Saturday, February 19, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Co-ordinator of the Domestic Violence (DV) Coalition, Mr Adolph Awake Bekoe, has called on the government to give priority to gender-based violence and commit more funds for the implementation of the DV Act.
He said the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was so far the biggest donor towards the implementation of the DV Act, while the government's contribution was negligible.
"Civil society is not happy with the government's commitment. It is rather foreign governments giving support to deal with crimes perpetrated in Ghana," he said.
Mr Bekoe made the call at a one-day domestic violence reporting training for the media in Accra.
The programme was organised by the DV Coalition and sponsored by Cordaid.
He said gender-based violence, among other ills, undermined productivity and development and it was important that the government gave it priority and addressed issues affecting women and children.
"If we want more women to come into the public space, we must ensure they have peace in private space," he added.
He said the funds would also help train and retrain staff of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), judges, doctors and civil society and educate the public on domestic violence.
Mr Bekoe expressed concern that the state did not have shelter for abused women, noting that the only one was that of the Ark Foundation, an NGO.
Additionally, he said the coalition was still trying to get the meaning of the free medical provision in the DV Act, since victims of domestic violence still had to pay when they went to clinic.
Consequently, he said most victims of domestic violence did not push for prosecution because they had to foot the bill at the hospital.
Echoing the need for more funds to implement the DV Act, the acting Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinator of DOVVSU, DSP Bismark Agyapong, said the Ghana Police Service started the process of building a complex that would include a temporary shelter, a medical centre and a therapy/counselling room which would go a long way to help victims but that project had been put on hold due to lack of funds.
He mentioned some of the challenges in handling victims as delay in reporting the abuse, difficulty in getting evidence from witnesses to build a good case for prosecution and getting funds for medical treatment and reports.
DSP Agyapong urged the media to see the police as partners working for the common purpose of protecting the vulnerable against all forms of abuse.
He also appealed to the media not to publish one-sided stories.
He said since 2006, the Police Service had introduced gender issues and gender-based violence, child abuse, among others, into the curriculum of all its training schools.
In her presentation on, "Understanding Gender-based Violence and its impact", the Executive Director of the Ark Foundation, Mrs Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, said it was estimated that violence against women was a greater ill-health than traffic accidents, cancer and malaria combined.
She appealed to the media not to trivialise issues concerning gender-based violence.
Participants were also introduced to basic counselling skills.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
What happens to child involved in murder?
Saturday, February 12, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
In December last year, a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister while he was playing with his father’s shotgun at Magagia Camp at Sefwi-Wiawso.
Another incident occurred at Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Enchi in the Aowin-Suaman District, when a 13-year-old boy shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
Residents of Amisano, near Cape Coast in the Central Region, were left in tears last weekend when a 10-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his friend.
These are a few of the most recent incidents involving children playing with shotguns, resulting in the accidental murder or injury to others.
But what happens to these children who are involved in such incidents?
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, under the Criminal Code when a child below 12 commits such a murder, it is considered that the child has not committed any crime.
Act 29/60 Section 26 states that nothing is a crime committed by a person under 12.
What the prosecutors do is investigate the circumstances under which the crime was committed and if it is found out that it was through the negligence of an elderly person that the incident occurred, then he or she is arrested and prosecuted.
Additionally, if the act also exposed other children to danger, the elderly person is charged with that offence.
Chief Inspector Oppong said in such a situation a child who is below 12 is then taken through counselling and he might be used as a witness during the court process, depending on the circumstances.
She explained that if the child is 12 and above, upon committing the crime he or she is sent to the remand home at Osu, instead of the Nsawam Prison, and after investigations he or she might be prosecuted before a juvenile court and, if found guilty, he or she is sent to a correctional centre.
She explained that in all murder cases the docket was referred to the Attorney-General’s Office for advice.
On what would make a child pull the trigger, a consultant clinical psychologist of Psyconsult, Mr Nortey Dua, said most children world-wide were brought up and socialised in an environment that seemed to condone and endorse violence as a means of resolving conflict.
“Young children easily pick up and imitate the models and values they are bombarded with frequently. Thus some children have become desensitised to violence, even in their immature developing minds, and they see nothing wrong with violence or its consequence,” he explained.
He said children who were exposed to firearms also had the opportunity to fantasise about their use and they might, therefore, be tempted to actualise those maladaptive thoughts.
Mr Dua said some children might have an idea of the consequences but they might be too immature and impulsive to process that meaningfully in the face of strong urges, thoughts and feelings.
