months. However, a person with latent TB infection, but not the disease, cannot spread the infection to others, since there are no TB germs in his or her sputum.
All the same, it is important that people with latent TB infection are evaluated for a course of preventive therapy, which usually includes taking anti-tuberculosis medication for six months. People with active TB disease must complete a course of treatment for six months or more.
Initial treatment, according to health personnel, include at least four anti-TB drugs, and the medications might be altered based on laboratory test results. The exact medication plan, they pointed out, must be determined by a physician.
Just like many WHO member countries, Ghana is currently using Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) programmes which are recommended for all TB patients to help them complete their therapy and fully recover. Under DOT, health personnel supervise treatment of patients so that they do not stop treatment mid-way.
TB is a dangerous disease. In addition to spreading the disease to others, an untreated person may become severely ill or die.
The most important way to stop the spread of tuberculosis is for patients to cover the mouth and nose when coughing, and to take all the TB medicine exactly as prescribed by the physician in order to be cured and stop its spread.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Women Advised Against Steriod-Based Drug Abuse (Page 44)
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah (Monday, March 17, 2008)
THE Programme Manager of the National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme (NTCP), Dr Frank Bonsu, has advised women to avoid the abuse of steroid-based drugs since that could put them at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB).
He said an example of such steroid-based (cortisteroids) medications was a common drug simply known as “P” and similar ones on the market which some women take without prescription to put on weight.
Dr Bonsu gave the advice at a monthly health promotion programme organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the public in Accra. This month’s programme, which took place on Tuesday, was on how to prevent the spread of TB.
He said abuse of such medications weakened parts of the human body, which gave way for TB germs to attack without resistance, adding that weakened immune system was a risk factor.
Other risk factors, according to Dr Bonsu, were diabetes, malnutrition, over-crowding, HIV, exposure to an untreated TB patient, among others.
He defined TB as a bacterial disease usually affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB) and said other parts of the body such as lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints, liver, testicles and the womb could be affected with the TB germ, adding that a woman who suffered from TB of the womb could suffer from infertility.
He pointed out that TB was spread through the air and also through coughing, sneezing, shouting, singing and talking by a person with untreated pulmonary TB.
According to Dr Bonsu, the symptoms of TB included fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and persistent cough for more than two weeks, among other symptoms.
He stated about 80 per cent of people who suffered from TB coughed, a situation which made people associate the disease with only coughing.
Describing the disease as very dangerous, he said some of the names used to describe it, apart from TB, were Consumption and White Plague.
Some people, according to him, might not have obvious symptoms and also many people infected with the germ that caused TB never developed active TB. That condition, Dr Bonsu said, was referred to as latent TB infection.
He explained that an individual with TB infection might remain contagious and transmit it to others until he or she had been on appropriate treatment for about six months and, therefore, called for regular tests for early treatment.
Dr Bonsu stated that TB was curable and also free at all government health facilities and some selected health care centres.
THE Programme Manager of the National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme (NTCP), Dr Frank Bonsu, has advised women to avoid the abuse of steroid-based drugs since that could put them at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB).
He said an example of such steroid-based (cortisteroids) medications was a common drug simply known as “P” and similar ones on the market which some women take without prescription to put on weight.
Dr Bonsu gave the advice at a monthly health promotion programme organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the public in Accra. This month’s programme, which took place on Tuesday, was on how to prevent the spread of TB.
He said abuse of such medications weakened parts of the human body, which gave way for TB germs to attack without resistance, adding that weakened immune system was a risk factor.
Other risk factors, according to Dr Bonsu, were diabetes, malnutrition, over-crowding, HIV, exposure to an untreated TB patient, among others.
He defined TB as a bacterial disease usually affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB) and said other parts of the body such as lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, joints, liver, testicles and the womb could be affected with the TB germ, adding that a woman who suffered from TB of the womb could suffer from infertility.
He pointed out that TB was spread through the air and also through coughing, sneezing, shouting, singing and talking by a person with untreated pulmonary TB.
According to Dr Bonsu, the symptoms of TB included fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and persistent cough for more than two weeks, among other symptoms.
He stated about 80 per cent of people who suffered from TB coughed, a situation which made people associate the disease with only coughing.
Describing the disease as very dangerous, he said some of the names used to describe it, apart from TB, were Consumption and White Plague.
Some people, according to him, might not have obvious symptoms and also many people infected with the germ that caused TB never developed active TB. That condition, Dr Bonsu said, was referred to as latent TB infection.
He explained that an individual with TB infection might remain contagious and transmit it to others until he or she had been on appropriate treatment for about six months and, therefore, called for regular tests for early treatment.
Dr Bonsu stated that TB was curable and also free at all government health facilities and some selected health care centres.
Malaria Advocacy Campaign Launched (Page 24, 2008)
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah (Saturday, March 15, 2008)
DISTRICT assemblies have been challenged to critically examine their performance in the application of the one per cent District Assemblies Common Fund for malaria control initiatives to make Ghana a malaria-free country.
