Monday, March 14, 2011

Regular eye examination prevents glaucoma

Saturday, March 12, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 13)

By Rebecca Kwei
THE President of the Glaucoma Association of Ghana (GAG), Mr Harrison Kofi Abutiate, has urged Ghanaians to go for regular eye examination in order to help prevent glaucoma which causes blindness.
He said although some risk factors for glaucoma such as heredity could not be prevented, regular monitoring and maintaining healthy eyes could help prevent the onset of the disease.
Mr Abutiate said this at the launch of this year’s World Glaucoma Awareness Week organised by the Glaucoma Association of Ghana (GAG), in collaboration with other eye care stakeholders.
The World Glaucoma Day is celebrated on March 12, each year and the theme for this year’s event is “Glaucoma — Don’t lose sight of your family”.
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness world-wide and it is estimated that 4.5 million people are blind due to glaucoma and this will rise to 11.2 million by 2020.
In Ghana, it is estimated that more than 600,000 people have glaucoma and 30,000 may be blind from it.
Mr Abutiate said a global programme dubbed Vision 2020 — the right to sight which was launched in 1999 was halfway through with 10 years left to achieve the goal of the elimination of avoidable blindness by 2020.
“Too many people are going blind unnecessarily. It is, therefore, our ethical and moral duty that anything that can be done to prevent blindness and restore sight must be done” he said.
He gave the assurance that the association would continue to create awareness so that the general public will seek avenues to check their eyes adding that from 2005 to date there has been dramatic increase in the numbers of patient attendance at various clinics and hospitals for eye checks.
He further called on government to waive duties on medicines and equipment for eye care so that more professionals can provide the public with better eye care services.
To support the GAG, the Minister of Health, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who launched the week, said the ministry would include in its budget GH¢10,000 each year to support the activities of GAG.
He said this year had been set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations as a year to focus on non-communicable diseases and that glaucoma would, therefore receive maximum attention.
Consequently, he said the National Eye Care Programme had come out with the policy direction and strategy for managing glaucoma in Ghana.
The strategy he said was to raise awareness for people to know about the disease and report early; put in place screening facilities to detect cases early and manage cases early and properly.
Mr Chireh said to support the glaucoma control programme as well as the management of other eye diseases in the country, the ministry had increased intake into the Ophthalmic Nursing Training School to produce more Eye Nurses and more doctors have enrolled with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons to be trained as Ophthalmologists.
He said the ministry had also placed an order for basic ophthalmic equipment to support the staff in their work and to make screening for conditions such as glaucoma possible in district hospitals.

Gifty Anti - a gift to our women

Saturday, March 5, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 16/17)