On what happened to a child when he/she accidentally killed, he said it was important that such a child and his or her family were shielded or protected from sensational media glare to facilitate a proper investigation into the circumstances leading up to the unfortunate incident and also assist with proper therapeutic interventions for him or her and the family.
He said investigations should be conducted by persons with the requisite professional qualifications and competencies to handle such cases, such as clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists and a full medico-legal team.
“Depending on the nature of the incident and the age of the child, a broad range of reactions needs to be expected, identified and managed, such as guilt, depression and other mood disorders, suicidal thoughts and attempts, post-traumatic stress disorders, aggression, conduct disorders, sleep, eating and learning disorders,” he explained.
He further said a proper and detailed assessment of the child's psycho-social adjustment must be undertaken and recommendations made for both short and long-term management.
The family, he said, must also be helped to come to terms with the reality of the situation and also helped to acquire effective coping skills.
Mr Dua called for a lot more public and family education at all levels of society and clear messages given that violence was unacceptable in all forms and manifestations.
He called for censorship of the mass media with regard to violent language and films which seemed to model violence as an acceptable conflict resolution tool.
He said parents were ultimately responsible for the safety of their children and it was their duty to protect the children from exposure to danger or harm and also provide their needs.
Mr Dua said parents who left dangerous chemicals, implements, weapons and others which exposed their children to danger and or harm must be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the laws of the country.
By Rebecca Kwei
In December last year, a four-year-old boy shot his seven-year-old sister while he was playing with his father’s shotgun at Magagia Camp at Sefwi-Wiawso.
Another incident occurred at Enhuutem-Eniehu, near Enchi in the Aowin-Suaman District, when a 13-year-old boy shot and killed a man believed to be mentally unstable.
Residents of Amisano, near Cape Coast in the Central Region, were left in tears last weekend when a 10-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his friend.
These are a few of the most recent incidents involving children playing with shotguns, resulting in the accidental murder or injury to others.
But what happens to these children who are involved in such incidents?
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, under the Criminal Code when a child below 12 commits such a murder, it is considered that the child has not committed any crime.
Act 29/60 Section 26 states that nothing is a crime committed by a person under 12.
What the prosecutors do is investigate the circumstances under which the crime was committed and if it is found out that it was through the negligence of an elderly person that the incident occurred, then he or she is arrested and prosecuted.
Additionally, if the act also exposed other children to danger, the elderly person is charged with that offence.
Chief Inspector Oppong said in such a situation a child who is below 12 is then taken through counselling and he might be used as a witness during the court process, depending on the circumstances.
She explained that if the child is 12 and above, upon committing the crime he or she is sent to the remand home at Osu, instead of the Nsawam Prison, and after investigations he or she might be prosecuted before a juvenile court and, if found guilty, he or she is sent to a correctional centre.
She explained that in all murder cases the docket was referred to the Attorney-General’s Office for advice.
On what would make a child pull the trigger, a consultant clinical psychologist of Psyconsult, Mr Nortey Dua, said most children world-wide were brought up and socialised in an environment that seemed to condone and endorse violence as a means of resolving conflict.
“Young children easily pick up and imitate the models and values they are bombarded with frequently. Thus some children have become desensitised to violence, even in their immature developing minds, and they see nothing wrong with violence or its consequence,” he explained.
He said children who were exposed to firearms also had the opportunity to fantasise about their use and they might, therefore, be tempted to actualise those maladaptive thoughts.
Mr Dua said some children might have an idea of the consequences but they might be too immature and impulsive to process that meaningfully in the face of strong urges, thoughts and feelings.
On what happened to a child when he/she accidentally killed, he said it was important that such a child and his or her family were shielded or protected from sensational media glare to facilitate a proper investigation into the circumstances leading up to the unfortunate incident and also assist with proper therapeutic interventions for him or her and the family.
He said investigations should be conducted by persons with the requisite professional qualifications and competencies to handle such cases, such as clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists and a full medico-legal team.
“Depending on the nature of the incident and the age of the child, a broad range of reactions needs to be expected, identified and managed, such as guilt, depression and other mood disorders, suicidal thoughts and attempts, post-traumatic stress disorders, aggression, conduct disorders, sleep, eating and learning disorders,” he explained.
He further said a proper and detailed assessment of the child's psycho-social adjustment must be undertaken and recommendations made for both short and long-term management.
The family, he said, must also be helped to come to terms with the reality of the situation and also helped to acquire effective coping skills.
Mr Dua called for a lot more public and family education at all levels of society and clear messages given that violence was unacceptable in all forms and manifestations.
