THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen Ghana as the host of an international conference on tobacco control between April 20 and April 23, 2010.
Paricipants from 20 WHO-member countries are expected to attend the meeting dubbed the Second Working Group Meeting on Article 17 and 18 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It is evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and also aims at curbing tobacco related deaths and diseases.
To organise a successful meeting in Ghana, the Ministry of Health (MoH) on behalf of the Government of Ghana, yesterday inaugurated a nine-member Local Planning Committee.
The Chairman of the Committee is the Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei. Other members are the Focal Person Tobacco Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Mrs Edith Wellington; the Director of Administration and Gender at the MoH, Mrs Marian A. Tackie and a representative of WHO Ghana office, Ms Sophia Twum-Barima.
The rest are a representative of the Attorney General’s Department, Mrs Pearl Akiwimi-Siriboe; a member of the Coalition of NGOs in Tobacco Control, Ms Martha Osei; a member of Consumer Concerns Initiative, Mr Ben Ahiagbe, as well as a representative each of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who are yet to be named.
Inaugurating the Local Planning Committee, the outgoing Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Nii Oakley Kwei-Kuma said the first working group meeting was held in India in September, 2009.
He pointed out the main objective of the WHO Working Group Meeting was to interact with other global players to deliberate and strategize on the alternative livelihoods to tobacco growing in order to protect the environment and the health of persons in the production and manufacturing of tobacco products.
He said it was also to elaborate recommendations on effective measures that parties might take to promote sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing and update experiences from it first meeting by introducing recent experiences and cross national reviews and policy tools.
Dr Kweikuma added that the participants from 20 were also expected to undertake an assessment of sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing including tobacco industry practices, and any policies or measures that supported or facilitated tobacco growing.
For his part, Dr Osei said “Ghana, I must say is in the good books of WHO as evidenced by even their choice of Ghana for this meeting and we cannot afford to disappoint them”.
The Chief Psychiatrist said at least 45 people from about 20 countries will assembly here in Ghana to elaborate on the guidelines which will be used by WHO to guide various countries in their implementation of Article 17 and 18.
He pointed out the document will then be discussed and adopted by the General Assembly towards the end of the year as a guide for the world towards the control of tobacco production, marketing and consumption.
He gave the assurance that the committee members do their best for the meeting to be a memorable and a very productive one so that the working group could produce a document worthy of its sort.
Tobacco, according to the WHO is unhealthy, since it causes chronic disease which could lead to death.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
ANXIETY ALL OVER-As Prez presents 2nd State of the Nation Address
Story: News Desk Report
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills’s second State of the Nation Address to Parliament tomorrow is being heralded with great expectations, as Ghanaians from all walks of life remain anxious to see whether the issues he will touch on will address the bread and butter concerns of the ordinary man on the street.
The address is expected to touch on governance, the economy, energy, education, health, international relations, agriculture, among other issues that are critical to the survival of the ordinary Ghanaian.
However, one issue that ran through all the responses which the Daily Graphic gathered from a number of respondents was centred around oil and how the President hoped to use the expected revenue from that industry to solve the country’s problems.
In his maiden State of the Nation Address, President Mills explained to Ghanaians the challenges he inherited from the previous government and pledged to reverse what he described as the decline in the fortunes of Ghanaians.
He also proposed to adopt austere measures in the expenditure pattern and promote a vibrant and globally competitive private sector in order to fix the economy.
One year on, and from the perspective of many Ghanaians, the President does not appear to have that luxury of detailing the problems he inherited. He is expected to deal with how far he has gone in fixing them.
On that expectation, a political scientist, Mr Kwesi Jonah, told the Daily Graphic that he expected the President to tell the nation the current state of the Ghanaian economy, writes Mark-Anthony Vinorkor.
He said a year ago when the President took office, he told Ghanaians that the economy was in a bad shape and that he had assembled a team to deal with the problem.
“He should now let us know whether the economy has improved or not,” he said.
Mr Jonah, who is the Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said with the drilling of oil in commercial quantities in the last quarter of the year, the President needed to tell the nation what improvement the oil would bring into the lives of the ordinary people.
“What is he doing to ensure that the benefits of oil trickle down to the ordinary people?” he asked.
For his part, a security analyst, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, said the President needed to address the issue of the recent fire outbreaks in the country and tell the nation whether they were mere coincidences or cases of arson.
He said the discovery of oil had serious implications for national security and added that the President needed to assure the nation that the contracts signed would not be shrouded in secrecy.
He said the lack of transparency and accountability in that area could lead to serious conflicts, adding that 2010 being the year oil would be drilled in commercial quantities, Ghanaians had to know the happenings in the industry and how the national interest was being protected.
Mr Sowatey said the upcoming elections in Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, two of Ghana’s neighbours, had implications for the country’s security and added that President Mills would have to tell Ghanaians the steps that had been taken to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure peaceful elections in those countries.
The Minority Spokesman on Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, told the Daily Graphic that he expected the President to be candid with Ghanaians about the state of the nation, especially with its fiscal management, noting that the government had been boasting about reducing inflation while, in actual fact, it had refused to honour its statutory payments, writes Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah,
Dr Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, said, for example, that the government was yet to release the third quarter payments of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), while payments had not been released to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), among others.
He noted that in a situation where the government was not spending, inflation would definitely go down, but that could not be sustainable.
For her part, the NPP MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, said Ghanaians expected the President to elaborate on how his government was going to provide jobs for the teeming youth as he promised during the 2008 general election.