At the launch of Ghana Malaria Advocacy Campaign programme in Accra, a Deputy Minister of Health, Dr (Mrs) Gladys Norley Ashietey, said through an Act of Parliament (Act 445 of 1993), the government in its wisdom prescribed the use of the fund to fight malaria, which was the number one killer disease.
The programme was organised by the Ghana Voices for Malaria-Free Future with support from John Hopkins University of the United States Centre for Communication Programme and the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP).
Dr Ashietey expressed the hope that with support from other stakeholders and the right application of the fund, the assemblies would be working towards attaining malaria-free communities as well as a malaria-free Ghana.
The Deputy Health Minister noted that approximately three million malarial cases were registered in the public health care facilities annually while about 13 per cent of all recorded deaths in the country were attributed to the disease.
“Our children and pregnant women who hold the key to the sustainability of our kind are the most vulnerable to the disease,” she stressed.
Dr Ashietey explained that about 61 per cent of children who were admitted to hospitals was due to malaria and eight per cent of pregnant women in our health facilities suffered from malaria.
She said the most frightening was the fact that 18 per cent of all under-five deaths were caused by malaria while nine per cent of all maternal deaths were also caused by the disease.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said there was the need for Ghanaians to fight against malaria, which had cost the country so much.
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said it was unfortunate that malaria continued to be a number one killer in spite of the numerous interventions, and called on health professionals to properly diagnose diseases so as to record the correct malarial cases.
The Country Director of Johns Hopkins University/Centre for Communication Programmes, Mr Emmanuel Fiabgey, called on corporate bodies to join the fight against the disease, since it affected their workforce.
Mr Fiabgey, who spoke on behalf of the Voices of Malaria Free Future Advocacy Campaign, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), said there was need to mobilise leadership in government and civic society groups to join the fight.
The Co-ordinator for President Bush’s Malaria Initiative in Ghana, Dr Paul Psychas, said after the president’s visit to Ghana a number of distinguished personalities in the US had shown interest in the fight against the disease, which he said was a good sign.
The chairman for the function who is also the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs and a member of the Council of State, Kuoro Kuri Buktie Limann IV, called for intensification of advocacy in malarial prevention.
Gifts were presented to a number of distinguished personalities who serve as “Voices Against Malaria” in Ghana. They included the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah; the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce, Ms Joyce Aryee; and the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Wahab Adam.
DISTRICT assemblies have been challenged to critically examine their performance in the application of the one per cent District Assemblies Common Fund for malaria control initiatives to make Ghana a malaria-free country.
At the launch of Ghana Malaria Advocacy Campaign programme in Accra, a Deputy Minister of Health, Dr (Mrs) Gladys Norley Ashietey, said through an Act of Parliament (Act 445 of 1993), the government in its wisdom prescribed the use of the fund to fight malaria, which was the number one killer disease.
The programme was organised by the Ghana Voices for Malaria-Free Future with support from John Hopkins University of the United States Centre for Communication Programme and the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP).
Dr Ashietey expressed the hope that with support from other stakeholders and the right application of the fund, the assemblies would be working towards attaining malaria-free communities as well as a malaria-free Ghana.
The Deputy Health Minister noted that approximately three million malarial cases were registered in the public health care facilities annually while about 13 per cent of all recorded deaths in the country were attributed to the disease.
“Our children and pregnant women who hold the key to the sustainability of our kind are the most vulnerable to the disease,” she stressed.
Dr Ashietey explained that about 61 per cent of children who were admitted to hospitals was due to malaria and eight per cent of pregnant women in our health facilities suffered from malaria.
She said the most frightening was the fact that 18 per cent of all under-five deaths were caused by malaria while nine per cent of all maternal deaths were also caused by the disease.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Elias Sory, said there was the need for Ghanaians to fight against malaria, which had cost the country so much.
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said it was unfortunate that malaria continued to be a number one killer in spite of the numerous interventions, and called on health professionals to properly diagnose diseases so as to record the correct malarial cases.
The Country Director of Johns Hopkins University/Centre for Communication Programmes, Mr Emmanuel Fiabgey, called on corporate bodies to join the fight against the disease, since it affected their workforce.
Mr Fiabgey, who spoke on behalf of the Voices of Malaria Free Future Advocacy Campaign, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), said there was need to mobilise leadership in government and civic society groups to join the fight.
The Co-ordinator for President Bush’s Malaria Initiative in Ghana, Dr Paul Psychas, said after the president’s visit to Ghana a number of distinguished personalities in the US had shown interest in the fight against the disease, which he said was a good sign.
The chairman for the function who is also the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs and a member of the Council of State, Kuoro Kuri Buktie Limann IV, called for intensification of advocacy in malarial prevention.
Gifts were presented to a number of distinguished personalities who serve as “Voices Against Malaria” in Ghana. They included the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah; the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce, Ms Joyce Aryee; and the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Wahab Adam.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Efforts to Get More People Under Pension Scheme (Page 34)
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
THE Chairman of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee (PRIC), Mr T.A. Bediako, has stated that Ghana cannot boast of an acceptable pension scheme when about 85 per cent of its workforce operating in the informal sector are left out.
