Monday, February 25, 2008

‘Establish Health Literacy Month’

Saturday, February 23, 2008 The Mirror (Pg 18)

By Rebecca Kwei
A Chief Consultant of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Sam Adjei, has proposed a Health Literacy Month during which intensive health information will be made available to the population to enable them adopt positive lifestyles.
He noted that such health information when well communicated through various channels and languages will improve people’s knowledge and enable them to take good decisions on health.
Dr Adjei said this at the launch of a 16-page National Health Promotion Policy in Accra.
The policy provides an overall framework for health promotion development and practice in the country. Health promotion is essential in influencing behavioural change among the populace by enhancing the adoption of positive lifestyles by individuals, families and communities.
Dr Adjei who chaired the function, also stressed the need to identify and promote appropriate in-service training programmes for medical practitioners who see patients on a daily basis to enable them provide them with information on health that would enable patients adopt healthy lifestyles.
He said another important area to consider for the success of the policy was the training of personnel who would be deployed in relevant settings to promote health and the adequate resource to support the implementation of the activities.
The Director of Policy, Planning Monitoring and Evaluation of the GHS, Dr Frank Nyonator, who launched the policy on behalf of the Director-General, Dr Elias Sory, said the document had been developed in response to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation to member countries that formal policies on health promotion were needed.
He said in developing the document, careful considerations had been made to place it within the context of relevant strategic documents and framework of the Ministry of Health/GHS.
“Health promotion is a means of increasing individual and collective participation in health action and of strengthening programmes through the use of methods. These methods are combined through comprehensive approaches which ensure action at all levels of society, leading to enhanced health”, he said.
He was hopeful that the key themes in the policy would serve as a guide in the development of evidence-based health promotion interventions to promote the health of the population.
In his remarks, the WHO representative, Dr Joaquim Saweka, said a nation could attain meaningful development only when its people were healthy.
To ensure that, he said, required among other things, a deliberate effort to inform the people about the need to stay healthy as well as how to attain and maintain good health.
Dr Saweka noted that getting health information effectively across to people was no mean task, especially in Ghana where part of the people are illiterate with respect to the language used by health professionals.
He health promotion was an approach to health development that had been adopted in many countries of the world with support from the WHO.
Dr Saweka expressed the hope that the policy would guide the implementation of health promotion in the country to ensure that all major players are brought on board and also effectively involve people and the communities in taking decisions on their own health.
“We need to act fast to put a stop to the increasing rates of diseases, especially chronic diseases that are easily preventable; and it is with such a policy as you have; and its plans that are well executed that we can achieve a healthy population”, he said.
The Deputy Director in charge of Health Promotion, Mrs Mary Arday-Kotei, said the Health Promotion Department had contributed to the population’s increased awareness and knowledge of health and other related issues.
She said the department was, however, confronted with inadequate health promotion staff and the inadequate and inconsistent funding for health promotion activities and these do not enable the department to sustain interventions to achieve the desired behavioural outcomes.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Female hygiene products launched

Saturday, February 16, 2008 Pg 42 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
Femfresh, a female hygiene product has been launched in Accra to help women improve on their personal hygiene.
The Femfresh range comprising wipes, intimate wash, talc-free powder, deodorant and body wash for general use is specially formulated for intimate feminine use and each product gently deodorises and refreshes for extra feminine freshness all day long.
The deputy Minister of health, Dr Mrs Gladys Norley Ashitey, who launched the product together with the Deputy British High Commissioner, Mrs Menna Rawlings, advised women not to use unorthodox feminine hygiene products in cleansing their intimate parts.
She said it was important that women make wise decisions when it came to their intimate health by choosing products that were balanced in terms of acidity to avoid unnecessary irritations to their intimate parts.
The Chief Executive Officer of All Pharma Ghana, Mr Patrick Karikari said everyday use of the product as part of one’s personal freshness routine will help women feel dry, fresh and confident.
Femfresh cautioned that the products should not be used to cure already existing conditions affecting women such as offensive vagina odours or infections but rather could be used to prevent such conditions.
He said the product had been dermatologically and gynaecologically tested and approved for intimate feminine use.
The product which is made in the UK is being marketed in Ghana by All Pharma (GH) Limited, a subsidiary of Allipharma UK Limited.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Farewell Mass for Apostolic Nuncio