He called for censorship of the mass media with regard to violent language and films which seemed to model violence as an acceptable conflict resolution tool.
He said parents were ultimately responsible for the safety of their children and it was their duty to protect the children from exposure to danger or harm and also provide their needs.
Mr Dua said parents who left dangerous chemicals, implements, weapons and others which exposed their children to danger and or harm must be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the laws of the country.
Multi-sectoral approach in health delivery vital
Saturday, February 5, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 13)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Chief Pharmacist and Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, has reiterated the need for a multi-sectoral approach to help remove barriers to access to affordable medicines in the country.
She said multi-sectoral approach in the health delivery system had been proven to be effective and also made the implementation of health policies easier.
Mrs Gyansa-Lutterodt was speaking at the launch of a publication of the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Ghana in Accra.
The publication, dubbed ‘Memorable Milestones 2008-2010’ highlights the success, challenges and lessons learned during the two-year pilot phase of the MeTA project.
MeTA is an alliance of partners working to improve access to medicines by increasing transparency and accountability in the healthcare marketplace. It was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and piloted in Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, the Philippines, Uganda and Zambia.
Mrs Gyansa-Lutterodt said all over the world policy development hinged on multi-sectoral approach and the lessons and successes chalked up by MeTA had shown that public, private and civil society collaboration was the way to go.
A co-chair of MeTA Ghana, Prof. David Ofori-Adjei, said the project had worked tirelessly to build a harmonious alliance of public, private and civil society stakeholders which now constituted the driving force to improve access to safe, efficacious and affordable medicines for Ghanaians.
For his part, Dr Alex Dodoo, also a co-chair of MeTA, said the two-year MeTA pilot ended in September last year and there was the need to be creative in finding ways to sustain the project, since MeTA’s cause of ensuring that all medicines in the country were of the best quality, easily available, prescribed and dispensed properly, and used rationally could not be downplayed.
Mr John Allotey, who represented the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said the project enabled members to hold discussions with policy makers and policy implementors which helped in the formulation of policies that impacted positively on the lives of Ghanaians.
He said it was important that MeTA became an entrenched institution in the country to ensure transparency and accountability in the medicine supply chain.
A member of the MeTA Governing Council who represented Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Mr Charles Allotey, said the MeTA project had helped build the capacity of CSOs to engage and discuss issues relating to medicine distribution and pricing.
He said the project had trained more than 100 CSOs and a network of CSOs had also been established across the 10 regions of Ghana to work in medicines transparency issues.
A director at the Ministry of Health, Mr Sam Boateng, who launched the publication, said MeTA had deepened the multi-sectoral approach and also empowered consumers to have a voice in issues relating to medicines.
By Rebecca Kwei
The Chief Pharmacist and Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, has reiterated the need for a multi-sectoral approach to help remove barriers to access to affordable medicines in the country.
She said multi-sectoral approach in the health delivery system had been proven to be effective and also made the implementation of health policies easier.
Mrs Gyansa-Lutterodt was speaking at the launch of a publication of the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Ghana in Accra.
The publication, dubbed ‘Memorable Milestones 2008-2010’ highlights the success, challenges and lessons learned during the two-year pilot phase of the MeTA project.
MeTA is an alliance of partners working to improve access to medicines by increasing transparency and accountability in the healthcare marketplace. It was funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and piloted in Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, the Philippines, Uganda and Zambia.
Mrs Gyansa-Lutterodt said all over the world policy development hinged on multi-sectoral approach and the lessons and successes chalked up by MeTA had shown that public, private and civil society collaboration was the way to go.
A co-chair of MeTA Ghana, Prof. David Ofori-Adjei, said the project had worked tirelessly to build a harmonious alliance of public, private and civil society stakeholders which now constituted the driving force to improve access to safe, efficacious and affordable medicines for Ghanaians.
For his part, Dr Alex Dodoo, also a co-chair of MeTA, said the two-year MeTA pilot ended in September last year and there was the need to be creative in finding ways to sustain the project, since MeTA’s cause of ensuring that all medicines in the country were of the best quality, easily available, prescribed and dispensed properly, and used rationally could not be downplayed.
Mr John Allotey, who represented the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said the project enabled members to hold discussions with policy makers and policy implementors which helped in the formulation of policies that impacted positively on the lives of Ghanaians.
He said it was important that MeTA became an entrenched institution in the country to ensure transparency and accountability in the medicine supply chain.
A member of the MeTA Governing Council who represented Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Mr Charles Allotey, said the MeTA project had helped build the capacity of CSOs to engage and discuss issues relating to medicine distribution and pricing.