To change that situation, the new pension reform bill makes provision for the inclusion of workers in the private sector in the proposed pension scheme.
The Presidential Commission on Pensions, set up by President J.A. Kufuor in July 2004, proposed a three-tier scheme. The first consists of a mandatory basic national social security scheme responsible for monthly pensions only; the second scheme is a mandatory, privately managed occupational or work-based scheme to pay lump sums, while the third is a voluntary provident fund and personal pension scheme which can cater for workers in the informal sector and others who want to contribute, in addition to the first two schemes.
Presenting a paper on, “Ensuring Adequate Social Security and Good Pension Governance in Ghana: The Role of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee”, which was organised by the Legal Resource Centre and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Accra yesterday, Mr Bediako said to have a better scheme for the Ghanaian worker, the committee looked at schemes in other countries and built on them.
He also said to ensure good pension governance, the PRIC had made proposals in the bill with regard to supervision and management of the new pension scheme in particular, especially the privately managed schemes.
Explaining that point, he said there would be an independent National Pensions Regulatory Authority to supervise, regulate and monitor the new scheme and also ensure that only companies and individuals that met the necessary criteria were allowed to operate.
He said some advantages of the new three-tier pension scheme were improved pension benefit, workers’ control over their benefits and members’ involvement in running the scheme, which could promote a sense of ownership and create confidence that the scheme was being run properly.
In his presentation, the Head of Education and Training of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr David Dorkenu, commended the committee for a good work done but added that there was the need to for the scheme to be properly structured to benefit all stakeholders.
He said looking at the challenges facing some regulatory bodies, such as the National Labour Commission (NLC), in terms of accommodation, he wondered how the Pension Regulatory Authority would be accommodated throughout the country to effectively perform.
He raised the issue of private companies running the second tier of the three-tier scheme and suggested that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) should be empowered to handle that, in addition the first tier.
Mr Dorkenu concluded that care must be taken to avoid the situation where workers’ contribution would be handed to private individuals who might end up misusing them through high salaries and administrative costs.
In response, the Project Consultant of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee, Mr Daniel Aidoo Mensah, said there were adequate mechanisms in place to check abuse of the system, adding that the only groups which would be allowed to handle money were the custodians, who were banks and insurance companies.
He pointed out that the new scheme was based on World Bank recommendations, though it did not dictate to the country how to go about it.
Mr Aidoo Mensah said after looking at the proposals made by the PRIC, the World Bank commended the committee for a good work done.
The Community Director of the FES, Ms Catherine Meissner, said there was the need for people who had contributed to the economy in their active lives to be well catered for when they went on retirement and, therefore, called on the committee to come up with a better pension scheme for Ghanaian workers.
The General Manager in charge of Operations at SSNIT, Mrs Gifty Anterkyi, said the trust had already begun a pilot project to sensitise workers in the informal sector to join the pension scheme.
THE Chairman of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee (PRIC), Mr T.A. Bediako, has stated that Ghana cannot boast of an acceptable pension scheme when about 85 per cent of its workforce operating in the informal sector are left out.
To change that situation, the new pension reform bill makes provision for the inclusion of workers in the private sector in the proposed pension scheme.
The Presidential Commission on Pensions, set up by President J.A. Kufuor in July 2004, proposed a three-tier scheme. The first consists of a mandatory basic national social security scheme responsible for monthly pensions only; the second scheme is a mandatory, privately managed occupational or work-based scheme to pay lump sums, while the third is a voluntary provident fund and personal pension scheme which can cater for workers in the informal sector and others who want to contribute, in addition to the first two schemes.
Presenting a paper on, “Ensuring Adequate Social Security and Good Pension Governance in Ghana: The Role of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee”, which was organised by the Legal Resource Centre and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Accra yesterday, Mr Bediako said to have a better scheme for the Ghanaian worker, the committee looked at schemes in other countries and built on them.
He also said to ensure good pension governance, the PRIC had made proposals in the bill with regard to supervision and management of the new pension scheme in particular, especially the privately managed schemes.
Explaining that point, he said there would be an independent National Pensions Regulatory Authority to supervise, regulate and monitor the new scheme and also ensure that only companies and individuals that met the necessary criteria were allowed to operate.
He said some advantages of the new three-tier pension scheme were improved pension benefit, workers’ control over their benefits and members’ involvement in running the scheme, which could promote a sense of ownership and create confidence that the scheme was being run properly.
In his presentation, the Head of Education and Training of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr David Dorkenu, commended the committee for a good work done but added that there was the need to for the scheme to be properly structured to benefit all stakeholders.
He said looking at the challenges facing some regulatory bodies, such as the National Labour Commission (NLC), in terms of accommodation, he wondered how the Pension Regulatory Authority would be accommodated throughout the country to effectively perform.
He raised the issue of private companies running the second tier of the three-tier scheme and suggested that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) should be empowered to handle that, in addition the first tier.
Mr Dorkenu concluded that care must be taken to avoid the situation where workers’ contribution would be handed to private individuals who might end up misusing them through high salaries and administrative costs.
