Saturday, December 20, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 42)
By Rebecca Kwei
A human rights and gender activist, Nana Oye Lithur, has called on political parties to adopt affirmative action and select women to stand for parliamentary election in their strongholds.
This, she says, will ensure that more women get to parliament and talk about issues affecting women from an informed position and also address them more effectively.
Twenty out of the 103 women who contested the December 7 parliamentary election won, according to the results thus far declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The 20 female MPs comprise seven new MPs and 13 who retained their seats. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has the highest number of 14 followed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with five and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), one.
In 2004, 25 women out of a total of 104 female candidates won the parliamentary election.
Nana Lithur says political parties need to take a cue from African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa which took a decision that one third of the 200 names that would be on their party list for parliament will be women.
She noted that since 1951 when elections were conducted in the country, women had not gotten beyond 10 per cent representation in parliament, hence the need for a conscious effort by the political parties to adopt a temporary measure such as affirmative action in order to increase the numbers.
Citing an example, Nana Lithur who is also the Co-ordinator of the Africa Office, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, explained that it is “just like what the universities have been doing by dropping the grades so that more girls can enter the tertiary institution.”
On why the number of female parliamentarians had decreased, she said “gender was not a factor for a voter in deciding whether to vote for Party A or B or candidate A or B.”
Rather, she noted that political affiliation, economic situation and the candidate’s ability to solve the electorate’s economic problems and sometimes tribal affiliation were some considerations.
“This means that if a woman does not get to be a candidate in a constituency that is a stronghold of a political party, or if she does not prove that she will be a good leader to address the economic and other concerns of the voters, the fact that she is a woman will not be a crucial factor.”
Another reason she observed was that because of the political system which focuses on getting a winnable candidate, it is difficult for women to be selected and also win seats.
She said women parliamentarians with the potential of winning this time around did not contest because of party wrangling.
On whether the media did not project enough women contesting parliamentary seats, Nana Lithur said the media could have done better knowing that there was a false assumption that there was an even playing field for women and men to stand and be voted for.
“The field is not even. There is money to be sought for campaign, lots of travelling; convincing her family, among others, and so the media should have projected women more than they did and run a media campaign to encourage the electorate to vote for women”, she added.
She appealed to civil society groups to be more assertive and go back to the drawing boards to outline the reasons accounting for the drop in the number of female MPs and work out a more effective strategy to get more women voted for.
Nana Lithur suggested that the lobbying should start with the political parties and affirmative action should be explained further.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Let's support people living with HIV/AIDS
Saturday, December 20, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
From Rebecca Kwei, Koforidua
The Eastern Regional Coordinator of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Sampson B. Ofori, has called on Ghanaians to care for and support People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) in order for them to live meaningful lives free from ignorance and prejudice.
He noted that PLWHAs were still stigmatised and discriminated against in the country because Ghanaians were still in a denial stage about HIV and AIDS.
Dr Ofori made the call at a day’s workshop to build the capacity of journalists to effectively report on HIV and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Koforidua .
The workshop, which was on the theme ‘Lead, Empower, Deliver-Focus on the link between HIV and Malaria’, was organised by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) with support from the Indepth Network and the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA).
He said it’s been 20 years since the institution of World AIDS Day and that HIV and AIDS have been with us since 1981 but mankind is still battling with the disease.
He said the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on HIV and AIDS seeks to halt and reverse the spread of the epidemic by 2015 and that required far greater access to HIV prevention services and AIDS treatment, care and support than was currently available.
He noted that the current pace of most national responses was far too slow in reaching all in need of HIV information and services.
“The reality of the situation is that if we do not quickly deliver far more comprehensive prevention programmes and ensure universal access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV or AIDS we will fail to meet the MDGs,” he said.
Giving statistics of the HIV and AIDS situation, he said globally 33.2 million people were living with the disease with 22.5 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the national HIV prevalence rate was 1.9 per cent in 2007 while there is an estimated 264,481 PWLHAs comprising 110,666 males and 153,815 females.
According to Dr Ofori there were 110 facilities in the country with the capacity to provide ART as of June, this year and the NACP was working hard so that by 2010 every district hospital would be able to provide ART.
The acting New Juaben Municipal Director of Health Services, Mr Samuel Agyemang Boateng, who made a presentation on the "Malaria situation and drug use in Ghana", said malaria kills one million people each year, mainly children under five years while 80 per cent of malaria cases and 90 per cent of deaths were recorded in Africa.
He said in Ghana an average of 7,500 malaria cases were reported each day, and that it was the major cause of death, accounting for 40,000 deaths annually.
He said there was the need for action on the preventive and curative measures of malaria to reduce the incidence of malaria for Ghana to attain the MDGs.
Explaining further, he said one of the MDGs was to achieve universal primary education but malaria was a leading source of illnesses and absenteeism in school-age children and teachers.
Another MDT is to reduce child mortality but malaria was the leading cause of child mortality in endemic areas.
The participants later visited Matthew 25 House in Koforidua, a non-governmental organisation helping those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The facility provides counselling, skills training, awareness creation and community outreach for PLWHAs in communities and villages in and around Koforidua.
The Director of the house, Rev Fr Alex Bobby Benson, said they took care of about 185 men, women and children infected with or affected by AIDS.
As of now 78 PLWHAs are on ART and the house gives them financial support as well as food items.
Rev Fr Benson said the clients met in the house to interact, encourage one another and share experiences on how best to manage the disease in order to live longer.
He said the clients also engaged in income generating activities such as tie-dye, palm oil and funeral undertakers.
Rev Fr Benson expressed concern that while PLWHA are encouraged to engage in income generating activities, people are hesitant to patronise their goods when they get to know the source.
He appealed for more support for the house since the house's resources are limited.
During interaction with the PLWHAs they appealed to the government to further subsidise ART and also make available food packages for them since the drugs increased their appetite for food.
From Rebecca Kwei, Koforidua
The Eastern Regional Coordinator of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Sampson B. Ofori, has called on Ghanaians to care for and support People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) in order for them to live meaningful lives free from ignorance and prejudice.
He noted that PLWHAs were still stigmatised and discriminated against in the country because Ghanaians were still in a denial stage about HIV and AIDS.
Dr Ofori made the call at a day’s workshop to build the capacity of journalists to effectively report on HIV and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Koforidua .
The workshop, which was on the theme ‘Lead, Empower, Deliver-Focus on the link between HIV and Malaria’, was organised by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) with support from the Indepth Network and the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA).
He said it’s been 20 years since the institution of World AIDS Day and that HIV and AIDS have been with us since 1981 but mankind is still battling with the disease.
He said the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on HIV and AIDS seeks to halt and reverse the spread of the epidemic by 2015 and that required far greater access to HIV prevention services and AIDS treatment, care and support than was currently available.
He noted that the current pace of most national responses was far too slow in reaching all in need of HIV information and services.
“The reality of the situation is that if we do not quickly deliver far more comprehensive prevention programmes and ensure universal access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV or AIDS we will fail to meet the MDGs,” he said.
Giving statistics of the HIV and AIDS situation, he said globally 33.2 million people were living with the disease with 22.5 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the national HIV prevalence rate was 1.9 per cent in 2007 while there is an estimated 264,481 PWLHAs comprising 110,666 males and 153,815 females.
According to Dr Ofori there were 110 facilities in the country with the capacity to provide ART as of June, this year and the NACP was working hard so that by 2010 every district hospital would be able to provide ART.
The acting New Juaben Municipal Director of Health Services, Mr Samuel Agyemang Boateng, who made a presentation on the "Malaria situation and drug use in Ghana", said malaria kills one million people each year, mainly children under five years while 80 per cent of malaria cases and 90 per cent of deaths were recorded in Africa.
He said in Ghana an average of 7,500 malaria cases were reported each day, and that it was the major cause of death, accounting for 40,000 deaths annually.
He said there was the need for action on the preventive and curative measures of malaria to reduce the incidence of malaria for Ghana to attain the MDGs.
Explaining further, he said one of the MDGs was to achieve universal primary education but malaria was a leading source of illnesses and absenteeism in school-age children and teachers.
Another MDT is to reduce child mortality but malaria was the leading cause of child mortality in endemic areas.
The participants later visited Matthew 25 House in Koforidua, a non-governmental organisation helping those infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The facility provides counselling, skills training, awareness creation and community outreach for PLWHAs in communities and villages in and around Koforidua.
The Director of the house, Rev Fr Alex Bobby Benson, said they took care of about 185 men, women and children infected with or affected by AIDS.
As of now 78 PLWHAs are on ART and the house gives them financial support as well as food items.
Rev Fr Benson said the clients met in the house to interact, encourage one another and share experiences on how best to manage the disease in order to live longer.
He said the clients also engaged in income generating activities such as tie-dye, palm oil and funeral undertakers.
Rev Fr Benson expressed concern that while PLWHA are encouraged to engage in income generating activities, people are hesitant to patronise their goods when they get to know the source.
He appealed for more support for the house since the house's resources are limited.
During interaction with the PLWHAs they appealed to the government to further subsidise ART and also make available food packages for them since the drugs increased their appetite for food.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Concert to support lepers
Saturday, December 6, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
Come Friday, December 12, 2008, the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra will host the National Symphony Orchestra, Winneba Youth Choir and the Holy Family Youth Choir as they sing their hearts out in a Christmas Choral Concert to raise funds for cured lepers.
The Lepers Aid Committee, supported by GUNSA of St Rose’s Senior High School, who are organising the concert, indicates that the funds will be used for the construction of a bungalow/clinic for cured lepers at the Ho Leprosarium. The ticket for the concert costs GH¢5.00.
The Ho Leprosarium, which was established in 1926 by the Basel Missionaries.
Over the years, discharged patients were rejected by their families and with no other alternative home, they came back to settle around the hospital.
According to the chairman of the Lepers Aid Committee, Rev Fr Andrew Campbell, currently, there were about 140 cured lepers living in the seven communities around the hospital.
He said most of the lepers were living in very poor conditions and in dire need of accommodation.
Rev Fr Campbell, therefore, appealed to individuals and organisations to support lepers in order “to put a smile on the face of our forgotten friends”.
He said the bungalow was estimated at GH¢30000 and it will accommodate two cured lepers, a clinic to serve the cured lepers in their communities and a nurse’s quarters.
Another fund raising event, “Flag Day”, will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2008, at the Accra Mall, where volunteers will solicit funds from Christmas shoppers.
By Rebecca Kwei
Come Friday, December 12, 2008, the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra will host the National Symphony Orchestra, Winneba Youth Choir and the Holy Family Youth Choir as they sing their hearts out in a Christmas Choral Concert to raise funds for cured lepers.
The Lepers Aid Committee, supported by GUNSA of St Rose’s Senior High School, who are organising the concert, indicates that the funds will be used for the construction of a bungalow/clinic for cured lepers at the Ho Leprosarium. The ticket for the concert costs GH¢5.00.
The Ho Leprosarium, which was established in 1926 by the Basel Missionaries.
Over the years, discharged patients were rejected by their families and with no other alternative home, they came back to settle around the hospital.
According to the chairman of the Lepers Aid Committee, Rev Fr Andrew Campbell, currently, there were about 140 cured lepers living in the seven communities around the hospital.
He said most of the lepers were living in very poor conditions and in dire need of accommodation.
Rev Fr Campbell, therefore, appealed to individuals and organisations to support lepers in order “to put a smile on the face of our forgotten friends”.
He said the bungalow was estimated at GH¢30000 and it will accommodate two cured lepers, a clinic to serve the cured lepers in their communities and a nurse’s quarters.
Another fund raising event, “Flag Day”, will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2008, at the Accra Mall, where volunteers will solicit funds from Christmas shoppers.
Manual on HIV/AIDS management launched
Saturday, December 6, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 33)
By Rebecca Kwei
The acting Director of the Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Dr Alex Dodoo, has called for safety monitoring of all facilities providing anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana.
He said HIV was now considered a chronic disease and patients would be on medication for a long time hence the need to document the side effects of the drugs and how to manage them.
Dr Dodoo was speaking at the launch of a manual titled “Managing ART-Induced Adverse Events in Ghana” in Accra.
The 24-page manual is to assist healthcare workers as well as People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to know the common side effects associated with anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in Ghana. It was funded by the Ghana AIDS Commission.
Additionally the manual also provides information on the side effects and how they can be managed with or without medicines.
Dr Dodoo said the benefits of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in prolonging the lives of PLWHAs have been clearly established.
However, he noted that the benefits could be greatly reduced if patients do not adhere to treatment, adding that several factors including treatment-associated side effects were known to reduce adherence to ARTs.
Giving a background to the manual, he said it was developed following a pilot pharmacovigilance study in Ghana, which documented the most common side effects to ARVs in selected healthcare facilities providing ARTs in Ghana.
The study, which covered the Atua, St Martins, Koforidua Regional Hospital and the Police Hospital, was undertaken from March 2007 to February 2008. It also identified reasons for switching patents from one drug to another.
Some of the reported side effects of ARVs were anaemia, numbness, mild and severe rashes, insomnia, tiredness, pigmentation of the skin and nails, diarrhoea, vomiting and peeling of skin.
Mr Raymond Tetteh, a Specialist Pharmacist and Adherence Counsellor at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said out of the 12,000 HIV patients registered at the hospital only 5,000 were on ART.
The Chief Pharmacist of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr James Kyei, who launched the manual, said the issue of side effects discourages some patients from taking their medication.
He commended the team that worked on the manual for a good work done and expressed the hope that it would help all those associated with the management of HIV/AIDS in the various treatment sites.
Mr Kyei said science was dynamic and called for a review of the manual from time to time to enable it meet the challenges of the day.
By Rebecca Kwei
The acting Director of the Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Dr Alex Dodoo, has called for safety monitoring of all facilities providing anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Ghana.
He said HIV was now considered a chronic disease and patients would be on medication for a long time hence the need to document the side effects of the drugs and how to manage them.
Dr Dodoo was speaking at the launch of a manual titled “Managing ART-Induced Adverse Events in Ghana” in Accra.
The 24-page manual is to assist healthcare workers as well as People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to know the common side effects associated with anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in Ghana. It was funded by the Ghana AIDS Commission.
Additionally the manual also provides information on the side effects and how they can be managed with or without medicines.
Dr Dodoo said the benefits of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in prolonging the lives of PLWHAs have been clearly established.
However, he noted that the benefits could be greatly reduced if patients do not adhere to treatment, adding that several factors including treatment-associated side effects were known to reduce adherence to ARTs.
Giving a background to the manual, he said it was developed following a pilot pharmacovigilance study in Ghana, which documented the most common side effects to ARVs in selected healthcare facilities providing ARTs in Ghana.
The study, which covered the Atua, St Martins, Koforidua Regional Hospital and the Police Hospital, was undertaken from March 2007 to February 2008. It also identified reasons for switching patents from one drug to another.
Some of the reported side effects of ARVs were anaemia, numbness, mild and severe rashes, insomnia, tiredness, pigmentation of the skin and nails, diarrhoea, vomiting and peeling of skin.
Mr Raymond Tetteh, a Specialist Pharmacist and Adherence Counsellor at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said out of the 12,000 HIV patients registered at the hospital only 5,000 were on ART.
The Chief Pharmacist of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr James Kyei, who launched the manual, said the issue of side effects discourages some patients from taking their medication.
He commended the team that worked on the manual for a good work done and expressed the hope that it would help all those associated with the management of HIV/AIDS in the various treatment sites.
Mr Kyei said science was dynamic and called for a review of the manual from time to time to enable it meet the challenges of the day.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Beautiful and smart
Saturday, November 29, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
It seems the “barrier” preventing medical students from participating in beauty pageants has been broken.
Until recently, it was almost impossible to find a medical student taking part in any beauty pageant. They were considered to be ‘book worms’ who were too busy to pay attention to non-academic pursuits as beauty pageants.
The myth seems to have been broken, as in the last two years medical students have claimed the crown at major national beauty pageants in the country.
Tamara Aku Dzormeku, a medical student won the Miss Malaika crown which was held at the National Theatre on November 21, 2008.
Twenty-one-year old Tamara followed her predecessor, Laurie Lawson, Miss Malaika Ghana 2007, who is also a medical student.
Interestingly, Tamara and Laurie are friends and both are in their third year at the University of Ghana Medical School.
This year’s Miss Ghana beauty pageant also had two medical students participating.
However, Tamara, does not think the barrier has been completely broken.
“Some lecturers are not in favour of it. It is not because they don’t like beauty pageants but they realise that the course is voluminous and needs more time to study,” she explained to The Mirror in an interview.
Explaining further, she said, “The lecturers are just like parents and they would want you to excel in your subjects. To some extent I understand them.”
Tamara, who is still basking in the joy of winning Miss Malaika 2008, said she lived by the ideology that one needed to maximise the potential he or she had because “He who endowed you with it will ask you to account for it some day.”
Obviously, she used that ideology in the competition which enabled her to come out tops.
For Tamara, “whatever your hands find doing, do it with the best of your ability”.
She said some people entered beauty pageants because they were beautiful but she believed one needed to have an “extra factor” — someone who was innovative and at the same time passionate about the underprivileged in society.
“It is not about just wearing the crown and going about as Miss this or that but also taking up the responsibility that comes along with it,” she said.
Malaika is a Swahili word meaning “my angel” and, according to Tamara, that meant as a Miss Malaika “you are an answer to someone’s prayer. You must be able to go the extra mile to put the smiles on people’s faces and be approachable. I thought about all these before entering the competition”.
Although it had not been a childhood dream to enter a beauty pageant, she said having watched previous episodes of the competition made her to believe that she had something in her to offer.
Additionally, she said, “Laurie was an inspiration. Her participation in the Miss Malaika 2007 edition motivated me to also participate.”
She observed that there were negative perceptions about beauty pageants but encouraged young girls that “whatever comes out of a beauty pageant depends on the individual. It is an opportunity to bring out what you have and help people in your own small way”.
For emerging Miss Malaika Ghana 2008, Tamara received a brand new KIA Cerato saloon car, plus GH¢2,400 and sponsors’ products.
Describing herself as very sociable, outgoing, someone who loves to make friends and share ideas, she said she believed that whatever one set out do by seeking the face of Christ, that person was sure of emerging victorious.
The eloquent and easy-going queen said it was not easy combining school with taking part in the competition but she had learnt to manage her time and that she used the least time she got to study.
She said she also had loyal and supportive friends to keep her informed on anything she might have missed.
Even now that she had won, she had an enormous task of combining her studies with granting interviews, as well as being a malaria youth ambassador, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Board, she said.
On the malaria project, Tamara said she hoped to focus on prevention because she believed in the adage that “Prevention is better than cure”.
