Category: Medical

Mr. Samuel Yao Atidzah, Executive Director of GOSANET Foundation, a health NGO working in the Adaklu district has said his organization was embarking on critical malaria prevention and immunization outreach in the Adaklu district.

He said these endeavors were not just tasks on a checklist but opportunities to help safeguard the health and well-being of the people in the district, especially the vulnerable.

Mr. Atidzah stated this at a one-day training workshop organised by GOSANET Foundation for Assembly-members, chiefs, opinion leaders and community-based health volunteers drawn from selected communities in the Adaklu district on malaria prevention.

He said in this regard they would continue to give intensive training to the volunteers who would serve as ‘frontline warriors in the fight against malaria and promotion of immunization.

‘These individuals will be equipped with the requisite knowledge, skills and resources necessary to educate, advocate and intervene effectively within our communities,’ he st
ated.

The Executive Director noted that through collaborative dialogue and shared vision they would forge alliances that amplify their impact and foster a culture of health consciousness.

He hoped through that collaboration they would work to ensure 100 percent availability of safe and efficacious vaccines and improve governance and management functions at all levels of the health sector.

It would also strengthen supervision, disease surveillance, monitoring and evaluation at all levels and improve sustainable financing for Universal Healthcare, he said.

Mr. Robert Dedi, Adaklu District Disease Control Officer said malaria cases in the district increased from 24.8 per cent in 2022 to 29.3 per cent in 2023.

He continued that 2776 children under five years tested positive to malaria representing 39.5 percent of OPD cases and 127 pregnant women tested positive to the disease representing 12.3 of OPD cases in the district in 2023.

Mr. Matthew Adam Ayamba, Adaklu District Director of Health said malaria was
among the top three OPD cases in the district and urged all stakeholders to join hands to eliminate it.

He said malaria could affect the brain of children and called for concerted effort to prevent them from mosquito bites.

He urged men to support their pregnant wives to attend ante and post-natal clinics and ensured that their babies were immunized.

During an open forum, the volunteers appealed for torch lights, raincoats, and wellington boots to enable them to work effectively and efficiently during the rainy season.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Major General Raymond Ewusi, the Deputy Chief of Staff (Medical Services), Ghana Armed Forces, has challenged the staff of the 37 Military Hospital to deliver on their mandate to spur on benevolent groups and individuals to offer more to support the hospital.

He said quality healthcare required the highest level of professionalism, compassion, and positive attitude to complete the ‘healthcare equation.’

Maj. Gen. Ewusi was speaking at the commissioning of a GHC700,000 refurbished Simango Ward at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, by Women Empowerment Foundation International (WEFI), a non-governmental organization.

The WEFI, led by its founder Lady Sonia Agyei Kyem, mobilised funds for the renovation of the Simango Ward, one of the oldest wards at the hospital.

Apart from the structural refurbishment, the WEFI provided 20 beds, 36 mattresses and 72 bed sheets, 17 Television sets, 17 air conditioners, 16 water heaters, three office tables and four chairs, two fridges and two microwaves.

The WEFI has adopt
ed the ward and pledges to assist it whenever the need arises.

Maj. Gen. Ewusi appealed to philanthropic individuals to appreciate the need to be the driving force in lifting the image of healthcare facilities to the desired standards.

‘What we witness today is a testament of what we can all contribute as stakeholders to serve Mother Ghana,’ he said, and that the renovation had brought relief and smiles to many people.

‘Like warriors that you are, your resilience and dedication manifested when some challenges threatened the completion of the project. You have proven to us that you face your battles to the end, and this is exemplary and inspiring to us all,’ he told the WEFI.

Maj. Gen. Ewusi said the refurbished ward had been configured and expanded to cater for the in-patient requirements of the Internal Medicine Division and the Genitourinary Department.

‘The relief this brings to the Ghana Armed Forces Medical is unimaginable.’

He assured the WEFI that the hospital would ensure high maintenance cultur
e at the ward.

Brigadier General Prosper Ayibor, the Commander, 37 Military Hospital, said hospitals served as sanctuaries of healing, where individuals entrusted their well-being to capable hands of medical professionals.

‘Within these hospitals, the ward emerges as a critical component, which offers patients many advantages,’ he said.

Unfortunately, many of those wards were saddled with high cost of maintenance, which affected their smooth operations and meeting patients’ expectations, he noted.

He said through the acts of generosity, compassion and solidarity philanthropists and donors have the power to shape the future of healthcare, improve patients’ outcomes as well as create healthier communities.