The current state of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) should also be an issue that should engage the attention of the President, she noted.
The MP said the way forward for the Single Spine Salary Structure should also be explained to Ghanaian workers, adding that low income earners were suffering as a result of high taxes, such as increased road tolls, among others.
The NPP MP for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, also said having stabilised the macro economy, the government was expected to ensure growth and generate jobs for the youth.
For his part, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament and NDC MP for Ketu North, Mr James Klutse Avedzi, said he expected the President to give account of the extent to which policy initiatives announced in his first State of the Nation Address had been implemented.
He noted that efforts to grow the economy had yielded positive dividends and that should be reported to the people.
Mr Avedzi added that Ghana was making strides in the production of rice and that would ensure a reduction in the rice imported into the country and save it some of its scarce foreign exchange.
He said social interventions by the government in the educational sector, such as the provision of infrastructure for under-tree schools, the enhancement of the School Feeding Programme (SFP), the provision of textbooks and school uniforms for deprived pupils, were also expected to feature in the President’s address.
A 43-year-old nurse, Mercy Lamptey, said she expected the President to address the issue of national unity and the need for political tolerance, writes Lucy Adoma Yeboah.
According to her, the manner in which some individuals on both sides of the political divide talked, especially in the electronic media, made some members of the general public to feel uncomfortable.
To her, the leadership of the nation should ensure that the country was united to join forces in the national quest to create jobs, fight crime, reduce the incidence of diseases and develop as a nation.
Kwaku Osei, a trader in hardware at Kaneshie, said the government should reduce the taxes on the imported goods to help increase profit margins as a way of reducing poverty in the country.
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills’s second State of the Nation Address to Parliament tomorrow is being heralded with great expectations, as Ghanaians from all walks of life remain anxious to see whether the issues he will touch on will address the bread and butter concerns of the ordinary man on the street.
The address is expected to touch on governance, the economy, energy, education, health, international relations, agriculture, among other issues that are critical to the survival of the ordinary Ghanaian.
However, one issue that ran through all the responses which the Daily Graphic gathered from a number of respondents was centred around oil and how the President hoped to use the expected revenue from that industry to solve the country’s problems.
In his maiden State of the Nation Address, President Mills explained to Ghanaians the challenges he inherited from the previous government and pledged to reverse what he described as the decline in the fortunes of Ghanaians.
He also proposed to adopt austere measures in the expenditure pattern and promote a vibrant and globally competitive private sector in order to fix the economy.
One year on, and from the perspective of many Ghanaians, the President does not appear to have that luxury of detailing the problems he inherited. He is expected to deal with how far he has gone in fixing them.
On that expectation, a political scientist, Mr Kwesi Jonah, told the Daily Graphic that he expected the President to tell the nation the current state of the Ghanaian economy, writes Mark-Anthony Vinorkor.
He said a year ago when the President took office, he told Ghanaians that the economy was in a bad shape and that he had assembled a team to deal with the problem.
“He should now let us know whether the economy has improved or not,” he said.
Mr Jonah, who is the Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said with the drilling of oil in commercial quantities in the last quarter of the year, the President needed to tell the nation what improvement the oil would bring into the lives of the ordinary people.
“What is he doing to ensure that the benefits of oil trickle down to the ordinary people?” he asked.
For his part, a security analyst, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, said the President needed to address the issue of the recent fire outbreaks in the country and tell the nation whether they were mere coincidences or cases of arson.
He said the discovery of oil had serious implications for national security and added that the President needed to assure the nation that the contracts signed would not be shrouded in secrecy.
He said the lack of transparency and accountability in that area could lead to serious conflicts, adding that 2010 being the year oil would be drilled in commercial quantities, Ghanaians had to know the happenings in the industry and how the national interest was being protected.
Mr Sowatey said the upcoming elections in Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, two of Ghana’s neighbours, had implications for the country’s security and added that President Mills would have to tell Ghanaians the steps that had been taken to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure peaceful elections in those countries.
The Minority Spokesman on Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, told the Daily Graphic that he expected the President to be candid with Ghanaians about the state of the nation, especially with its fiscal management, noting that the government had been boasting about reducing inflation while, in actual fact, it had refused to honour its statutory payments, writes Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah,
Dr Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, said, for example, that the government was yet to release the third quarter payments of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), while payments had not been released to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), among others.
He noted that in a situation where the government was not spending, inflation would definitely go down, but that could not be sustainable.
For her part, the NPP MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, said Ghanaians expected the President to elaborate on how his government was going to provide jobs for the teeming youth as he promised during the 2008 general election.
The current state of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) should also be an issue that should engage the attention of the President, she noted.
The MP said the way forward for the Single Spine Salary Structure should also be explained to Ghanaian workers, adding that low income earners were suffering as a result of high taxes, such as increased road tolls, among others.
The NPP MP for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, also said having stabilised the macro economy, the government was expected to ensure growth and generate jobs for the youth.
For his part, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament and NDC MP for Ketu North, Mr James Klutse Avedzi, said he expected the President to give account of the extent to which policy initiatives announced in his first State of the Nation Address had been implemented.
He noted that efforts to grow the economy had yielded positive dividends and that should be reported to the people.
Mr Avedzi added that Ghana was making strides in the production of rice and that would ensure a reduction in the rice imported into the country and save it some of its scarce foreign exchange.