Born on July 8, 1987 to Benjamin Dzormeku and Stella Dzormeku, Tamara attended Presec Staff School and St Andrews Junior High School. She then continued at Holy Child Senior High School, Cape Coast. She is a native of Keta.
She hopes to specialise in gynaecology.
Tamara said her parents and friends were very proud of her, adding, “I am glad I made them happy.”
She said the mere thought of her parents made her reach for higher heights.
Christabel Ekeh
Christabel Ekeh completed St Mary’s Senior High School in May this year. While waiting at home for her results, she decided to grab the opportunity offered by the Miss Malaika organisers to take part in the competition.
And it paid off. She emerged the first runner-up in the contest. Christabel took home GH¢800 and sponsors’ products.
“Taking part in the competition has really boosted my confidence, improved my ability to articulate my thoughts and given me a lot of exposure,” she told The Mirror.
Christabel said when she was growing up she always wanted to be a beauty queen because she got very excited when she saw beauty queens on television.
She said she was very happy to have come this far because the competition had been very keen and the other contestants had been equally good.
She aspires to be a lawyer in future but for the moment would love to be a presenter on TV as she looks forward to entering the university.
Christabel, whose dad, Paul Ekeh, is a Nigerian, and her mum, Emma Odoom, a Ghanaian, was born on October 16, 1990 in Accra. She attended Santa Maria Complex for her basic and junior high education. She was the entertainment prefect at St Mary’s High School.
“I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everyone” is her favourite saying.
Yvonne Kofigah
Yvonne Eyram Kofigah, who came third in the Miss Malaika 2008, attributes her success to the grace of God.
Although she had confidence of winning, she did not believe she was in the final three because “it was too good to be true”.
According to Yvonne, people were created for a particular reason.
“There are people with good voices; that’s why they are on radio. I believe I’ve been blessed with a beautiful face and figure and also confidence,” she noted.
She entered the Malaika pageant because she believed that pageant was decent and stood out from the other pageants.
For placing third, Yvonne was rewarded with GH¢500 and sponsors’ products.
Yvonne who was born on August 7, 1989 and completed Aburi Girls’ High School last year. Prior to that, she had been at the St Bernadette Soubirous School for her basic education. She would love to be a nurse, for which reason she is preparing to continue her education at the Korle-Bu Nursing Training School.
Her parents are Frank Kofigah and Adeline Kofigah and she hails from Whuti in the Volta Region.
By Rebecca Kwei
It seems the “barrier” preventing medical students from participating in beauty pageants has been broken.
Until recently, it was almost impossible to find a medical student taking part in any beauty pageant. They were considered to be ‘book worms’ who were too busy to pay attention to non-academic pursuits as beauty pageants.
The myth seems to have been broken, as in the last two years medical students have claimed the crown at major national beauty pageants in the country.
Tamara Aku Dzormeku, a medical student won the Miss Malaika crown which was held at the National Theatre on November 21, 2008.
Twenty-one-year old Tamara followed her predecessor, Laurie Lawson, Miss Malaika Ghana 2007, who is also a medical student.
Interestingly, Tamara and Laurie are friends and both are in their third year at the University of Ghana Medical School.
This year’s Miss Ghana beauty pageant also had two medical students participating.
However, Tamara, does not think the barrier has been completely broken.
“Some lecturers are not in favour of it. It is not because they don’t like beauty pageants but they realise that the course is voluminous and needs more time to study,” she explained to The Mirror in an interview.
Explaining further, she said, “The lecturers are just like parents and they would want you to excel in your subjects. To some extent I understand them.”
Tamara, who is still basking in the joy of winning Miss Malaika 2008, said she lived by the ideology that one needed to maximise the potential he or she had because “He who endowed you with it will ask you to account for it some day.”
Obviously, she used that ideology in the competition which enabled her to come out tops.
For Tamara, “whatever your hands find doing, do it with the best of your ability”.
She said some people entered beauty pageants because they were beautiful but she believed one needed to have an “extra factor” — someone who was innovative and at the same time passionate about the underprivileged in society.
“It is not about just wearing the crown and going about as Miss this or that but also taking up the responsibility that comes along with it,” she said.
Malaika is a Swahili word meaning “my angel” and, according to Tamara, that meant as a Miss Malaika “you are an answer to someone’s prayer. You must be able to go the extra mile to put the smiles on people’s faces and be approachable. I thought about all these before entering the competition”.
Although it had not been a childhood dream to enter a beauty pageant, she said having watched previous episodes of the competition made her to believe that she had something in her to offer.
Additionally, she said, “Laurie was an inspiration. Her participation in the Miss Malaika 2007 edition motivated me to also participate.”
She observed that there were negative perceptions about beauty pageants but encouraged young girls that “whatever comes out of a beauty pageant depends on the individual. It is an opportunity to bring out what you have and help people in your own small way”.
For emerging Miss Malaika Ghana 2008, Tamara received a brand new KIA Cerato saloon car, plus GH¢2,400 and sponsors’ products.
Describing herself as very sociable, outgoing, someone who loves to make friends and share ideas, she said she believed that whatever one set out do by seeking the face of Christ, that person was sure of emerging victorious.
The eloquent and easy-going queen said it was not easy combining school with taking part in the competition but she had learnt to manage her time and that she used the least time she got to study.
She said she also had loyal and supportive friends to keep her informed on anything she might have missed.
Even now that she had won, she had an enormous task of combining her studies with granting interviews, as well as being a malaria youth ambassador, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Board, she said.
On the malaria project, Tamara said she hoped to focus on prevention because she believed in the adage that “Prevention is better than cure”.
Born on July 8, 1987 to Benjamin Dzormeku and Stella Dzormeku, Tamara attended Presec Staff School and St Andrews Junior High School. She then continued at Holy Child Senior High School, Cape Coast. She is a native of Keta.
She hopes to specialise in gynaecology.
Tamara said her parents and friends were very proud of her, adding, “I am glad I made them happy.”
She said the mere thought of her parents made her reach for higher heights.
Christabel Ekeh
Christabel Ekeh completed St Mary’s Senior High School in May this year. While waiting at home for her results, she decided to grab the opportunity offered by the Miss Malaika organisers to take part in the competition.
And it paid off. She emerged the first runner-up in the contest. Christabel took home GH¢800 and sponsors’ products.
“Taking part in the competition has really boosted my confidence, improved my ability to articulate my thoughts and given me a lot of exposure,” she told The Mirror.
Christabel said when she was growing up she always wanted to be a beauty queen because she got very excited when she saw beauty queens on television.
She said she was very happy to have come this far because the competition had been very keen and the other contestants had been equally good.
She aspires to be a lawyer in future but for the moment would love to be a presenter on TV as she looks forward to entering the university.
Christabel, whose dad, Paul Ekeh, is a Nigerian, and her mum, Emma Odoom, a Ghanaian, was born on October 16, 1990 in Accra. She attended Santa Maria Complex for her basic and junior high education. She was the entertainment prefect at St Mary’s High School.
“I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everyone” is her favourite saying.
Yvonne Kofigah
Yvonne Eyram Kofigah, who came third in the Miss Malaika 2008, attributes her success to the grace of God.
Although she had confidence of winning, she did not believe she was in the final three because “it was too good to be true”.
According to Yvonne, people were created for a particular reason.
“There are people with good voices; that’s why they are on radio. I believe I’ve been blessed with a beautiful face and figure and also confidence,” she noted.
She entered the Malaika pageant because she believed that pageant was decent and stood out from the other pageants.
For placing third, Yvonne was rewarded with GH¢500 and sponsors’ products.
Yvonne who was born on August 7, 1989 and completed Aburi Girls’ High School last year. Prior to that, she had been at the St Bernadette Soubirous School for her basic education. She would love to be a nurse, for which reason she is preparing to continue her education at the Korle-Bu Nursing Training School.
Her parents are Frank Kofigah and Adeline Kofigah and she hails from Whuti in the Volta Region.
Monday, November 24, 2008
New ladies on the block
Saturday, November 22, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
If the expression ‘what is in a name?’ is anything to go by, then the all-female group, Ggirls, have lived up to its name by becoming “glorious” in the just-ended TV3 Gang Starz reality show.
Ggirls in full is Glorious Girls and it was the only female group that made it to the finals, emerging winners in the end. It is made of three Liberians and a Ghanaian.
The show, which lasted for 14 weeks, had 12 groups participating and it was aimed at unearthing musical talents, as well as discovering the most promising vocal group. Week after week one group was evicted until it got to the final four groups.
Obviously elated at winning the show, the Ggirls, comprising Peggy Dickson, Carol Kaifunbah, Nadia Jennifer Hani and Leona Moore, could not hide their excitement in an interview with The Mirror.
“We are very proud of ourselves. I feel as if we have crossed a great river,” said Nadia.
For Leona, it was a stepping stone to something better in future, while Peggy saw herself now as a star, special and outstanding.
It’s mixed feelings for Carol as she was happy that the group won, but at the same time she was sad because she would miss all the friends she made during the competition.
On how they met, Peggy, the leader of the group, said they lived in the same neighbourhood but it was not until they had performed at a concert at the Budumburam camp in 2006 that they came together.
During the concert, they sang individually and after that they became friends and decided to come together because they realised that “in unity there is strength”.
They called themselves the Glorious Sisters and started performing at shows.
“When we saw the promotion on TV3 about Gang Starz, we decided to audition. We knew we had talent and wanted to show the world what we’ve got and by God’s grace we are winners,” Leona interjected.
The producer of the show, Iso Paeley, who wanted a more ‘funky’, name changed the name Glorious Sisters to Glorious Girls (Ggirls).
The girls described the competition variously as tough, cool, challenging and fun.
For them, winning the show is also a great challenge because they are the first female group to have won a reality show organised by TV3.
“We hope to stay together as a group and be the next Destiny Child of Ghana,” they said.
After winning Gang Starz, Ggirls say they will be working to come out with an R & B gospel album.
According to them, what kept them together was the love they shared and staying focused on their goals.
Where do they see themselves in the next five years?
“We see ourselves performing all over the world. Ghanaians should watch out for the best.”
They were grateful to their parents, sponsors and fans for their love and support. They also gave thumbs up to TV3 for creating the platform for them to exhibit their talent and to Onetouch, the main sponsor of the programme.
For emerging winners, they received GH¢10,000. They will also have free promotion of their music video and be special guests at TV3 programmes.
Blaze, made up of three males, came second and it took home GH¢6,000. The group also received the Best Stagecraft special award from Onetouch.
Da Soul, also comprising four males (all Liberians), came third and was rewarded with GH¢4,000, while Pipers came fourth and took home GH¢3,000.
Nadia Jennifer Hani
Nadia, the shy one among the group, is 18 and completed A-47 Christian School in Lagos, Nigeria. She aspires to be in the airline industry as a ticketing and reservation agent while pursuing music part-time.
Peggy (Margaret) Dickson
Peggy is the leader of Ggirls and wants to combine acting with her music career. She completed St Rose’s Senior High School, Akwatia. While in St Rose’s, she was the President of the Drama Club. She is 18.
Carol Kaifunbah
A lady with a lot of ambition under her sleeve. She wants to be a banker, own a TV station and be the head of the United Nations (UN). Carol is 18 and graduate of Saint Robert School, Grand Kru, Liberia.
Leona Moore
A graduate of the New Testament School, Monrovia, Liberia, Leona, 18, aspires to be a sound engineer in future.
By Rebecca Kwei
If the expression ‘what is in a name?’ is anything to go by, then the all-female group, Ggirls, have lived up to its name by becoming “glorious” in the just-ended TV3 Gang Starz reality show.
Ggirls in full is Glorious Girls and it was the only female group that made it to the finals, emerging winners in the end. It is made of three Liberians and a Ghanaian.
The show, which lasted for 14 weeks, had 12 groups participating and it was aimed at unearthing musical talents, as well as discovering the most promising vocal group. Week after week one group was evicted until it got to the final four groups.
Obviously elated at winning the show, the Ggirls, comprising Peggy Dickson, Carol Kaifunbah, Nadia Jennifer Hani and Leona Moore, could not hide their excitement in an interview with The Mirror.
“We are very proud of ourselves. I feel as if we have crossed a great river,” said Nadia.
For Leona, it was a stepping stone to something better in future, while Peggy saw herself now as a star, special and outstanding.
It’s mixed feelings for Carol as she was happy that the group won, but at the same time she was sad because she would miss all the friends she made during the competition.
On how they met, Peggy, the leader of the group, said they lived in the same neighbourhood but it was not until they had performed at a concert at the Budumburam camp in 2006 that they came together.
During the concert, they sang individually and after that they became friends and decided to come together because they realised that “in unity there is strength”.
They called themselves the Glorious Sisters and started performing at shows.
“When we saw the promotion on TV3 about Gang Starz, we decided to audition. We knew we had talent and wanted to show the world what we’ve got and by God’s grace we are winners,” Leona interjected.
The producer of the show, Iso Paeley, who wanted a more ‘funky’, name changed the name Glorious Sisters to Glorious Girls (Ggirls).
The girls described the competition variously as tough, cool, challenging and fun.
For them, winning the show is also a great challenge because they are the first female group to have won a reality show organised by TV3.
“We hope to stay together as a group and be the next Destiny Child of Ghana,” they said.
After winning Gang Starz, Ggirls say they will be working to come out with an R & B gospel album.
According to them, what kept them together was the love they shared and staying focused on their goals.
Where do they see themselves in the next five years?
“We see ourselves performing all over the world. Ghanaians should watch out for the best.”
They were grateful to their parents, sponsors and fans for their love and support. They also gave thumbs up to TV3 for creating the platform for them to exhibit their talent and to Onetouch, the main sponsor of the programme.
For emerging winners, they received GH¢10,000. They will also have free promotion of their music video and be special guests at TV3 programmes.
Blaze, made up of three males, came second and it took home GH¢6,000. The group also received the Best Stagecraft special award from Onetouch.
Da Soul, also comprising four males (all Liberians), came third and was rewarded with GH¢4,000, while Pipers came fourth and took home GH¢3,000.
Nadia Jennifer Hani
Nadia, the shy one among the group, is 18 and completed A-47 Christian School in Lagos, Nigeria. She aspires to be in the airline industry as a ticketing and reservation agent while pursuing music part-time.
Peggy (Margaret) Dickson
Peggy is the leader of Ggirls and wants to combine acting with her music career. She completed St Rose’s Senior High School, Akwatia. While in St Rose’s, she was the President of the Drama Club. She is 18.
Carol Kaifunbah
A lady with a lot of ambition under her sleeve. She wants to be a banker, own a TV station and be the head of the United Nations (UN). Carol is 18 and graduate of Saint Robert School, Grand Kru, Liberia.
Leona Moore
A graduate of the New Testament School, Monrovia, Liberia, Leona, 18, aspires to be a sound engineer in future.
Beautiful doctor in training
Saturday, November 22, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 54)
By Rebecca Kwei
When 20 year-old medical student, Tamara Aku Dzormeku, gave her speech on being a role model, she gave a good account of herself and many in the audience highly tipped her to take the coveted Miss Malaika crown.
Although, she had performed well throughout the competition, it was on the night that she ‘really shone’ and became a star. She took over from Laurie Lawson, also a medical student.
Tamara looked confident on stage beaming and also spoke eloquently. It was no wonder she also won the Miss Eloquence award.
For emerging Miss Malaika Ghana 2008, Tamara received a brand new KIA Cerato saloon car plus GH¢2,400 and sponsors products.
Christabel Ekeh came second and took home GH800 and sponsors products while Yvonne Eyram Kofigah came third and was rewarded with GH¢500 and sponsors products.
The show started with the delegates appearing in well coordinated steps wearing beautiful black dresses spruce up with accessories.
After this, the contestants each gave a speech on various subjects. The talent segment followed and Erika Thompson was adjudged the best.
It was the question and answer segment that really separated the ‘wheat from the chaff’ as some of the contestants messed up in answering the questions they picked themselves from the judges.
Those who made it to the final five were Tamara, Christine, Yvonne, Rachael and Christabel. These were further pruned to three made up of Tamara, Christabel and Yvonne who had to answer the same question on ‘what the most important ingredient needed for peaceful elections’ in order to determine the winner.
Okyeame Kwame, R2Bees, Adina, Tinny and Sidney spiced up the show with their performances.
Powered by Charterhouse, the Miss Malaika beauty pageant was sponsored by UT Financial Services, Travel Bureau, Lux, Vimto, Gino, Forever Easy, MTN, KIA, UB, Allure, Lux and Darling.
By Rebecca Kwei
When 20 year-old medical student, Tamara Aku Dzormeku, gave her speech on being a role model, she gave a good account of herself and many in the audience highly tipped her to take the coveted Miss Malaika crown.
Although, she had performed well throughout the competition, it was on the night that she ‘really shone’ and became a star. She took over from Laurie Lawson, also a medical student.
Tamara looked confident on stage beaming and also spoke eloquently. It was no wonder she also won the Miss Eloquence award.
For emerging Miss Malaika Ghana 2008, Tamara received a brand new KIA Cerato saloon car plus GH¢2,400 and sponsors products.
Christabel Ekeh came second and took home GH800 and sponsors products while Yvonne Eyram Kofigah came third and was rewarded with GH¢500 and sponsors products.
The show started with the delegates appearing in well coordinated steps wearing beautiful black dresses spruce up with accessories.
After this, the contestants each gave a speech on various subjects. The talent segment followed and Erika Thompson was adjudged the best.
It was the question and answer segment that really separated the ‘wheat from the chaff’ as some of the contestants messed up in answering the questions they picked themselves from the judges.
Those who made it to the final five were Tamara, Christine, Yvonne, Rachael and Christabel. These were further pruned to three made up of Tamara, Christabel and Yvonne who had to answer the same question on ‘what the most important ingredient needed for peaceful elections’ in order to determine the winner.
Okyeame Kwame, R2Bees, Adina, Tinny and Sidney spiced up the show with their performances.
Powered by Charterhouse, the Miss Malaika beauty pageant was sponsored by UT Financial Services, Travel Bureau, Lux, Vimto, Gino, Forever Easy, MTN, KIA, UB, Allure, Lux and Darling.
5 burnt to death
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 (Daily Graphic - front page)
Story: Naa Lamiley Bentil & Rebecca Kwei
FIVE persons, including a mother and her baby, were burnt beyond recognition on Monday evening when a huge explosion occurred in a warehouse located at Ablekuma NIC in the Ga West District.
Several others are suspected to have been trapped under the debris.
A sixth person was reported dead at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital yesterday after he had been rushed there along with six others on Monday evening.
Two others are said to be in critical condition.