In response, the Project Consultant of the Pension Reform Implementation Committee, Mr Daniel Aidoo Mensah, said there were adequate mechanisms in place to check abuse of the system, adding that the only groups which would be allowed to handle money were the custodians, who were banks and insurance companies.
He pointed out that the new scheme was based on World Bank recommendations, though it did not dictate to the country how to go about it.
Mr Aidoo Mensah said after looking at the proposals made by the PRIC, the World Bank commended the committee for a good work done.
The Community Director of the FES, Ms Catherine Meissner, said there was the need for people who had contributed to the economy in their active lives to be well catered for when they went on retirement and, therefore, called on the committee to come up with a better pension scheme for Ghanaian workers.
The General Manager in charge of Operations at SSNIT, Mrs Gifty Anterkyi, said the trust had already begun a pilot project to sensitise workers in the informal sector to join the pension scheme.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Driver & traders in brisk business on Indece day (Page 29)
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
IN order not to disrupt their daily objective of earning a living, some traders and commercial drivers on Thursday closed their eyes to the statutory public holiday announced by the government and went about their normal businesses in some commercial areas of Accra.
As is common with all important national events, a statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, and sent to all media houses on Monday, reminded the general public that the day, Thursday, March 6, 2008, which marked the celebration of the country’s 51st independence anniversary, was a statutory public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.
But a chat with some traders in Accra indicated that they had to work to survive and therefore, could not afford to observe the holiday.
A trip from Awoshie, through the streets leading to Kwashieman, Odorkor, Darkuman, Dansoman, Mataheko, Kaneshie, Abossey Okai and Adabraka, revealed that many of the traders, who were usually seen conducting their businesses, had as usual hit the road around 8.30 a.m.
Traffic, although not heavy as usual, had mounted between the road in front of the Accra Academy Senior High School, and the Kaneshie Market Complex when this reporter got there at about 9.30 a.m.
About 80 per cent of the shops lining the streets between the Kaneshie First Light, the traffic lights at Mpamprom and those at Abossey Okai, where mostly vehicle spare parts are sold, were open to customers.
Almost all the shops and stores at the two-storey the Kaneshie Market Complex were open. Traders who sell outside the market were also at their best with shouts to attract buyers.
In front of two shops where second-hand electronics were sold, a sizeable group of people, some with their wares on their heads, were seen watching the independence day parade live on television.
The lorry park close to the Kaneshie Market saw no change in operation as the place was as usual full of commercial vehicles with a number of driver’s mates shouting to attract passengers to their individual destinations.
It was also clear that the number of hawkers, who, on daily basis, occupied the road from the Kaneshie First Light to the Graphic Road at Adabraka, had increased in number.
In an interview, a dealer in hardware along the First Light-Mataheko street, who is known simply as Kwabena, said holidays were meant for government employees but not those in the informal sector.
He said his economic situation did not allow him to rest as much as he would have wanted.
He explained that he was forced to come to sell on Thursday and all other holidays because he usually received many customers on Saturdays and on holidays, since many of those who bought from him were people in the formal sector who were free to shop only on Saturdays and holidays.
Kwaku Samuel, a 21-year-old ice cream seller at the Mpamprom traffic light, said he was a mason who only found time to sell on Saturdays and on holidays.
A tomato seller at the Kaneshie Market, Maame Sarpong, said she could not afford to spend a holiday because she spent all the sales she made daily on her four children and, therefore, had to come to the market on daily basis.
From the Central Business District of Accra, Davina Darko-Mensah and Naa Lartiokor Lartey report that the enthusiasm and excitement that climaxed last year’s Golden Jubilee celebration of the country’s attainment of independence were completely missing this year.
Apart from most streets being quiet, the brisk business in national paraphernalia was also absent.
Traders at the Makola, Railways and Tema stations were rather selling their usual household items as if there was nothing special about the day.
The only place with a semblance of anniversary celebrations was the Kwame Nkrumah Circle where the national flags were hoisted while most major streets in Accra had no flags at all.
From the Ring Road Central to the Danquah Circle, which had lots of flags last year, there was not a single flag at all this year.
There were no miniature flags on cars either.
Along the streets of Accra the independence day fever was not felt either as people went about town ordinarily.
Human and vehicular traffic was not as heavy as it used to be as there were very few people and cars in town. However, the few people the reporter spoke to said the day was not different from any other day.
They explained that the publicity given to last year’s celebrations because it was the golden jubilee made it special hence the enthusiasm by Ghanaians to demonstrate their love and patriotism for their country.
A woman who gave her name as Akuokor Nartey said she was aware the day was independence day, but she preferred to celebrate it quietly.
A male trader, Kwame Opoku Asiedu, said he needed to sell his goods during the day so that he could celebrate in the evening with some friends at a drinking spot.
At the La Pleasure Beach, people were seen trooping with others already dancing to highlife and hiplife music.
There were both foreigners and Ghanaians, though the latter outnumbered the former.
Some hawkers who could not sell all their items made for the Ghana 2008 tournament took the opportunity to sell some T-shirts made in the national colours to the beach goers at the entrance to the beach.