Mrs Joyce Acquaye, the WEFI President, was elated by the collaboration between the Foundation and the Hospital and urged members not to rest on their achievements but work even harder.

‘Let’s continue to work together towards building a healthier, more resilient community where access to quality healthc
are is not a privilege but a fundamental right for all.’

The 37 Military Hospital began operating as the 37th General Hospital within the British Empire. One of the wards that came with its birth and commencement of operations is the Simango Ward. It was known as Ward Six.

The Ward, however, was later named after Dr. Simango in recognition of his meritorious service to the hospital and to Ghana.

It admitted Ghana’s first cases of COVID-19 patients.

The WEFI seeks to bring together women in business and in various professions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

With a health screening and education on nutrition and preventing lifestyle diseases, Renel Ghana Foundation has marked World Health Day with women-led farming groups at Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly.

Under the theme: ‘My Health, My Right’, the Foundation collaborated with the Municipal Health Directorate to empower the women with the health information that would also benefit their families and communities.

A total of 60 women from the Sungataba and Sakintihi farming groups benefited from the event, held at the Assembly, a press release issued to the Ghana News Agency, on Friday, said.

‘The focus of the event was to empower women-led farming groups with essential knowledge about maintaining good health and ensuring access to healthcare services, as women are at the centre of sustainable development,’ the release said.

They were educated on their rights to health and the importance of a balanced-diet for overall well-being.

‘Participants were encouraged to assert their rights to health
care services and prioritise their health needs, especially in preventing anaemia, the most common health issue in the Municipality.’

They were thus advised on locally accessible iron-rich foods and how to plan their families for a healthy lifestyle.

They shared their experiences and concerns regarding health-related issues and expressed their appreciation for the knowledge imparted to them.

The screening covered their blood pressure and sugar levels, body temperature, and body mass index, among other issues.

It also identified underlying health issues and provided the necessary guidance for further medical intervention.

Representatives from the Walewale Chief”s Palace, the Chief Imam of Walewale, and the Office of the Municipal Chief Executive attended the event, demonstrating their support for the cause.

Their participation, according to the release, underscored the collaborative efforts towards promoting community health and well-being.

‘Such initiatives are essential for fostering a culture of goo
d health and well-being (SDG 3) within communities, ultimately contributing to sustainable development and livelihoods,’ it said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nestle Ghana Limited says it does not add sugars (sucrose and glucose) to infant formulas for children in the country.

‘Like everywhere in the world, in Ghana, we do not add sugars (sucrose and glucose) to Infant Formulas for children aged 0-12 months.

‘In Ghana, all our growing up milks have no added sugars except NIDO1+ which we add honey, in compliance with strict international and local regulations’, the Company said in a press release.

It is in response to criticisms that the Company was adding sugar to its baby food in some countries, according to analysis by an organisation, which campaigns for the observance of human rights by Swiss-based companies.

The release said Baby Food and Infant Formula were highly regulated categories and that Neetle applied the same nutrition, health, and wellness principles everywhere in the world aligned with both international and local guidelines and regulations.

‘This includes compliance with labeling requirements and thresholds on carbohydrate content that encompa
sses sugars.’

It said regarding cereals, there may be slight variations in recipes around the world.

‘In Europe, Nestlé’s range of cereals comes with and without added sugars.

‘Our milks and cereals for young children are fortified with vitamins and minerals such as iron to help tackle malnutrition in Central and West Africa,’ it said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe, a Senior Medical Officer at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, has urged persons who are yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to do so to prevent them from contracting the disease.

He said although COVID-19 was no longer a public health threat, it was not completely eradicated, with people still getting infected and the virus manifesting with different symptoms.

Speaking at a workshop on vaccine uptake for journalists in Accra, Dr Addipa-Adapoe said the symptoms of COVID-19 were now similar to that of malaria.

The workshop was organised by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) with support from the World Health Organization and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

‘With the new infections, it is difficult to tell if it’s a COVID infection without testing, now you may experience headaches, cough, fever and sometimes sore throat, the likelihood of a loss of sense of taste and smell are no longer the case, persons infected may sometimes experience muscle weakness,’ he s
aid.

The medical doctor said with the onset of the rains, Coronavirus was manifesting as influenza like infections and that the public needed to be alert and report to hospitals when they experienced coughs and sore throats.