Thursday, February 14, 2008 Pg 49 (Daily Graphic)
By Rebecca Kwei
A Farewell Mass has been held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral for the Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev. George Kocherry.
Most Rev. Kocherry has been assigned to Zimbabwe after working in Ghana for seven years.
In his homily, Most Rev. Lucas Abadamloora, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has called on Catholics to use the opportunity offered by the Lenten season to prepare themselves to receive salvation which comes from Jesus Christ.
He described the Nuncio as someone who came as a missionary and served faithfully and diligently.
He said Most Rev. Kocherry travelled the length and breadth of the country and visited all the 18 archdioceses and dioceses and the Apostolic Prefecture.
During his stay in Ghana, the church received many blessings.
For instance, Ghana had two cardinals in the persons of Peter Appiah Turkson and Peter Dery. Three churches were also elevated to the status of Minor Basilicas. Many priests were honoured with Monsignor by the Pope, and hardworking Catholics also honoured with the Knighthood.
Most Rev. Kocherry took a keen interest in education and helped in the establishment of the first Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre, near Sunyani, and also founded the Nuncio’s Scholarship Scheme for needy and intelligent students.
In 2006, Most Rev. Kocherry was honoured by the state when he received the Order of the Volta.
Most Rev. Abadamloora, on behalf of the church in Ghana, wished him well on his new assignment.
In his remarks, Most Rev. Kocherry said he was grateful to the Holy Father for the opportunity to serve the church in Ghana.
“I can proudly say the Catholic Church in Ghana is flourishing; it is growing steadily. Our participation and contribution in the fields of health, education, social and community life is commendable,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the bishops for their support and co-operation in all the initiatives he promoted.
Most Rev. Kocherry presented GH¢150,000 to the Nuncio’s Scholarship Fund to help needy and brilliant students.
On behalf of the Bishop’s Conference, Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, presented the Nuncio with two gold rings engraved with the ‘Gye Nyame’ symbol.
Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle said the gift was symbolic, because Ghana was a land of gold and that gold also represented the best that one wanted to give, adding “we cherish him as gold”.

INDEPTH Network — Leading research in Africa and Asia

Thursday, February 7, 2008 Pg 30 (Daily Graphic)
By Rebecca Kwei
Public health decision-making is critically dependent on the availability of sound data. One cannot but agree with the physicist Niels Bohr when he stated in 1930 that "nothing exists until it is measured".
Information is needed to effectively assess the extent to which health services are meeting the needs and demands of individuals and communities.
Similarly, health information is needed for strategic policy-making and resource allocation. Vital health information can only be obtained through adequate relevant data obtained from carrying out quality research.
Unfortunately, research is not a priority of most developing countries as they hardly make any budgetary allocation for population and health research. It is not surprising that developing countries continue to be overburdened by diseases often preventable with proven and effective technologies.
One international NGO working hard to bring reliable health information to bear on policy and planning in resource-constrained countries is INDEPTH Network.
Since 2000, INDEPTH Network, with a secretariat in Accra, has been making systematic efforts to harness and make widely available data from various Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) sites to fill the existing void in vital health information needed for planning.
Demographic surveillance over time looks at risk and corresponding dynamics in rates of birth, deaths, and migration in a population.
Surveillance systems are often set up around specific intervention studies and later converted into standing HDSS sites that can form a platform for further studies.
INDEPTH aims at developing into a network that builds key scientific blocks in poverty-related diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
INDEPTH Network currently consists of 38 HDSS field sites in 19 countries that collectively monitor 2,200,000 people at a household level.
In Ghana, the sites are located at Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo. "Each site operates in geographically defined populations and conducts longitudinal, demographic monitoring, with timely production of data on all births, deaths, causes of death and migration", says Dr Ayaga Bawah, the Senior Research Associate of INDEPTH Network.
According to him, the collection of data in a well-defined area is done on a continuous basis and this helps to provide timely information for planning and service provision to communities.
INDEPTH Network’s research work is well guided in the cost-effective use of tools, interventions and systems to ensure and monitor progress towards national and international goals.
For instance, research generated from some of the INDEPTH sites in Ghana has resulted in the formulation of some national health policies. An example, Dr Bawah says, 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.
Dr Bawah explained that the CHIPS approach had its origins in groundbreaking 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. Again, the Dodowa District is being used to evaluate the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Furthermore, 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.
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 Osman Sankoh, the new Executive Director of INDEPTH Network, says prevention and control of malaria are critical steps for reducing the burden of malaria, and is happy that Ghana is playing a leading role through the work of MCTA.
The Kintampo site, for instance, is giving the country a lot of visibility.
Another issue of concern to Dr Sankoh is the effect of the rollout of anti-retrovirals (ARTs) in Africa.
"ARTs are being rolled out in many countries, but we still do not have concrete evidence about the effects of this rollout on individuals, populations and the health systems", he noted.
Dr Sankoh says that the INDEPTH Network intends to carry out research to evaluate those effects.
Dr Sankoh who took over the position of executive director in October 2007, said his vision was to make INDEPTH Network the reference point for policy makers when looking for empirical evidence for policy planning. Another area Dr Sankoh is passionate about is for INDEPTH to be seen as an efficient and effective organisation that can be counted on as a credible partner that is based right here in Africa and headed by an African. He was optimistic that maintaining and establishing partnerships with donor groups and partners was essential to realise INDEPTH's vision and mission.