IN order not to disrupt their daily objective of earning a living, some traders and commercial drivers on Thursday closed their eyes to the statutory public holiday announced by the government and went about their normal businesses in some commercial areas of Accra.
As is common with all important national events, a statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, and sent to all media houses on Monday, reminded the general public that the day, Thursday, March 6, 2008, which marked the celebration of the country’s 51st independence anniversary, was a statutory public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.
But a chat with some traders in Accra indicated that they had to work to survive and therefore, could not afford to observe the holiday.
A trip from Awoshie, through the streets leading to Kwashieman, Odorkor, Darkuman, Dansoman, Mataheko, Kaneshie, Abossey Okai and Adabraka, revealed that many of the traders, who were usually seen conducting their businesses, had as usual hit the road around 8.30 a.m.
Traffic, although not heavy as usual, had mounted between the road in front of the Accra Academy Senior High School, and the Kaneshie Market Complex when this reporter got there at about 9.30 a.m.
About 80 per cent of the shops lining the streets between the Kaneshie First Light, the traffic lights at Mpamprom and those at Abossey Okai, where mostly vehicle spare parts are sold, were open to customers.
Almost all the shops and stores at the two-storey the Kaneshie Market Complex were open. Traders who sell outside the market were also at their best with shouts to attract buyers.
In front of two shops where second-hand electronics were sold, a sizeable group of people, some with their wares on their heads, were seen watching the independence day parade live on television.
The lorry park close to the Kaneshie Market saw no change in operation as the place was as usual full of commercial vehicles with a number of driver’s mates shouting to attract passengers to their individual destinations.
It was also clear that the number of hawkers, who, on daily basis, occupied the road from the Kaneshie First Light to the Graphic Road at Adabraka, had increased in number.
In an interview, a dealer in hardware along the First Light-Mataheko street, who is known simply as Kwabena, said holidays were meant for government employees but not those in the informal sector.
He said his economic situation did not allow him to rest as much as he would have wanted.
He explained that he was forced to come to sell on Thursday and all other holidays because he usually received many customers on Saturdays and on holidays, since many of those who bought from him were people in the formal sector who were free to shop only on Saturdays and holidays.
Kwaku Samuel, a 21-year-old ice cream seller at the Mpamprom traffic light, said he was a mason who only found time to sell on Saturdays and on holidays.
A tomato seller at the Kaneshie Market, Maame Sarpong, said she could not afford to spend a holiday because she spent all the sales she made daily on her four children and, therefore, had to come to the market on daily basis.
From the Central Business District of Accra, Davina Darko-Mensah and Naa Lartiokor Lartey report that the enthusiasm and excitement that climaxed last year’s Golden Jubilee celebration of the country’s attainment of independence were completely missing this year.
Apart from most streets being quiet, the brisk business in national paraphernalia was also absent.
Traders at the Makola, Railways and Tema stations were rather selling their usual household items as if there was nothing special about the day.
The only place with a semblance of anniversary celebrations was the Kwame Nkrumah Circle where the national flags were hoisted while most major streets in Accra had no flags at all.
From the Ring Road Central to the Danquah Circle, which had lots of flags last year, there was not a single flag at all this year.
There were no miniature flags on cars either.
Along the streets of Accra the independence day fever was not felt either as people went about town ordinarily.
Human and vehicular traffic was not as heavy as it used to be as there were very few people and cars in town. However, the few people the reporter spoke to said the day was not different from any other day.
They explained that the publicity given to last year’s celebrations because it was the golden jubilee made it special hence the enthusiasm by Ghanaians to demonstrate their love and patriotism for their country.
A woman who gave her name as Akuokor Nartey said she was aware the day was independence day, but she preferred to celebrate it quietly.
A male trader, Kwame Opoku Asiedu, said he needed to sell his goods during the day so that he could celebrate in the evening with some friends at a drinking spot.
At the La Pleasure Beach, people were seen trooping with others already dancing to highlife and hiplife music.
There were both foreigners and Ghanaians, though the latter outnumbered the former.
Some hawkers who could not sell all their items made for the Ghana 2008 tournament took the opportunity to sell some T-shirts made in the national colours to the beach goers at the entrance to the beach.
Ghana's Food Situation Not Bad- Minister
Story: Lucy Adoma Yeboah
GHANA has not as yet been affected by the alarming food price increase the world is experiencing.
While the global average food price increase stands at 37 per cent, figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicate that increase in food prices in Ghana is at 12 per cent.
This shows that food prices in Ghana are relatively low as compared to elsewhere in the world where countries experience increase as high as 75 per cent.
Information available at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture indicates that the world is currently facing food shortage which experts attribute to a combination of factors, including climate change which brought about floods and droughts and also the shift from fossil fuel to bio-diesel where food items such as grains and legumes had to be processed into fuel.
In an interview with the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Akubour Debrah, in Accra, he said Ghana’s success story was because of prudent measures taken by the agricultural sector to prevent any catastrophic effects that might affect the country because of global food shortages.
Mr Debrah said in addition to supplying the farmers with high yielding seedlings, one major step that the ministry took which was paying off was the collaboration it had with the association of award winners in the agric sector to motivate them to produce all year round.