Dr Addipa-Adapoe said COVID-19 was now like any other disease with the symptoms close to that of malaria and encouraged persons who experienced or suspected a COVID-19 infection to report to a health facility for treatment.

He said the vaccine was safe and an effective form of protection against the virus as it prevented the severity of the illness and deaths.

Data from the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) at the Ghana Health Service (GHS) show that presently, there are 8, 306,400 doses of COVID-19 vaccines available.

As of March 2024, 14,935,381 persons, representing 45 point five per cent of the total population have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Similarly, 11,850,978 persons representing 46.5 per cent of 36 point nine per cent of total population are
fully vaccinated while 6,889,700 have received a booster dose.

Mr. Naziru Tanko Mohammed, Deputy Programme Manager, EPI, said persons who were yet to be vaccinated could visit any of the vaccination centres to receive their jabs.

He said vaccination had conquered many childhood vaccine-preventable diseases in the country.

It helped with the elimination of Neonatal tetanus in 2011, no Wild Polio Virus reported in Ghana since 2008, no Measles death in Ghana between 2003 and 2021.

Mr. Mohammed said vaccination had contributed to a drastic reduction in pneumonia and diarrhea in children, strengthened health systems and contributed to the reduction of Under Five Mortality from 111 per 1000 live births in 2003 to 40 per 1000 live births in 2022.

A vaccine, according to the WHO, is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease prevention.

Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting against harmful diseases before contact with
them, it uses the body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections, making immune systems stronger.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The national and regional leadership of the Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+Ghana) and individuals receiving care, have issued a communique calling for urgent redress of the persistent medicine stock-outs that plague Ghana’s health system.

They said the inability of individuals to access essential Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) due to stock-outs in some facilities across the country, did not only jeopardize their health but also posed a significant barrier to achieving the national HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) targets.

The Network and its partners, therefore, urged the Government and relevant stakeholders to prioritise the development and implementation of robust and lasting policies and mechanisms that ensured consistent and uninterrupted access to life-saving HIV and AIDS medicines in all designated healthcare facilities nationwide.

‘This includes the meaningful involvement of NAP+Ghana in the planning and strengthening of supply chain management systems, enhancing forecasting and p
rocurement processes, and increasing involvement in local manufacturing capacity,’ they said in a communique issued on Friday.

The Communique was signed by the NAP+ President, Ms Elsie Ayeh, and all the 16 regional chairpersons, at the close of a special planned conference by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), as part of activities to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of introducing the Antiretroviral Therapy in Ghana.

It said as stakeholders deeply invested in the well-being of their community, they were committed to working collaboratively with the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NACP) and other relevant stakeholders, to develop and implement sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV).

The communique suggested that by embarking on community engagement, strengthening peer networks and improving community level healthcare service delivery, the impact of ‘lost to follow-up’ could be mitigated and ensure that every individual living with HIV received the care
and support they needed to thrive.

It drew the attention of stakeholders to the importance of engaging NAP+ members at every stage of national deliberations on HIV care delivery and related matters, to enable them to bring their expertise to bear in action that would positively impact their lives.

‘We are also aware that some PLHIV solicit funds before medications are administered to clients. These medications are given to us for free, so to turn it into an income generating venture is a crime,’ it said.

NAP+ Ghana had zero tolerance for such acts and would take action to cease those acts.

It reiterated the Network’s unwavering commitment to partnering with the Government through the Ghana AIDS Commission, NACP, GHS, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to address the challenges of ‘lost to follow-up’ and medicine stock-outs.

They could do that by working together to build a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive healthcare system that prioritised the needs and rights of all, including P
LHIV.

Panelists at the session admitted that in commemorating 20 years of progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, it was imperative to engage recipients of care (PLHIV) and provide them an opportunity under the auspices of the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, to hear back from them regarding challenges and barriers to linkage and retention in ART services.

The event also seeks to provide firsthand perspectives and strategies by stakeholders towards improving Ghana’s Antiretroviral Therapy programme, towards achieving the 95-95-95 aspirational targets by 2025.

During the session NAP+ members showcased some success stories with the ART since its inception in 2003, while selected partners and the GHS-NACP highlighted new programmes intended to enhance the treatment, care and support for PLHIV.

Ms Ayeh encouraged PLHIV to stop self stigmatisation, embrace their ARTs, observe healthy dietary practices with appropriate exercises and urged those yet to enroll on the life-saving medicines to immediate
ly do so to live normal lives.

Source: Ghana News Agency