He said social interventions by the government in the educational sector, such as the provision of infrastructure for under-tree schools, the enhancement of the School Feeding Programme (SFP), the provision of textbooks and school uniforms for deprived pupils, were also expected to feature in the President’s address.
A 43-year-old nurse, Mercy Lamptey, said she expected the President to address the issue of national unity and the need for political tolerance, writes Lucy Adoma Yeboah.
According to her, the manner in which some individuals on both sides of the political divide talked, especially in the electronic media, made some members of the general public to feel uncomfortable.
To her, the leadership of the nation should ensure that the country was united to join forces in the national quest to create jobs, fight crime, reduce the incidence of diseases and develop as a nation.
Kwaku Osei, a trader in hardware at Kaneshie, said the government should reduce the taxes on the imported goods to help increase profit margins as a way of reducing poverty in the country.
NHIA acquires boats for field service
THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has acquired three boats for use by its subscribers in the Sene, Krachie West and Afram Plains districts.
The boats, which were inaugurated at the Marine Yard at Akosombo last Friday, were purchased purposely to convey subscribers who live beyond the Volta Lake to access health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Each of the boats is supposed to carry a maximum of eight persons at a time for a fee.
At the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester Mensah, said taking into account the government’s agenda of a better Ghana, the NHIA was committed to providing its subscribers, particularly those in economically challenged circumstances, the opportunity to access health care without hindrance.
He observed that the country’s quest for accessible health care for its people had often been confronted by the problems that did not necessarily come from the health sector but others such as transportation.
He expressed the hope that the move would help address the problem of numerous accidents on the Volta Lake which had been attributed mainly to the overloading of poorly maintained boats.
He gave the assurance that the authority would, by the end of the year, provide about 10 more boats to ensure that many more communities were able to access health care.
The CEO pointed out that there was to be a three-member committee in each of the beneficiary districts to manage the revenue that would accrue from the operations of the boats and cautioned that there was the need for transparency to sustain the project.
For his part, the Volta River Authority (VRA) Town Manager at Akosombo, Mr M.K. Afriyie, expressed appreciation at the move by the NHIA and said the three additional boats could effectively complement the work of the VRA, which had already provided one boat nicknamed “Onipa Nua” to convey people to and from the other side of the lake.
He acknowledged the fact there were more communities still suffering from lack of transportation and appealed to other institutions to emulate the NHIA’s gesture.
The Eastern Regional Schemes Manager, Mr Emil Afram, expressed appreciation at the moves made by the NHIA but pointed out that next time bigger boats should be provided to convey many more people and also be in the position to withstand storms.
The Chairman for the function, Nana Nyarko Asare II, the Gyaasehene of Senchi, expressed the hope that the provision of the boats by the NHIA would help the people access health care.
The boats, which were inaugurated at the Marine Yard at Akosombo last Friday, were purchased purposely to convey subscribers who live beyond the Volta Lake to access health care under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Each of the boats is supposed to carry a maximum of eight persons at a time for a fee.
At the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester Mensah, said taking into account the government’s agenda of a better Ghana, the NHIA was committed to providing its subscribers, particularly those in economically challenged circumstances, the opportunity to access health care without hindrance.
He observed that the country’s quest for accessible health care for its people had often been confronted by the problems that did not necessarily come from the health sector but others such as transportation.
He expressed the hope that the move would help address the problem of numerous accidents on the Volta Lake which had been attributed mainly to the overloading of poorly maintained boats.
He gave the assurance that the authority would, by the end of the year, provide about 10 more boats to ensure that many more communities were able to access health care.
The CEO pointed out that there was to be a three-member committee in each of the beneficiary districts to manage the revenue that would accrue from the operations of the boats and cautioned that there was the need for transparency to sustain the project.
For his part, the Volta River Authority (VRA) Town Manager at Akosombo, Mr M.K. Afriyie, expressed appreciation at the move by the NHIA and said the three additional boats could effectively complement the work of the VRA, which had already provided one boat nicknamed “Onipa Nua” to convey people to and from the other side of the lake.
He acknowledged the fact there were more communities still suffering from lack of transportation and appealed to other institutions to emulate the NHIA’s gesture.
The Eastern Regional Schemes Manager, Mr Emil Afram, expressed appreciation at the moves made by the NHIA but pointed out that next time bigger boats should be provided to convey many more people and also be in the position to withstand storms.
The Chairman for the function, Nana Nyarko Asare II, the Gyaasehene of Senchi, expressed the hope that the provision of the boats by the NHIA would help the people access health care.
Reducing maternal deaths in the country-Role of midwives
IT was around midnight when Afia Boatemaa (not her real name) began to feel labour pangs. When she informed her mother with whom she was living, what she was going through, Afia was told to hold on since it would take some time for the baby to actually come. On three separate occasions during the night, Afia had to struggle to get to her mother’s bed to wake her up, and at every time, her mother told her to wait.
Being her first pregnancy and with no experience in child delivery, Afia took her mother’s advice and continued to go through terrible pain throughout the night. The next morning, it was after Afia had been chanced upon by the wife of the local catchiest that she was rushed to the health post, but unfortunately, there was no midwife to attend to her. For hours, Afia was left unattended to and when she was finally sent to the nearest hospital some 30 kilometres away, she was immediately operated upon but unfortunately, she could not survive another case of maternal mortality.
Maternal mortality, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), represents the greatest health inequity in the world. Aside it, no other health indicator starkly illustrates global disparities in human development.