Women supporters gear up for Ghana 2008

By Rebecca Kwei
The football bug has infected almost every Ghanaian — thanks to CAN 2008 which Ghana is hosting. Women have not been left out of the euphoria.
As the football tournament approaches, many women can be spotted either wearing clothes in the national colours or selling things such as flags, souvenirs, scarfs, bangles and whistles on the streets.
Aside these, there are some women’s groups whose activities centre around cheering the national teams to victory.
One of such groups is the Women Supporters Union of Ghana (WOSUGHA).
With more than 6,000 members nationwide, the union says it is ‘fully armed’ to cheer the Black Stars to victory during the tournament.
“Clad in our national colours of red, gold and green, accompanied by brass band music, we are going to support the Black Stars with our cheer songs to the best of our ability as they play their matches during the Ghana 2008. In fact we would be on our feet cheering till the end of each game,” said Ms Freda Prempeh, President and Founder of the union, in an interview in Accra with The Mirror.
The Black Stars will play Sylli Nationale of Guinea in the opening match of Ghana 2008, tomorrow, January 20.
She said although the union had not been fortunate with sponsorship and was sponsoring itself, everything was almost set for them to throng the stadium and support the Black Stars massively.
“Our only problem was the purchase of tickets. We have put in our request but are yet to get the tickets. Hopefully, we will get them before the Sunday,” she added.
The union comprises people from all walks of life with females dominating.
According to Ms Prempeh, the union was formed in 2005 and commenced business fully in January 2007 with the aim of supporting the Ghanaian national teams, especially the female national football team, the Black Queens.
Ms Prempeh who has a passion for football and women’s issues said the union was to create and sustain women’s interest and support for sports adding that “gone were the days when football was considered ‘men’s affair’. Now, women are taking active part in football.”
Aside cheering the national teams, the union also seeks to build the capacity of its members and has thus organised a career counselling and stress relief workshop for its members.
Ms Prempeh who is also the assembly member for Lakoo Electoral Area, said WOSUGHA had composed and launched a song for the Black Stars and the Black Queens.
The union supported the Black Queens when they played Bayana Bayana in Pretoria, South Africa and also in the just ended FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
Ms Prempeh appealed to women in all fields of endeavour to throng the stadium to support the Black Stars.
“The tournament is a national issue — not a men’s issue and if women are in the majority, then we should be visible whipping up support for the Black Stars. When the men are going to the stadium, they should not leave their wives behind. I believe the Black Stars will be happy seeing women cheer them to win” she said.
Another group making an impact with cheer songs for national events is Grace Ashy For Ghana Fan Club.
Grace, who is a musician and also a member of Supporters Union of Ghana, said the club was basically a cheering group for national events.
“Any activity that has a national appeal certainly has the support of the club,” she said in an interview with The Mirror.
She explained that although she had not been given any official role to play during the Ghana 2008, she would not sit idle but would do whatever she could to support the nation.
Consequently, she has composed a song titled “Black Stars Emir no nie”, literally translated “Black Stars, This is the Time” and a welcome song, “Africa we are blessed”, for the competing teams.
It will be recalled that Grace Ashy showed a lot of commitment in mobilsing national support for the senior national team, the Black Stars, during the team’s campaign in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The club is ready to give the same support to the Black Stars this time too.
Grace said it was important for people not to use discouraging words for the Black Stars.
“Good words, encouragement — these are what the Black Stars need to boost their morale,” she said.
She noted that the supporters group served as a platform for bringing people together, no matter their status, religion or political affiliations.
She encouraged all women to come out in their numbers to support the Black Stars because when “ladies support the Black Stars, it encourages them to perform better.”

Kanoute crowned CAF best player

Saturday, February 9, 2008 Pg 47 (The Mirror)