He said the project had trained more than 100 CSOs and a network of CSOs had also been established across the 10 regions of Ghana to work in medicines transparency issues.
A director at the Ministry of Health, Mr Sam Boateng, who launched the publication, said MeTA had deepened the multi-sectoral approach and also empowered consumers to have a voice in issues relating to medicines.
Find new ways to source funds for research
Saturday, January 29, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 12)
By Rebecca Kwei
THE Director of the Research Division of the Ghana Health Service, Professor John Gyapong, has called on scientists in developing countries to find innovative ways of sourcing for funds for research.
He said most development partners were inundated with appeals and it was important that scientists begin to diversify their sources of funding.
Prof. Gyapong made the call at the last Annual General Meeting of the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) in Accra. The MCTA is a project of the INDEPTH Network of demographic surveillance centres to help conduct clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria and to provide training and technical assistance to research centres across Africa among others. There are 16 centres comprising the MCTA network in 10 African countries including Ghana.
The project, which was launched in 2006 with a $17 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will wind up in February this year.
Prof. Gyapong said over the last decade, several declarations had been made to support all forms of research.
However, he noted that mechanisms had not been put in place to ensure that those goals were achieved.
“If half of these declarations to support research have been implemented then probably, we would not need donor organisations to source for funds,” he said.
He commended the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting the MCTA since it was good to invest in the infrastructure and human capacity for research to achieve the desired results.
Prof. Gyapong said it was important for research to be prioritised and the GHS in its own way had ensured that was done by moving research from a small unit to a divisional level.
He encouraged scientists to engage policy makers to ensure that research findings flowed easily into policy making so that the gap between research and policy making was bridged.
The Project Manager of the MCTA, Prof. Fred Binka, said the project had developed the human capacity of most African scientists to conduct quality research.
He said they had leadership that was 100 per cent African, unlike the past when they were led by foreigners.
He said the project had also increased the number of sites in Africa which were properly equipped and managed and ready to conduct quality clinical trials on vaccines and drug interventions.
Prof. Binka said the MCTA was conducting clinical trials of the new malaria vaccine for its safety and also monitoring the effectiveness of malarial drugs being deployed in African countries under the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Anti-malarial drugs in Africa (INESS).
He pointed out that although the MCTA project was coming to an end, the trial sites were functional and was continuing the INESS project and trials for the malaria vaccine.
He said strengthening clinical trial facilities in Africa was key to saving millions of lives and that was what the MCTA sought to do.
The Programme Officer, Infectious Diseases, Global Health Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Jessica Milman, said the foundation was very happy about the work the MCTA had carried out over the past five years and that was why it again supported the INESS project.
The Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, said the work of the MCTA had helped to strengthen global research and development activities targeting malaria.
By Rebecca Kwei
THE Director of the Research Division of the Ghana Health Service, Professor John Gyapong, has called on scientists in developing countries to find innovative ways of sourcing for funds for research.
He said most development partners were inundated with appeals and it was important that scientists begin to diversify their sources of funding.
Prof. Gyapong made the call at the last Annual General Meeting of the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) in Accra. The MCTA is a project of the INDEPTH Network of demographic surveillance centres to help conduct clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria and to provide training and technical assistance to research centres across Africa among others. There are 16 centres comprising the MCTA network in 10 African countries including Ghana.
The project, which was launched in 2006 with a $17 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will wind up in February this year.
Prof. Gyapong said over the last decade, several declarations had been made to support all forms of research.
However, he noted that mechanisms had not been put in place to ensure that those goals were achieved.
“If half of these declarations to support research have been implemented then probably, we would not need donor organisations to source for funds,” he said.
He commended the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting the MCTA since it was good to invest in the infrastructure and human capacity for research to achieve the desired results.
Prof. Gyapong said it was important for research to be prioritised and the GHS in its own way had ensured that was done by moving research from a small unit to a divisional level.
He encouraged scientists to engage policy makers to ensure that research findings flowed easily into policy making so that the gap between research and policy making was bridged.
The Project Manager of the MCTA, Prof. Fred Binka, said the project had developed the human capacity of most African scientists to conduct quality research.
He said they had leadership that was 100 per cent African, unlike the past when they were led by foreigners.
He said the project had also increased the number of sites in Africa which were properly equipped and managed and ready to conduct quality clinical trials on vaccines and drug interventions.