Among the deceased are a woman and her baby, a driver and two others who were loading goods from the warehouse onto a KIA truck.
The woman, with her baby strapped at her back, was passing by the warehouse when the explosion occurred.
A man who was also caught under the debris allegedly declined rescue because he claimed that his wife and his child were also underneath the debris.
The warehouse is said to belong to a Nigerian business woman who dealt in children’s toys and fire crackers.
Some residents, however, suspect that there could have been explosives and other deadly weapons in the warehouse because of the magnitude of the explosion.
They also claim that goods are offloaded into the warehouse only at night.
The debris was still engulfed in flames as of 10:00 a.m. yesterday. Not even the smoke, flames and fireworks could deter onlookers and relatives from storming the site to witness the havoc caused by the devastating fire.
As of the time of filing this report, a team of rescuers from the police, the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), led by the Director-General of Police Operations, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, was going through the rubble to salvage any trapped persons still alive.
It took fire personnel several hours to contain the fire.
According to the Greater Accra Regional Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mr Ayarko Atobrah, the station received a distress call about 6:15 p.m. on Monday and personnel from the Weija Fire Station went to the scene within 20 minutes to contain the situation.
Unfortunately, he said, the absence of a functional hydrant hampered the attempt of the personnel to put out the fire.
Mr Atobrah said fire engines from the Kaneshie, Accra Central and Madina Fire Stations and the GNFS Headquarters were mobilised to support the exercise, adding, however, that “it was a real struggle for us to get access to water”.
“ Even as I speak to you, the fire has flared up again and personnel have been dispatched to the scene to manage it,” he said.
He said considering the contents of the warehouse, it was inappropriate to have sited it at a residential area, since it would be exposed to fire and other heat-generated activities.
Mr Atobrah gave the assurance that the GNFS would undertake a full-scale investigation into the cause of the explosion, vis-à-vis the contents of the warehouse.
The roofing sheets, louvre blades and fence walls of some properties were also damaged.
Mr Theophilus Bansah, whose house is adjacent the warehouse, had his roofing sheets, louvre blades, among others, destroyed.
Another resident, Mr Richmond Hammond, described the explosion as thunderous. He said the people around retrieved eight people from the debris but four of them were already dead before their bodies were retrieved.
The Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Accident Centre at Korle-Bu, Mrs Ernestina Yankson, said the four others were, however, in stable condition and responding to treatment.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Bot
wey, who visited the area, expressed concern over the banned fire crackers which were in the warehouse.
She said that called for thorough investigation by the police to find out how the owner was able to outwit customs and immigration to bring banned products into the country.
Story: Naa Lamiley Bentil & Rebecca Kwei
FIVE persons, including a mother and her baby, were burnt beyond recognition on Monday evening when a huge explosion occurred in a warehouse located at Ablekuma NIC in the Ga West District.
Several others are suspected to have been trapped under the debris.
A sixth person was reported dead at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital yesterday after he had been rushed there along with six others on Monday evening.
Two others are said to be in critical condition.
Among the deceased are a woman and her baby, a driver and two others who were loading goods from the warehouse onto a KIA truck.
The woman, with her baby strapped at her back, was passing by the warehouse when the explosion occurred.
A man who was also caught under the debris allegedly declined rescue because he claimed that his wife and his child were also underneath the debris.
The warehouse is said to belong to a Nigerian business woman who dealt in children’s toys and fire crackers.
Some residents, however, suspect that there could have been explosives and other deadly weapons in the warehouse because of the magnitude of the explosion.
They also claim that goods are offloaded into the warehouse only at night.
The debris was still engulfed in flames as of 10:00 a.m. yesterday. Not even the smoke, flames and fireworks could deter onlookers and relatives from storming the site to witness the havoc caused by the devastating fire.
As of the time of filing this report, a team of rescuers from the police, the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), led by the Director-General of Police Operations, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, was going through the rubble to salvage any trapped persons still alive.
It took fire personnel several hours to contain the fire.
According to the Greater Accra Regional Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mr Ayarko Atobrah, the station received a distress call about 6:15 p.m. on Monday and personnel from the Weija Fire Station went to the scene within 20 minutes to contain the situation.
Unfortunately, he said, the absence of a functional hydrant hampered the attempt of the personnel to put out the fire.
Mr Atobrah said fire engines from the Kaneshie, Accra Central and Madina Fire Stations and the GNFS Headquarters were mobilised to support the exercise, adding, however, that “it was a real struggle for us to get access to water”.
“ Even as I speak to you, the fire has flared up again and personnel have been dispatched to the scene to manage it,” he said.
He said considering the contents of the warehouse, it was inappropriate to have sited it at a residential area, since it would be exposed to fire and other heat-generated activities.
Mr Atobrah gave the assurance that the GNFS would undertake a full-scale investigation into the cause of the explosion, vis-à-vis the contents of the warehouse.
The roofing sheets, louvre blades and fence walls of some properties were also damaged.
Mr Theophilus Bansah, whose house is adjacent the warehouse, had his roofing sheets, louvre blades, among others, destroyed.
Another resident, Mr Richmond Hammond, described the explosion as thunderous. He said the people around retrieved eight people from the debris but four of them were already dead before their bodies were retrieved.
The Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Accident Centre at Korle-Bu, Mrs Ernestina Yankson, said the four others were, however, in stable condition and responding to treatment.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Bot
wey, who visited the area, expressed concern over the banned fire crackers which were in the warehouse.
She said that called for thorough investigation by the police to find out how the owner was able to outwit customs and immigration to bring banned products into the country.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Bishop Tackie-Yarboi turns 50
Saturday, November 15, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
At Awoshie Baah Yard, a suburb of Accra, is a beautiful building painted in a warm shade of purple. But for the activities of big tipper trucks in the vicinity it would have served as a major landmark in the area. It is the Victory Bible Church International, Dominion Centre, which is headed by Bishop Nii Nabi Apiakai Tackie-Yarboi.
Guess what! Yesterday, November 14, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi celebrated his 50th birthday. For the pastors and congregation, 50 years was very significant and a good way to celebrate it was to sponsor a surprise publication on a man, who would naturally shy away from the media.
“I give thanks to God Almighty for His abundant favour and grace over me. I am also grateful to God for His call over my life,” Bishop Tackie-Yarboi says of his birthday in an interview with the Mirror.
Although Bishop Tackie-Yarboi is celebrating his 50th birthday, he is not oblivious of the forthcoming elections in December and therefore stressed the need for politicians to conduct their campaign devoid of insults and acrimony.
“Politicians must conduct peaceful campaigns and even as they preach peace they must be seen to be backing their words with actions.”
Recalling events that led him into the pastorate, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi said although he had a strict Presbyterian upbringing, he made personal life choices which were leading him to destruction. He therefore made a decision to join the Scripture Union to reform while he was a student at the Ebenezer Secondary School at Mamprobi, Accra.
Between 1975 and 1976, he was led to accept Jesus by one Peter Dzandza.
“He taught me what it meant to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and I can vividly recall how sinful and spiritually naked I was then,” he narrated.
That day marked a turnaround in his life.
“I had a simple divine encounter of knowing that I was going to do God’s work but never knew how.
“After praying the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and invited Jesus into my heart, I saw the room brighten as if an extra light had shone but I did not understand it then. But now I can testify that it is God’s way of commissioning me into His work.”
Following this encounter, he had a new motivation to read and seek to understand the Bible.
He said God brought various people into his life that greatly influenced his spiritual growth.
After his ‘O’ Level in the 1978/79 academic year, he continued at the Accra Polytechnic for a year and then to the Workers College for his ‘A’ Level.
He had his primary education at Osu Darley 2 and middle education at Osu Presbyterian Middle Boys and Apenkwa Shiayenno.
Realising God’s call early in his life, he entered full-time ministry in 1983.
Prior to that he fellowshipped with the Ghana Evangelical Society and also joined a student/area fellowship (Jesus People Fellowship) at Kokomlemle.
With time, he started fellowshipping with Christian Evangelical Fellowship under the leadership of Rev John Alex Cofie on Sundays at the Oxford Cinema Hall at Accra New Town and with Jesus People Fellowship on other days.
On May 26, 1985, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi was prayed over and released from the Christian Evangelical Ministry (CEM) and he started Jesus People Outreach Centre. He later changed the name to Victory Christian Centre and now Victory Bible Church International.
“My commission in ministry is to raise the foundations of many generations,” he said.
Presently the church has more than 100 branches all over Ghana and 15 in the USA, UK, The Netherlands and Germany.
Bishop Tackie-Yarboi expressed the hope that he would be able to plant more churches, build more educational institutions and create more opportunities for the youth.
What the church is embarking on at the moment is a church-community initiative where the church develops a closer relationship with the community in which it operates.
Consequently, the church puts up a school in the communities in they operate.
It has also adopted a village, Avesive, in the Volta Region where it has built a school and takes care of the teachers’ salaries. There is also a scholarship fund for needy, brilliant students and a revolving fund for widows of the church.
“We believe in missionary work as well as meeting the needs of the people,” he emphasised.
He said he had no regrets for being a pastor and that “if there was anything like another lifetime, I would want to be a pastor but maybe do things differently such as raising more leaders.”
BishopTackie-Yarboi called on Christians to make time to discover from the Bible what they have been taught to affirm that it is Biblical and to know God for themselves.
Additionally, he said Christians should “endeavour to be one in essentials and the non-essentials and be accommodating of each other.”
Born to Nii Amugie Sorse Tackie-Yarboi and Vivian Atswei Sowah, both deceased, BishopTackie-Yarboi is married to Rev Mrs Dora Tackie-Yarboi, who is the President of the Women’s Fellowship of the church.
They have three children, Nii Sorse, who is studying medicine in Ukraine, Nii Dromo and Naa Asharday.
He has authored six books namely The Believers Mind, Dreams of the Night, Overcoming Depression, Fulfilling Your Destiny, Financial Empowerment and Making the Most of What You Have.
“Jehovah is the one and the reason for my being. He made me and because He did, I am not my own. I am His and the sheep of his pasture” were his final words.
By Rebecca Kwei
At Awoshie Baah Yard, a suburb of Accra, is a beautiful building painted in a warm shade of purple. But for the activities of big tipper trucks in the vicinity it would have served as a major landmark in the area. It is the Victory Bible Church International, Dominion Centre, which is headed by Bishop Nii Nabi Apiakai Tackie-Yarboi.
Guess what! Yesterday, November 14, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi celebrated his 50th birthday. For the pastors and congregation, 50 years was very significant and a good way to celebrate it was to sponsor a surprise publication on a man, who would naturally shy away from the media.
“I give thanks to God Almighty for His abundant favour and grace over me. I am also grateful to God for His call over my life,” Bishop Tackie-Yarboi says of his birthday in an interview with the Mirror.
Although Bishop Tackie-Yarboi is celebrating his 50th birthday, he is not oblivious of the forthcoming elections in December and therefore stressed the need for politicians to conduct their campaign devoid of insults and acrimony.
“Politicians must conduct peaceful campaigns and even as they preach peace they must be seen to be backing their words with actions.”
Recalling events that led him into the pastorate, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi said although he had a strict Presbyterian upbringing, he made personal life choices which were leading him to destruction. He therefore made a decision to join the Scripture Union to reform while he was a student at the Ebenezer Secondary School at Mamprobi, Accra.
Between 1975 and 1976, he was led to accept Jesus by one Peter Dzandza.
“He taught me what it meant to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and I can vividly recall how sinful and spiritually naked I was then,” he narrated.
That day marked a turnaround in his life.
“I had a simple divine encounter of knowing that I was going to do God’s work but never knew how.
“After praying the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and invited Jesus into my heart, I saw the room brighten as if an extra light had shone but I did not understand it then. But now I can testify that it is God’s way of commissioning me into His work.”
Following this encounter, he had a new motivation to read and seek to understand the Bible.
He said God brought various people into his life that greatly influenced his spiritual growth.
After his ‘O’ Level in the 1978/79 academic year, he continued at the Accra Polytechnic for a year and then to the Workers College for his ‘A’ Level.
He had his primary education at Osu Darley 2 and middle education at Osu Presbyterian Middle Boys and Apenkwa Shiayenno.
Realising God’s call early in his life, he entered full-time ministry in 1983.
Prior to that he fellowshipped with the Ghana Evangelical Society and also joined a student/area fellowship (Jesus People Fellowship) at Kokomlemle.
With time, he started fellowshipping with Christian Evangelical Fellowship under the leadership of Rev John Alex Cofie on Sundays at the Oxford Cinema Hall at Accra New Town and with Jesus People Fellowship on other days.
On May 26, 1985, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi was prayed over and released from the Christian Evangelical Ministry (CEM) and he started Jesus People Outreach Centre. He later changed the name to Victory Christian Centre and now Victory Bible Church International.
“My commission in ministry is to raise the foundations of many generations,” he said.
Presently the church has more than 100 branches all over Ghana and 15 in the USA, UK, The Netherlands and Germany.
Bishop Tackie-Yarboi expressed the hope that he would be able to plant more churches, build more educational institutions and create more opportunities for the youth.
What the church is embarking on at the moment is a church-community initiative where the church develops a closer relationship with the community in which it operates.
Consequently, the church puts up a school in the communities in they operate.
It has also adopted a village, Avesive, in the Volta Region where it has built a school and takes care of the teachers’ salaries. There is also a scholarship fund for needy, brilliant students and a revolving fund for widows of the church.
“We believe in missionary work as well as meeting the needs of the people,” he emphasised.
He said he had no regrets for being a pastor and that “if there was anything like another lifetime, I would want to be a pastor but maybe do things differently such as raising more leaders.”
BishopTackie-Yarboi called on Christians to make time to discover from the Bible what they have been taught to affirm that it is Biblical and to know God for themselves.
Additionally, he said Christians should “endeavour to be one in essentials and the non-essentials and be accommodating of each other.”
Born to Nii Amugie Sorse Tackie-Yarboi and Vivian Atswei Sowah, both deceased, BishopTackie-Yarboi is married to Rev Mrs Dora Tackie-Yarboi, who is the President of the Women’s Fellowship of the church.
They have three children, Nii Sorse, who is studying medicine in Ukraine, Nii Dromo and Naa Asharday.
He has authored six books namely The Believers Mind, Dreams of the Night, Overcoming Depression, Fulfilling Your Destiny, Financial Empowerment and Making the Most of What You Have.
“Jehovah is the one and the reason for my being. He made me and because He did, I am not my own. I am His and the sheep of his pasture” were his final words.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Obama 'dances with the stars'
Saturday, November 8, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 46)
By Rebecca Kwei
Barack Obama made history last Tuesday by becoming the first African American President-elect and it is no secret that celebrities, particularly those from the entertainment industry, played a big role in his victory over John McCain.
He attracted high-profile endorsement from the likes of talk-show host, Oprah Winfrey. According to Oprah, Obama was the first candidate she had endorsed in her 25-year career.
She campaigned for him, with him and threw a celebrity fund-raiser at her California home that raised an estimated $3 million.
Oprah was among the tens of thousands of people gathered in Chicago to hear Obama give his victory speech and she could not help but shed tears. On her own show, Oprah said Obama's win had 'unleashed' her. Waving an American flag and wearing a Hope Won shirt, she shouted: 'Oh my God, Oh my God. Today is a new day for America.'
"It feels like America did the right thing, It feels like there's a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen,” she told CNN.
For R&B singer Usher, "Barack Obama doesn't represent a colour. He represents change."
Black music producer and singer Sean Diddy Combs said, "I felt like my vote was the vote that put him into office ... And that may not be true but that's how much power it felt like I had."
Poet Maya Angelou, 80, author of the influential book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", said she could barely talk without weeping as she remembered all the African-Americans who had struggled for civil rights in the past.
"We are growing up. My God, I'm so grateful," Angelou told "The Early Show" on CBS.
Other celebrities who campaigned and raised funds for Obama were George Clooney, Ben Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Niro, Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Brat Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Jay Z , Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of others.
Not much is known about Obama’s entertainment life. So what made all these celebrities hit the campaign trail for him? Perhaps the words of actor, Samuel L. Jackson, sums it up — “We need somebody the world relates to in a very real kind of way.”
By Rebecca Kwei
Barack Obama made history last Tuesday by becoming the first African American President-elect and it is no secret that celebrities, particularly those from the entertainment industry, played a big role in his victory over John McCain.
He attracted high-profile endorsement from the likes of talk-show host, Oprah Winfrey. According to Oprah, Obama was the first candidate she had endorsed in her 25-year career.
She campaigned for him, with him and threw a celebrity fund-raiser at her California home that raised an estimated $3 million.
Oprah was among the tens of thousands of people gathered in Chicago to hear Obama give his victory speech and she could not help but shed tears. On her own show, Oprah said Obama's win had 'unleashed' her. Waving an American flag and wearing a Hope Won shirt, she shouted: 'Oh my God, Oh my God. Today is a new day for America.'
"It feels like America did the right thing, It feels like there's a shift in consciousness. It feels like something really big and bold has happened here, like nothing ever in our lifetimes did we expect this to happen,” she told CNN.
For R&B singer Usher, "Barack Obama doesn't represent a colour. He represents change."
Black music producer and singer Sean Diddy Combs said, "I felt like my vote was the vote that put him into office ... And that may not be true but that's how much power it felt like I had."
Poet Maya Angelou, 80, author of the influential book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", said she could barely talk without weeping as she remembered all the African-Americans who had struggled for civil rights in the past.
"We are growing up. My God, I'm so grateful," Angelou told "The Early Show" on CBS.
Other celebrities who campaigned and raised funds for Obama were George Clooney, Ben Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Niro, Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Brat Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Jay Z , Beyonce Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of others.
Not much is known about Obama’s entertainment life. So what made all these celebrities hit the campaign trail for him? Perhaps the words of actor, Samuel L. Jackson, sums it up — “We need somebody the world relates to in a very real kind of way.”
Monday, November 3, 2008
Advocate more on gender mainstreaming
Saturday, November 1, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 42)
By Rebecca Kwei
A Gender and Development Consultant, Mrs Joana Opare,has said it is important for more advocacy on gender mainstreaming in order to get more women to participate in decision-making process.
She noted that women in Ghana were still under represented in institutions at the local and national level.
She expressed concern about the low number of aspiring women parliamentarians in this year's elections, saying as of September only 66 females had been selected.
Mrs Opare said in 2004, 100 female contested for parliament and 25 got elected to parliament and that there was the need for more support for women aspirants so that the numbers do not reduce further in this year's elections.
She was making a presentation at a two-day workshop for selected journalists on increasing women’s participation in politics.