From Rebecca Kwei, Lome, Togo
Malian striker Frederic Kanoute has been adjudged the Glo-CAF African footballer of the year 2007.
He beat Ghana’s Michael Essien who was present at the ceremony and Didier Drogba of Cote d’Ivoire, both of whom were highly tipped to win the title.
This is the second time a Malian has received the coveted award after Salif Keita took it in 1970.
Kanoute plays for Spanish side Sevilla.
At the ceremony were Samuel Eto’o Fils and former international stars Abedi Ayew, Tony Yeboah and Tony Baffoe.
Ghana’s Abedi Pele was among the Best Ten Players of the last 50 years. The rest were Samuel Eto'o, Mahmoud El Khatib, Hossam Hassan, Roger Milla, Kalusha Bwalya, George Weah, Rabah Madjerm, Didier Drogba and Nwankwo Kanu.
At an impressive ceremony at the Palais de Congres in Lome, Togo, a calm-looking Kanoute wearing an all-white attire, received his prize from Togo’s Prime Minister, Komla Mally, who was assisted by the CAF President, Issa Hayatou.
When Kanoute’s name was mentioned, there were shouts of jubilation among the audience but you could also see ‘surprise’ written on a few faces.
The awards ceremony, which is aimed at promoting excellence in African football by rewarding best African players and football administrators, was sponsored by Globacom in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The African Footballer of the Year award is voted for by the national coaches of the 53 CAF associations.
The Supporters Club of the Year went to Ghana while C. K. Gyamfi, former Black Stars Coach, received the Glo-CAF Merit Order of Achievement.
Other award recipients were Cynthia Uwak of Nigeria — Female Footballer of the Year, Chermeti Amine — Inter-Club Player of the Year, Etoile Sportive de Sahel — Club of the Year, The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire — National Team of the Year, Clifford Mulenga — Young Player of the Year, and Yemi Tella — Coach of the Year.
President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo was given the Glo-CAF Platinum Award for 2007.
In his welcoming address, the Chairman of Globacom, Dr Mike Adenuga, pledged his company’s continued support for the game, adding that “we at Globacom are continuously working for the greater glory of the exciting game on the continent by sustained identification of and support for the efforts of our people, in the larger desire to keep the tempo of soccer on the high”.
For his part, Mr Hayatou said the awards ceremony provided an opportunity for all stakeholders in the football family to come together in a more relaxed manner to discuss the future.
He congratulated Globacom on staging the awards at three different venues during the last three years.
The awards ceremony was interspersed with lively music by Vicky Sampson from South Africa, King Sunny Ade from Nigeria, King Mensah from Togo and Three Tons of Fun, also from South Africa.

Music splash at Glo CAF Awards

Saturday, February 9, 2008 Pg. 39 (The Mirror)
From Rebecca Kwei, Lome, Togo
IT was not all about sports at the Glo CAF Awards 2007 held at the Palais de Congres in Lome, Togo as music and dance also played an important role in the success of the programme. Call it ‘sportainment’ and you will not be far from right.
Stepping on stage first was Vicky Sampson, a musician from South Africa, who put up a breathtaking performance with support from her agile and graceful backup dancers.
Then there was also the ‘home boy’, King Mensah from Togo, who dished out songs from his repertoire. King Mensah performed three songs, all rich in traditional rhythms of his country and the applause was loudest when he did a song which featured some children as his backup dancers.
King Sunny Ade was another toast of the evening with his Nigerian Juju music. His performance was taken to another height when five ladies came on stage to perform a dance more like the Mapuka dance, just that this time, they were not scantily dressed.
There was wild applause when three lovely ladies going by the name ‘Three Tons of Fun’ took the audience way back into time as they performed ‘old school’ songs. The auditorium went gay when they sang the popular song “I will survive”.
The awards ceremony, aimed at promoting excellence in African football by rewarding best African players and football administrators, was sponsored by Globacom in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
During the presentation of awards, Cynthia Uwak of Nigeria received the Female Footballer of the Year, Chermeti Amine — Inter-Club Player of the Year, Etoile Sportive de Sahel — Club of the Year, The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire — National Team of the Year, Clifford Mulenga — Young Player of the Year, and Yemi Tella — Coach of the Year.
President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo was given the Glo-CAF Platinum Award for 2007. The Supporters Club of the Year went to Ghana while C. K. Gyamfi, former Black Stars Coach, received the Glo-CAF Merit Order of Achievement.
Ghana’s Abedi Pele was among the Best Ten Players of the last 50 years. The rest were Samuel Eto'o, Mahmoud El Khatib, Hossam Hassan, Roger Milla, Kalusha Bwalya, George Weah, Rabah Madjerm, Didier Drogba and Nwankwo Kanu.
Before the ultimate prize was announced, all the performers came together to sing a song after which Mali’s striker Frederic Kanoute was named as the Glo-CAF African footballer for the year 2007.
As Kanoute gently stepped on stage to receive his prize from Togo’s Prime Minister Komla Mally, who was assisted by the CAF President, Issa Hayatou, glittering confetti were showered on the stage marking the end of another exciting celebration of excellence in African football.

‘LEAP is to complement relief measures’

Saturday, February 2, 2008 Pg 3 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
THE Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea, has said that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) is one of the social protection interventions to complement relief measures for various categories of poor people.
Under the LEAP Direct Cash Transfers will be made available to categories of poor people.
At the Meet-the-Press series organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Accra, Nana Akomea said the primary target of the LEAP direct cash transfer was 18.2 per cent of the population who had been identified by the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 5) as falling into the category of extreme poor.
The amounts to be disbursed per month range from GH¢8 to GH¢15 depending on if the extremely poor household also has an orphan, severely disabled person and persons aged more than 65.
Nana Akomea admitted that the direct cash transfer was not the solution to poverty but just a useful complement in national development.
He said poverty came in various ways and there was the need to adopt a multi-structural social protection measures to alleviate it.
He mentioned other policies such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, Mass Transport, Free Bus ride for schoolchildren and micro credit for people with disabilities (PWDs) as examples of social protection measures to enhance livelihood and welfare of the vulnerable and extremely poor.
The LEAP pilot programme will be implemented nationwide from 2008 to 2012 and the rollout will start with 15,000 households this year, scaling up to 164,370.
Targeted individuals in the households would be issued with ID cards and they would receive payments from the nearest post office.
Reacting to concerns that the LEAP was for political patronage, Nana Akomea said the project had been carefully designed by a team of local and international experts and that selection of the households would be done using the GLSS data, district poverty maps and the regional distribution of extreme poor so that the poorest regions would be fairly represented.
Therefore, he said, it would be difficult to select households based on their political affiliation.
He encouraged all stakeholders to monitor the LEAP intervention.
To another concern that the LEAP was being implemented in an election year, he said the planning of LEAP started as far back as 2004 and was to have started last year but could not commence hence this year.