In addition, the United Nations (UN) body indicates that apart from the human tragedy associated with the death of any woman through preventable maternal causes, a family tend to lose a principal breadwinner and also a reduction in the survival of the existing children in the family.
Most maternal deaths, according to health workers, occur during labour, delivery or the first 24 hours after delivery. Skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the immediate postpartum period, by healthcare professionals such as midwives with appropriate skills has been recognised as one of the key interventions to reduce maternal mortality. But it must, however, be noted that these skilled birth attendants required the necessary emergency obstetric care facilities and equipment in order to prevent these deaths. Skilled birth attendants include midwives and other health professionals with midwifery skills.
Information provided by the Country Midwifery Advisor of UNFPA in Ghana, Mrs Fredrica Enyonam Hanson indicated a midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational programme, duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies and has acquired the requisite qualification to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery.
To perform effectively, she pointed out that a midwife must be able to give the necessary supervision care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum period. She is also to conduct deliveries on her own responsibility; and to care for the new-born and the infant.
This care, according to Mrs Hanson, included preventive measures, the detection of abnormal conditions in the mother and child, the procurement of medical assistance and the execution of emergency measures in the absence of medical help. A midwife is said to have an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the patient, but also within the family and the community. The work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and extends to certain areas of gynaecology, family planning (FP) and child care.
Midwives may practice in hospitals, clinics, health units, domiciliary conditions or any other service.
It is also important to point out that when women are unable to access the necessary services provided by midwives, they cannot benefit from these life-saving services. To save the lives, Ghana has over the years taken innovative steps to increase women's access to healthcare; however, maternal mortality in Ghana still remains high. Mrs Hanson observed that gaps in women's access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare were due in part to barriers and challenges midwives faced, and these challenges included overcrowding and high client midwife ratio, outdated facilities and equipment; few support networks; limited opportunities for continuing education; and traditional beliefs and practices-all of which affected maternal and neo-natal health outcomes.
She pointed out that midwives often found themselves practising within a context of rooted cultural practices and beliefs, rules governing social behaviour and clients' limited exposure to modern medicine.
“As a result, a supportive and informative environment needs to be developed so that midwives are better able to explain the relevance and value of their services to clients and their communities. We must recognise the unique skills, roles and responsibilities midwives bring to delivery care, and to the central role that midwives play in making motherhood safer”, she stressed.
To ensure that they are well trained and skilfully empowered to deliver the women of Ghana who have always delivered for Ghana, Mrs Hanson maintained that the training of this calibre of health workers must be critically looked. It is by so doing that the slogan adopted at the launch of the Ghana Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa - CARMMA which is “Ghana cares, no woman should die whilst giving life” could make any meaningful impact.
It is also after we have had enough well-equipped midwives that the unacceptably high maternal mortality ratio of 451 deaths per 100,000 live births (Ghana Maternal Health Survey, 2007) could be reduced.
Being her first pregnancy and with no experience in child delivery, Afia took her mother’s advice and continued to go through terrible pain throughout the night. The next morning, it was after Afia had been chanced upon by the wife of the local catchiest that she was rushed to the health post, but unfortunately, there was no midwife to attend to her. For hours, Afia was left unattended to and when she was finally sent to the nearest hospital some 30 kilometres away, she was immediately operated upon but unfortunately, she could not survive another case of maternal mortality.
Maternal mortality, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), represents the greatest health inequity in the world. Aside it, no other health indicator starkly illustrates global disparities in human development.
In addition, the United Nations (UN) body indicates that apart from the human tragedy associated with the death of any woman through preventable maternal causes, a family tend to lose a principal breadwinner and also a reduction in the survival of the existing children in the family.
Most maternal deaths, according to health workers, occur during labour, delivery or the first 24 hours after delivery. Skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the immediate postpartum period, by healthcare professionals such as midwives with appropriate skills has been recognised as one of the key interventions to reduce maternal mortality. But it must, however, be noted that these skilled birth attendants required the necessary emergency obstetric care facilities and equipment in order to prevent these deaths. Skilled birth attendants include midwives and other health professionals with midwifery skills.
Information provided by the Country Midwifery Advisor of UNFPA in Ghana, Mrs Fredrica Enyonam Hanson indicated a midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational programme, duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies and has acquired the requisite qualification to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery.
To perform effectively, she pointed out that a midwife must be able to give the necessary supervision care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour, and the postpartum period. She is also to conduct deliveries on her own responsibility; and to care for the new-born and the infant.
This care, according to Mrs Hanson, included preventive measures, the detection of abnormal conditions in the mother and child, the procurement of medical assistance and the execution of emergency measures in the absence of medical help. A midwife is said to have an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the patient, but also within the family and the community. The work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and extends to certain areas of gynaecology, family planning (FP) and child care.
Midwives may practice in hospitals, clinics, health units, domiciliary conditions or any other service.
It is also important to point out that when women are unable to access the necessary services provided by midwives, they cannot benefit from these life-saving services. To save the lives, Ghana has over the years taken innovative steps to increase women's access to healthcare; however, maternal mortality in Ghana still remains high. Mrs Hanson observed that gaps in women's access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare were due in part to barriers and challenges midwives faced, and these challenges included overcrowding and high client midwife ratio, outdated facilities and equipment; few support networks; limited opportunities for continuing education; and traditional beliefs and practices-all of which affected maternal and neo-natal health outcomes.
She pointed out that midwives often found themselves practising within a context of rooted cultural practices and beliefs, rules governing social behaviour and clients' limited exposure to modern medicine.