The workshop, which brought together journalists from the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central and Western regions, was aimed, among other things, at building the capacity of the participants to be more gender sensitive in their reportage before, during and after the elections.
It was also to sensitise the journalists to give adequate coverage to all the female candidates vying for various parliamentary seats, as well as also use the media as an effective tool to solicit votes for them.
The workshop was organised by Women Media and Change (WOMEC) in colloraboration with ABANTU for Development, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Women's Manifesto Coalition.
Giving a 2007 statistics of appointments to key positions in Ghana, she said out of the 19 cabinet ministers, four were women.
Three women are ministers of state as against seven men while there are six female chief directors of ministries as compared to 29 males.
There is also no female regional minister in the country, while there are only three deputy ministers.
For the Council of State, there are 22 males and three females and 44 male ambassadors/high commissioners to four females. There are also 12 female district chief executives to 126 males.
Enumerating barriers to women's participation in governance, Mrs Opare said women were generally less interested in politics and that both women and men often saw politics as a man’s affair; women lack political capacities; lack confidence in their own political capabilities and have lower level of education, professional experience, income and available time as compared to men; and often lack support from their husbands or family.
Therefore, she said, "in order to actualise the principles of good governance that takes all humankind into account, with the objective of eradicating gender inequalities, the process of governance will have to secure the inclusion of those who are now marginalised."
However, she noted institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women have improved since 1994.
These include the formulation of legislation and policies that are relevant to women’s empowerment and gender equality; quotas are now used in local government, education and services to promote women’s participation and women’s policy and development issues have been brought more to the fore.
She appealed to senior management of institutions to ensure that gender was included as a substantive area in all policies and programmes.
Mrs Opare said women could not be left out of decision-making and implementation of development interventions, and that every effort must, therefore, be made to bring on board their valuable contributions towards sustainable development at all levels.
The Executive Director of WOMEC, Mrs Charity Binka, said it was important for a media strategy to be adopted to ensure that all women standing for election as members of parliament got elected to improve the female representation.
To achieve this, she said, it was necessary for a critical mass of media professionals to be created and cultivated to promote and give greater visibility to all female parliamentary candidates, irrespective of the political party they represented.
By Rebecca Kwei
A Gender and Development Consultant, Mrs Joana Opare,has said it is important for more advocacy on gender mainstreaming in order to get more women to participate in decision-making process.
She noted that women in Ghana were still under represented in institutions at the local and national level.
She expressed concern about the low number of aspiring women parliamentarians in this year's elections, saying as of September only 66 females had been selected.
Mrs Opare said in 2004, 100 female contested for parliament and 25 got elected to parliament and that there was the need for more support for women aspirants so that the numbers do not reduce further in this year's elections.
She was making a presentation at a two-day workshop for selected journalists on increasing women’s participation in politics.
The workshop, which brought together journalists from the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central and Western regions, was aimed, among other things, at building the capacity of the participants to be more gender sensitive in their reportage before, during and after the elections.
It was also to sensitise the journalists to give adequate coverage to all the female candidates vying for various parliamentary seats, as well as also use the media as an effective tool to solicit votes for them.
The workshop was organised by Women Media and Change (WOMEC) in colloraboration with ABANTU for Development, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Women's Manifesto Coalition.
Giving a 2007 statistics of appointments to key positions in Ghana, she said out of the 19 cabinet ministers, four were women.
Three women are ministers of state as against seven men while there are six female chief directors of ministries as compared to 29 males.
There is also no female regional minister in the country, while there are only three deputy ministers.
For the Council of State, there are 22 males and three females and 44 male ambassadors/high commissioners to four females. There are also 12 female district chief executives to 126 males.
Enumerating barriers to women's participation in governance, Mrs Opare said women were generally less interested in politics and that both women and men often saw politics as a man’s affair; women lack political capacities; lack confidence in their own political capabilities and have lower level of education, professional experience, income and available time as compared to men; and often lack support from their husbands or family.
Therefore, she said, "in order to actualise the principles of good governance that takes all humankind into account, with the objective of eradicating gender inequalities, the process of governance will have to secure the inclusion of those who are now marginalised."
However, she noted institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women have improved since 1994.
These include the formulation of legislation and policies that are relevant to women’s empowerment and gender equality; quotas are now used in local government, education and services to promote women’s participation and women’s policy and development issues have been brought more to the fore.
She appealed to senior management of institutions to ensure that gender was included as a substantive area in all policies and programmes.
Mrs Opare said women could not be left out of decision-making and implementation of development interventions, and that every effort must, therefore, be made to bring on board their valuable contributions towards sustainable development at all levels.
The Executive Director of WOMEC, Mrs Charity Binka, said it was important for a media strategy to be adopted to ensure that all women standing for election as members of parliament got elected to improve the female representation.
To achieve this, she said, it was necessary for a critical mass of media professionals to be created and cultivated to promote and give greater visibility to all female parliamentary candidates, irrespective of the political party they represented.
Naa Ashorkor — makes a splashing presence on TV Africa
Saturday, November 1, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
For viewers of TV Africa, Nisirine Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku is the familiar sweet- faced presenter on their screens on Fridays and Saturdays.
Since she joined the network last year as a stand-in presenter for New Generation, a youth and entertainment programme, her hard work has earned her new and exciting tasks at the station.
Presently, she is the hostess of Daybreak Entertainment News on Friday, the entertainment segment of the morning show and also the co-host of Soundz Splash, a one- and-half hour live entertainment programme.
Naa Ashorkor said she had always admired people on TV when she was growing up, and fantasised about herself on TV.
“In my mind’s eye I had always seen myself on TV but it has happened so fast for me,” she said in an interview with The Mirror.
Recounting how she got into working with a television station, she said she was invited twice as a guest on TV Africa’s youth programme, New Generation, and one day she was asked to sit in for the presenter.
“That felt really cool,” she said, beaming, and added that “the production crew at TV Africa are so friendly and they make you feel special”.
She said although she was a bit nervous, she put in her best and later when she saw the programme, she was proud of herself.
So for four weeks, she sat in for the presenter of New Generation till she returned and Naa Ashorkor was given a new task to present entertainment news on Fridays on the morning show.
In June this year, she started co-hosting Soundz Splash with Okyeame Quophi, who she described as nice and fun to work with.
She said the first day she co-hosted Soundz Splash, she had butterflies in her stomach such that all that she had rehearsed to say vanished from her memory the moment she got on stage.
“But I am getting better by the day. Hosting a live programme has challenges and I’m doing my best to make the programme more exciting.”
Naa Ashorkor, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) says it is not easy combining school and work so the least time she has she uses it to study in order to make good grades.
She will turn 20 on November 24, this year, and says she hardly goes out; for her , working is fun and she loves her job.
She said being on TV has helped to build her confidence, enabled her to comport herself, and she is hardly intimidated by anyone.
Naa Ashorkor believes that “all that we are is a result of what we have thought of. What you imagine more often than not, you get it”.
Born to Mr Paul Mensah-Doku and Sarah Mensah-Doku, Naa Ashorkor has three other sisters, Sharon, Stephanie and Paula.
She said her parents and siblings had been very supportive of her and that was what kept her going.
She aspires to be one of the best presenters in the country and move it a step further by going international.
Naa Ashorkor said she would love to try radio after completing school and she also intends to pursue law.
Aside TV, she also appeared in HFC Bank TV commercial, Unique Trust Financial Services calendar and Arton Drugs TV commercial.
She has played a few minor roles in movies and also starred in the latest movie “Scorned”.
When not working, Naa Ashorkor loves watching movies, playing word games and spending time with her family.
She is grateful to TV Africa and production crew for all the love and support given her.
So there you have it; make a date tonight with Naa Ashorkor as she co-hosts Soundz Splash on TV Africa at 7.30 p.m.
By Rebecca Kwei
For viewers of TV Africa, Nisirine Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku is the familiar sweet- faced presenter on their screens on Fridays and Saturdays.
Since she joined the network last year as a stand-in presenter for New Generation, a youth and entertainment programme, her hard work has earned her new and exciting tasks at the station.
Presently, she is the hostess of Daybreak Entertainment News on Friday, the entertainment segment of the morning show and also the co-host of Soundz Splash, a one- and-half hour live entertainment programme.
Naa Ashorkor said she had always admired people on TV when she was growing up, and fantasised about herself on TV.
“In my mind’s eye I had always seen myself on TV but it has happened so fast for me,” she said in an interview with The Mirror.
Recounting how she got into working with a television station, she said she was invited twice as a guest on TV Africa’s youth programme, New Generation, and one day she was asked to sit in for the presenter.
“That felt really cool,” she said, beaming, and added that “the production crew at TV Africa are so friendly and they make you feel special”.
She said although she was a bit nervous, she put in her best and later when she saw the programme, she was proud of herself.
So for four weeks, she sat in for the presenter of New Generation till she returned and Naa Ashorkor was given a new task to present entertainment news on Fridays on the morning show.
In June this year, she started co-hosting Soundz Splash with Okyeame Quophi, who she described as nice and fun to work with.
She said the first day she co-hosted Soundz Splash, she had butterflies in her stomach such that all that she had rehearsed to say vanished from her memory the moment she got on stage.
“But I am getting better by the day. Hosting a live programme has challenges and I’m doing my best to make the programme more exciting.”
Naa Ashorkor, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) says it is not easy combining school and work so the least time she has she uses it to study in order to make good grades.
She will turn 20 on November 24, this year, and says she hardly goes out; for her , working is fun and she loves her job.
She said being on TV has helped to build her confidence, enabled her to comport herself, and she is hardly intimidated by anyone.
Naa Ashorkor believes that “all that we are is a result of what we have thought of. What you imagine more often than not, you get it”.
Born to Mr Paul Mensah-Doku and Sarah Mensah-Doku, Naa Ashorkor has three other sisters, Sharon, Stephanie and Paula.
She said her parents and siblings had been very supportive of her and that was what kept her going.
She aspires to be one of the best presenters in the country and move it a step further by going international.
Naa Ashorkor said she would love to try radio after completing school and she also intends to pursue law.
Aside TV, she also appeared in HFC Bank TV commercial, Unique Trust Financial Services calendar and Arton Drugs TV commercial.
She has played a few minor roles in movies and also starred in the latest movie “Scorned”.
When not working, Naa Ashorkor loves watching movies, playing word games and spending time with her family.
She is grateful to TV Africa and production crew for all the love and support given her.
So there you have it; make a date tonight with Naa Ashorkor as she co-hosts Soundz Splash on TV Africa at 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Three women for vice presidential slot
Saturday, October 25, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 12)
By Rebecca Kwei
When political parties started choosing presidential candidates and running mates, many women activists advocated that women should be selected for such positions.
Perhaps, the People’s National Convention (PNC) could be described as a ‘listening’ party since it has selected a woman, Petra Maria Amegashie, a 49-year-old evangelist as the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Dr Edward Mahama.
“It was a sense of awe and humbling experience when I got to know I had been selected. The first thing that popped out of my mouth was ‘To God be the glory’, she told The Mirror in an interview.
About a fortnight ago, Petra was in the news that she wanted to run for President as an independent candidate so why the turn around?
According to Petra she took the decision to run for president because she felt a divine calling to do something for her country and felt very strongly that it was about time Ghana had a female at the highest office of the land but after several consultations and having followed Dr Mahama’s political activities she decided to partner him.
She insists “I have not settled for second place and I am not playing second fiddle. I and the PNC, and for that matter, Dr Mahama are joining forces to face the challenge”.
Of course there are big challenges ahead but Petra believes she is up to the task.
She indicated that she was aware of the political terrain and the fact that it had not been too friendly to women but she was ready to face the challenges.
She said she wanted to renew the Ghanaian spirit and sense of purpose as well as unify the country.
She said she represented a voice for women, children, the youth and the disadvantaged in society.
Although she did not give concrete plans on what she would do in the area of women empowerment, Petra only said empowering women will be by example since the PNC’s manifesto has it that 50 per cent of cabinet ministers will be women and also her selection sends strong signals.
She said the PNC was committed to gender empowerment and mainstreaming of gender issues into politics and national policy.
She appealed to women to stand up and be counted, believe in themselves and showcase their values. “Politics is not a man’s world. After all it is women who give birth to men,” she added.
As an evangelist, Petra does not see any conflict with her present role as a politician.
In fact she says God enjoins all Christians to be ‘the salt of the earth and light of world’ and she believes her new political role will help her to brighten the corner wherever she was.
She said her Christian values will come to bear in all that she does which will impact positively on the nation.
Born on September 4, 1959 in Dzodze in the Volta Region to the late Togbe Amegashie Apeku III and Agnes Amegashie, Petra attended Keta Convent School and then to the Ola and Tema Secondary Schools for her secondary education.
Growing up, Petra said she wanted to be a nun but that goal did not materialise.
She did her national service with the Ghana News Agency in Tema from 1986 to 1987.
She also worked with the Novotel Hotel in Accra and also undertook an evangelisation course at the School of Evangelisation in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana.
Apart from evangelising, Petra also had brief stints working with the Standard Newspaper, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Bayswater Contract Mining.
Petra has a son, Peter Quarshigah, a fresh graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Some political analysts have observed that the selection of a female running mate by the PNC will win the party some votes but certainly not the December 7 elections.
But Petra is not perturbed. She says the chances of the PNC are very bright. “The PNC stands for change — real change from the usual way of doing things, from the notion that women are not ready for the highest political office,” she added.
Ms Rosemond Abraham
Ms Rosemond Abraham, a Cape Coast-based business woman has been chosen by the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), as the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Kwabena Adjei.
Her selection came 24 hours after the People’s National Convention (PNC) had selected Petra Amegashie as the running mate of Dr Edward Mahama.
Ms Abraham who until her selection was the Women’s Organiser of the RPD, said she was well groomed to partner the flag bearer of the party to victory because of my passion for women.
She said the urgency to get more women involved in the development of the country had become more crucial now than before and indicated that her selection was in recognition of that fact.
“I’m aware that women are a formidable force to reckon with in national development and I will not fail,” Ms Abraham added.
She called on the electorate to vote for the RPD and gave the assurance that under her leadership, and with the support of Mr Adjei, women would be seen at the forefront of many issues in the country “because it is through this that we will see real growth”.
On health, she said doctors and nurses had been demotivated under the NPP administration and pledged her desire to ensure that that sector, which dealt with the health of the nation, was given the needed attention.
Ms Abraham also expressed her resolve to end the challenges that teachers went through.
“Our teachers have suffered for far too long and that is why we have experienced many strikes by them,” she said, and pledged to end that pattern.
She said the RPD was in to win the election and would not toy with its chances, adding, “I will put in my all to ensure a resounding victory that will surprise many.”
Born to Mr Kwaku Agyapong, Kyidomhene of Mampong and Madam Adwoa Konadu on July 31, 1968, Ms Abraham describes herself as a courageous, self-driven, inspiring and passionate about the plight of women, children and the vulnerable in society.
She attended Toase Secondary School in the Ashanti Region and a dental technician course at Bennette Hospital, Accra.
A native of Asante Mampong and resident in Cape Coast, Ms Abraham has two children.
Patience Ameku
Ms Patience Ami Ameku is the vice-presidential aspirant of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for Election 2008. The 61-year-old chubby-faced and exuberant politician hails from Mafi-Sasekpe in the North Tongu District in the Volta Region.She was the District Chief Executive for Kadjebi from 1983 to 1993.
Mrs Ameku who believes she is a born politician has since then been in politics. In 1996, she ran as an independent parliamentary candidate for North Tongu, and was determined now to go to parliament as an independent candidate until she was invited to become the running mate of the DFP flag bearer, Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi.
“I naturally like politics as it gives me the opportunity to serve people. Although there have been other females selected as vice-presidential aspirants for their political parties before me in Ghana’s history, I believe I am going to make a difference,” she said.
The DFP vice-presidential aspirant said she was very much concerned with pushing forward the agenda for industrialisation when she got into government, particularly the aspect of adding value to agri-products.
“When this is done, it will be possible to feed industries with produce and at the same time employ more people on the farms to work continuously to feed the factories. The outcome is that there will be more money in everyone’s pocket so that the situation where some people have and others do not, is avoided,” she said.
With regard to education, the one-time DCE, now a DFP kingpin, is of the view that structures must be in place and efforts made to retain girls in school.
She believes that if girls are early on in life introduced to mathematics and science, they will grow to like the subjects. She finds it unacceptable that only a few girls in school went ahead to do technology-based courses and professions in the university.
Ms Ameku said her aspirations as a politician found convergence with the liberal ideals put forward in the manifesto of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), and that she sees her new position as very challenging.
“As a woman in politics there have been many challenges, including social, economic and financial difficulties but I have never wavered. Ever since I began politics, my supporters have stood with me because they believe that one day there will be light at the end of the tunnel and would prosper through the creation of jobs ,” she said
According to her, it was important that the vice-president had a close and harmonious relationship with the president. They must understand each others feelings or ideas and communicate well if their tenure of office was to be successful.
She said if the DFP won the election she would bring to the table as a vice-president an ethic of hard work and sincerity, and carry all on board to make sure that the work gets done.
She said based on Article 24 of the country’s constitution that talks about the right to work, the DFP would harness agriculture to support industrialisation in order to create jobs for the people.
“While men look at the big picture, women concern themselves with the nitty-gritty and make sure to fill in the gaps in order to make the picture much clearer,” she said, smiling.
Ms Patience Ameku was born at Mafi-Sasepke in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region on April 12, 1947 to the late Herbert Tamekloe Ameku and Madam Cecilia Yemexor Kudze.
She had her primary and middle school education at Mafi-Sasekpe and Mafi-Anfoe respetively after which she continued to the EP Training College at Amedzope.
By dint of hard work she studied privately for her ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level GCE exams, passed and entered the University of Ghana in 1979 and graduated in 1982 with BA Hons, having majored in English.
Ms Ameku is married to Mr Victor Akude with whom she has four children, three girls and a boy.
By Rebecca Kwei
When political parties started choosing presidential candidates and running mates, many women activists advocated that women should be selected for such positions.
Perhaps, the People’s National Convention (PNC) could be described as a ‘listening’ party since it has selected a woman, Petra Maria Amegashie, a 49-year-old evangelist as the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Dr Edward Mahama.
“It was a sense of awe and humbling experience when I got to know I had been selected. The first thing that popped out of my mouth was ‘To God be the glory’, she told The Mirror in an interview.
About a fortnight ago, Petra was in the news that she wanted to run for President as an independent candidate so why the turn around?
According to Petra she took the decision to run for president because she felt a divine calling to do something for her country and felt very strongly that it was about time Ghana had a female at the highest office of the land but after several consultations and having followed Dr Mahama’s political activities she decided to partner him.