African Journalists to be honoured in Ghana

Saturday, January 19, 2008 Pg 25 (The Mirror)

By Rebecca Kwei
Ghana will experience the glitz and glamour that characterises the organisation of the 13th CNN Multichoice African Journalists Awards when she hosts media practitioners from Africa, Europe and America in Accra in July this year.
This is the second time that Ghana would be hosting the prestigious event. The first was held in 1995.
At the launch of the awards in Accra on Monday, Mr Samuel Baimbill-Johnson, the General Manager of Multichoice Ghana Limited, said over the past 12 years, the competition had grown in stature, strength and prestige.
He said in 2007, the event attracted a record number of entries from 40 African countries.
The competition will recognise excellence in 16 categories, namely, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Economics and Business, Environment, Free Press Africa, MSD Health and Medical and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa.
The others are Best Feature in a Consumer Magazine, Photography, Print General News, Radio General News, Sports, Television General News, Features/Current Affairs, News Bulletin, Francophone General News Awards (Print and TV/Radio), Francophone Best Feature in a Magazine and Portuguese Language General News.
From all these category winners, the overall winner will be chosen.
Last year, Richard M. Kavuma from Uganda was awarded the top prize at the awards ceremony held in South Africa.
Mr Baimbill-Johnson said finalists in the competition will participate in a four-day programme that would include workshops, media forum, networking opportunities with senior journalists, editors, business leaders and media owners from across the continent.
The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr Ransford Tetteh, appealed to journalists to report on issues that touch the lives of ordinary people.
He said stories should not always be about scandals or politicians and that media practitioners should ensure that basic issues on sanitation, health, education and the environment are given prominence.
“To celebrate African journalist excellence is not only stories about big people but ordinary people,” he said.
Mr Tetteh, who is also the Editor of the Daily Graphic, said focusing on developmental issues did not mean journalists should neglect their role of holding public officers accountable for their actions.
A Senior Advisor to CNN and CEO of Global Media Alliance, Mr Edward Boateng, said the awards programme has over the years grown to be the most prestigious and the event with the widest broadcast coverage on the continent and encouraged Ghanaian journalists to participate in the programme.
The competition is open to African professional journalists including freelancers across print, television, Internet, photographic and radio. Details of how to enter can be found at www.cnn.com/africanawards.
The closing date for entries is February 15, 2008.

Pharmaceutical society to lead fight to eradicate malaria

Saturday, January 12, 2008 Pg 22 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Dr Alex Dodoo, has pledged the society’s resolve to lead the fight in the eradication of malaria in the country.
To this end, the society intends to work with the National Malaria Control Programme for the provision of rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria in all community pharmacies.
Additionally, pharmacists in Ghana will promote the national malaria control strategy including the provision and supply of insecticide-treated material, prompt and effective management of malaria with artemisinin-combination therapies and supply of medicines for preventive treatment for infants and pregnant women.
Dr Dodoo made this known at the inauguration of an eight-member Standing Executive Committee members of PSGH in Accra.
The Chairman of the Pharmacy Council, Mr Harry Abutiate, swore in the eight members into office. They are Alex Dodoo, President; Mrs Nana Yaa Nartey, Treasurer; Mr Philip W. O. Anum, Editor, and Messrs Franklin Acheampong, Ernest Aboagye, Kenneth Atabu Agbodza and Kofi Abu as executive members. Dr (Mrs) Frances Thelma K. Owusu-Daaku was sworn in as Vice-President, in absentia.
Dr Dodoo said the society will also work with relevant agencies to tackle sanitation and look for opportunities in managing the procurement as well as safe and effective use and disposal of chemicals for indoor residual spraying of houses.
He noted that the safety of patients should be the concern of all health care professionals including pharmacists, adding that he would use the tenure of his presidency to promote patient safety within pharmacies.
To this end, he said the PSGH would monitor medication errors and recommend suggestions for prevention or reduction of medication errors including dispensing errors as well as being active in pharmacovigilance. It will also support research to identify causes of errors and adverse effects.
Dr Dodoo said his other focus would be in the building of the image of the PSGH, putting pharmacy be at the heart of public health, and fostering international collaborations.
In his speech, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Ghana, Dr Joaquim Saweka, said medicines are an important resource and access to them should be considered as a human right.
He said the good implementation of this can be done with contribution from both public and private pharmacists.
He noted that medicines were fundamental to the good performance of the health care delivery system and the availability of medicines in health facilities, as well as the public’s access to them, contributed to maintaining the population’s confidence and trust in the system.
Furthermore, he said better management of the available medicines would contribute to a better health system while efficient procurement would contribute to achieving that goal.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr (Mrs) Gladys Ashitey, who represented the sector minister, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), urged the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana to champion the cause of regenerative health within their areas of operation.
She said as pharmacists, they must ensure that they have time to advise all clients on healthy eating and living as described under the regenerative health and nutrition programme.
Dr Ashitey gave the assurance that “as a government we have and will continue to keep faith with health professionals by ensuring that we create a conducive environment for you to give of your best”.