Answering why he said Ghana’s food situation was relatively better, the minister said that unlike in previous years, there were still white yams on the market at this time of the year, adding that that was why the consumption of water yams had not started yet.
He also added that vegetables, especially tomatoes, had continued to be on the market all year round and at reasonable prices unlike other times where prices went skyrocketing.
The Food and Agriculture minister added that a study of the market situation by any objective observer could reveal that maize and other legumes were available and at relatively affordable prices.
He said in addition to the effects of climate change and the conversion of grains and legumes to fuel, the high price of fuel and farm inputs and machinery was also a factor.
Other items which the minister said were creating problems in food production include high fertiliser and transportation costs due to high fuel price.
Mr Debrah also said because the global consumption of animal products had increased, large amount of grains was being used to feed animals instead of direct consumption by humans.
GHANA has not as yet been affected by the alarming food price increase the world is experiencing.
While the global average food price increase stands at 37 per cent, figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicate that increase in food prices in Ghana is at 12 per cent.
This shows that food prices in Ghana are relatively low as compared to elsewhere in the world where countries experience increase as high as 75 per cent.
Information available at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture indicates that the world is currently facing food shortage which experts attribute to a combination of factors, including climate change which brought about floods and droughts and also the shift from fossil fuel to bio-diesel where food items such as grains and legumes had to be processed into fuel.
In an interview with the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Ernest Akubour Debrah, in Accra, he said Ghana’s success story was because of prudent measures taken by the agricultural sector to prevent any catastrophic effects that might affect the country because of global food shortages.
Mr Debrah said in addition to supplying the farmers with high yielding seedlings, one major step that the ministry took which was paying off was the collaboration it had with the association of award winners in the agric sector to motivate them to produce all year round.
Answering why he said Ghana’s food situation was relatively better, the minister said that unlike in previous years, there were still white yams on the market at this time of the year, adding that that was why the consumption of water yams had not started yet.
He also added that vegetables, especially tomatoes, had continued to be on the market all year round and at reasonable prices unlike other times where prices went skyrocketing.
The Food and Agriculture minister added that a study of the market situation by any objective observer could reveal that maize and other legumes were available and at relatively affordable prices.
He said in addition to the effects of climate change and the conversion of grains and legumes to fuel, the high price of fuel and farm inputs and machinery was also a factor.
Other items which the minister said were creating problems in food production include high fertiliser and transportation costs due to high fuel price.
Mr Debrah also said because the global consumption of animal products had increased, large amount of grains was being used to feed animals instead of direct consumption by humans.
Stroke — Who is at risk? (Page 27)
Article: Lucy Adoma Yeboah (10-03-2008)
ON Monday, February 25, 2008, the Daily Graphic carried a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report with the headline, “Daytime dozing — early warning sign of stroke,” which made many readers sit up.
I could say that for a fact because five people, friends and family members, who are aware of my interest in health issues, called me to read that story.
According to the BBC report, which was based on a study conducted by a group of US researchers, regular unintentional daytime dozing may be an early warning sign of stroke in elderly people.
It continued that for those who had a habit of nodding off, the risk of stroke was two to four times higher than for those who never fell asleep in the day.
At an International Stroke Conference, the team advised doctors to check out older people who found they were dropping off in front of the TV.
As part of the research, the study asked 2,000 people how often they dozed off in different situations.
The situations included while watching TV, sitting and talking to someone, sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol and stopping briefly in traffic while driving.
The risk of stroke over the next two years was 2.6 times greater for people who reported "some dozing" compared to those with no dozing. Among those who reported "significant dozing" the risk was 4.5 times higher.
The researchers also found the risk of heart attack or death from vascular disease was 1.6 per cent higher for moderate dozers and 2.6 per cent higher for significant dozers.
Study leader, Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Columbia University, New York, said: "Those are significant numbers. We were surprised that the impact was that high for such a short period of time."
Previous research has shown that people who suffer from sleep apnoea— short periods when breathing stops during sleep— have an increased stroke risk.
It could be that daytime sleepiness is a sign of sleeping poorly at night because of sleep apnoea.
"Given what's known now, it's worth assessing patients for sleep problems," Dr Boden-Albala said.
"If patients are moderately or significantly dozing, physicians need to think about sending them for further evaluation."
She added that other studies had shown people were not getting enough sleep, making them consistently tired.
"But the real question is: 'What are we doing to our bodies?'. Sleepiness obviously puts us at risk of stroke."
Dr Heinrich Audebert, Consultant Stroke Physician at Guy and St Thomas's Hospital in London said the findings seemed reasonable.
"Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for stroke and in Mediterranean countries the siesta is associated with a little bit of an increased daytime risk of stroke," he said.
After reading this piece, it became evident that it is important if we spend a little of our time to learn about stroke and how it could be prevented.
What is a stroke?
According to health experts, a stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to a problem with the blood supply. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and important nutrients cannot be delivered. The result is abnormal brain function. Blood flow to the brain can be disrupted by either a blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A stroke is also referred to as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA.