By Rebecca Kwei
Perhaps her name Gifty inspires her to ‘be a gift onto others’ and that is why ever-bubbly broadcast journalist, Gifty Dansoa Anti, is using the media to ensure that women have a voice that is clearly heard by all.
She has taken a stand through her regular programme on television, The Standpoint, to create a vital platform for women to air their views on a wide variety of important matters.
According to Gifty, The Standpoint was born out of the frustration of sitting in a newsroom where issues regarding women and their empowerment were not given enough prominence.
Having watched The View, an American programme hosted by four females having fun while discussing serious issues, Gifty decided to have her own programme where she could freely talk about the things she was passionate about — issues affecting women and their well-being.
“We live in a society where women are seen in a certain light, especially women who are assertive. The Standpoint creates the environment where women speak frankly about issues and share experiences on how they have been able to survive and empower themselves so others can learn from them,” she stated.
As the world celebrates the 100th International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, countless women (and men) who have committed themselves to improving the lives of women and girls around the world will be honoured. But there are many unsung women contributing their quota to women’s empowerment who also need to be inspired and celebrated.
Sitting with her in the airy corridor of the GTV Newsroom, Gifty said to date there had been 141 episodes of The Standpoint which had seen panellists discussing topics such as Is Marriage the Ultimate?, Dealing With a Broken Heart, Life Without a Biological Child, Cervical Cancer, Safe Pregnancy, Understanding the Pregnant Woman, Breast Cancer, Pregnancy Did Not Stop Me, Life With a Sickle Cell Child, Life With an Autistic Child, The Muslim Man and Gender Equality, Women and Politics, among others.
Since July 2008 when the programme started airing, it has caught on with many Ghanaians and also touched lives in so many ways.
Giving instances, Gifty said a mother who had sent her daughter out of the house because she was pregnant went in search of her after watching one of the programmes titled ‘Pregnancy did not stop me’.
She said after the programme, the mother called her (Gifty) and told her what she had done.
Fortunately, she found her pregnant daughter and took care of her till she delivered. The young girl is now back in school.
In another story, a young girl about to have an unsafe abortion and actually had the concoction she was about to drink by her, watched a discussion on “Meet the survivors” which featured two young single mothers and a rape victim. After the programme, she called Gifty who spoke to her mother. The good news is that she had a safe delivery and is now back in medical school.
A panellist on the programme which discussed “Life without a biological child” had her former in-laws calling her to apologise and tell her they did not realise what they had put her through.
There is also the story of a young professional lady living in an abusive marriage in the Upper West Region who also watched the programme on “Marital Abuse”. She sent an e-mail to Gift detailing all that she was going through and how she was ready to commit suicide because her parents and relatives were insisting she stay in the marriage.
“We got her some assistance. She moved out of home and, thankfully, her parents who were afraid to take her in or help her financially because of traditions and beliefs took her in and now she is gainfully employed and taking care of her sons,” Gifty said with pride in her voice.
“The testimonies by abused persons who have been on the programme have been amazing. Many have received apologies from the perpetrators. The show is inundated with calls and we have referred many women to specialists. Many women have written to say how liberated and enlightened they became after watching the programme,” she said.
“More men are freely exploring their feminine sides and want to appear on the programme,” she added with a giggle.
“The Standpoint is our way of supporting the struggle to empower women and the sensitisation through the power of the media has been obvious. Women talk openly and freely about so-called taboo topics,” she said.
For Gifty, although some strides had been made to empower women, there was still a long way to go and that it was first and foremost up to women to change their attitudes.
“It is not what society says. Women need to be stronger, assertive and believe in ourselves. It is not only unmarried women who can make it; you can be married and have it all. If you are not married, there is still a lot you can do.
“Every woman’s dream should be to be in a space where she can be all that she wants to be, married or single. And when you get into that space where you can be all that you want to be, you must hold on with passion, determination and focus, not letting anything push you out of that space.
Gifty, who is the last of eight children (four boys and four girls), had different professions in mind while growing up. She had wanted to be an air hostess, while her father, the late Samuel Anti, wanted her to be a lawyer. She also liked people in uniform but her dad would have none of that.
“My stint in the media was by accident,” she explained. Having failed to gain admission to read Land Economy at the university after completing Mfanstiman Girls’ Secondary School, one of her brothers encouraged her to apply to the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
Her first broadcast experience was at Joy FM where she was a regular panellist on the Young Generation and Every Woman programmes.
When she got the chance to do her National Service with GTV in 1997, her impressive output culminated in her moving from being a floor manager to hosting the Breakfast Show. She is now an Assistant Chief Editor.
“It is the way I was socialised. My father always told me, ‘for your good, not your goods’. So no matter where I find myself, I try and give of my best”.
She runs commentary on many state programmes, does live interviews and has also covered some international assignments. Locally, Gifty has covered stories from all the 10 regions of the country.
Gifty, who holds a Masters degree in International Journalism from City University in London, has also attended a number of training courses at the United Nations, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and had internship at SABC-Africa in South Africa.
She hopes to produce more programmes in the future and also give young people the chance to host them.
In the next five years she is optimistic about setting up a production company to help abused children and women. But, ultimately, she is aiming at starting a home for the elderly where they can go for a hot meal every day.
“My ultimate satisfaction is the people whose lives I touch and the people I help. It is an explained feeling when you become the answer to someone’s problem, dilemma or challenge; the hero is someone’s life,” she said.
For all the guys who have their eyes on Gifty, it’s time to step back because she says she is seriously attached to a special person.
“When are the wedding bells ringing?” I asked.
“It will happen .... soon,” she said with a laugh.
The Standpoint is a private production by GDA Concepts. It is aired on GTV twice a week — 8.15 p.m. on Fridays and repeated at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Observe basic hygiene to prevent cholera

Saturday, February 26, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 21)

By Rebecca Kwei
The Deputy Director of Public Health at the Greater Accra Health Directorate, Dr Edward Antwi, has called on Ghanaians to observe basic personal hygiene in order to avoid contracting cholera.
The call comes in the wake of the rising incidence of cholera in the country.
In all, a total of 1,396 cases and 34 deaths have been recorded .
Cholera is a diarrhoel disease caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium vibrio cholerae. Both children and adults can be infected and it is characterised by the sudden onset of profuse painless watery diarrhoea, occasional vomiting and rapid dehydration.
At an emergency meeting organised by the Ghana Health Service on Wednesday on how to outline ways of responding to the outbreak, it was reported that Central Region had 396 cases with 18 deaths; Eastern Region, 258 cases with three deaths, while the Greater Accra Region had recorded 742 cases with 13 deaths.
Dr Antwi said with the onset of the rains, the situation could be alarming and advised the public to make sure their surroundings were clean and they also buy foods from clean environments.
He expressed concern about the unsanitary conditions in the cities and called for intensive public education in order for homes, markets and other dwelling places to be kept clean.
Cholera could be contracted through eating food that contains cholera germs, eating fruits and vegetables, especially those grown by irrigation with waste water and also when fruits and vegetables are eaten raw and not properly washed.
Other mode of transmission, according to health experts, are drinking water contaminated with cholera germs, and not washing hands properly with soap and water after attending to a person with the cholera, among others.
Dr Antwi appealed to the public that in case of diarrhoea and or vomiting, the affected person should be rushed immediately to the nearest healthcare facility for free treatment since those who died reported late, and nothing could be done to save them.
In his presentation, Dr Emmanuel K. Dotsi of the Disease Surveillance Department of the GHS, said about 21 districts had reported cholera cases to date and it was very possible that it could spread to other regions or districts.
He said results of environmental assessment showed that there was poor access to clean and safe drinking water, indiscriminate defecation, selling of food near open drains, urban slums and poor environmental sanitation.
Consequently, Dr Dotsi said there was need to enhance diarrhoea surveillance, improve case management and intensify public education, using multiple approaches.
Additionally, he said it was important to enforce by-laws on sanitation and food hygiene, ensure access to safe water and promote safe preparation of food, safe disposal of human waste, as well as the proper management of dead bodies.