Prof. Binka said the MCTA was conducting clinical trials of the new malaria vaccine for its safety and also monitoring the effectiveness of malarial drugs being deployed in African countries under the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Anti-malarial drugs in Africa (INESS).
He pointed out that although the MCTA project was coming to an end, the trial sites were functional and was continuing the INESS project and trials for the malaria vaccine.
He said strengthening clinical trial facilities in Africa was key to saving millions of lives and that was what the MCTA sought to do.
The Programme Officer, Infectious Diseases, Global Health Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Jessica Milman, said the foundation was very happy about the work the MCTA had carried out over the past five years and that was why it again supported the INESS project.
The Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network, Dr Osman Sankoh, said the work of the MCTA had helped to strengthen global research and development activities targeting malaria.
Intensify malaria control measures — WHO
Saturday, January 29, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 13)
By Rebecca Kwei
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on malaria endemic countries to intensify good malaria control measures in order to reduce transmission and lower the risk of resistant parasites from spreading.
This comes in the wake of reports of evidence of resistance to artemisinins being identified and confirmed on the Cambodia-Thailand border in Asia. The first resistance to chloroquine was discovered in the same region about a decade ago, leading to its ban later on in malaria endemic countries which had also developed resistance to it.
The WHO currently recommends the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The first line ACTs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana is the Artesunate Amodiaquine (ASAQ) while the second line is Arthemether/Lumefantrine (AL) or Dihydroartemisin Piperaquine (DHAP).
Fortunately, there has not been any resistance to artemisinins in Ghana but there is the need to mobilise immediately to contain artemisinin resistance and stop its spread to new areas.
Consequently, the WHO has developed the Global Plan for Artemisinin Resistance Containment (GPARC) which calls to action the prevention of resistance development in ACTs.
The plan was jointly developed by the Global Malaria Programme and the Roll Back Malaria in consultation with more than 100 malaria experts and seeks to guide countries on how to prevent development of resistance to artemisinin.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, the WHO Advisor for Malaria, Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi, said what countries could do to prevent the emergence of resistance was to increase monitoring and surveillance to evaluate the threat of artemisinin resistance as well as improve access to diagnostics and rational treatment with ACTs.
For Ghana, she among others said, “There should be consistent and accurate diagnostic testing for patients suspected of having malaria; better access to ACTs for confirmed malaria cases; compliance with ACT treatment; removal or non patronage of artemisinin mono-therapies and elimination of all sub-standard and counterfeit drugs.
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said it was important to guard ACTs because “if we lose ACTs we are finished.”
She said doctors have been retrained but there were still some “stubborn ones who were still prescribing monotherapy” which were no longer effective treatment for malaria.
On making ACTs affordable, she said with the introduction of the Affordable Medicines Facility-Malaria (AMFm), the ACTs which were of good quality were selling between GH¢1 to 1.50 p.
However, she said some saboteurs were selling the medicines at very high prices and called on the public to be on the look out and report such people.
Dr Bart-Plange said the era where every fever was malaria was over and that the NMCP had deployed rapid diagnostic test kits to health facilities and pharmacies to ensure that people were confirmed to be having malaria before they were given an anti-malarial.
The programme was organised by the Johns Hopkins University Voices for Malaria Free Future in collaboration with the NMCP and the Ghana Health Service.
By Rebecca Kwei
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on malaria endemic countries to intensify good malaria control measures in order to reduce transmission and lower the risk of resistant parasites from spreading.
This comes in the wake of reports of evidence of resistance to artemisinins being identified and confirmed on the Cambodia-Thailand border in Asia. The first resistance to chloroquine was discovered in the same region about a decade ago, leading to its ban later on in malaria endemic countries which had also developed resistance to it.
The WHO currently recommends the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The first line ACTs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana is the Artesunate Amodiaquine (ASAQ) while the second line is Arthemether/Lumefantrine (AL) or Dihydroartemisin Piperaquine (DHAP).
Fortunately, there has not been any resistance to artemisinins in Ghana but there is the need to mobilise immediately to contain artemisinin resistance and stop its spread to new areas.
Consequently, the WHO has developed the Global Plan for Artemisinin Resistance Containment (GPARC) which calls to action the prevention of resistance development in ACTs.
The plan was jointly developed by the Global Malaria Programme and the Roll Back Malaria in consultation with more than 100 malaria experts and seeks to guide countries on how to prevent development of resistance to artemisinin.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, the WHO Advisor for Malaria, Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi, said what countries could do to prevent the emergence of resistance was to increase monitoring and surveillance to evaluate the threat of artemisinin resistance as well as improve access to diagnostics and rational treatment with ACTs.