“As a result, a supportive and informative environment needs to be developed so that midwives are better able to explain the relevance and value of their services to clients and their communities. We must recognise the unique skills, roles and responsibilities midwives bring to delivery care, and to the central role that midwives play in making motherhood safer”, she stressed.
To ensure that they are well trained and skilfully empowered to deliver the women of Ghana who have always delivered for Ghana, Mrs Hanson maintained that the training of this calibre of health workers must be critically looked. It is by so doing that the slogan adopted at the launch of the Ghana Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa - CARMMA which is “Ghana cares, no woman should die whilst giving life” could make any meaningful impact.
It is also after we have had enough well-equipped midwives that the unacceptably high maternal mortality ratio of 451 deaths per 100,000 live births (Ghana Maternal Health Survey, 2007) could be reduced.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
'GHS, GMA can't do it alone' (Front Page)
THE refusal of health professionals to accept posting to deprived areas has evoked reactions from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), which say that the issue has gone beyond mere appeals to the conscience of individuals.
They said the critical human resource problem affecting health delivery in deprived areas, especially the northern part of the country, needed to be tackled within the general framework of addressing the inequities in the country’s development pattern.
Speaking on the issue to the Daily Graphic, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias K. Sory, said since the service could not force any health professional to accept posting under the circumstances, the name of any such worker was usually taken from the payroll of the GHS.
He said the issue of the refusal of some health professionals to go to deprived areas had reached a stage where the GHS alone could not handle and, therefore, called for a holistic national approach to tackle the issue.
He said it was important for Ghana to tackle the issue with the seriousness it deserved, since there were other opportunities elsewhere, be it outside the country or in the private sector, for those professionals to take advantage of.
The director-general said the health sector had, over the years, tried hard to encourage health professionals to work in less developed communities but it seemed its packages had outlived their impact and needed to be looked at again and soon.
He explained that a policy was introduced around 2004 and 2005 to pay between 25 and 30 per cent of the salaries of doctors who worked in deprived areas and pointed out that doctors who worked in urban areas could earn more than that in an hour by doing part-time work.
He noted that unlike past years when people accepted to work under any conditions, currently things had reached a point where doctors, like many other public workers, considered economic benefits before working for experience or being patriotic.
Dr Sory said many doctors failed to accept posting to the rural areas because they could not earn as much as their colleagues in the cities and town.
That situation, he pointed out, was in addition to the lack of accommodation, schools for their children, as well as other social amenities, for those who accepted to work in those areas.
Dr Sory suggested that in addition to adequate incentives, there was the need for all the regional hospitals to be upgraded to teaching hospitals where young doctors would be made to practise within the communities after training and also be encouraged to work there.
He, however, noted that it was not only the three northern regions which had problems with inadequate health workers but also some areas which included remote areas in the Western Region.
Commenting on the same issue, the GMA stated that the matter of chronic shortage of health professionals in deprived areas, especially in northern Ghana, should be a matter of concern to all actors in the health delivery programme.
In an interview , the General Secretary of the association, Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, said while the startling doctor/patient ratio was an issue, equally important was the challenge of securing the right mix of professionals.
“We know, for example, that the Upper East and Upper West regions have only one obstetrician-gynaecologist each, with dire implications for the reduction of maternal mortality.
“But as serious as the issues are, our solutions have up till now only been limited to banal appeals to people’s consciences and the writing of critical editorials in the national dailies. The fact that the human resource challenge persists after many years of this kind of approach should alert us to look beyond the superficial and adopt bold and pragmatic measures that will give us the skills mix that we desire,” he pointed out.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said it was in that light that the GMA dedicated the whole of its 51st AGM in November 2009 to the theme, “Towards a Better Health care for Ghana - the Human Resource Challenges and Solutions”, with Vice-President John Mahama as the special guest of honour.
He said following that, the following suggestions had been put forth by the association, including the need for a comprehensive human resource strategy to be designed by the human resource divisions of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the GHS.
He observed that such a well-thought out strategy would ensure that, as happened last year, doctors would not assume position in the Northern Region and elsewhere in some notion of serving the nation only to have their salaries blocked in Accra, making those doctors the only ones in their facilities to return to Accra and spend months chasing salaries from one department to another.
He also said there should be an end to the situation where once a doctor accepted posting to a deprived area, he/she virtually became a prisoner in that area, with little or no opportunities for scholarships and further professional/career advancement.
He touched on the lack of accommodation, adding that “it may surprise you to know that if some deprived places were to be flooded by even 20 nurses, there would be no accommodation for them”.
The GMA General Secretary pointed out that contrary to popular belief, there was no deprived area incentive or allowance that was given to the doctor serving in an area like Bongo in the Upper East where the doctor/patient ratio is 1:82,000.
“Till we come to the point that others have in other countries of creating significant disparities in salaries and emoluments between doctors and other health professionals working in rural/deprived areas and in more endowed ones, we will not understand what it will take to start reversing this trend,” he stated.
They said the critical human resource problem affecting health delivery in deprived areas, especially the northern part of the country, needed to be tackled within the general framework of addressing the inequities in the country’s development pattern.
Speaking on the issue to the Daily Graphic, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Elias K. Sory, said since the service could not force any health professional to accept posting under the circumstances, the name of any such worker was usually taken from the payroll of the GHS.
He said the issue of the refusal of some health professionals to go to deprived areas had reached a stage where the GHS alone could not handle and, therefore, called for a holistic national approach to tackle the issue.