Hamamat flies higher

Saturday, January 5, 2008 Pg 27 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
When Hamamat Montia won the Miss Malaika crown in 2006, it came as no surprise to keen followers of the show.
Many of those who saw the potential in the young, beautiful and intelligent lady were convinced she would strive for greater heights.
And they have been proved right. As part of Hamamat’s prize package for winning the Miss Malaika crown, she was to participate in an international pageant.
Consequently, she took part in the month-long (November 24 to December 24) Miss Tourism World pageant which was held in Antalya, Turkey.
Hamamat did not come home empty handed but with “three feathers in her cap”.
She won the Model of the World — Personality; Model of the Universe, Africa and was the fourth runner-up — Model of the Universe.
“I feel great. It’s wonderful. It’s one experience winning in your own country and another winning elsewhere. Everywhere I went in Turkey people recognised me,” she said in an interview with The Mirror.
As a result of her extraordinary performance, Hamamat has received many modelling contracts and says “I’m looking forward to that. The sky is the limit.”
A total of 120 contestants from across the globe took part in the Miss World Tourism pageant, with 20 coming from Africa.
The competition had a major focus on modelling. According to Hamamat, it was a month of hard work of rehearsals, catwalks and runways.
The contestants also had the opportunity of touring and exploring the wonderful attractions that Turkey offers.
“One had to showcase one’s country. If you are Ghanaian, you ought to look Ghanaian, but attractive,” she explained.
She said she loved modelling and it was something she had always wanted to do.
At the moment, she is considering how to combine her modelling contracts and her education.
“I want to be a super model and also study Public Relations in school. Hopefully, I will be able to handle all the pressures that come with being in the public eye. I take one day at a time,” she said.
Miss Tourism World 2007 was won by Miss Ecaterina Sau from Moldova, while Tjasa Vezjak, representing Slovenia, was adjudged the Model of the Universe 2007.

Focus more on children

Saturday, December 29, 2007 Pg. 1 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, has called on Ghanaians to focus more on children during the Christmas season and in the New Year, 2008.
He noted that children were the best gifts of God and so everything should be done in the coming years to help God to nurture the human race in our care.
Giving his New Year message to The Mirror, the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said, "If Ghana is to enjoy God’s favour, peace and blessings, then let us think of our children and focus on them the best of our time, treasures and talents in the years to come. Let us cherish them, let us protect them and invest our best in them, for our glorious future lies in the children of Mother Ghana. They hold the promise for a better Ghana after 50."
He said it was his prayer that as the country entered Ghana after 50, no child in the land would be hindered from fulfilling what project and promise God had for it by the gift of life and by the message of His very incarnation as one of us in the Child Jesus.
He expressed concern about reports in newspapers of mothers abandoning their infants and disappearing.
"How many of our little children are now in slave labour, selling iced sachet water on the streets, breaking stones in quarries, working on cocoa farms and other crop plantations, even in the dungeons of mines and fishing in the depths of our seas and lakes. Some parents have been trafficking their own children for money and other material goods. There are also the horrible cases of child prostitution, child defilement and sexual abuse by adults. What is wrong with our human society of today, here in Ghana and elsewhere?" he queried.
Emphasising his point that children were God's gifts to humanity, the Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said Christmas was meant to tell us that God chose to become a child in order to make it clear to all of us that first and foremost a child was a gift of God and that in every child God is with us..
He said every child was God’s vote of confidence in humanity, adding that by allowing children to be born to people, God is saying, "I still believe in humanity that you can make the child, this project of mine, blossom and unfold in all its promise and potential."
The Most Rev Palmer-Buckle said through the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh which were presented to the infant Jesus, the three wise men were telling us that "we must invest in our children nothing but our best, namely, what is golden and excellent in our culture, what is of spiritual and divine essence in ourselves and what is our highest hope and dream for a better world. Only this way can our children be for us, indeed, Emmanuel, God with us now and for always".