She insists “I have not settled for second place and I am not playing second fiddle. I and the PNC, and for that matter, Dr Mahama are joining forces to face the challenge”.
Of course there are big challenges ahead but Petra believes she is up to the task.
She indicated that she was aware of the political terrain and the fact that it had not been too friendly to women but she was ready to face the challenges.
She said she wanted to renew the Ghanaian spirit and sense of purpose as well as unify the country.
She said she represented a voice for women, children, the youth and the disadvantaged in society.
Although she did not give concrete plans on what she would do in the area of women empowerment, Petra only said empowering women will be by example since the PNC’s manifesto has it that 50 per cent of cabinet ministers will be women and also her selection sends strong signals.
She said the PNC was committed to gender empowerment and mainstreaming of gender issues into politics and national policy.
She appealed to women to stand up and be counted, believe in themselves and showcase their values. “Politics is not a man’s world. After all it is women who give birth to men,” she added.
As an evangelist, Petra does not see any conflict with her present role as a politician.
In fact she says God enjoins all Christians to be ‘the salt of the earth and light of world’ and she believes her new political role will help her to brighten the corner wherever she was.
She said her Christian values will come to bear in all that she does which will impact positively on the nation.
Born on September 4, 1959 in Dzodze in the Volta Region to the late Togbe Amegashie Apeku III and Agnes Amegashie, Petra attended Keta Convent School and then to the Ola and Tema Secondary Schools for her secondary education.
Growing up, Petra said she wanted to be a nun but that goal did not materialise.
She did her national service with the Ghana News Agency in Tema from 1986 to 1987.
She also worked with the Novotel Hotel in Accra and also undertook an evangelisation course at the School of Evangelisation in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana.
Apart from evangelising, Petra also had brief stints working with the Standard Newspaper, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and Bayswater Contract Mining.
Petra has a son, Peter Quarshigah, a fresh graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Some political analysts have observed that the selection of a female running mate by the PNC will win the party some votes but certainly not the December 7 elections.
But Petra is not perturbed. She says the chances of the PNC are very bright. “The PNC stands for change — real change from the usual way of doing things, from the notion that women are not ready for the highest political office,” she added.
Ms Rosemond Abraham
Ms Rosemond Abraham, a Cape Coast-based business woman has been chosen by the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), as the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Kwabena Adjei.
Her selection came 24 hours after the People’s National Convention (PNC) had selected Petra Amegashie as the running mate of Dr Edward Mahama.
Ms Abraham who until her selection was the Women’s Organiser of the RPD, said she was well groomed to partner the flag bearer of the party to victory because of my passion for women.
She said the urgency to get more women involved in the development of the country had become more crucial now than before and indicated that her selection was in recognition of that fact.
“I’m aware that women are a formidable force to reckon with in national development and I will not fail,” Ms Abraham added.
She called on the electorate to vote for the RPD and gave the assurance that under her leadership, and with the support of Mr Adjei, women would be seen at the forefront of many issues in the country “because it is through this that we will see real growth”.
On health, she said doctors and nurses had been demotivated under the NPP administration and pledged her desire to ensure that that sector, which dealt with the health of the nation, was given the needed attention.
Ms Abraham also expressed her resolve to end the challenges that teachers went through.
“Our teachers have suffered for far too long and that is why we have experienced many strikes by them,” she said, and pledged to end that pattern.
She said the RPD was in to win the election and would not toy with its chances, adding, “I will put in my all to ensure a resounding victory that will surprise many.”
Born to Mr Kwaku Agyapong, Kyidomhene of Mampong and Madam Adwoa Konadu on July 31, 1968, Ms Abraham describes herself as a courageous, self-driven, inspiring and passionate about the plight of women, children and the vulnerable in society.
She attended Toase Secondary School in the Ashanti Region and a dental technician course at Bennette Hospital, Accra.
A native of Asante Mampong and resident in Cape Coast, Ms Abraham has two children.
Patience Ameku
Ms Patience Ami Ameku is the vice-presidential aspirant of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) for Election 2008. The 61-year-old chubby-faced and exuberant politician hails from Mafi-Sasekpe in the North Tongu District in the Volta Region.She was the District Chief Executive for Kadjebi from 1983 to 1993.
Mrs Ameku who believes she is a born politician has since then been in politics. In 1996, she ran as an independent parliamentary candidate for North Tongu, and was determined now to go to parliament as an independent candidate until she was invited to become the running mate of the DFP flag bearer, Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi.
“I naturally like politics as it gives me the opportunity to serve people. Although there have been other females selected as vice-presidential aspirants for their political parties before me in Ghana’s history, I believe I am going to make a difference,” she said.
The DFP vice-presidential aspirant said she was very much concerned with pushing forward the agenda for industrialisation when she got into government, particularly the aspect of adding value to agri-products.
“When this is done, it will be possible to feed industries with produce and at the same time employ more people on the farms to work continuously to feed the factories. The outcome is that there will be more money in everyone’s pocket so that the situation where some people have and others do not, is avoided,” she said.
With regard to education, the one-time DCE, now a DFP kingpin, is of the view that structures must be in place and efforts made to retain girls in school.
She believes that if girls are early on in life introduced to mathematics and science, they will grow to like the subjects. She finds it unacceptable that only a few girls in school went ahead to do technology-based courses and professions in the university.
Ms Ameku said her aspirations as a politician found convergence with the liberal ideals put forward in the manifesto of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), and that she sees her new position as very challenging.
“As a woman in politics there have been many challenges, including social, economic and financial difficulties but I have never wavered. Ever since I began politics, my supporters have stood with me because they believe that one day there will be light at the end of the tunnel and would prosper through the creation of jobs ,” she said
According to her, it was important that the vice-president had a close and harmonious relationship with the president. They must understand each others feelings or ideas and communicate well if their tenure of office was to be successful.
She said if the DFP won the election she would bring to the table as a vice-president an ethic of hard work and sincerity, and carry all on board to make sure that the work gets done.
She said based on Article 24 of the country’s constitution that talks about the right to work, the DFP would harness agriculture to support industrialisation in order to create jobs for the people.
“While men look at the big picture, women concern themselves with the nitty-gritty and make sure to fill in the gaps in order to make the picture much clearer,” she said, smiling.
Ms Patience Ameku was born at Mafi-Sasepke in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region on April 12, 1947 to the late Herbert Tamekloe Ameku and Madam Cecilia Yemexor Kudze.
She had her primary and middle school education at Mafi-Sasekpe and Mafi-Anfoe respetively after which she continued to the EP Training College at Amedzope.
By dint of hard work she studied privately for her ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level GCE exams, passed and entered the University of Ghana in 1979 and graduated in 1982 with BA Hons, having majored in English.
Ms Ameku is married to Mr Victor Akude with whom she has four children, three girls and a boy.
Step up fight against malaria
Saturday, October 25, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC),Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, has called on the media to step up its advocacy role in the fight against malaria.
He noted that the media was central to packaging and tailoring important research findings and information needed for attitudinal change to address public health issues.
Dr Owusu-Agyei was speaking at the inauguration of the Ghana Chapter of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a group made up of African journalists and scientists working together to reduce malaria on the continent.
The occasion was also used to launch a magazine, ‘Eyes on Malaria’ produced by the group as an advocacy tool.
He said the use of insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying and anti-malaria drugs were some of the tools available, and called on the public to take up the challenge of eradicating malaria within their communities by using the control tools available.
Dr Owusu-Agyei said the KHRC was among several research institutions across Africa researching into a malaria vaccine.
Dr Constance Bart-Plange, Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, who launched the magazine, said malaria was an unnecessary hazard because it could be avoided if every one took pains to change attitude and lifestyles.
“The mosquito cannot create its own maternity homes but humans do it for them, then they turn around to destroy our maternity homes,” she said.
She said education was key to any change in behaviour and that was why the Ministry of Health was very serious about information, education and communication using multiple approaches and channels in the fight against malaria.
She commended the AMMREN for coming up with a well-written magazine, adding that the title ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was appropriate.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the network was set up to become a leader in the provision of information for the prevention and control of malaria.
She said the group was formed in November 2006 in Accra with support from the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) of the Indepth Network.
AMMREN has about 50 members from 10 African countries.
‘Eyes on Malaria’, she said, was an attempt to find an innovative way of taking needed information about malaria from the laboratory, field and health institutions to those who need it most.
“The current missing link in malaria research and reporting is to have an advocacy lens that captures the breakthroughs in science and reported in the language of the household, the community and policy makers. ‘Eyes on Malaria’ will bridge this gap,” she said.
Mrs Binka said AMMREN received support from the Malaria Consortium and Indepth Network to produce the magazine.
Dr Bernhard Ogutu, a Kenyan researcher with the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), said the production of the ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was a good way for the media to partner scientists in a global move towards the eradication of malaria.
By Rebecca Kwei
The Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC),Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, has called on the media to step up its advocacy role in the fight against malaria.
He noted that the media was central to packaging and tailoring important research findings and information needed for attitudinal change to address public health issues.
Dr Owusu-Agyei was speaking at the inauguration of the Ghana Chapter of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a group made up of African journalists and scientists working together to reduce malaria on the continent.
The occasion was also used to launch a magazine, ‘Eyes on Malaria’ produced by the group as an advocacy tool.
He said the use of insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying and anti-malaria drugs were some of the tools available, and called on the public to take up the challenge of eradicating malaria within their communities by using the control tools available.
Dr Owusu-Agyei said the KHRC was among several research institutions across Africa researching into a malaria vaccine.
Dr Constance Bart-Plange, Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, who launched the magazine, said malaria was an unnecessary hazard because it could be avoided if every one took pains to change attitude and lifestyles.
“The mosquito cannot create its own maternity homes but humans do it for them, then they turn around to destroy our maternity homes,” she said.
She said education was key to any change in behaviour and that was why the Ministry of Health was very serious about information, education and communication using multiple approaches and channels in the fight against malaria.
She commended the AMMREN for coming up with a well-written magazine, adding that the title ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was appropriate.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the network was set up to become a leader in the provision of information for the prevention and control of malaria.
She said the group was formed in November 2006 in Accra with support from the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) of the Indepth Network.
AMMREN has about 50 members from 10 African countries.
‘Eyes on Malaria’, she said, was an attempt to find an innovative way of taking needed information about malaria from the laboratory, field and health institutions to those who need it most.
“The current missing link in malaria research and reporting is to have an advocacy lens that captures the breakthroughs in science and reported in the language of the household, the community and policy makers. ‘Eyes on Malaria’ will bridge this gap,” she said.
Mrs Binka said AMMREN received support from the Malaria Consortium and Indepth Network to produce the magazine.
Dr Bernhard Ogutu, a Kenyan researcher with the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), said the production of the ‘Eyes on Malaria’ was a good way for the media to partner scientists in a global move towards the eradication of malaria.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Book on feminine strengths launched
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 11)
Story: Rebecca Kwei
A BOOK titled ‘Feminine Strengths: Our Asset, Our Worth’ has been launched in Accra with a call on female students and women in general to cultivate the habit of reading.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call when she launched the book said many people had ignored one aspect of empowerment, which was reading.
She said “nothing beats reading. There is so much information out there” and encouraged students to use computers to search for information rather than playing games.
The 32-page book which was authored by Mrs Joyce Sika Twum, an educational psychologist and guidance counsellor, challenges females by identifying and celebrating 12 unnoticed female strengths.
The author in simple language uses four elements — earth, water, fire and air to describe these unique strengths that females must tap into to regain their worth.
Ms Aryee said the book would enable females to know more about themselves, adding that the sky should not be the limit for women.
“Women are on top and still rising . There is no end to what women can achieve,” she said.
Ms Aryee reiterated that female empowerment was no more a question of one sex advocating equal recognition as human beings but was now a question of equipping the female to be able to lead a meaningful life in this knowledge-based and fast moving world.
She said it was about time that the country looked for ways to derive the optimum from men and women, adding that Ghana deserved to have the best in both genders.
She said the book was not supposed to turn females into man-hating machines but to enable them to discover who they are and tap into their unique strengths in order to become the assets they have been created to be.
She encouraged heads of schools to ensure that each student had a copy of the book.
For her part, the author, Mrs Twum, said the book talks about what females are endowed with.
She said she used the symbols of earth, water, fire and air to tell females that the world could not live without them.
Mrs Twum who is also the CEO of Self Search Foundation, noted that the world perceived females in a certain way, and they had unconsciously accepted them, adding that “how you perceive yourself to a far extent determines what you would be.”
“The symbols in the book depicts assets and worth, and challenges females to look within themselves, identify with a symbol and tap into those qualities so that they can begin to shine” she said.
The acting Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Francesca Pobee-Hayford, who chaired the function, said statistics showed that girls were excelling in school and becoming more assertive and confident.
The President of the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOGHSHS), Mrs Sylvia Asempa, said the simplicity of the book would entice girls to read more as well as encourage them to discover themselves and the potential they had.
The CEO of Foundation for Future Leaders, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, who auctioned the book bought the first copy for GH¢500.
Story: Rebecca Kwei
A BOOK titled ‘Feminine Strengths: Our Asset, Our Worth’ has been launched in Accra with a call on female students and women in general to cultivate the habit of reading.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, who made the call when she launched the book said many people had ignored one aspect of empowerment, which was reading.
She said “nothing beats reading. There is so much information out there” and encouraged students to use computers to search for information rather than playing games.
The 32-page book which was authored by Mrs Joyce Sika Twum, an educational psychologist and guidance counsellor, challenges females by identifying and celebrating 12 unnoticed female strengths.
The author in simple language uses four elements — earth, water, fire and air to describe these unique strengths that females must tap into to regain their worth.
Ms Aryee said the book would enable females to know more about themselves, adding that the sky should not be the limit for women.
“Women are on top and still rising . There is no end to what women can achieve,” she said.
Ms Aryee reiterated that female empowerment was no more a question of one sex advocating equal recognition as human beings but was now a question of equipping the female to be able to lead a meaningful life in this knowledge-based and fast moving world.
She said it was about time that the country looked for ways to derive the optimum from men and women, adding that Ghana deserved to have the best in both genders.
She said the book was not supposed to turn females into man-hating machines but to enable them to discover who they are and tap into their unique strengths in order to become the assets they have been created to be.
She encouraged heads of schools to ensure that each student had a copy of the book.
For her part, the author, Mrs Twum, said the book talks about what females are endowed with.
She said she used the symbols of earth, water, fire and air to tell females that the world could not live without them.
Mrs Twum who is also the CEO of Self Search Foundation, noted that the world perceived females in a certain way, and they had unconsciously accepted them, adding that “how you perceive yourself to a far extent determines what you would be.”
“The symbols in the book depicts assets and worth, and challenges females to look within themselves, identify with a symbol and tap into those qualities so that they can begin to shine” she said.
The acting Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Francesca Pobee-Hayford, who chaired the function, said statistics showed that girls were excelling in school and becoming more assertive and confident.
The President of the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOGHSHS), Mrs Sylvia Asempa, said the simplicity of the book would entice girls to read more as well as encourage them to discover themselves and the potential they had.
The CEO of Foundation for Future Leaders, Mr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, who auctioned the book bought the first copy for GH¢500.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Rythmz rides high
Saturday, October 11, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
The TV magazine programme that is aired on GTV every Saturday at 8:30pm has steadily developed a huge fan base as a result of the exciting features and celebrity interviews that are aired on the programme.
Meet the presenters, Pamela and Chris, who make the programme a delight to watch.
Pamela and Chris are both seasoned presenters who bring their exuberant nature into their presentation, making the show fan to watch.
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore was born on August 13, 1987 to John Derek Blackmore and Adeline Boateng.
She started school at the Ridge Church School and then to Holy Child School in Cape Coast for her secondary education.
While in school, Pamela was interested in academics and was also very much involved in extra curricular activities.
“At Ridge Church School, I was involved in sports, writing competitions and performed prefectorial duties, particularly when I was appointed the Assistant Head Girl of the primary department. I was also an active member of the Red Cross and other social clubs,” she said.
No wonder she was appointed the class prefect in her first year at Holy Child till the third term of the second year, when she was made the entertainment prefect.
After completing Holy Child, Pamela applied for a job as a trainee copywriter at Origin 8 Saatchi & Saatchi, where she learnt how to write creative scripts for TV, radio and print advertisement.
Pamela is presently in her third year at the University of Ghana, Legon, studying French and Sociology.
She saw the Rythmz programme on TV and thought she could be a presenter on it, so she walked into Charterhouse and shot an audition tape which obviously impressed the producers because she was chosen to be the co-presenter for the show.
Hosting Rythmz does not come as a surprise to her. “ Would anybody be surprised if they were told that the former entertainment prefect of Holy Child School is now hosting an entertainment show on television? I wouldn’t be, and that is why I think that where I find myself now is not by chance. All that is left for me is to make the best out of everything that comes my way, both good and bad. Such things make me more experienced; they help me learn a lot. I love music, and I’m proud to be on Rythmz!” She said.
On how she handles the challenges of being in the spotlight, Pamela had this to say “ I’ve had my fair share of people letting me down and slandering me. I’ve heard all the gossip and deception, but the thing is, once you have your head screwed on right, you know where you’re heading and you aren’t doing anything wrong, all those things really don’t mean much. It’s not an easy task though being in the spotlight, and every single presenter or anyone in the media goes through the motions. I’m just playing a role in being who I’m destined to be and I take each day as it comes.”
Pamela and Chris have ‘good chemistry’ when presenting Rythmz and for most people they were an ‘item’, but Pamela says that is far from true. “A lot of people thought Chris and I were dating; they still think so, to this day but the funny thing is, they couldn’t be more wrong! I mean can’t two people just host a great television show? We are good friends, and I love him as a sister would. A lot of the time I laugh all these rumours off, because they are really ridiculous. But I guess it comes with the job, so I take it in my stride.”
On a very regular day, you can catch Pamela in her room watching some hot new TV series! She also loves to spend time with her family. “They are my everything and I owe them so much,” she says.
Pamela loves to read and dance and she is grateful to everyone at the Charterhouse, and every sincere person who would love to see someone progress in life.
Chris Attoh
With about seven years experience in his career, Christopher Nii Attoh needs no introduction in entertainment circles, both locally and internationally.
He is a seasoned presenter/MC who has been plying his trade with some of the best in Ghana.
His eloquence and dynamism, both on and off stage and on the screen has made Chris a real force to reckon with and one of the most sought-after presenters.
Chris has presented shows such as Miss Malaika, Rythmz, Stars of the Future, Mentor II, among others. He Ghana’s??? anchor to Big Brother Africa 3 in South Africa and has also worked with OBE TV in the United Kingdom, where he covered the MOBO Awards at which Ghana’s Samini won an award.