He said it was important for Ghana to tackle the issue with the seriousness it deserved, since there were other opportunities elsewhere, be it outside the country or in the private sector, for those professionals to take advantage of.
The director-general said the health sector had, over the years, tried hard to encourage health professionals to work in less developed communities but it seemed its packages had outlived their impact and needed to be looked at again and soon.
He explained that a policy was introduced around 2004 and 2005 to pay between 25 and 30 per cent of the salaries of doctors who worked in deprived areas and pointed out that doctors who worked in urban areas could earn more than that in an hour by doing part-time work.
He noted that unlike past years when people accepted to work under any conditions, currently things had reached a point where doctors, like many other public workers, considered economic benefits before working for experience or being patriotic.
Dr Sory said many doctors failed to accept posting to the rural areas because they could not earn as much as their colleagues in the cities and town.
That situation, he pointed out, was in addition to the lack of accommodation, schools for their children, as well as other social amenities, for those who accepted to work in those areas.
Dr Sory suggested that in addition to adequate incentives, there was the need for all the regional hospitals to be upgraded to teaching hospitals where young doctors would be made to practise within the communities after training and also be encouraged to work there.
He, however, noted that it was not only the three northern regions which had problems with inadequate health workers but also some areas which included remote areas in the Western Region.
Commenting on the same issue, the GMA stated that the matter of chronic shortage of health professionals in deprived areas, especially in northern Ghana, should be a matter of concern to all actors in the health delivery programme.
In an interview , the General Secretary of the association, Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, said while the startling doctor/patient ratio was an issue, equally important was the challenge of securing the right mix of professionals.
“We know, for example, that the Upper East and Upper West regions have only one obstetrician-gynaecologist each, with dire implications for the reduction of maternal mortality.
“But as serious as the issues are, our solutions have up till now only been limited to banal appeals to people’s consciences and the writing of critical editorials in the national dailies. The fact that the human resource challenge persists after many years of this kind of approach should alert us to look beyond the superficial and adopt bold and pragmatic measures that will give us the skills mix that we desire,” he pointed out.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said it was in that light that the GMA dedicated the whole of its 51st AGM in November 2009 to the theme, “Towards a Better Health care for Ghana - the Human Resource Challenges and Solutions”, with Vice-President John Mahama as the special guest of honour.
He said following that, the following suggestions had been put forth by the association, including the need for a comprehensive human resource strategy to be designed by the human resource divisions of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the GHS.
He observed that such a well-thought out strategy would ensure that, as happened last year, doctors would not assume position in the Northern Region and elsewhere in some notion of serving the nation only to have their salaries blocked in Accra, making those doctors the only ones in their facilities to return to Accra and spend months chasing salaries from one department to another.
He also said there should be an end to the situation where once a doctor accepted posting to a deprived area, he/she virtually became a prisoner in that area, with little or no opportunities for scholarships and further professional/career advancement.
He touched on the lack of accommodation, adding that “it may surprise you to know that if some deprived places were to be flooded by even 20 nurses, there would be no accommodation for them”.
The GMA General Secretary pointed out that contrary to popular belief, there was no deprived area incentive or allowance that was given to the doctor serving in an area like Bongo in the Upper East where the doctor/patient ratio is 1:82,000.
“Till we come to the point that others have in other countries of creating significant disparities in salaries and emoluments between doctors and other health professionals working in rural/deprived areas and in more endowed ones, we will not understand what it will take to start reversing this trend,” he stated.
Ghana joins the world to to observe World Childhood Cancers Day.(Mirror)
Sat. February 19, 2010
THE world has recognised the threat of childhood cancers and has therefore, dedicated February 15, every year as the International Childhood Cancer Day.
The importance of the day is to: Educate the general public about childhood cancer; to raise money through fund-raising events for childhood cancer needs world-wide and in each country, and also promote the work of local parent organisations.
To mark the day in Ghana, the Ghana Parents’ Association for Childhood Cancers (GHAPACC) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), organised a press briefing last Monday, February 15, 2010. As part of the event, the association has plans to organise a a sponsored walk scheduled for Saturday, February 20, 2010 and also raise funds in support of childhood cancer activities globally and also in the country.
At the press briefing in Accra, a consultant at the Paediatric Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Lorna Awo Renner, said about 1,200 children below age 15 were presumed to be affected with childhood cancers in Ghana yearly.
That she said, accounted for about 17 per cent of deaths, the highest percentage at the Korle Bu Teaching (KBTH).
Dr Rennner pointed out only 150 of these cases were seen yearly by the largest cancer centre in the country which is located at the KBTH.
Speaking at the press conference, the Head of Cancer Unit of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kofi Nyarko, said though the service was working hard to deal with the issue of child cancer, treatment of the disease was relatively high due to inadequate funding.
He called on the government to examine the alarming figures resulting from childhood cancers and to respond by including them in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for their effective treatment.
For his part, the Chairman of the Ghana Parents Association for Childhood Cancers (GPACC), Mr Felix Kwame Aveh, said the association was organised to contribute to promoting the needs of children with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders.
He explained that the association aimed at providing support for children diagnosed with cancer diseases, providing information and logistics for practical use for parents, as well as organising support groups to assist children and their families to cope with the stress that the diagnosis brought about.
Additional information provided earlier by Dr Renner indicated that about 250,000 children get cancer in the world each year.
She noted that in Ghana, there was no comprehensive epidemiological data on the magnitude of childhood cancers but using estimates from incidence data in more developed countries, about 1 in 500 children will be affected.