Yara Ghana inaugurated

Saturday, December 15,2007 Pg. 33 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
Yara Ghana Limited has inaugurated its offices in Accra with a commitment to deliver good returns for farmers and industrial customers for maximum satisfaction.
Yara is a multinational company which produces and supplies mineral fertilisers.
The Managing Director of Yara Ghana Limited, Mr Rene F. Puche, said the company was proud to be part of the growth of Ghana’s agriculture sector.
He said the company was also committed to helping customers to achieve better results through increased yield and higher quality products.
He said the company had invested $2 million in a fertiliser plant in Tema and would strive to get closer to its customers, understand their lifestyles and their businesses and establish long-term partnerships with them.
“We are passionate about customers and are working to meet the needs they have today and innovating to meet the needs they will have tomorrow,” he said.
A Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Anna Nyamekye, who inaugurated the offices, noted that one of the most important things Ghanaians were looking for was to be self-sufficient.
She expressed appreciation to the company for its willingness to support the government in its efforts to help farmers produce abundantly.
The Board Chairman, Mr Henry J. M. Wientjes, said it was important for the country to develop innovative ideas to move beyond food security and export to other countries.


By Rebecca Kwei
Yara Ghana Limited has inaugurated its offices in Accra with a commitment to deliver good returns for farmers and industrial customers for maximum satisfaction.
Yara is a multinational company which produces and supplies mineral fertilisers.
The Managing Director of Yara Ghana Limited, Mr Rene F. Puche, said the company was proud to be part of the growth of Ghana’s agriculture sector.
He said the company was also committed to helping customers to achieve better results through increased yield and higher quality products.
He said the company had invested $2 million in a fertiliser plant in Tema and would strive to get closer to its customers, understand their lifestyles and their businesses and establish long-term partnerships with them.
“We are passionate about customers and are working to meet the needs they have today and innovating to meet the needs they will have tomorrow,” he said.
A Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Anna Nyamekye, who inaugurated the offices, noted that one of the most important things Ghanaians were looking for was to be self-sufficient.
She expressed appreciation to the company for its willingness to support the government in its efforts to help farmers produce abundantly.
The Board Chairman, Mr Henry J. M. Wientjes, said it was important for the country to develop innovative ideas to move beyond food security and export to other countries.

‘Adopt healthy lifestyles’

Saturday, December 15, 2007 Pg. 33 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Programme Manager of the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Project of the Ministry of Health, Mr Kofi Adusei, has called on Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prolong their lifespan.
He noted that while communicable diseases were on the increase, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and cancer were also increasing by the day, which was impacting negatively on the socio-economic development of the country.
He, therefore, recommended the adoption of regenerative health, which he explained was the process of using natural and non-medical interventions to continuously improve one’s health, prevent diseases and increase life expectancy.
Mr Adusei was speaking at a day’s seminar for media practitioners on the inter-relationship between physical activity and health organised by the Health Promotion Department of the Ghana Health Service in Accra.
He said most Ghanaians were increasingly consuming nutritionally deficient foods, did not engage in any form of exercise and led degenerative lifestyles.
Mr Adusei recalled that the Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), in one of his press briefings, announced a new paradigm shift which would focus mainly on health promotion, prevention of diseases and protection from injuries with curative health as the last resort.
He said adopting the principles of regenerative health which among others encouraged increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, increase in water intake, engaging in moderate exercises and getting adequate rest and relaxation had been found to be good.
Citing an example, he said evidence supporting regenerative health came from the Hebrew Israelite Community in Dimona, Israel.
He said through changing their lifestyle many of the diseases currently impacting Ghana and the Western world had been virtually eradicated from the community.
Mr Adusei said the unit had evaluated regenerative health project in 11 districts of the country and the results had been good.
He added that the project was engaging in more health promotion strategies to increase awareness on regenerative health, as well as liaising with other sectors whose work impacted on the health industry in the design and implementation of appropriate interventions.
Giving a presentation on ‘Mapping of Stakeholders on Physical Activity’, the Deputy Head of the Health Promotion Unit, Ibrahim Napuli, said the findings indicated that there were 111 organisations that were engaged in promoting physical activity in the country and majority were Keep Fit Clubs.
Among recommendations were that there was the need to develop a national strategic framework on physical activity; funding and other logistic support should be made available to stakeholders engaged in promoting physical activity.
The Health Information and Promotion Officer of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Sophia Twum Barimah, giving an overview of the global strategy on diet, physical activity and health, said the WHO had prioritised the promotion of physical activity in view of its inter-relationship with the promotion of good health.
She said the strategy provided member states with a range of global policy options to address two of the major risks responsible for the heavy and growing burden of non-communicable diseases — unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Prophecies about Rawlings real—I.K. Obeng