Signs of Stroke
According to a report posted on the Internet by a group of University of North Carolina researchers, three commands sometimes used by doctors to begin assessing whether a person may be experiencing a stroke can also be useful for people who are not doctors, so as to help themselves or others who might be at risk.
The report said non-health professionals can ask a potential stroke victim to smile, raise both arms or make a simple sentence to determine whether he was suffering from the disease or not.
These three commands, known as the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS), are used by health professionals as a simple first step in the assessment process for signs of stroke. If a person has trouble with any of these simple commands, the person should immediately be sent to hospital with a description of the situation, noting that you suspect the individual is having a stroke.
Another report from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also states that major signs of stroke are the sudden onset of: Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, the loss of voluntary movement and/or sensation may be complete or partial. These may also be associated with tingling sensation in the affected area.
What causes a stroke?
According to health experts, the blockage of an artery in the brain by blood clot (thrombosis) is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is then deprived of blood and oxygen. The cells of that part of the brain die as a result.
Typically, a clot forms in a small blood vessel within the brain that has previously been narrowed due to the long–term damaging effects of high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes. The resulting strokes are called lacunar strokes because they look like little lakes.
In other situations, usually because of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), a blood clot can obstruct a larger vessel going to the brain, thereby preventing blood supply to the brain through the neck.
Another type of stroke may occur when a blood clot or a piece of atherosclerotic plaque (cholesterol and calcium deposits on the wall of the inside of the heart or artery) breaks loose, travels through open arteries, and lodges in an artery of the brain. When this happens, the flow of oxygen–rich blood to the brain is blocked and a stroke occurs.
This type of stroke is referred to as an embolic stroke.
A cerebral haemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain tissue. A cerebral haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) can cause a stroke by depriving blood and oxygen to parts of the brain. The accumulation of blood from a cerebral haemorrhage can also press on parts of the brain and cause damage.
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is caused by the rupture of a blood vessel that is usually located between the outside of the brain and the inside of the skull. The blood vessel at the point of rupture is often previously abnormal, such as from an aneurysm, which is an abnormal ballooning out of the wall of the vessel. Subarachnoid haemorrhages usually cause a sudden, severe headache and are often complicated by further neurological problems, such as paralysis, coma, and even death.
Overall, the most common risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure and increasing age. Diabetes and certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, are other common risk factors.
When strokes occur in younger individuals who are less than 50 years old, less common risk factors are often involved. These risk factors include drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines, ruptured aneurysms, and inherited (genetic) predisposition to blood clotting.
Another example of a genetic predisposition to stroke occurs in a rare condition called homocystinuria, in which there are excessive levels of the chemical homocystine in the body. Another rare cause of stroke is vasculitis, a condition in which the blood vessels become inflamed.
Another report have it that there appears to be a very slight increased occurrence of stroke in people with migraine headache.
What are the treatable risk factors?
Health experts state that some of the most important treatable risk factors for stroke are: High blood pressure, also called hypertension.
This health condition is considered by far the most potent risk factor for stroke. If one’s blood pressure is high, it is important his or her doctor works out an individual strategy to bring it down to the normal range.
To reduce the risks, one needs to maintain proper weight. Avoid drugs known to raise blood pressure. Cut down on salt. Eat fruits and vegetables to increase potassium in diet. Exercise more: A doctor may prescribe medicines that could help lower blood pressure.
Controlling blood pressure will also help one avoid heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure.
Avoid cigarette smoking: Cigarette smoking has been linked to the build-up of fatty substances in the carotid artery, the main neck artery supplying blood to the brain. Blockage of this artery is the leading cause of stroke in Americans. Also, nicotine raises blood pressure; carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen one’s blood can carry to the brain; and cigarette smoke makes one’s blood thicker and more likely to clot.
Another risk factor, diabetes, causes destructive changes in the blood vessels throughout the body, including the brain. Treating diabetes can delay the onset of complications that increase the risk of stroke.
ON Monday, February 25, 2008, the Daily Graphic carried a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report with the headline, “Daytime dozing — early warning sign of stroke,” which made many readers sit up.
I could say that for a fact because five people, friends and family members, who are aware of my interest in health issues, called me to read that story.
According to the BBC report, which was based on a study conducted by a group of US researchers, regular unintentional daytime dozing may be an early warning sign of stroke in elderly people.
It continued that for those who had a habit of nodding off, the risk of stroke was two to four times higher than for those who never fell asleep in the day.
At an International Stroke Conference, the team advised doctors to check out older people who found they were dropping off in front of the TV.
As part of the research, the study asked 2,000 people how often they dozed off in different situations.
The situations included while watching TV, sitting and talking to someone, sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol and stopping briefly in traffic while driving.
The risk of stroke over the next two years was 2.6 times greater for people who reported "some dozing" compared to those with no dozing. Among those who reported "significant dozing" the risk was 4.5 times higher.
The researchers also found the risk of heart attack or death from vascular disease was 1.6 per cent higher for moderate dozers and 2.6 per cent higher for significant dozers.
Study leader, Dr Bernadette Boden-Albala, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Columbia University, New York, said: "Those are significant numbers. We were surprised that the impact was that high for such a short period of time."