“ With our population of over 20 million, we would expect about 1,200 children below 15 years of age to be affected yearly”, she indicated.
Unfortunately , in Ghana there are only two centres with paediatric cancer units where children with cancers could be treated and these are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
According to Dr Renner, documented evidence showed that there was a change in the types of cancers most frequently seen adding that in the 1990’s, lymphomas accounted for 67 per cent followed by eye cancer (retinoblastoma) which accounted for eight per cent, leukaemia eight per cent, and kidney cancer seven per cent. She pointed out that current data shows that only 37 per cent of cases were lymphomas now adding that leukaemia cases have doubled to 18 per cent, then eye cancers 12 per cent, kidney cancers eight per cent and other previously rarer cancers were now being diagnosed more frequently. The reasons for this changing pattern, are therefore yet to be determined by medical experts.
Information provided by Dr Renner pointed out that very little was known about the cause of most childhood cancers adding that many types had highest incidence at an early age suggesting causative factors operated before birth.
Among the rare factors are environmental which comes as a result of radiation; infections - viruses for example E-B virus; Hepatitis B virus and HIV.
Others are genetic factors indicating that less than five per cent of childhood cancers could be attributed directly to genetic factors, for example there is a hereditary form of eye cancer.
To detect cancers in children, the following symptoms are useful for public awareness about early presentation of childhood cancer. And these are: S – seek help for persistent symptoms; I – eye signs, white spot, squint, blindness, bulging eye; L – lumps in abdomen, head, neck, glands; U – unexplained fever, weight loss, bleeding, pallor, fatigue; A – aches in bones, back, fractures; N – neurological change in balance, gait, behaviour, headache.
The general lack of awareness about childhood cancer is compounded by adverse socio-cultural practices and limited access to services, with few health workers trained in paediatric cancer management. Other limitations include inadequate diagnostic services, unavailability of and unaffordable costs of chemotherapeutic agents, limited access to suitable protocols and inadequate supportive care.
To address this issue of childhood cancer before we are overtaken by it as a nation, Dr Renner advised that it was important to: Raise public awareness to the early signs and symptoms; invest in capacity building of health workers for early detection and referral; set up treatment centres in all regions with the capacity to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment including adequate supportive care; develop appropriate national treatment protocols bearing in mind the limited resources.
She also appealed that the country should ensure that children’s cancer care was fully included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); advocate strongly for resources for cancer control programmes that included prevention, early detection and care including palliative care; among other things.
THE world has recognised the threat of childhood cancers and has therefore, dedicated February 15, every year as the International Childhood Cancer Day.
The importance of the day is to: Educate the general public about childhood cancer; to raise money through fund-raising events for childhood cancer needs world-wide and in each country, and also promote the work of local parent organisations.
To mark the day in Ghana, the Ghana Parents’ Association for Childhood Cancers (GHAPACC) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), organised a press briefing last Monday, February 15, 2010. As part of the event, the association has plans to organise a a sponsored walk scheduled for Saturday, February 20, 2010 and also raise funds in support of childhood cancer activities globally and also in the country.
At the press briefing in Accra, a consultant at the Paediatric Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Lorna Awo Renner, said about 1,200 children below age 15 were presumed to be affected with childhood cancers in Ghana yearly.
That she said, accounted for about 17 per cent of deaths, the highest percentage at the Korle Bu Teaching (KBTH).
Dr Rennner pointed out only 150 of these cases were seen yearly by the largest cancer centre in the country which is located at the KBTH.
Speaking at the press conference, the Head of Cancer Unit of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kofi Nyarko, said though the service was working hard to deal with the issue of child cancer, treatment of the disease was relatively high due to inadequate funding.
He called on the government to examine the alarming figures resulting from childhood cancers and to respond by including them in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for their effective treatment.
For his part, the Chairman of the Ghana Parents Association for Childhood Cancers (GPACC), Mr Felix Kwame Aveh, said the association was organised to contribute to promoting the needs of children with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders.
He explained that the association aimed at providing support for children diagnosed with cancer diseases, providing information and logistics for practical use for parents, as well as organising support groups to assist children and their families to cope with the stress that the diagnosis brought about.
Additional information provided earlier by Dr Renner indicated that about 250,000 children get cancer in the world each year.
She noted that in Ghana, there was no comprehensive epidemiological data on the magnitude of childhood cancers but using estimates from incidence data in more developed countries, about 1 in 500 children will be affected.
“ With our population of over 20 million, we would expect about 1,200 children below 15 years of age to be affected yearly”, she indicated.
Unfortunately , in Ghana there are only two centres with paediatric cancer units where children with cancers could be treated and these are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
According to Dr Renner, documented evidence showed that there was a change in the types of cancers most frequently seen adding that in the 1990’s, lymphomas accounted for 67 per cent followed by eye cancer (retinoblastoma) which accounted for eight per cent, leukaemia eight per cent, and kidney cancer seven per cent. She pointed out that current data shows that only 37 per cent of cases were lymphomas now adding that leukaemia cases have doubled to 18 per cent, then eye cancers 12 per cent, kidney cancers eight per cent and other previously rarer cancers were now being diagnosed more frequently. The reasons for this changing pattern, are therefore yet to be determined by medical experts.
Information provided by Dr Renner pointed out that very little was known about the cause of most childhood cancers adding that many types had highest incidence at an early age suggesting causative factors operated before birth.