For Ghana, she among others said, “There should be consistent and accurate diagnostic testing for patients suspected of having malaria; better access to ACTs for confirmed malaria cases; compliance with ACT treatment; removal or non patronage of artemisinin mono-therapies and elimination of all sub-standard and counterfeit drugs.
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said it was important to guard ACTs because “if we lose ACTs we are finished.”
She said doctors have been retrained but there were still some “stubborn ones who were still prescribing monotherapy” which were no longer effective treatment for malaria.
On making ACTs affordable, she said with the introduction of the Affordable Medicines Facility-Malaria (AMFm), the ACTs which were of good quality were selling between GH¢1 to 1.50 p.
However, she said some saboteurs were selling the medicines at very high prices and called on the public to be on the look out and report such people.
Dr Bart-Plange said the era where every fever was malaria was over and that the NMCP had deployed rapid diagnostic test kits to health facilities and pharmacies to ensure that people were confirmed to be having malaria before they were given an anti-malarial.
The programme was organised by the Johns Hopkins University Voices for Malaria Free Future in collaboration with the NMCP and the Ghana Health Service.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Achibra wins 2011 Martin Luther King award
Saturday, January 22, 2011 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
FOR his commitment and courage in stopping child trafficking and promoting child welfare in communities in the Volta Lake area, Mr George Achibra has been awarded the US Embassy’s 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.
This is the fourth year the embassy has presented the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice to a Ghanaian citizen who has best personified the philosophy and actions of Dr King Jr.
The award is to recognise a Ghanaian citizen who has been engaged in building a culture of peacemaking through activism for non-violence, social justice and stabilisation while promoting human rights and peace in the communities where he or she lives and works and has shown sustainable results from his or her actions.
Mr Achibra founded the Partners in Community Development Programme (PACODEP) in Kete Krachi in 2003 to work with partners toward protecting the rights of all persons, especially vulnerable children, and supporting them to build their future.
Since then, Mr Achibra and his volunteers with PACODEP have continued to rescue trafficked children working on the Volta lake and provided them with long-term care solutions when reunification with the children’s families was not an option.
So, Mr Achibra says PACODEP and its partners have rescued about 355 children between the ages of four to 15 years. Sixty-eight children are currently at the Village of Hope, Gomoa Fetteh, 22 at the Village of Life, Kete-Krachi while the rest have re-integrated into society or reunited with their families.
The rescued children are at the moment either schooling or engaged in skills training such as soap making, basketry, weaving and jewellery.
Asked how he felt about the award, Mr Achibra said “I’m lost for words but I thank God for how far He has brought me. Little did I know that the work I was doing on the Island district will be recognised. But there was a ‘bigger eye’ somewhere watching. I’m highly elated.”
According to Mr Achibra, the award would spur him on as well as the volunteers to put the issue of human trafficking on the national agenda and the world at large so that “we can give a voice to these voiceless children”.
He said he was very passionate about children and would continue to work hard to see to it that rescued trafficked children were given hope and most importantly, formal education since they were the future leaders of the country.
Since the inception of PACODEP, it has reached out to 33 fishing communities and sensitised fishermen and students in senior high schools on human trafficking and child labour laws; sponsored widows to undergo skills training in soap making; formed anti-trafficking groups to sensitise communities, provided fishermen and spouses with financial counselling and business management skills; opened an account in Kete-Krachi Community Co-operative Credit Union Financial institution for clients to access and develop businesses among others.
Mr Achibra said it was important for other NGOs working in the same area to work passionately from their heart devoid of politics.
While calling for a total education on issues bordering on human trafficking, he also called for greater collaboration among government, the forces, human rights institutions and private organisations to curb the menace on human trafficking.
Fifty-four-year-old Mr Achibra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education from the University of Education, Winneba, and is married to Anna with seven children.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Donald Teitelbaum, who presented the award to Mr Achibra said if people looked at Martin Luther King Jr as standing up only for civic rights then they were mistaken since he stood up for all the vulnerable and marginalised in America to bring about change.
He said Mr Achibra had also taken a bold stand to say child trafficking is wrong and working to do the right thing.
By Rebecca Kwei
FOR his commitment and courage in stopping child trafficking and promoting child welfare in communities in the Volta Lake area, Mr George Achibra has been awarded the US Embassy’s 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.
This is the fourth year the embassy has presented the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice to a Ghanaian citizen who has best personified the philosophy and actions of Dr King Jr.