He attended Achimota Secondary School, now Achimota High School, and Accra Academy, where he sat for his Sixth Form. He is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and continued to study Banking and Security in London.
Chris began his career in the media at Groove FM, where he did his national service, after which he moved to Choice FM and was later poached by Metro TV to host the show — Links.
He also hosted few episodes of Smash TV as well GTV’s “Show Time”. He was later at Capital Radio in Kumasi, where he presented the Jazz Night.
Chris recently unveiled another side of himself. He has featured in some of the best movie productions to come out in Africa. He was in "Life and Living it" and the international series Tinsels, which is aired on MNet.
Rythmz is an hour’s music programme produced by Charterhouse that features all that is going on in the music and entertainment industry in Ghana and the world over.
Some of the music awards festivals covered by the programme include the South African Music Awards and The Hip Hop Music Awards, which was held in Nigeria.
The various exciting segments in the programme, like Rythmz in the Studios, where the presenters catch up with celebrity musicians in the studios as they perfect their songs for release keeps music lovers up-to-date on who is preparing to release.
There are other segments like Rythmz on the Lounge, where the presenters interact with celebrities in the music industry. This segment has featured artistes like P. Square from Nigeria, Nameless from Kenya, Ja Rule and recently Brick and Lace when they visited the country. Most Ghanaian artistes have had their day in the sun on this programme.
The one-hour music programme does not only feature music and the latest gossips going on in music circles, but is also an interactive show for viewers.
The segment Meet the Fan, allows viewers to text in to the MTN short code 1765, their eagerness to meet the celebrity of the week and the higher texter gets to hang out with their favourite artistes, have dinner and ask all the questions that they always wanted to ask.
For instance, The King of Streets, Kwaw Kese, shared some fun time with one of his favourite fans.
The interactivity of the show also allows viewers to call the short code MTN 1756 to listen to songs and to send these songs to their friends. The same short code is also used to record voice messages that can be sent to friends and family.
By Rebecca Kwei
The TV magazine programme that is aired on GTV every Saturday at 8:30pm has steadily developed a huge fan base as a result of the exciting features and celebrity interviews that are aired on the programme.
Meet the presenters, Pamela and Chris, who make the programme a delight to watch.
Pamela and Chris are both seasoned presenters who bring their exuberant nature into their presentation, making the show fan to watch.
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore
Pamela-Shavonne Blackmore was born on August 13, 1987 to John Derek Blackmore and Adeline Boateng.
She started school at the Ridge Church School and then to Holy Child School in Cape Coast for her secondary education.
While in school, Pamela was interested in academics and was also very much involved in extra curricular activities.
“At Ridge Church School, I was involved in sports, writing competitions and performed prefectorial duties, particularly when I was appointed the Assistant Head Girl of the primary department. I was also an active member of the Red Cross and other social clubs,” she said.
No wonder she was appointed the class prefect in her first year at Holy Child till the third term of the second year, when she was made the entertainment prefect.
After completing Holy Child, Pamela applied for a job as a trainee copywriter at Origin 8 Saatchi & Saatchi, where she learnt how to write creative scripts for TV, radio and print advertisement.
Pamela is presently in her third year at the University of Ghana, Legon, studying French and Sociology.
She saw the Rythmz programme on TV and thought she could be a presenter on it, so she walked into Charterhouse and shot an audition tape which obviously impressed the producers because she was chosen to be the co-presenter for the show.
Hosting Rythmz does not come as a surprise to her. “ Would anybody be surprised if they were told that the former entertainment prefect of Holy Child School is now hosting an entertainment show on television? I wouldn’t be, and that is why I think that where I find myself now is not by chance. All that is left for me is to make the best out of everything that comes my way, both good and bad. Such things make me more experienced; they help me learn a lot. I love music, and I’m proud to be on Rythmz!” She said.
On how she handles the challenges of being in the spotlight, Pamela had this to say “ I’ve had my fair share of people letting me down and slandering me. I’ve heard all the gossip and deception, but the thing is, once you have your head screwed on right, you know where you’re heading and you aren’t doing anything wrong, all those things really don’t mean much. It’s not an easy task though being in the spotlight, and every single presenter or anyone in the media goes through the motions. I’m just playing a role in being who I’m destined to be and I take each day as it comes.”
Pamela and Chris have ‘good chemistry’ when presenting Rythmz and for most people they were an ‘item’, but Pamela says that is far from true. “A lot of people thought Chris and I were dating; they still think so, to this day but the funny thing is, they couldn’t be more wrong! I mean can’t two people just host a great television show? We are good friends, and I love him as a sister would. A lot of the time I laugh all these rumours off, because they are really ridiculous. But I guess it comes with the job, so I take it in my stride.”
On a very regular day, you can catch Pamela in her room watching some hot new TV series! She also loves to spend time with her family. “They are my everything and I owe them so much,” she says.
Pamela loves to read and dance and she is grateful to everyone at the Charterhouse, and every sincere person who would love to see someone progress in life.
Chris Attoh
With about seven years experience in his career, Christopher Nii Attoh needs no introduction in entertainment circles, both locally and internationally.
He is a seasoned presenter/MC who has been plying his trade with some of the best in Ghana.
His eloquence and dynamism, both on and off stage and on the screen has made Chris a real force to reckon with and one of the most sought-after presenters.
Chris has presented shows such as Miss Malaika, Rythmz, Stars of the Future, Mentor II, among others. He Ghana’s??? anchor to Big Brother Africa 3 in South Africa and has also worked with OBE TV in the United Kingdom, where he covered the MOBO Awards at which Ghana’s Samini won an award.
He attended Achimota Secondary School, now Achimota High School, and Accra Academy, where he sat for his Sixth Form. He is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and continued to study Banking and Security in London.
Chris began his career in the media at Groove FM, where he did his national service, after which he moved to Choice FM and was later poached by Metro TV to host the show — Links.
He also hosted few episodes of Smash TV as well GTV’s “Show Time”. He was later at Capital Radio in Kumasi, where he presented the Jazz Night.
Chris recently unveiled another side of himself. He has featured in some of the best movie productions to come out in Africa. He was in "Life and Living it" and the international series Tinsels, which is aired on MNet.
Rythmz is an hour’s music programme produced by Charterhouse that features all that is going on in the music and entertainment industry in Ghana and the world over.
Some of the music awards festivals covered by the programme include the South African Music Awards and The Hip Hop Music Awards, which was held in Nigeria.
The various exciting segments in the programme, like Rythmz in the Studios, where the presenters catch up with celebrity musicians in the studios as they perfect their songs for release keeps music lovers up-to-date on who is preparing to release.
There are other segments like Rythmz on the Lounge, where the presenters interact with celebrities in the music industry. This segment has featured artistes like P. Square from Nigeria, Nameless from Kenya, Ja Rule and recently Brick and Lace when they visited the country. Most Ghanaian artistes have had their day in the sun on this programme.
The one-hour music programme does not only feature music and the latest gossips going on in music circles, but is also an interactive show for viewers.
The segment Meet the Fan, allows viewers to text in to the MTN short code 1765, their eagerness to meet the celebrity of the week and the higher texter gets to hang out with their favourite artistes, have dinner and ask all the questions that they always wanted to ask.
For instance, The King of Streets, Kwaw Kese, shared some fun time with one of his favourite fans.
The interactivity of the show also allows viewers to call the short code MTN 1756 to listen to songs and to send these songs to their friends. The same short code is also used to record voice messages that can be sent to friends and family.
Adopt healthy lifestyles
Saturday, October 11, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 30)
By Rebecca Kwei
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Dr Alex Dodoo, has called on Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent non-communicable diseases which may lead to premature death.
He said statistics show that the number of lifestyle diseases including??? was increasing and there was the need to stem the tide.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on lifestyle diseases in Ghana, Dr Dodoo said non-communicable diseases in Ghana constitute public health and developmental challenges requiring the same intellectual and financial commitments afforded to communicable and infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV AIDS.
The discussion was a collaboration among the PSGH, the Health Communications Institute (HCI) and Novo Nordisk.
Giving statistics, he said diabetes prevalence studies in southern Ghana recorded a steady increase from 0.2 per cent in a population of men in Ho in the 1960s through 2 to 3 per cent prevalence in urban areas in southern Ghana in 1990.
Additionally, in the late 1990s, a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent for diabetes and 10.7 per cent for impaired glucose tolerance was recorded in a community in Accra.
At the Korle Bu Hospital, the percentage of medical admissions due to diabetes increased from 3.5 in the mid 1970s to 6.4 per cent in the mid 1980s.
In the 1970s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Mamprobi Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) study recorded hypertension prevalence of 13 per cent in the community. A non-communicable disease survey conducted in 1998 recorded a national prevalence of 27.8 per cent for hypertension.
Childhood obesity has also increased 3.8 fold from 0.5 per cent in 1988 to 1.9 per cent in 1993/94.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) demonstrate that prevalence of obesity or overweight among adult (non-pregnant) women across the country increased 2.5 fold in 10 years from 10 per cent in 1993 to 25.3 per cent in 2003.
According to Dr Dodoo, the DHS data showed that there were more obese women (25.3 per cent) than malnourished women (9 per cent).
He said increasing obesity rates in Ghana have been linked to urbanisation, modernisation, affluence and changing lifestyles.
He said what was worrying that people who had acquired non-communicable diseases were going about their normal duties without knowing they were at risk.
Dr Dodoo said it was very expensive to treat non-communicable diseases and called on people to live healthy by eating balanced diet, regular exercise, regular check-up and ensure low fat, salt and sugar intake.
He said the PSGH was serious about tackling the increasing rates of lifestyle diseases and the discussion with health journalists was one of steps it was embarking on.
The Chairperson of Public Health of the PSGH, Mrs Ellen Sam expressed concern about the way obesity and eating junk food was associated with beauty and wealth.
She appealed to fast food joints to come up with alternatives of cooking their foods to make it more healthy such as baking chips rather than frying.
Another concern was the increasing number of aphrodisiacs on the market which many people have taken to and are smoking adding that too much alcohol and smoking had a negative impact on one’s health.
Mrs Sam said it was about time Ghanaians took a second look at the various drinks they provided for their kids to take to school.
“Most of these so called fruit juices are just water, sugar and artificial flavour,” she cautioned.
The country representative of Novo Nordisk, Mr John Allotey, said the prevalence rate for diabetes in 1958 was 0.4 per cent and in 2002 was 6.4 per cent.
He also emphasised the need for people to be educated on healthy lifestyles since the rate at which non-communicable diseases were increasing was alarming.
The President of the HCI, Ms Eunice Menka called for more collaboration between journalists and health professionals in order to disseminate health issues accurately.
By Rebecca Kwei
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Dr Alex Dodoo, has called on Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent non-communicable diseases which may lead to premature death.
He said statistics show that the number of lifestyle diseases including??? was increasing and there was the need to stem the tide.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on lifestyle diseases in Ghana, Dr Dodoo said non-communicable diseases in Ghana constitute public health and developmental challenges requiring the same intellectual and financial commitments afforded to communicable and infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV AIDS.
The discussion was a collaboration among the PSGH, the Health Communications Institute (HCI) and Novo Nordisk.
Giving statistics, he said diabetes prevalence studies in southern Ghana recorded a steady increase from 0.2 per cent in a population of men in Ho in the 1960s through 2 to 3 per cent prevalence in urban areas in southern Ghana in 1990.
Additionally, in the late 1990s, a prevalence rate of 6.4 per cent for diabetes and 10.7 per cent for impaired glucose tolerance was recorded in a community in Accra.
At the Korle Bu Hospital, the percentage of medical admissions due to diabetes increased from 3.5 in the mid 1970s to 6.4 per cent in the mid 1980s.
In the 1970s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored Mamprobi Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) study recorded hypertension prevalence of 13 per cent in the community. A non-communicable disease survey conducted in 1998 recorded a national prevalence of 27.8 per cent for hypertension.
Childhood obesity has also increased 3.8 fold from 0.5 per cent in 1988 to 1.9 per cent in 1993/94.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) demonstrate that prevalence of obesity or overweight among adult (non-pregnant) women across the country increased 2.5 fold in 10 years from 10 per cent in 1993 to 25.3 per cent in 2003.
According to Dr Dodoo, the DHS data showed that there were more obese women (25.3 per cent) than malnourished women (9 per cent).
He said increasing obesity rates in Ghana have been linked to urbanisation, modernisation, affluence and changing lifestyles.
He said what was worrying that people who had acquired non-communicable diseases were going about their normal duties without knowing they were at risk.
Dr Dodoo said it was very expensive to treat non-communicable diseases and called on people to live healthy by eating balanced diet, regular exercise, regular check-up and ensure low fat, salt and sugar intake.
He said the PSGH was serious about tackling the increasing rates of lifestyle diseases and the discussion with health journalists was one of steps it was embarking on.
The Chairperson of Public Health of the PSGH, Mrs Ellen Sam expressed concern about the way obesity and eating junk food was associated with beauty and wealth.
She appealed to fast food joints to come up with alternatives of cooking their foods to make it more healthy such as baking chips rather than frying.
Another concern was the increasing number of aphrodisiacs on the market which many people have taken to and are smoking adding that too much alcohol and smoking had a negative impact on one’s health.
Mrs Sam said it was about time Ghanaians took a second look at the various drinks they provided for their kids to take to school.
“Most of these so called fruit juices are just water, sugar and artificial flavour,” she cautioned.
The country representative of Novo Nordisk, Mr John Allotey, said the prevalence rate for diabetes in 1958 was 0.4 per cent and in 2002 was 6.4 per cent.
He also emphasised the need for people to be educated on healthy lifestyles since the rate at which non-communicable diseases were increasing was alarming.
The President of the HCI, Ms Eunice Menka called for more collaboration between journalists and health professionals in order to disseminate health issues accurately.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Suicide among aged high — Research reveals
Saturday, October 4, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
A research carried out in the middle belt of rural Ghana showed that suicidal intention among the elderly is high.
However, attempts to commit suicide was low due to the stigma attached to it.
Suicide ideation is the intention or wish to die, and the mental formulations and strategies to accomplish it.
Mr Bright Akpalu, a research officer at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, who made this known at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said the study was done in the Kintampo North and South districts among 400 elderly people. The age range was between 65 and 102 years.
The suicidal ideation prevalence rate in the districts was 4.2 per cent.
He said, the study was to conduct an exploratory survey of suicidal ideation among the study population and also find out the risk and protective factors that exist.
He said if people's economic and social circumstances were not the best or were tired with life, the tendency for them to have suicidal thoughts were high.
Mr Akpalu said elderly people who developed psychological, depression, physical disability, sexual problems and had a gloomy perception of the future also had suicide ideas.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked suicide among the 10 highest causes of death in the world and elderly people, 65 years and above, commit suicide more than any other age group.
He said although suicidal thoughts were high, the attempts were low among the study population because religion and culture frowned on it.
He said pre-burial activities for people who committed suicide in some communities were embarrassing hence most people would not attempt suicide.
Mr Akpalu said there was the need for the aged to be taken good care of by their families and not neglected.
Additionally, he advocated relief measures to be put in place for the aged ,especially. those who have no one to take care of them to enable them live meaningful lives .
In another development, the board chairman of Indepth Network, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, called on scientists and researchers to renew their commitment towards work in order to achieve the best results for development when he gave his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 8th Indepth AGM.
He said the network had already passed through its honeymoon phase, and there was the need to deliver, show prominence and relevance durings its next phase of activities so that the funders would continue to support.
The Executive Director of Indepth Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, urged members to continue to collaborate in order to generate health information that would inform health policies.
The award for Best Poster went to Oscar Bangre of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The 8th AGM of Indepth Network also marked the 10th anniversary of the network. More than 200 scientists, researchers and funders attended the meeting.
By Rebecca Kwei
A research carried out in the middle belt of rural Ghana showed that suicidal intention among the elderly is high.
However, attempts to commit suicide was low due to the stigma attached to it.
Suicide ideation is the intention or wish to die, and the mental formulations and strategies to accomplish it.
Mr Bright Akpalu, a research officer at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, who made this known at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said the study was done in the Kintampo North and South districts among 400 elderly people. The age range was between 65 and 102 years.
The suicidal ideation prevalence rate in the districts was 4.2 per cent.
He said, the study was to conduct an exploratory survey of suicidal ideation among the study population and also find out the risk and protective factors that exist.
He said if people's economic and social circumstances were not the best or were tired with life, the tendency for them to have suicidal thoughts were high.
Mr Akpalu said elderly people who developed psychological, depression, physical disability, sexual problems and had a gloomy perception of the future also had suicide ideas.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked suicide among the 10 highest causes of death in the world and elderly people, 65 years and above, commit suicide more than any other age group.
He said although suicidal thoughts were high, the attempts were low among the study population because religion and culture frowned on it.
He said pre-burial activities for people who committed suicide in some communities were embarrassing hence most people would not attempt suicide.
Mr Akpalu said there was the need for the aged to be taken good care of by their families and not neglected.
Additionally, he advocated relief measures to be put in place for the aged ,especially. those who have no one to take care of them to enable them live meaningful lives .
In another development, the board chairman of Indepth Network, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, called on scientists and researchers to renew their commitment towards work in order to achieve the best results for development when he gave his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 8th Indepth AGM.
He said the network had already passed through its honeymoon phase, and there was the need to deliver, show prominence and relevance durings its next phase of activities so that the funders would continue to support.
The Executive Director of Indepth Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, urged members to continue to collaborate in order to generate health information that would inform health policies.
The award for Best Poster went to Oscar Bangre of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The 8th AGM of Indepth Network also marked the 10th anniversary of the network. More than 200 scientists, researchers and funders attended the meeting.
Ghana, Tanzania share knowledge in health systems
Thursday, October 2, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 32)
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ghana and Tanzania are exchanging health system innovations especially at the district level to help accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The initiative is the effort of the Ministries of Health in Ghana and Tanzania, which have decided to take up the global challenge of improving health systems to deliver the available technologies and interventions to achieve the health-related MDGs.
Dr Frank K. Nyonator, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ghana Health Service, announced this at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the In-depth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was on the theme, “In-depth at 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice”.
He explained that the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP) had provided districts the tools to make informed decisions about the allocation of healthcare resources and enabled them to provide services to tackle common diseases.
These efforts, he said, led to dramatic declines in child mortality and that the number of districts benefiting from TEHIP had been increased to 120, adding that Tanzania was on target to achieve the MDG of reducing childhood mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015.
He said Ghana was looking at the Tanzanian model, which focuses on the burden of disease and how to allocate money for effective disbursement of resources.