Among the rare factors are environmental which comes as a result of radiation; infections - viruses for example E-B virus; Hepatitis B virus and HIV.
Others are genetic factors indicating that less than five per cent of childhood cancers could be attributed directly to genetic factors, for example there is a hereditary form of eye cancer.
To detect cancers in children, the following symptoms are useful for public awareness about early presentation of childhood cancer. And these are: S – seek help for persistent symptoms; I – eye signs, white spot, squint, blindness, bulging eye; L – lumps in abdomen, head, neck, glands; U – unexplained fever, weight loss, bleeding, pallor, fatigue; A – aches in bones, back, fractures; N – neurological change in balance, gait, behaviour, headache.
The general lack of awareness about childhood cancer is compounded by adverse socio-cultural practices and limited access to services, with few health workers trained in paediatric cancer management. Other limitations include inadequate diagnostic services, unavailability of and unaffordable costs of chemotherapeutic agents, limited access to suitable protocols and inadequate supportive care.
To address this issue of childhood cancer before we are overtaken by it as a nation, Dr Renner advised that it was important to: Raise public awareness to the early signs and symptoms; invest in capacity building of health workers for early detection and referral; set up treatment centres in all regions with the capacity to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment including adequate supportive care; develop appropriate national treatment protocols bearing in mind the limited resources.
She also appealed that the country should ensure that children’s cancer care was fully included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); advocate strongly for resources for cancer control programmes that included prevention, early detection and care including palliative care; among other things.
Monday, February 22, 2010
NADMO orders checks on electrical wiring
Sat. February 20, 2010
THE National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has asked for immediate checks on electrical cords in all public buildings with a view to replacing faulty ones.
It also asked private property owners to do same and cautioned that electricity users should avoid plugging more than one extension cord into an outlet since such practice could easily create fire.
Major Nicholas Mensah (retd), the Public Relations Officer of the organisation, made the suggestions in a set of tit-bits released to help prevent further outbreaks of fire in the country.
In a leaflet titled “Fire Safety at Workplace”, NADMO advised workers to ensure that appliances and switches were put off after working hours or when power supply was cut.
It also talked about the need for workers to know the location of fire exits so as to access them in case of fire and also the need for each worker to know the fire plan of the workplace.
Emergency numbers provided by NADMO are Ghana Police Service:191, Ghana National Fire Service: 192, National Ambulance Service: 193, NADMO: 021-77926/021-780541.
In recent times the country has witnessed series of fire outbreaks, some devastating. The most recent incident was an intense fire on February 14, 2010, described by rescuers as “rapid and fast”, which razed to ashes the Ridge residence of former President J.J. Rawlings, with nothing to salvage from the debris.
While no life was lost, the disaster left behind the depressing spectacle of the ruins of a house which firemen had tried in vain for three hours to salvage.
Before then, on January 18, a huge inferno engulfed the Loading Gantry of the Tema Oil Refinery, claiming the lives of two workers of the plant and injuring others.
Also destroyed in the blaze were company equipment and nine fuel tankers.
Other state property which had also had their share of fire outbreaks were the Ministry of Information, which had witnessed two of such cases, first at a deputy minister’s office and again on Wednesday afternoon, the ministry’s storeroom, where some items, including materials to be used in making Ghana flags for the 53th Independence Day celebration, were burnt.
Other areas were part of the Electoral Commission (EC), the Accra Metro Education office at Kinbu, portions of the Forestry Commission (FC) situated within the Achimota Forest and the the 10-storey building which used house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was completely destroyed.
THE National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has asked for immediate checks on electrical cords in all public buildings with a view to replacing faulty ones.
It also asked private property owners to do same and cautioned that electricity users should avoid plugging more than one extension cord into an outlet since such practice could easily create fire.
Major Nicholas Mensah (retd), the Public Relations Officer of the organisation, made the suggestions in a set of tit-bits released to help prevent further outbreaks of fire in the country.
In a leaflet titled “Fire Safety at Workplace”, NADMO advised workers to ensure that appliances and switches were put off after working hours or when power supply was cut.
It also talked about the need for workers to know the location of fire exits so as to access them in case of fire and also the need for each worker to know the fire plan of the workplace.
Emergency numbers provided by NADMO are Ghana Police Service:191, Ghana National Fire Service: 192, National Ambulance Service: 193, NADMO: 021-77926/021-780541.
In recent times the country has witnessed series of fire outbreaks, some devastating. The most recent incident was an intense fire on February 14, 2010, described by rescuers as “rapid and fast”, which razed to ashes the Ridge residence of former President J.J. Rawlings, with nothing to salvage from the debris.
While no life was lost, the disaster left behind the depressing spectacle of the ruins of a house which firemen had tried in vain for three hours to salvage.
Before then, on January 18, a huge inferno engulfed the Loading Gantry of the Tema Oil Refinery, claiming the lives of two workers of the plant and injuring others.
Also destroyed in the blaze were company equipment and nine fuel tankers.
Other state property which had also had their share of fire outbreaks were the Ministry of Information, which had witnessed two of such cases, first at a deputy minister’s office and again on Wednesday afternoon, the ministry’s storeroom, where some items, including materials to be used in making Ghana flags for the 53th Independence Day celebration, were burnt.
Other areas were part of the Electoral Commission (EC), the Accra Metro Education office at Kinbu, portions of the Forestry Commission (FC) situated within the Achimota Forest and the the 10-storey building which used house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was completely destroyed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