The award is to recognise a Ghanaian citizen who has been engaged in building a culture of peacemaking through activism for non-violence, social justice and stabilisation while promoting human rights and peace in the communities where he or she lives and works and has shown sustainable results from his or her actions.
Mr Achibra founded the Partners in Community Development Programme (PACODEP) in Kete Krachi in 2003 to work with partners toward protecting the rights of all persons, especially vulnerable children, and supporting them to build their future.
Since then, Mr Achibra and his volunteers with PACODEP have continued to rescue trafficked children working on the Volta lake and provided them with long-term care solutions when reunification with the children’s families was not an option.
So, Mr Achibra says PACODEP and its partners have rescued about 355 children between the ages of four to 15 years. Sixty-eight children are currently at the Village of Hope, Gomoa Fetteh, 22 at the Village of Life, Kete-Krachi while the rest have re-integrated into society or reunited with their families.
The rescued children are at the moment either schooling or engaged in skills training such as soap making, basketry, weaving and jewellery.
Asked how he felt about the award, Mr Achibra said “I’m lost for words but I thank God for how far He has brought me. Little did I know that the work I was doing on the Island district will be recognised. But there was a ‘bigger eye’ somewhere watching. I’m highly elated.”
According to Mr Achibra, the award would spur him on as well as the volunteers to put the issue of human trafficking on the national agenda and the world at large so that “we can give a voice to these voiceless children”.
He said he was very passionate about children and would continue to work hard to see to it that rescued trafficked children were given hope and most importantly, formal education since they were the future leaders of the country.
Since the inception of PACODEP, it has reached out to 33 fishing communities and sensitised fishermen and students in senior high schools on human trafficking and child labour laws; sponsored widows to undergo skills training in soap making; formed anti-trafficking groups to sensitise communities, provided fishermen and spouses with financial counselling and business management skills; opened an account in Kete-Krachi Community Co-operative Credit Union Financial institution for clients to access and develop businesses among others.
Mr Achibra said it was important for other NGOs working in the same area to work passionately from their heart devoid of politics.
While calling for a total education on issues bordering on human trafficking, he also called for greater collaboration among government, the forces, human rights institutions and private organisations to curb the menace on human trafficking.
Fifty-four-year-old Mr Achibra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education from the University of Education, Winneba, and is married to Anna with seven children.
The US Ambassador to Ghana, Donald Teitelbaum, who presented the award to Mr Achibra said if people looked at Martin Luther King Jr as standing up only for civic rights then they were mistaken since he stood up for all the vulnerable and marginalised in America to bring about change.
He said Mr Achibra had also taken a bold stand to say child trafficking is wrong and working to do the right thing.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Have you examined your breast today?
Saturday, October 23, 2010 (The Mirror Pg 11)
By Rebecca Kwei
October is breast cancer awareness month. It is an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure.
The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.
Every woman is afraid of breast cancer and it is one of the leading cancers and deaths worldwide. Simply being a woman is a risk for developing breast cancer and that is why it is sad that this month has not witnessed much awareness of the disease by the organisations working on breast cancer.
Just this year, a Ghana News Agency (GNA) report in May this year indicated that four female teachers died of breast cancer and four others of cervical cancer in the Eastern Region.
This is just a tip of the iceberg, since the figures of people dying of breast cancer are more but there is no cancer registry in the country and getting a national outlook of the disease is difficult.
In an interview I had last year with the Director of the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Dr Joel Yarney, he said breast cancer was the leading case that was brought to the centre.
In 2008, there were 266 new cases reported at the centre, representing 28 per cent of the total number of cancers reported there.
There are several breast cancer risk factors, which include age, because as one grows older, the risk of developing breast cancer increases; family and personal history of breast cancer; alcohol consumption; family planning choices and genetics.
Health experts also indicate the following as some of the symptoms of breast cancer:
• a breast that feels warm to the touch
• nipple that becomes inverted that was not inverted before
• skin on or around breast is dimpled or has an appearance similar to an orange peel
• skin on breast that is red or blotchy
• sudden increase in breast size that is not related to menstrual cycle
• nipple discharge (clear or bloody)
• nipple pain or scaly nipples
• persistent breast pain or tenderness that is unrelated to menstrual cycle
• swelling of the lymph nodes of the armpit
• a breast lump, swelling, or mass
These are symptoms of breast cancer that can be seen or touched, but there are instances in early breast cancer where there are no symptoms that can be detected by physical examination.
Imaging tests like mammograms and MRI can detect breast abnormalities that cannot be seen by the eye or by the touch.
“Most women fear that their breast will be cut and they will die but it is not automatic. Being diagnosed of breast cancer is not a death sentence,” says Dr Yarney.
Unfortunately, there are no true methods of preventing breast cancer, say the experts, but by avoiding breast cancer risk factors, you can decrease your risk of developing it.
“As soon as a woman feels a lump in her breast, it is important to see a doctor and not attribute it to the work of witches,” advises Dr Yarney.
When breast cancer is detected early, it can be cured. Breast cancer in its early stage presents no symptoms.
“That is why every woman must make a conscious effort to self examine her breast regularly and if there is anything unusual, see a doctor,” says Dr Yarney.
Every woman must be proactive in taking care of her breasts by doing self breast exams at home, having yearly clinical breast exams by a nurse or doctor in her 20s and 30s, as well as an annual mammogram, beginning at age 40 (women at a higher risk may begin having mammograms earlier at the recommendation of their doctor).
It is important not to think that you are too young to be affected by breast cancer: breast cancer can strike at any age.
The National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital runs a breast cancer screening programme every Tuesday and any woman can walk in for screening, since there is no need for a referral.
The centre also has all modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancers.
Fortunately, breast cancer is on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and some of the medication for its treatment.
So, have you examined your breast today? Why don’t you spare a few minutes today to examine your breasts? Remember — it is one of a woman’s most treasured assets. Give it a try!
By Rebecca Kwei
October is breast cancer awareness month. It is an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure.
The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.
Every woman is afraid of breast cancer and it is one of the leading cancers and deaths worldwide. Simply being a woman is a risk for developing breast cancer and that is why it is sad that this month has not witnessed much awareness of the disease by the organisations working on breast cancer.
Just this year, a Ghana News Agency (GNA) report in May this year indicated that four female teachers died of breast cancer and four others of cervical cancer in the Eastern Region.
This is just a tip of the iceberg, since the figures of people dying of breast cancer are more but there is no cancer registry in the country and getting a national outlook of the disease is difficult.
In an interview I had last year with the Director of the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Dr Joel Yarney, he said breast cancer was the leading case that was brought to the centre.
In 2008, there were 266 new cases reported at the centre, representing 28 per cent of the total number of cancers reported there.
There are several breast cancer risk factors, which include age, because as one grows older, the risk of developing breast cancer increases; family and personal history of breast cancer; alcohol consumption; family planning choices and genetics.
Health experts also indicate the following as some of the symptoms of breast cancer:
• a breast that feels warm to the touch
• nipple that becomes inverted that was not inverted before
• skin on or around breast is dimpled or has an appearance similar to an orange peel
• skin on breast that is red or blotchy
• sudden increase in breast size that is not related to menstrual cycle
• nipple discharge (clear or bloody)
• nipple pain or scaly nipples
• persistent breast pain or tenderness that is unrelated to menstrual cycle
• swelling of the lymph nodes of the armpit
• a breast lump, swelling, or mass
These are symptoms of breast cancer that can be seen or touched, but there are instances in early breast cancer where there are no symptoms that can be detected by physical examination.
Imaging tests like mammograms and MRI can detect breast abnormalities that cannot be seen by the eye or by the touch.
“Most women fear that their breast will be cut and they will die but it is not automatic. Being diagnosed of breast cancer is not a death sentence,” says Dr Yarney.
Unfortunately, there are no true methods of preventing breast cancer, say the experts, but by avoiding breast cancer risk factors, you can decrease your risk of developing it.
“As soon as a woman feels a lump in her breast, it is important to see a doctor and not attribute it to the work of witches,” advises Dr Yarney.
When breast cancer is detected early, it can be cured. Breast cancer in its early stage presents no symptoms.
“That is why every woman must make a conscious effort to self examine her breast regularly and if there is anything unusual, see a doctor,” says Dr Yarney.
Every woman must be proactive in taking care of her breasts by doing self breast exams at home, having yearly clinical breast exams by a nurse or doctor in her 20s and 30s, as well as an annual mammogram, beginning at age 40 (women at a higher risk may begin having mammograms earlier at the recommendation of their doctor).
It is important not to think that you are too young to be affected by breast cancer: breast cancer can strike at any age.
The National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital runs a breast cancer screening programme every Tuesday and any woman can walk in for screening, since there is no need for a referral.
The centre also has all modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancers.
Fortunately, breast cancer is on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and some of the medication for its treatment.
So, have you examined your breast today? Why don’t you spare a few minutes today to examine your breasts? Remember — it is one of a woman’s most treasured assets. Give it a try!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)