Dr Nyonator said Ghana had also already started with delivering health service to the community using the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and by importing TEHIP it would help strengthen the roll-out of CHPS.
He said in Tanzania, the project would build new capabilities into the country’s existing interventions while integrating Ghana’s strategies for providing community-based health services according to the country’s strategic plan.
In Ghana, the project will add Tanzania’s systems for strengthening the management of district-level health systems into its existing CHPS programming in order to accelerate the scale-up of such programmes.
Five districts in Ghana, namely Kintampo, Dodowa, Nkwanta, Kassena-Nankana and Dangme West, and three districts in Tanzania will be involved in the pilot project.
Dr Nyonator was optimistic that the project would help improve the health of Ghanaians as well as achieve the MDGs.
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ghana and Tanzania are exchanging health system innovations especially at the district level to help accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The initiative is the effort of the Ministries of Health in Ghana and Tanzania, which have decided to take up the global challenge of improving health systems to deliver the available technologies and interventions to achieve the health-related MDGs.
Dr Frank K. Nyonator, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ghana Health Service, announced this at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the In-depth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was on the theme, “In-depth at 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice”.
He explained that the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP) had provided districts the tools to make informed decisions about the allocation of healthcare resources and enabled them to provide services to tackle common diseases.
These efforts, he said, led to dramatic declines in child mortality and that the number of districts benefiting from TEHIP had been increased to 120, adding that Tanzania was on target to achieve the MDG of reducing childhood mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015.
He said Ghana was looking at the Tanzanian model, which focuses on the burden of disease and how to allocate money for effective disbursement of resources.
Dr Nyonator said Ghana had also already started with delivering health service to the community using the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and by importing TEHIP it would help strengthen the roll-out of CHPS.
He said in Tanzania, the project would build new capabilities into the country’s existing interventions while integrating Ghana’s strategies for providing community-based health services according to the country’s strategic plan.
In Ghana, the project will add Tanzania’s systems for strengthening the management of district-level health systems into its existing CHPS programming in order to accelerate the scale-up of such programmes.
Five districts in Ghana, namely Kintampo, Dodowa, Nkwanta, Kassena-Nankana and Dangme West, and three districts in Tanzania will be involved in the pilot project.
Dr Nyonator was optimistic that the project would help improve the health of Ghanaians as well as achieve the MDGs.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Setting health priorities right - Indepth Network provides useful data
Friday, September 26, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 7)
By Rebecca Kwei
THE year was 1998 and the venue, White Sands Hotel, Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania. There, about 40 people, including scientists, researchers, funders and academicians met to constitute Indepth Network, an independent international organisation to provide health, social and demographic data and research to enable developing countries set health priorities and policies, based on scientific evidence.
Significantly, Indepth Network’s 8th annual general meeting (AGM) takes place at Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania, from September 22 -26, 2008, at the White Sands Hotel. It is on the theme: “INDEPTH @ 10: From knowledge generation to improved health policy and practice.”
Currently, the network is working together with 37 partner community-based health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and Oceania.
“Through this platform, the network has been playing a major role in co-ordinating the activities of these research institutions in the evaluation and monitoring of health outcomes and the burden of diseases in several countries. It has also been involved in the training and capacity development of scientists in Africa and Asia where the sites are located,” said Prof. Fred Binka, Dean of Public Health, University of Ghana, and who was the first Executive Director of Indepth Network.
Ten years in the life of any institution is no mean achievement and for Indepth Network, 10 years of working hard to bring reliable health information to bear on policy and planning in developing countries has been worthwhile.
“Indepth feels it is time to reflect on the work done in the past 10 years, achievements made, lessons learnt and general paradigm shifts, if any. There is need to review our approaches, capacities and networking,” says Dr Osman Sankoh, the new Executive Director of Indepth Network.
Over the years, the network has researched and collected data in many countries to provide a better, empirical understanding of health, nutrition, food security and social issues, and to apply this understanding to alleviate the most severe development and social challenges.
With a secretariat in Accra, Indepth Network has since 2000 been making systematic efforts to harness and make widely available data from various HDSS sites to fill the existing void in vital health information needed for planning.
In Ghana, the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo. The collection of data in these well-defined areas are done on a continuous basis and this helps to provide timely information for planning and service provision to communities.
According to Dr Sankoh, research generated from some of the INDEPTH sites in Ghana has resulted in the formulation of some national health policies.
An example is the Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHIPS), which is now the government's policy for delivering health services to the people of Ghana. CHIPS approach had its origins in ground-breaking research carried out at the Navrongo Health Research Centre in Northern Ghana.
Another example is the use of insecticide-treated bednets, whose pioneering research was also done at Navrongo. Also, the Dodowa District is being used to evaluate the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Among the scientific and policy findings that have been developed, tested and demonstrated by HDSS sites are the effectiveness of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) in reducing the incidence of malaria mortality; the impact of expanding the health care workers on health outcomes in a community and the first real model life tables for sub-Saharan Africa, which had previously relied on estimates based on non-African populations.
The impact of expanding the health care workers on health outcomes in a community; the first real model life tables for sub-Saharan Africa, which had previously relied on estimates over a hundred years, and family planning strategies tested at Matlab have been adopted nationwide and have led to Bangladesh’s recognition at the 1994 United Nations Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, a family planning success story, are all some of the success stories of Indepth.
One major boost of INDEPTH Network's projects for which Ghana is at the forefront is the establishment of the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) in 2006 with a $17 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the INDEPTH Network.
The main goal of MCTA is to facilitate site preparation for the effective conduct of clinical trials for life-saving malaria interventions such as vaccines and drugs. MCTA is also supporting sites to develop tools to assess the disease profiles of countries, while encouraging the wise use of resources in resource-constrained countries in Africa.
Currently, there are 16 trial sites in 10 African countries (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and The Gambia) on the MCTA platform. An international Management Board, headed by former Prime Minister of Mozambique, Dr Pascaol Mocumbi, was constituted.
Dr Sankoh sees a bright future for Indepth — “with many funders willing to give more support. The intention is to make Indepth a one-stop shop for all data and information related to population and health baseline research in the developing world,” he said.
Also, research protocols/principles and lessons generated will be shared through appropriate platforms as well as increase the capacities of scientists to deliver.
By Rebecca Kwei
THE year was 1998 and the venue, White Sands Hotel, Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania. There, about 40 people, including scientists, researchers, funders and academicians met to constitute Indepth Network, an independent international organisation to provide health, social and demographic data and research to enable developing countries set health priorities and policies, based on scientific evidence.
Significantly, Indepth Network’s 8th annual general meeting (AGM) takes place at Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania, from September 22 -26, 2008, at the White Sands Hotel. It is on the theme: “INDEPTH @ 10: From knowledge generation to improved health policy and practice.”
Currently, the network is working together with 37 partner community-based health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and Oceania.
“Through this platform, the network has been playing a major role in co-ordinating the activities of these research institutions in the evaluation and monitoring of health outcomes and the burden of diseases in several countries. It has also been involved in the training and capacity development of scientists in Africa and Asia where the sites are located,” said Prof. Fred Binka, Dean of Public Health, University of Ghana, and who was the first Executive Director of Indepth Network.
Ten years in the life of any institution is no mean achievement and for Indepth Network, 10 years of working hard to bring reliable health information to bear on policy and planning in developing countries has been worthwhile.
“Indepth feels it is time to reflect on the work done in the past 10 years, achievements made, lessons learnt and general paradigm shifts, if any. There is need to review our approaches, capacities and networking,” says Dr Osman Sankoh, the new Executive Director of Indepth Network.
Over the years, the network has researched and collected data in many countries to provide a better, empirical understanding of health, nutrition, food security and social issues, and to apply this understanding to alleviate the most severe development and social challenges.
With a secretariat in Accra, Indepth Network has since 2000 been making systematic efforts to harness and make widely available data from various HDSS sites to fill the existing void in vital health information needed for planning.
In Ghana, the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo. The collection of data in these well-defined areas are done on a continuous basis and this helps to provide timely information for planning and service provision to communities.
According to Dr Sankoh, research generated from some of the INDEPTH sites in Ghana has resulted in the formulation of some national health policies.
An example is the Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHIPS), which is now the government's policy for delivering health services to the people of Ghana. CHIPS approach had its origins in ground-breaking research carried out at the Navrongo Health Research Centre in Northern Ghana.
Another example is the use of insecticide-treated bednets, whose pioneering research was also done at Navrongo. Also, the Dodowa District is being used to evaluate the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Among the scientific and policy findings that have been developed, tested and demonstrated by HDSS sites are the effectiveness of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) in reducing the incidence of malaria mortality; the impact of expanding the health care workers on health outcomes in a community and the first real model life tables for sub-Saharan Africa, which had previously relied on estimates based on non-African populations.
The impact of expanding the health care workers on health outcomes in a community; the first real model life tables for sub-Saharan Africa, which had previously relied on estimates over a hundred years, and family planning strategies tested at Matlab have been adopted nationwide and have led to Bangladesh’s recognition at the 1994 United Nations Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, a family planning success story, are all some of the success stories of Indepth.
One major boost of INDEPTH Network's projects for which Ghana is at the forefront is the establishment of the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) in 2006 with a $17 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the INDEPTH Network.
The main goal of MCTA is to facilitate site preparation for the effective conduct of clinical trials for life-saving malaria interventions such as vaccines and drugs. MCTA is also supporting sites to develop tools to assess the disease profiles of countries, while encouraging the wise use of resources in resource-constrained countries in Africa.
Currently, there are 16 trial sites in 10 African countries (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and The Gambia) on the MCTA platform. An international Management Board, headed by former Prime Minister of Mozambique, Dr Pascaol Mocumbi, was constituted.
Dr Sankoh sees a bright future for Indepth — “with many funders willing to give more support. The intention is to make Indepth a one-stop shop for all data and information related to population and health baseline research in the developing world,” he said.
Also, research protocols/principles and lessons generated will be shared through appropriate platforms as well as increase the capacities of scientists to deliver.
Access to basic health care improves
Saturday, September 27, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
From Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Research using Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) sites has improved access to basic health care in Ghana, Dr Cornelius Debpuur, a Research Fellow at the Navrongo Health Research Centre has said.
According to him, results of successful trials carried out at these sites have been translated into policies of health reforms in the country.
Dr Debpuur said this when he made a presentation on "Contribution of DSS to Promoting Health for All in Ghana” at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It is on the theme ‘Indepth @ 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice’. More than 200 participants comprising scientists, researchers, young scientists and funders are taking part in the conference.
Citing an example of how DSS had contributed to improved healthcare delivery in Ghana, he said results of a trial known as Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) which was launched in 1993 to identify ways to improve access to health care in rural communities in the Kassena-Nankana District by the Navrongo Health Research Centre were so impressive that the Navrongo system was seen as a national model for community-based health care.
The results of the trial showed an increase in service coverage, reduction in fertility by one birth and reduction in child mortality by 40 per cent in the district.
In 1999, the Ministry of Health adopted the Navrongo model and launched the CHPS initiative as a national policy.
Additionally, he said, the Vitamin A Supplementation Trial in the Kassena-Nankana District showed that the vitamin supplementation reduced child mortality by 20 per cent while the Insecticide Treated Bednet (ITN) trial also indicated a reduction in child mortality by 17 per cent in the same district.
Dr Debpuur said the DSS sites, apart from guiding policy makers, also helped in generating evidence of what worked in promoting health care and building local capacity for research and health delivery.
He noted that there was also direct investment in health and development of catchment populations and facilitating development of evidence-based health programmes and policies.
Indepth Network is an independent organisation that works to provide health, social and demographic data and research. Currently, the network has 37 community-based Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Central America. In Ghana the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo.
From Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Research using Demographic Surveillance System (DSS) sites has improved access to basic health care in Ghana, Dr Cornelius Debpuur, a Research Fellow at the Navrongo Health Research Centre has said.
According to him, results of successful trials carried out at these sites have been translated into policies of health reforms in the country.
Dr Debpuur said this when he made a presentation on "Contribution of DSS to Promoting Health for All in Ghana” at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It is on the theme ‘Indepth @ 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice’. More than 200 participants comprising scientists, researchers, young scientists and funders are taking part in the conference.
Citing an example of how DSS had contributed to improved healthcare delivery in Ghana, he said results of a trial known as Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) which was launched in 1993 to identify ways to improve access to health care in rural communities in the Kassena-Nankana District by the Navrongo Health Research Centre were so impressive that the Navrongo system was seen as a national model for community-based health care.
The results of the trial showed an increase in service coverage, reduction in fertility by one birth and reduction in child mortality by 40 per cent in the district.
In 1999, the Ministry of Health adopted the Navrongo model and launched the CHPS initiative as a national policy.
Additionally, he said, the Vitamin A Supplementation Trial in the Kassena-Nankana District showed that the vitamin supplementation reduced child mortality by 20 per cent while the Insecticide Treated Bednet (ITN) trial also indicated a reduction in child mortality by 17 per cent in the same district.
Dr Debpuur said the DSS sites, apart from guiding policy makers, also helped in generating evidence of what worked in promoting health care and building local capacity for research and health delivery.
He noted that there was also direct investment in health and development of catchment populations and facilitating development of evidence-based health programmes and policies.
Indepth Network is an independent organisation that works to provide health, social and demographic data and research. Currently, the network has 37 community-based Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Central America. In Ghana the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo.
New diarrhoea vaccine being tested
Saturday, September 27, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 6)
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
A new vaccine to prevent the incidence of rotavirus diarrhoea in children is being tested in three African countries namely Ghana, Kenya and Mali.
Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhoea in children and accounts for 25 per cent mortality in children worldwide. It also accounts for about 50 per cent hospitalisation of severe diarrhoea and vomiting in children globally but majority of these incidences are recorded in developing countries.
Speaking at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Prof George Armah of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Health Research said treatment of diarrhoea was through rehydration if it is caused by a virus and antibiotics if it is bacterial.
However, he noted that there was the need for a rotavirus vaccine to complement existing and improved interventions to control diarrhoea diseases in children since it could be fatal especially in developing countries.
He said studies have shown that hygiene and sanitation measures do not impact rotavirus incidence hence prevention through vaccination was the best method for reducing rotavirus mortality.
He noted that diarrhoea was the the second leading cause of death in children under five globally and 85 per cent of children would have rotavirus before the third birthday.
He said in Ghana, the infection rate is 40 per cent and it is common between October to April during the cool-dry periods.
Already two rotavirus vaccines, Rotarix and Rotateq have been developed and tested in Europe and America and have been found to be efficacious. However, there was the need to test the vaccines in Africa as well to see its efficacy .
On the rotavirus vaccine introduction in the three African countries, he said about 5000 children are involved in the study with 2200 of the children being followed up in Navrongo.
Five thousand children from the three African countries out of which 2,200 are from Ghana are being used in the vaccine trial to see the protection rate. The study which started in March last year will end in March 2009.
Prof Armah who is leading one of the teams introducing the rotavirus vaccine in Africa said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the inclusion of rotavirus vaccination in the national immunisation programmes of developing countries and it was important for more awareness on the burden of disease, the vaccine potential and efficacy so that it could be introduced early into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation with support from the Gates Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI).
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
A new vaccine to prevent the incidence of rotavirus diarrhoea in children is being tested in three African countries namely Ghana, Kenya and Mali.
Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhoea in children and accounts for 25 per cent mortality in children worldwide. It also accounts for about 50 per cent hospitalisation of severe diarrhoea and vomiting in children globally but majority of these incidences are recorded in developing countries.
Speaking at the 8th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the Indepth Network in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Prof George Armah of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Health Research said treatment of diarrhoea was through rehydration if it is caused by a virus and antibiotics if it is bacterial.
However, he noted that there was the need for a rotavirus vaccine to complement existing and improved interventions to control diarrhoea diseases in children since it could be fatal especially in developing countries.
He said studies have shown that hygiene and sanitation measures do not impact rotavirus incidence hence prevention through vaccination was the best method for reducing rotavirus mortality.
He noted that diarrhoea was the the second leading cause of death in children under five globally and 85 per cent of children would have rotavirus before the third birthday.
He said in Ghana, the infection rate is 40 per cent and it is common between October to April during the cool-dry periods.
Already two rotavirus vaccines, Rotarix and Rotateq have been developed and tested in Europe and America and have been found to be efficacious. However, there was the need to test the vaccines in Africa as well to see its efficacy .
On the rotavirus vaccine introduction in the three African countries, he said about 5000 children are involved in the study with 2200 of the children being followed up in Navrongo.
Five thousand children from the three African countries out of which 2,200 are from Ghana are being used in the vaccine trial to see the protection rate. The study which started in March last year will end in March 2009.
Prof Armah who is leading one of the teams introducing the rotavirus vaccine in Africa said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the inclusion of rotavirus vaccination in the national immunisation programmes of developing countries and it was important for more awareness on the burden of disease, the vaccine potential and efficacy so that it could be introduced early into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation with support from the Gates Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI).
Indepth Network meeting opens
Thursday, September 25, 2008 (Daily Graphic Pg 5
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania, Dr Aisha Omar Kigoda, has called on African governments to use available evidence from research and information systems in the hub of policy development and implementation.
She said evidence-based policy approach helps in making better informed decisions about policies, programmes and strategies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 8th Indepth Network Annual General and Scientific Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the theme ‘Indepth @ 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice, Dr Kigoda noted that despite enormous advances in information technology, Africa with many emerging economies, remains starved of vital health and equity information.
“Trends in demographics, health status, burdens of disease, causes of death, and access to functional health systems, which could help scientists and strategists in health and development tools remain largely hidden from view,” she said.
The only way to get information that reflect the health status and needs of rural and urban communities, she said was to go to the communities and households adding that “that is what Indepth HDSS sites do so well”.
She observed that HDSS sites apart from providing a platform of demographic and health surveillance sites for monitoring impact of interventions can also aid in tracking new health threats such as climate change, dynamics in household food security, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, drug and insecticide resistance and can help alert the health community to prepare a response.
Dr Kigoda said the burden of disease was still unacceptably high especially among women and children and there was the need for more bodies such as Indepth to continue collecting data, generating information, and producing local evidence that will help guide the health and other social sectors addressing such dynamics.
She said so far Indepth was the only network in Africa facilitating a functioning system across 19 countries which provides the much needed sentinel information with regard to time, accurate, birth, death and migration trends.
The Assistant Director of General, Information, Evidence and Research Cluster, World Health Organisation, Tim Evans who was represented by Dr Clara AbouZahr, called on Indepth to consider linking to emerging global collaboration on health metrics and evaluation and also nurture early and ongoing engagement among key policy makers and all people.
The board chairman of Indepth, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, said the network has made significant strides in the past 10 years and the decisions that would be taken at the meeting will take it to the next level.
More than 200 participants comprising scientists, researchers, young scientists and donors are taking part in the conference.
Indepth Network is an independent organisation that works to provide health, social and demographic data and research. Currently, the network has 37 community-based Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Central America. In Ghana the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo.
Story: Rebecca Kwei, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania, Dr Aisha Omar Kigoda, has called on African governments to use available evidence from research and information systems in the hub of policy development and implementation.
She said evidence-based policy approach helps in making better informed decisions about policies, programmes and strategies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 8th Indepth Network Annual General and Scientific Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the theme ‘Indepth @ 10: From Knowledge Generation to Improved Health Policy and Practice, Dr Kigoda noted that despite enormous advances in information technology, Africa with many emerging economies, remains starved of vital health and equity information.
“Trends in demographics, health status, burdens of disease, causes of death, and access to functional health systems, which could help scientists and strategists in health and development tools remain largely hidden from view,” she said.
The only way to get information that reflect the health status and needs of rural and urban communities, she said was to go to the communities and households adding that “that is what Indepth HDSS sites do so well”.
She observed that HDSS sites apart from providing a platform of demographic and health surveillance sites for monitoring impact of interventions can also aid in tracking new health threats such as climate change, dynamics in household food security, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, drug and insecticide resistance and can help alert the health community to prepare a response.
Dr Kigoda said the burden of disease was still unacceptably high especially among women and children and there was the need for more bodies such as Indepth to continue collecting data, generating information, and producing local evidence that will help guide the health and other social sectors addressing such dynamics.
She said so far Indepth was the only network in Africa facilitating a functioning system across 19 countries which provides the much needed sentinel information with regard to time, accurate, birth, death and migration trends.
The Assistant Director of General, Information, Evidence and Research Cluster, World Health Organisation, Tim Evans who was represented by Dr Clara AbouZahr, called on Indepth to consider linking to emerging global collaboration on health metrics and evaluation and also nurture early and ongoing engagement among key policy makers and all people.
The board chairman of Indepth, Dr Seth Owusu-Agyei, said the network has made significant strides in the past 10 years and the decisions that would be taken at the meeting will take it to the next level.
More than 200 participants comprising scientists, researchers, young scientists and donors are taking part in the conference.
Indepth Network is an independent organisation that works to provide health, social and demographic data and research. Currently, the network has 37 community-based Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) sites in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Central America. In Ghana the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Insurance awards launched
Saturday, September 13, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
Players in the insurance industry will have their contributions in the country recognised with the introduction of the Ghana Insurance Awards.
The maiden edition of an insurance awards which was launched on Tuesday, is based on customer survey. The award ceremony which is expected to come off in October will coincide with the Insurance Week when deserving companies in the insurance sector would be given awards in various categories from the perspective of the consumer.
The Ghana Insurance Awards format, which is modelled alongside the Ghana Banking Awards format, is the initiative of Corporate Initiative Ghana (CIG) and supported by the Ghana Insurers Association, which is the umbrella organisation of all the insurance players in the country.
In all, 16 awards will be given and would involve interviews with corporate bodies and individuals about 3,000 entities on the whole.
Launching the awards, an economist, Dr Joe Abbey, said the insurance industry faced a lot of challenges but the growth prospects for them were promising.
He said insurers had to move up the value chain by providing innovative products, value-added services and holistic risk management.
Dr Abbey noted that the increase in wealth and life expectancy would lead individuals to demand a range of wealth protection and health insurance products, as well as property casualty coverage.
He added that the economic growth, coupled with the higher use of vehicles in the country would give rise to new risks requiring insurance coverage from factory owners to cover property and casualty and to car owners that needed automobile insurance.
According to Dr Abbey, Ghana’s growing wealth and increasing sophistication of economic activities would lead to a sharp growth in the volume and complexity of risks, adding that investors and individuals would be more conscious of managing these risks.
He said further that even as more complex insurance products were being introduced to the market, insurance intermediaries had a duty to ensure that consumers were only offered products they could understand and find suitable.
“Any undesirable sales practice such as churning and inappropriate switching will undermine the reputation of the insurance industry, with adverse consequence for its ability to attract good quality talent,” Dr Abbey said.
According to CIG, the organisers of the awards, the insurance awards ceremony was part of its vision to enhance financial service delivery in the country.
Mr Afotey Odarteifio, the Executive Secretary of CIG, said having organised successfully seven Ghana Banking Awards, CIG was set to deliver yet another prestigious awards scheme in the insurance industry.
He said the awards were unique because users of financial service and products would be the judges of which insurance company would merit awards.
The award would be based on 2007 financial results and performance.
By Rebecca Kwei
Players in the insurance industry will have their contributions in the country recognised with the introduction of the Ghana Insurance Awards.
The maiden edition of an insurance awards which was launched on Tuesday, is based on customer survey. The award ceremony which is expected to come off in October will coincide with the Insurance Week when deserving companies in the insurance sector would be given awards in various categories from the perspective of the consumer.
The Ghana Insurance Awards format, which is modelled alongside the Ghana Banking Awards format, is the initiative of Corporate Initiative Ghana (CIG) and supported by the Ghana Insurers Association, which is the umbrella organisation of all the insurance players in the country.
In all, 16 awards will be given and would involve interviews with corporate bodies and individuals about 3,000 entities on the whole.
Launching the awards, an economist, Dr Joe Abbey, said the insurance industry faced a lot of challenges but the growth prospects for them were promising.
He said insurers had to move up the value chain by providing innovative products, value-added services and holistic risk management.
Dr Abbey noted that the increase in wealth and life expectancy would lead individuals to demand a range of wealth protection and health insurance products, as well as property casualty coverage.
He added that the economic growth, coupled with the higher use of vehicles in the country would give rise to new risks requiring insurance coverage from factory owners to cover property and casualty and to car owners that needed automobile insurance.
According to Dr Abbey, Ghana’s growing wealth and increasing sophistication of economic activities would lead to a sharp growth in the volume and complexity of risks, adding that investors and individuals would be more conscious of managing these risks.
He said further that even as more complex insurance products were being introduced to the market, insurance intermediaries had a duty to ensure that consumers were only offered products they could understand and find suitable.
“Any undesirable sales practice such as churning and inappropriate switching will undermine the reputation of the insurance industry, with adverse consequence for its ability to attract good quality talent,” Dr Abbey said.
According to CIG, the organisers of the awards, the insurance awards ceremony was part of its vision to enhance financial service delivery in the country.
Mr Afotey Odarteifio, the Executive Secretary of CIG, said having organised successfully seven Ghana Banking Awards, CIG was set to deliver yet another prestigious awards scheme in the insurance industry.
He said the awards were unique because users of financial service and products would be the judges of which insurance company would merit awards.
The award would be based on 2007 financial results and performance.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Beauties storm Accra for 'Exquisite Face of the Universe'
Saturday, September 6, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 46)
By Rebeca Kwei
Next month promises to be an October to remember as more than 60 ‘exquisite’ ladies from across the globe descend on Accra to participate in the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2008 beauty, fashion and tourism festival.
The event, which was first held in 2006 was founded by the Ghanaian company, 1st Royal Events Company Limited and seeks to bring the rest of the world to Africa to see for themselves what the continent has to offer, especially in the area of fashion and tourism.
It is also to unveil “that universal face that has the features of a super model whose life will positively touch everybody in the world.”
As part of activities for the this year’s show scheduled to run from October 4 to 20, the delegates will pay a courtesy call on the President, J. A. Kufuor and also be the guests of the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin. The climax will be at the National Theatre Accra, on Saturday, October 18.
Twenty-two countries participated in the maiden event which was held in Accra on December 16, 2006. The delegate from Bosnia, Ajsela Kesmer was adjudged the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2006 while Tracy Awuni from Ghana was the first runner-up.
It was the first time such an international beauty and fashion event instituted by a Ghanaian company was held in Africa.
According to Evelyn Addy-Sackey, Director of 1st Royal Events, Africa’s image in the rest of the world is not as sunny as one would expect and hosting the representatives from different countries will reveal the real image of Africa to them — and not what is portrayed in the international media.
Additionally, she noted that the contest will further boost Africa’s (Ghana’s) tourism drive.
“Hosting delegates from the world over exposes our rich heritage as well as our tourism which is richly endowed with a lot of attractions, to the world,” she said.
The maiden event was a huge success and 1st Royal is optimistic that this year’s contest will be bigger and better. “Ghana will experience an event in a different light.”
1st Royal Events has been the power behind contests such as Model of the Universe, Miss Tourism Queen International and Miss Earth International.
The Director said a crack team of local and international production experts have been put together to achieve best results for this year’s show.
Exquisite Face of the Universe is sponsored by Royal Atlantic Resorts, Universal Motors, Cokelight, Maxmart, TV3, Somovision, Woodin, Grafitec and supported by Melcom, Lufthansa, Egyptair, Afriqiyah, Forwin Ghana, Darlingwigs, Rimartex Fashion, Everpack, Exotic Modelling Agency, Ministries of Tourism, Aviation, Chieftaincy and Culture and the Ghana Tourist Board.
By Rebeca Kwei
Next month promises to be an October to remember as more than 60 ‘exquisite’ ladies from across the globe descend on Accra to participate in the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2008 beauty, fashion and tourism festival.
The event, which was first held in 2006 was founded by the Ghanaian company, 1st Royal Events Company Limited and seeks to bring the rest of the world to Africa to see for themselves what the continent has to offer, especially in the area of fashion and tourism.
It is also to unveil “that universal face that has the features of a super model whose life will positively touch everybody in the world.”
As part of activities for the this year’s show scheduled to run from October 4 to 20, the delegates will pay a courtesy call on the President, J. A. Kufuor and also be the guests of the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin. The climax will be at the National Theatre Accra, on Saturday, October 18.
Twenty-two countries participated in the maiden event which was held in Accra on December 16, 2006. The delegate from Bosnia, Ajsela Kesmer was adjudged the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2006 while Tracy Awuni from Ghana was the first runner-up.
It was the first time such an international beauty and fashion event instituted by a Ghanaian company was held in Africa.
According to Evelyn Addy-Sackey, Director of 1st Royal Events, Africa’s image in the rest of the world is not as sunny as one would expect and hosting the representatives from different countries will reveal the real image of Africa to them — and not what is portrayed in the international media.
Additionally, she noted that the contest will further boost Africa’s (Ghana’s) tourism drive.
“Hosting delegates from the world over exposes our rich heritage as well as our tourism which is richly endowed with a lot of attractions, to the world,” she said.
The maiden event was a huge success and 1st Royal is optimistic that this year’s contest will be bigger and better. “Ghana will experience an event in a different light.”
1st Royal Events has been the power behind contests such as Model of the Universe, Miss Tourism Queen International and Miss Earth International.
The Director said a crack team of local and international production experts have been put together to achieve best results for this year’s show.
Exquisite Face of the Universe is sponsored by Royal Atlantic Resorts, Universal Motors, Cokelight, Maxmart, TV3, Somovision, Woodin, Grafitec and supported by Melcom, Lufthansa, Egyptair, Afriqiyah, Forwin Ghana, Darlingwigs, Rimartex Fashion, Everpack, Exotic Modelling Agency, Ministries of Tourism, Aviation, Chieftaincy and Culture and the Ghana Tourist Board.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Kidney diseases need urgent attention
Saturday, August 30, 2008 (The Mirror Pg 15)
By Rebecca Kwei
A Nephrologist, Dr Charlotte Osafo, of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, has described the number of Ghanaians suffering from kidney diseases as a serious problem that need urgent attention.
She said although there were no statistics on the general population on kidney diseases, 9.5 per cent of admissions to the medical block of the hospital were due to renal or kidney diseases.
Additionally, Dr Osafo indicated that a research she conducted last year where she screened 770 hypertensive patients in the four polyclinics in Accra showed that 42.9 per cent of the patients had chronic kidney disease while 12.6 per cent had moderate to severe kidney disease.
Also, she said approximately she sew five to 10 new cases of chronic kidney disease at the hospital every week.
What was worrying, she said, was that the patients did not know they had the disease and it was evident that they would only report to the clinic when the situation had deteriorated or at its end stage.
The kidney performs very important functions in the body such as maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance (thus controlling blood pressure), acid base balance, filtering the blood, getting rid of metabolic waste and other toxic products. In addition, the kidney produces several chemical messengers, one of which is erythropoietin, which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow. According to Dr Osafo, because of its important role, when there is renal failure or kidney failure, a situation where the kidneys fail to function adequately, there was a big problem and it could be fatal.
She said kidney failure could be acute, which was reversible, and chronic, which was irreversible.
Some of the causes of chronic kidney failure are uncontrolled hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes, infections and use of some drugs.
Dr Osafo said kidney disease presented no symptoms but in very advanced cases of kidney failure patients experienced chronic fatigue, weakness, vomiting, nausea, swelling around the eyes and feet and significant reduction in the amount of urine passed in a day.
She said chronic kidney disease was assessed using the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (KDOQI) guideline, which has five stages. Stages one and two are mild, stages three and four are moderate and stage five is severe.
She explained that if a patient is within the range of stages one to four, the disease can be managed by aggressive blood pressure (in the case of hypertension) and sugar control (in the case of Diabetes), in order to prevent progression to end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure, which is stage five.
However, if the patient has advanced to stage five, then, the patient will have to be put on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis while the patient prepares for the ultimate treatment for the end-stage kidney disease, which is kidney transplantation.
She said dialysis did some of the work of kidney but not all. “Dialysis only performs the excretory function of the kidney as it only manages the waste accumulated in the blood.”
The patient with kidney failure therefore will have to buy the erythropoietin injection, which costs about GH¢100 a week in addition to the haemodialysis.
Dr Osafo noted that it was very expensive for patients to be on dialysis, since it cost 100 euros per session and a patient would have to undergo the treatment three times a week.
She, therefore, advocated that treatment of chronic kidney failure should be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), since patients could not afford it and would eventually lose their lives.
To buttress her point, she said “the total kidney cases that were admitted to medical block of the hospital from 2006 to date was 558 and only 38 out of that number were on dialysis. This shows how serious the problem is. This is only the tip of the iceberg because you can imagine the others that are not reported from the other parts of the hospital including the outpatients department, the Surgical Medical Emergency, the Cardiothoracic Centre and the many other departments in the hospital.”
Dr Osafo advised that people who were hypertensive decrease their salt intake, take their medication seriously and control their blood pressure while diabetics should try and control their sugar level.
Above all she encouraged healthy living, healthy eating and regular exercise and cautioned people to avoid drugs or herbs that they did not know their side effects.
She appealed to the public to support the National Kidney Foundation that had been established to create awareness about the disease and screen people for kidney disease.
In a related development, Ecobank Ghana last week presented $20,000 to Transplant Links, a UK charity that has the primary objective of saving lives through kidney transplants in the developing world.
Members of the charity, who will partner their counterparts in Korle Bu, will in November this year carry out kidney transplant for three Ghanaian patients, the first-ever in the country.
By Rebecca Kwei
A Nephrologist, Dr Charlotte Osafo, of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, has described the number of Ghanaians suffering from kidney diseases as a serious problem that need urgent attention.
She said although there were no statistics on the general population on kidney diseases, 9.5 per cent of admissions to the medical block of the hospital were due to renal or kidney diseases.
Additionally, Dr Osafo indicated that a research she conducted last year where she screened 770 hypertensive patients in the four polyclinics in Accra showed that 42.9 per cent of the patients had chronic kidney disease while 12.6 per cent had moderate to severe kidney disease.
Also, she said approximately she sew five to 10 new cases of chronic kidney disease at the hospital every week.
What was worrying, she said, was that the patients did not know they had the disease and it was evident that they would only report to the clinic when the situation had deteriorated or at its end stage.
The kidney performs very important functions in the body such as maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance (thus controlling blood pressure), acid base balance, filtering the blood, getting rid of metabolic waste and other toxic products. In addition, the kidney produces several chemical messengers, one of which is erythropoietin, which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow. According to Dr Osafo, because of its important role, when there is renal failure or kidney failure, a situation where the kidneys fail to function adequately, there was a big problem and it could be fatal.
She said kidney failure could be acute, which was reversible, and chronic, which was irreversible.
Some of the causes of chronic kidney failure are uncontrolled hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes, infections and use of some drugs.
Dr Osafo said kidney disease presented no symptoms but in very advanced cases of kidney failure patients experienced chronic fatigue, weakness, vomiting, nausea, swelling around the eyes and feet and significant reduction in the amount of urine passed in a day.
She said chronic kidney disease was assessed using the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (KDOQI) guideline, which has five stages. Stages one and two are mild, stages three and four are moderate and stage five is severe.
She explained that if a patient is within the range of stages one to four, the disease can be managed by aggressive blood pressure (in the case of hypertension) and sugar control (in the case of Diabetes), in order to prevent progression to end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure, which is stage five.
However, if the patient has advanced to stage five, then, the patient will have to be put on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis while the patient prepares for the ultimate treatment for the end-stage kidney disease, which is kidney transplantation.
She said dialysis did some of the work of kidney but not all. “Dialysis only performs the excretory function of the kidney as it only manages the waste accumulated in the blood.”
The patient with kidney failure therefore will have to buy the erythropoietin injection, which costs about GH¢100 a week in addition to the haemodialysis.
Dr Osafo noted that it was very expensive for patients to be on dialysis, since it cost 100 euros per session and a patient would have to undergo the treatment three times a week.
She, therefore, advocated that treatment of chronic kidney failure should be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), since patients could not afford it and would eventually lose their lives.
To buttress her point, she said “the total kidney cases that were admitted to medical block of the hospital from 2006 to date was 558 and only 38 out of that number were on dialysis. This shows how serious the problem is. This is only the tip of the iceberg because you can imagine the others that are not reported from the other parts of the hospital including the outpatients department, the Surgical Medical Emergency, the Cardiothoracic Centre and the many other departments in the hospital.”
Dr Osafo advised that people who were hypertensive decrease their salt intake, take their medication seriously and control their blood pressure while diabetics should try and control their sugar level.
Above all she encouraged healthy living, healthy eating and regular exercise and cautioned people to avoid drugs or herbs that they did not know their side effects.
She appealed to the public to support the National Kidney Foundation that had been established to create awareness about the disease and screen people for kidney disease.
In a related development, Ecobank Ghana last week presented $20,000 to Transplant Links, a UK charity that has the primary objective of saving lives through kidney transplants in the developing world.
Members of the charity, who will partner their counterparts in Korle Bu, will in November this year carry out kidney transplant for three Ghanaian patients, the first-ever in the country.
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