Saturday, December 8, 2007 Pg. 3 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
A former PNDC Secretary for Religious Affairs, Isaac K. Obeng, popularly known as Prophet Tugya has stated that prophecies about former President Rawlings becoming a pastor are real and will be fulfilled.
He said it had been prophesied long ago that “Rawlings was to lead Ghana to establish the Kingdom of God which eluded the Jews”.
Prophet Tugya said these when he called at The Mirror office in Accra to comment on a story in last week’s issue of the paper.
In the said publication, Rev Charles D.K. Asare, the General Overseer of the Charity Kingdom Ministries in Accra, prophesied that the former President will soon quit politics to propagate the Word of God.
Part of Rev Asare’s prophecy which was contained in a letter sent to The Mirror read “ Thus says the Lord — You will preach the gospel around the world, especially on college campuses across the globe. I will use your hands to do many signs and wonders and miracles and to save many souls. You shall be an inspiration to many college students.”
“You shall be persecuted and suffer for the sake of the gospel, but you shall overcome and you will be glorified in the end. I will use you to glorify my name on the present earth. You have heard this prophecy again and again”.
“This is your last chance to respond to my call,” says the Lord. “I have already seen your penitent heart and willingness to obey.
I have seen your repentance and heart of love and passion for souls”.
However, Prophet Tugya said Rawlings was not to be a global evangelist but rather lead Ghana to establish the kingdom of God.
He, therefore, called on the former president to refocus his mind and the spirit which led him to stage three coup d’etat, rule for 19 years and realise that it was not done with his own ingenuity but in accordance with the plan of God.
He observed that people may not believe the prophecies about Rawlings and may even describe those prophesying as ‘mad’ because of the excesses during the revolution “but it will come to pass.”
He said Rawlings had a message but was misled by over zealous, opportunists and self centred politicians.

Irene shines at Miss World

Saturday, December 8. 2007, Pg. 37 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
For the first time in the history of the Miss World contest, a Ghanaian, Irene Dwomoh, Miss Ghana 2006, was adjudged the most talented contestant among the 106 beauties who participated in the event.
The 21-year-old, who represented Ghana at the 2007 Miss World beauty festival held in Sanya, China, last Saturday, thus gained an automatic entry into the semi-final group of 16.
In that group of 16 were Miss Angola, Austria, China PR, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Hong Kong China, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Venezuela.
Sporting an Afro hairdo and dressed in an African print trousers and top, Irene performed bits and pieces of various dances, flavoured with a little comedy, to the late Terry Bonchaka’s song, ‘Zoozi’, to the admiration of the audience, responded with loud cheers.
“It was unbelievable. I did not expect to win. The deafening cheers and the number of people who came to congratulate me were overwhelming. I realised at that time that I had been recognised. I shed tears of joy,” Irene said in an interview with The Mirror in Accra.
According to her, she choreographed the performance herself and chose Terry Bonchaka’s song because it had different rhythms with which one could perform different dances.
“I put in my best and although the dance was a bit funny, I kept a straight face,” she added.
She said she felt very proud of her award and also for the fact that she had set the pace for other Africans to follow.
The official website of the Miss World contest said this of the talent contest: “Even before she was introduced, a whole bank of watching contestants were chanting ‘Ghana, Ghana’ in anticipation of her hugely popular performance. It was an act that will live long in the memory, drawing laughter and applause from all parts of the room.”
In the grand finals, the China PR delegate, Zhang Zilin, won the highly coveted title of Miss World 2007 in a glittering, star-studded event at the Beauty Crown Theatre in Sanya, Hainan Province, China.
The 2007 Miss World festival saw 106 beautiful and talented contestants spend an unforgettable month in China. A loud applause rang out in the packed theatre as Julia Morley, the Chairperson of the Miss World Organisation and the international panel of judges, announced the winner’s name.
Her smile shone out to a world-wide TV audience of over two billion as she was crowned by last year’s Miss World, Tatana Kucharova.
The First Runner-up was Micaela Patricia Reis from Angola, followed by Mexico’s Carolina Moran Gordillo as Second Runner-up. The other two finalists were Miss Trinidad & Tobago and Miss Sweden.
An impressive cast of international stars and music artistes ensured that the 57th Miss World final was a dazzling event.
 A special TV spectacular show was hosted by top Chinese TV presenter Angela Chow, presenting Miss World for the fifth year in succession, alongside co-host Fernando Allende, who is one of Latin America’s biggest stars and was making his Miss World debut.
The show told the story of the contestants’ stay in the tropical paradise of Sanya, with many clips of their activities and sightseeing, as well as their exciting trip to Beijing where they recorded the Olympic Torch Relay Anthem, visited the Great Wall and helped the Red Cross to raise over US$5.5 million to build new healthcare centres across China.
It also featured a stunning performance by international pop star Duncan James, formerly with the Boy Band Blue, singing ‘All I care about is love’ from the hit musical Chicago, and spectacular dancing and acrobatics by some of China’s most talented dance troupes.
One of the highlights came when Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, introduced his grandfather’s televised message for World Aids Day. That was followed by a magical moment when children from Mandela’s home town in South Africa joined with children from a local Hainan school and all 106 contestants to sing the World AIDS Day song.