Previous research has shown that people who suffer from sleep apnoea— short periods when breathing stops during sleep— have an increased stroke risk.
It could be that daytime sleepiness is a sign of sleeping poorly at night because of sleep apnoea.
"Given what's known now, it's worth assessing patients for sleep problems," Dr Boden-Albala said.
"If patients are moderately or significantly dozing, physicians need to think about sending them for further evaluation."
She added that other studies had shown people were not getting enough sleep, making them consistently tired.
"But the real question is: 'What are we doing to our bodies?'. Sleepiness obviously puts us at risk of stroke."
Dr Heinrich Audebert, Consultant Stroke Physician at Guy and St Thomas's Hospital in London said the findings seemed reasonable.
"Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for stroke and in Mediterranean countries the siesta is associated with a little bit of an increased daytime risk of stroke," he said.
After reading this piece, it became evident that it is important if we spend a little of our time to learn about stroke and how it could be prevented.
What is a stroke?
According to health experts, a stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to a problem with the blood supply. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and important nutrients cannot be delivered. The result is abnormal brain function. Blood flow to the brain can be disrupted by either a blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A stroke is also referred to as a cerebrovascular accident or CVA.
Signs of Stroke
According to a report posted on the Internet by a group of University of North Carolina researchers, three commands sometimes used by doctors to begin assessing whether a person may be experiencing a stroke can also be useful for people who are not doctors, so as to help themselves or others who might be at risk.
The report said non-health professionals can ask a potential stroke victim to smile, raise both arms or make a simple sentence to determine whether he was suffering from the disease or not.
These three commands, known as the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS), are used by health professionals as a simple first step in the assessment process for signs of stroke. If a person has trouble with any of these simple commands, the person should immediately be sent to hospital with a description of the situation, noting that you suspect the individual is having a stroke.
Another report from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also states that major signs of stroke are the sudden onset of: Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, the loss of voluntary movement and/or sensation may be complete or partial. These may also be associated with tingling sensation in the affected area.
What causes a stroke?
According to health experts, the blockage of an artery in the brain by blood clot (thrombosis) is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is then deprived of blood and oxygen. The cells of that part of the brain die as a result.
Typically, a clot forms in a small blood vessel within the brain that has previously been narrowed due to the long–term damaging effects of high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes. The resulting strokes are called lacunar strokes because they look like little lakes.
In other situations, usually because of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), a blood clot can obstruct a larger vessel going to the brain, thereby preventing blood supply to the brain through the neck.
Another type of stroke may occur when a blood clot or a piece of atherosclerotic plaque (cholesterol and calcium deposits on the wall of the inside of the heart or artery) breaks loose, travels through open arteries, and lodges in an artery of the brain. When this happens, the flow of oxygen–rich blood to the brain is blocked and a stroke occurs.
This type of stroke is referred to as an embolic stroke.
A cerebral haemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain tissue. A cerebral haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) can cause a stroke by depriving blood and oxygen to parts of the brain. The accumulation of blood from a cerebral haemorrhage can also press on parts of the brain and cause damage.
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is caused by the rupture of a blood vessel that is usually located between the outside of the brain and the inside of the skull. The blood vessel at the point of rupture is often previously abnormal, such as from an aneurysm, which is an abnormal ballooning out of the wall of the vessel. Subarachnoid haemorrhages usually cause a sudden, severe headache and are often complicated by further neurological problems, such as paralysis, coma, and even death.
Overall, the most common risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure and increasing age. Diabetes and certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, are other common risk factors.
When strokes occur in younger individuals who are less than 50 years old, less common risk factors are often involved. These risk factors include drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines, ruptured aneurysms, and inherited (genetic) predisposition to blood clotting.
Another example of a genetic predisposition to stroke occurs in a rare condition called homocystinuria, in which there are excessive levels of the chemical homocystine in the body. Another rare cause of stroke is vasculitis, a condition in which the blood vessels become inflamed.
Another report have it that there appears to be a very slight increased occurrence of stroke in people with migraine headache.
What are the treatable risk factors?
Health experts state that some of the most important treatable risk factors for stroke are: High blood pressure, also called hypertension.
This health condition is considered by far the most potent risk factor for stroke. If one’s blood pressure is high, it is important his or her doctor works out an individual strategy to bring it down to the normal range.
To reduce the risks, one needs to maintain proper weight. Avoid drugs known to raise blood pressure. Cut down on salt. Eat fruits and vegetables to increase potassium in diet. Exercise more: A doctor may prescribe medicines that could help lower blood pressure.
Controlling blood pressure will also help one avoid heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure.
Avoid cigarette smoking: Cigarette smoking has been linked to the build-up of fatty substances in the carotid artery, the main neck artery supplying blood to the brain. Blockage of this artery is the leading cause of stroke in Americans. Also, nicotine raises blood pressure; carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen one’s blood can carry to the brain; and cigarette smoke makes one’s blood thicker and more likely to clot.
Another risk factor, diabetes, causes destructive changes in the blood vessels throughout the body, including the brain. Treating diabetes can delay the onset of complications that increase the risk of stroke.
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