Category: Medical

The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), a gender focused non-governmental organisation, has urged vulnerable people particularly widows, orphans, and disadvantaged groups to enroll onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

That, it said, would help reduce the financial burden on them in accessing health care in the country.

The organization made the call when it sensitised women leaders and Assembly members at Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region on the benefits package of the NHIS.

Organised, in partnership with ActionAid Ghana, the sensitisation aimed at equipping the participants with requisite knowledge about NHIS coverage to guide them in accessing health care while empowering them to take advantage of the exemptions on the NHIS for vulnerable persons in their communities.

Ms Nancy Awinbisa Amiziah, Project Officer at WOM, noted that even though there were exemptions on the NHIS for some vulnerable categories of persons, including persons with disabilities, indigenes,
and persons over 70 years old, for lack of knowledge, these people were not taking advantage of such benefits.

‘While we encourage our women and other vulnerable groups to enroll on the scheme, what we also seek to achieve at the end of the day at this sensitisation is to enlighten our women to access the services the NHIS provides, especially the exemptions,’ she stated.

‘Some of them have vulnerable children who, by the policy, are exempted from paying processing fees for acquiring the NHIS membership cards, but they still pay full amounts to be enrolled in the scheme, and the reason is simply that, they are not aware’. She added.

She emphasised that the leaders, having been sensitised, were expected to in turn educate their members in their respective communities to be abreast with the NHIS coverage to effectively access health care services.

Mr Mumin Muttalib, Assistant Public Relations Officer, Talensi/Nabdam Districts of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), indicated that the Authority was fu
lly aware of the problems associated with the NHIS as some card bearers complained of not enjoying the full services covered by the NHIS at the facility level and was therefore strategising measures to curb the menace.

While encouraging the women to enroll in the scheme and renew their membership cards annually, he urged them to report cases where they are made to pay for services covered by the NHIS to the nearest NHIA offices for assistance.

Madam Beatrice Saah, leader of the Wakii Titeltaba women’s group, said the workshop had exposed her to so many things of which she was unaware of as a member, and added, ‘I will make sure everything learned here is relayed to my group members. ‘

Mr Apana Atubila, Assembly Member, Baare Electoral Area, thanked the organisation for the enlightenment and pledged to support vulnerable people in his community to enroll onto the scheme.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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

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

Parents, especially nursing mothers, have been advised to ensure the completion of their children’s immunisation packages and child welfare services by age five.

Dr Naziru Tanko, the Deputy Programme Manager, Ghana’s Expanded Programmes on Immunization, made the call during a two-day training workshop to equip media professionals with the tools and knowledge to effectively communicate the importance of vaccination.

It was organised by the African Media and Malaria (AMMREN) in partnership with Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization, on vaccines uptake in Ghana for selected journalists across the country.

He said it was unfortunate that some nursing mothers stopped attending postnatal services when their babies were about nine to 10 months old.

It was imperative to send babies to be weighed regularly from birth and continue till age five to enable them to receive all the recommended vaccines.

Dr Tanko noted that the risk in unvaccinated children, particularly in urban areas, posed a signifi
cant threat to the health and well-being of the population.

He said parents played a crucial role in ensuring their children received all the recommended vaccinations by age five to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and protect children from serious illnesses.

Dr Tanko urged parents to put in place measures in safeguarding their children’s health by adhering to vaccination schedules recommended by healthcare givers.

Vaccination not only protected individuals but also contributed to the overall health of the community by preventing outbreaks of vaccine- preventable diseases, he noted.

Ghana, like many African countries, faced the challenge in achieving optimal vaccination coverage, partly because of fear, myths, misinformation and misconception about vaccines and stressed the need for continuous education and awareness campaigns to address those issues and encourage vaccine uptake, the Deputy Programme Manager said.

‘Vaccines are safe, effective and crucial for the health and wellbeing of children
. By vaccinating our children, we are investing in a healthier future for our nation,’ he said.

He reminded parents and healthcare givers to ensure children received the recommended vaccination not only to protect their health but also strengthen the resilience of the entire country against preventable diseases.

Touching on the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Dr Tanko said the EPI had significantly evolved over the past 20 years after its launch in 1978.

He said with its main mandate of contributing to poverty reduction by reducing the magnitude of vaccine-preventable diseases through immunization as an essential component of Primary Health Care, the programme had seen an increase in number of vaccines it delivered routinely to children and pregnant women.

From an initial six antigens against the six childhood killer diseases, the number has increased to 11-vaccines, including malaria vaccine that is being piloted in seven regions.

The programme now vaccinates against 14 vaccine -preventabl
e diseases, Dr Tanko said, and that plans were afoot to include the COVID-19 in the routine vaccines.

The journalists were taken through topics like Immunisation as a Global Tool for Public Health Intervention, and Ghana’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation: The journey so far.

Others were the development of Vaccines and How Vaccines Work in Disease Prevention, Vaccine Financing, The COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccine Hesitancy: The Ghana Experience, and Media as Partners in Vaccine Uptake in Ghana.

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

Professor Emmanuel Arhin, a geoscientist, has urged government to leverage the expertise of geoscientists and academia to address the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country.

He stated that NCDs were becoming increasingly significant in the field of public health and now the leading cause of mortality and disease burden in Ghana, saying NCDs continue to affect millions of people globally.

Professor Arhin, also the Dean of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) Campus at Dormaa, made the statement at a public lecture on the topic: ‘Origins of Emerging Non-Communicable Illnesses (NCDs): The Concealed Perils to Public Health.’

He observed that in the past, conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases were considered lifestyle diseases when the environment were less polluted, however the situation has changed significantly as NCDs now affect individuals of all ages, including children.

He said statistics between 2019 and 2022 indicated t
hat majority of individuals in Ghana diagnosed with type II diabetes fell within 30-39 age bracket, representing a population of over 1.4 million.

Professor Arhin highlighted a statement made by Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) during the World Heart Federation roundtable in Accra barely two years ago that over 600,000 individuals, comprising 400,000 females and 200,000 males, were diagnosed with high blood pressure annually in Ghana.

He emphasized that NCDs, if not prevented, could lead to metabolic disorders in individuals resulting in elevated blood sugar levels, which may lead to severe health complications such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and stroke.

Prof. Arhin reiterated the importance of the partnership between geoscientists and medical professionals which was long overdue.?

He assumed that reducing the rising number of dialysis cases of NCDs required acknowledging that prevention was more effective option than cure and stressed
the importance of proactively addressing the root sources of NCDs rather than just treating the symptoms.

Professor Arhin stressed the importance of creating an Environmental Disease Pattern Map for Ghana moving forward to help determine the route of exposure by analyzing food and water samples to confirm disease-types.

Additionally, human samples such as hair, nails and blood samples be collected to identify the underlying causes of NCDs to effectively combat the increasing prevalence of cases, he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency