Saturday, April 30, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 34)
From Rebecca Kwei, Ahwiam
As part of the World Malaria Day celebrations which fell on Monday, April 25, members of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in collaboration with other partners promoted the use of bednets in some communities of the Dangme West District.
Malaria affects about three million people annually in Ghana resulting in about 38,000 deaths most of whom are women and children under five. Studies have shown that the use of insecticide treated nets reduced mortality in children under five by about 20 per cent and malarial illnesses among children under five and pregnant women by up to 50 per cent.
One thousand Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs) were provided by Exxon Mobil through NetsforLife, a partnership for malaria prevention which were hung in the homes of the people of Ahwiam and other communities in the Dawa and Osuwem Area Councils of the district.
In times past ITNs were distributed to people to hang themselves but they were not being used for the purpose for which they were meant and this has resulted in a paradigm shift in the strategy for deploying ITNs known as the Hang Up method being championed by Netsforlife.
Under this volunteers actually go to homes and hang up the ITNs over the sleeping areas of households.
For the Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, the event was very important since this time round, journalists were not only there to report but were part of the process getting the ITNs to the people of the community.
She called on the government to waive taxes on ITNs and other anti-malarials as has been done in other African countries so that children and pregnant women would not die needlessly of malaria.
“After 11 years of the Abuja Declaration, why are we still dying of malaria? We need to engage policy makers and hold them accountable to the declarations they have signed” Mrs Binka said.
Stressing on the need to use ITNs, the Director of the Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dr Margaret Gyapong, said globally and nationally countries were striving to meet the MDG targets and with regard to malaria, the promotion and use of LLINs was one of the control measures.
She said national data showed that the use of ITN increased successively from 3.5 per cent in 2002 to a peak of 55.3 per cent in 2007.
However, the proportion of children under five years sleeping under ITNs declined significantly to 40.5 per cent in 2008. Similarly, ITN use among pregnant women has been encouraging until 2008 where it declined drastically to 30.2 per cent from a peak of 52.5 per cent in the 2007.
On her part, the District Director of Health Services, Dangme West District, Dr Evelyn K. Ansah, emphasised in the local dialect that malaria was caused by the female anopheles mosquito which liked to breed in clean and not dirty water contrary to local beliefs that malaria was caused by working in the sun, eating unripe mangoes and eating oily food.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Manager of NetsforLife, Mr Samuel Asiedu said the organisation in collaboration with its partners had distributed 4.8 million LLINs across 17 African countries with 1.2 million of those in Ghana.
This year’s World Malaria Day had the global theme “Achieving Progress and Impact” while the event had the sub theme of “Ensuring Universal Coverage of Bednets”.
It was organised in collaboration with the Dodowa Health Research Centre, the District Health Service with funding from the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA) of the INDEPTH Network.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Daring ‘419’ at Ghana Music Awards - As VIP snap top prize
By Rebecca Kwei
Despite the tight security measures organisers adopted to check overcrowding at last Saturday’s MTN Ghana Music Awards by ensuring that ticket sales matched the number of seats available at the Dome, some cheats still managed to print and sell fake tickets.
Close to 100 fake tickets from punters were confiscated from patrons who had purchased them from a young man who is currently in custody at the Ministries Police Station in Accra while investigations go on.
This year’s cache seems to be the largest of all incidences of fake tickets impounded by Charterhouse security at any of their public events.
It will be recalled that Charterhouse, organisers of many other special events, had always been criticised for poor protocol management.
People who attended their events and faced difficulty finding seats accused Charterhouse of selling more tickets than there were seats.
Although Charterhouse had explained that no matter how hard they tried to put things in place, people always managed to beat the system by either coming in through the backstage or some unauthorised exit.
This year’s event, which took place at the Dome, a huge makeshift tent marquee set on the car park of the Accra International Conference Centre, saw yet another full house.
While efforts were made this year to stop people from entering the main hall through unauthorised routes and exits, a good number still managed to infiltrate using the fake tickets, perhaps, unknowingly.
“If you consider that our quota for paid VIP tickets was only 150 seats, the remaining seats in that area were reserved for nominees, award presenters and sponsors. You can begin to appreciate that we cannot afford to have even one seat unaccounted for. Someone would have bought an official ticket for that seat so anyone who takes up that one seat, with a fake ticket, causes a major problem for our protocol arrangements,” explained Ms Hedwig Quist, head of security and protocol for the event.
“Now that the kingpin of ticket racketeering has been caught, perhaps, it will make our protocol work easier,” she added.
All that notwithstanding, the show took off to a flying start, kicking off with a brilliant performance from Sherifa Gunu, Bertha and Efya who did a medley of Osibisa tunes namely Welcome Home, Osa (Warrior Song) and Celebration which saw the legendary leader of Osibisa Teddy Osei himself joining the girls, and blowing his trumpet!
Teddy Osei received the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Osibisa, and it was presented to him by the former Vice President of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), Alhaji Sidiku Buari.
And so the performances and receiving of awards went on till the end of the night when the sensational boys from Nima, the group VIP (Vision In Progress), came up to receive the ‘Artiste of the Year’ award – their second time – having earlier picked up the one for ‘Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste of the Year’ award.
MC for the night was the inimitable KKD!
Here’s the full list of winners for the night:
Artiste of the Year - VIP
Most Popular Song - 'Aha Ye De', Nana Boroo
Discovery - Herty Borngreat
Hip hop /Hiplife Song - 'Africa Girl' by Castro and Asamoah Gyan
Hip hop/Hiplife Artistes - VIP
Hip-hop Song - 'Get On the Dance Floor' D' Black
Gospel Song - 'Efunuba' Cecilia Marfo
Gospel Artiste - No Tribe
Highlife Song' – ‘Dadeanoma' Kwabena Kwabena
Highlife artiste - Kwabena Kwabena
Afro-Pop Song – ‘Kiss Your Hand’, R2Bees
Reggae Song - IWAN
Best Collaboration - 'Africa Girls', Castro and Asamoah Gyan
Best Rapper - Trigmatic
African Artiste - K'Naan
Record - Sammi B
Album – ‘CEO’, Samini
Song Writer – ‘Efunuba’ by Pastor Boamah
Best Male Vocal Performance - KNii Lante
Best Female Vocal Performance - Efya
Producer - Zapp Mallet
World Bank Music for Development Award - Reggy Zippy, with GH¢3,000. All the other nominees took home GHC¢300. Abraham Ohene-Gyan of OM Studios took home GH¢5,000 for helping to promote 100 per cent indigenous Ghanaian music on his Fiesta TV platform.
Despite the tight security measures organisers adopted to check overcrowding at last Saturday’s MTN Ghana Music Awards by ensuring that ticket sales matched the number of seats available at the Dome, some cheats still managed to print and sell fake tickets.
Close to 100 fake tickets from punters were confiscated from patrons who had purchased them from a young man who is currently in custody at the Ministries Police Station in Accra while investigations go on.
This year’s cache seems to be the largest of all incidences of fake tickets impounded by Charterhouse security at any of their public events.
It will be recalled that Charterhouse, organisers of many other special events, had always been criticised for poor protocol management.
People who attended their events and faced difficulty finding seats accused Charterhouse of selling more tickets than there were seats.
Although Charterhouse had explained that no matter how hard they tried to put things in place, people always managed to beat the system by either coming in through the backstage or some unauthorised exit.
This year’s event, which took place at the Dome, a huge makeshift tent marquee set on the car park of the Accra International Conference Centre, saw yet another full house.
While efforts were made this year to stop people from entering the main hall through unauthorised routes and exits, a good number still managed to infiltrate using the fake tickets, perhaps, unknowingly.
“If you consider that our quota for paid VIP tickets was only 150 seats, the remaining seats in that area were reserved for nominees, award presenters and sponsors. You can begin to appreciate that we cannot afford to have even one seat unaccounted for. Someone would have bought an official ticket for that seat so anyone who takes up that one seat, with a fake ticket, causes a major problem for our protocol arrangements,” explained Ms Hedwig Quist, head of security and protocol for the event.
“Now that the kingpin of ticket racketeering has been caught, perhaps, it will make our protocol work easier,” she added.
All that notwithstanding, the show took off to a flying start, kicking off with a brilliant performance from Sherifa Gunu, Bertha and Efya who did a medley of Osibisa tunes namely Welcome Home, Osa (Warrior Song) and Celebration which saw the legendary leader of Osibisa Teddy Osei himself joining the girls, and blowing his trumpet!
Teddy Osei received the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Osibisa, and it was presented to him by the former Vice President of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), Alhaji Sidiku Buari.
And so the performances and receiving of awards went on till the end of the night when the sensational boys from Nima, the group VIP (Vision In Progress), came up to receive the ‘Artiste of the Year’ award – their second time – having earlier picked up the one for ‘Hiplife/Hiphop Artiste of the Year’ award.
MC for the night was the inimitable KKD!
Here’s the full list of winners for the night:
Artiste of the Year - VIP
Most Popular Song - 'Aha Ye De', Nana Boroo
Discovery - Herty Borngreat
Hip hop /Hiplife Song - 'Africa Girl' by Castro and Asamoah Gyan
Hip hop/Hiplife Artistes - VIP
Hip-hop Song - 'Get On the Dance Floor' D' Black
Gospel Song - 'Efunuba' Cecilia Marfo
Gospel Artiste - No Tribe
Highlife Song' – ‘Dadeanoma' Kwabena Kwabena
Highlife artiste - Kwabena Kwabena
Afro-Pop Song – ‘Kiss Your Hand’, R2Bees
Reggae Song - IWAN
Best Collaboration - 'Africa Girls', Castro and Asamoah Gyan
Best Rapper - Trigmatic
African Artiste - K'Naan
Record - Sammi B
Album – ‘CEO’, Samini
Song Writer – ‘Efunuba’ by Pastor Boamah
Best Male Vocal Performance - KNii Lante
Best Female Vocal Performance - Efya
Producer - Zapp Mallet
World Bank Music for Development Award - Reggy Zippy, with GH¢3,000. All the other nominees took home GHC¢300. Abraham Ohene-Gyan of OM Studios took home GH¢5,000 for helping to promote 100 per cent indigenous Ghanaian music on his Fiesta TV platform.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Dr Vera Fosu — Best All-round Student
Saturday, April 9, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
RUNNING around playfully on the dusty backroads of Tamale as a child, Vera Mawusime Fosu continually had it at the back of her mind that her father had been talking about her becoming a medical doctor one day and her heart is now swollen with pride that the prediction has materialised.
At the 10th Congregation and swearing-in ceremony of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana held last weekend, she was the toast of the day as she officially became Dr Vera Mawusime Fosu and collected seven prizes, including the highly treasured one for Best All-round Student throughout the course.
The other prizes were the Lucy Peprah Tawiah Prize for Best Female Student in Child Health; Harry Sawyerr Prize for Best Overall Student in Child Health; Harry Sawyerr Prize in Medicine and Therapeutics; MB ChB Final Part I Best Overall Student; David Scott Prize in Community Health and the Ghana Medical Association Prize for Best Overall Student in the MB Ch.B Final Part II Examination.
“I feel great and blessed, especially with the overall best student prize. I was surprised at that because I was in a very competitive class with equally intelligent students but by the grace of God I came out tops,” she told The Mirror in an interview.
Aside the grace of God factor, Vera attributed her success to hard work and the support of her parents, husband, friends and congregation of the International Central Gospel Church, Holy Family Assembly at Dansoman in Accra.
She also said she had role models whom she looked up to for hope and encouragement as she ploughed on with her studies. She mentioned Prof. Efua Hesse, the Director of Medical Affairs at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and other female doctors whom she greatly respected for excelling in the medical field.
Becoming a medical doctor did not come by chance for Vera. She recollected growing up and how her parents, father especially, always told her she would be a doctor in future. That hint did not leave her until she got to secondary school and started admiring a friend’s father’s profession: civil engineering.
“I got a little change of heart and wanted to be a civil engineer. After secondary school, however, and a few discussions here and there, I decided to go to medical school,” she recalled.
“I love taking care of people and the medical field provides that opportunity. Being a doctor is about saving lives and bringing hope to people to make them feel better. That’s what I love doing.”
Though most girls assume that the sciences are very difficult areas to tackle, Vera says it all has to do with one’s mentality. “If you perceive it to be difficult, then it will be difficult. It is also a matter of interest. Once you have the interest and the hunger within you to make it, you can go all out for it and not rely on hearsay.”
She conceded that there are a lot of challenges with the sciences but other subjects also require hard work and determination to pull through.
In order to get more girls to offer science subjects, Vera said it was important for them to be encouraged from early childhood. They must also get career counsellors and they must be given equal opportunities, just like boys.
Born in Tamale on April 3, 1985 to Dr Mathias Fosu, a research scientist and Mrs Matilda Fosu, a teacher, Vera attended St Monica’s Primary School in Nyankpala to Class Five before moving to Accra to continue her basic education at St Anthony’s Preparatory School, South Odorkor from Class Six to the Junior High School level.
She had her secondary school education at Yaa Asantewaa where she offered Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Elective Maths and completed in 2002. She then entered the University of Ghana in August 2003.
For now, the young brilliant doctor is still basking in the euphoria of coming out tops at her graduation as she waits to start her housemanship at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital next month. She hopes to specialise in Family Medicine in the future.
Dr Vera Mawusime Fosu is married to Dr Titus Beyuo whom she met in medical school.
By Rebecca Kwei
RUNNING around playfully on the dusty backroads of Tamale as a child, Vera Mawusime Fosu continually had it at the back of her mind that her father had been talking about her becoming a medical doctor one day and her heart is now swollen with pride that the prediction has materialised.
At the 10th Congregation and swearing-in ceremony of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana held last weekend, she was the toast of the day as she officially became Dr Vera Mawusime Fosu and collected seven prizes, including the highly treasured one for Best All-round Student throughout the course.
The other prizes were the Lucy Peprah Tawiah Prize for Best Female Student in Child Health; Harry Sawyerr Prize for Best Overall Student in Child Health; Harry Sawyerr Prize in Medicine and Therapeutics; MB ChB Final Part I Best Overall Student; David Scott Prize in Community Health and the Ghana Medical Association Prize for Best Overall Student in the MB Ch.B Final Part II Examination.
“I feel great and blessed, especially with the overall best student prize. I was surprised at that because I was in a very competitive class with equally intelligent students but by the grace of God I came out tops,” she told The Mirror in an interview.
Aside the grace of God factor, Vera attributed her success to hard work and the support of her parents, husband, friends and congregation of the International Central Gospel Church, Holy Family Assembly at Dansoman in Accra.
She also said she had role models whom she looked up to for hope and encouragement as she ploughed on with her studies. She mentioned Prof. Efua Hesse, the Director of Medical Affairs at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and other female doctors whom she greatly respected for excelling in the medical field.
Becoming a medical doctor did not come by chance for Vera. She recollected growing up and how her parents, father especially, always told her she would be a doctor in future. That hint did not leave her until she got to secondary school and started admiring a friend’s father’s profession: civil engineering.
“I got a little change of heart and wanted to be a civil engineer. After secondary school, however, and a few discussions here and there, I decided to go to medical school,” she recalled.
“I love taking care of people and the medical field provides that opportunity. Being a doctor is about saving lives and bringing hope to people to make them feel better. That’s what I love doing.”
Though most girls assume that the sciences are very difficult areas to tackle, Vera says it all has to do with one’s mentality. “If you perceive it to be difficult, then it will be difficult. It is also a matter of interest. Once you have the interest and the hunger within you to make it, you can go all out for it and not rely on hearsay.”
She conceded that there are a lot of challenges with the sciences but other subjects also require hard work and determination to pull through.
In order to get more girls to offer science subjects, Vera said it was important for them to be encouraged from early childhood. They must also get career counsellors and they must be given equal opportunities, just like boys.
Born in Tamale on April 3, 1985 to Dr Mathias Fosu, a research scientist and Mrs Matilda Fosu, a teacher, Vera attended St Monica’s Primary School in Nyankpala to Class Five before moving to Accra to continue her basic education at St Anthony’s Preparatory School, South Odorkor from Class Six to the Junior High School level.
She had her secondary school education at Yaa Asantewaa where she offered Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Elective Maths and completed in 2002. She then entered the University of Ghana in August 2003.
For now, the young brilliant doctor is still basking in the euphoria of coming out tops at her graduation as she waits to start her housemanship at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital next month. She hopes to specialise in Family Medicine in the future.
Dr Vera Mawusime Fosu is married to Dr Titus Beyuo whom she met in medical school.
WHO releases list of drugs — To save mothers and children
Saturday, March 6, 2011 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
Surveys conducted in 14 African countries show that children's medicines are available in only 35 to 50 per cent of public and private pharmacies and drug stores.
The availability of medicines in developing countries for maternal and child health is compromised by poor supply and distribution systems, insufficient health facilities and staff, low investment in health and the high cost of medicines.
Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has compiled its first ever list of priority medicines that need to be available everywhere for maternal and child health.
The top 30 essential medicines which was launched at the 18th Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines in Accra, was compiled by experts in maternal and child health and medicines who analysed the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and the latest WHO treatment guidelines to establish which medicines would save the most lives.
A Clinical Pharmacologist at the WHO, Dr Suzanne Hill, at a press briefing, said more than eight million children under the age of five still died every year from causes such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria while an estimated 1,000 women died every day due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
"Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries and the vast majority can be prevented when the right medicines are available in the right formulations and are prescribed and used correctly," she said.
According to the WHO, haemorrhage or severe bleeding was the leading cause of maternal death and it could kill a healthy woman within two hours of giving birth.
It said an injection of oxytocin, immediately after delivery, can stop bleeding and can make the difference between life and death.
Other medicines on the list for mothers are medicines to treat infection, high blood pressure and sexually transmitted infections and drugs to prevent preterm birth.
Additionally, the WHO estimates that pneumonia kills an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of five years, yet research has shown that treatment with simple antibiotics could prevent as many as 600,000 deaths.
It said improving access to Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and zinc tablets would save many of the 1.3 million children who are dying annually from diarrhoea.
The organisation noted that medicines appropriate for children are often not available, partly because of lack of awareness that children need different medicines from adults.
As a result, health workers are forced to adapt medicines intended for adults. Tablets are crushed into imprecise portions and dissolved into unpalatable drinks that are difficult for children to swallow and are potentially ineffective, toxic or harmful.
The WHO, therefore, recommends that wherever possible, medicines for children should be provided in doses that are easy to measure and easy for children to take.
A newly developed artemisinin combination tablet for malaria is dissolved in liquid and is sweet tasting, making it easier for children to swallow and ensuring that they receive correct and effective doses.
By Rebecca Kwei
Surveys conducted in 14 African countries show that children's medicines are available in only 35 to 50 per cent of public and private pharmacies and drug stores.
The availability of medicines in developing countries for maternal and child health is compromised by poor supply and distribution systems, insufficient health facilities and staff, low investment in health and the high cost of medicines.
Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has compiled its first ever list of priority medicines that need to be available everywhere for maternal and child health.
The top 30 essential medicines which was launched at the 18th Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines in Accra, was compiled by experts in maternal and child health and medicines who analysed the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and the latest WHO treatment guidelines to establish which medicines would save the most lives.
A Clinical Pharmacologist at the WHO, Dr Suzanne Hill, at a press briefing, said more than eight million children under the age of five still died every year from causes such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria while an estimated 1,000 women died every day due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
"Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries and the vast majority can be prevented when the right medicines are available in the right formulations and are prescribed and used correctly," she said.
According to the WHO, haemorrhage or severe bleeding was the leading cause of maternal death and it could kill a healthy woman within two hours of giving birth.
It said an injection of oxytocin, immediately after delivery, can stop bleeding and can make the difference between life and death.
Other medicines on the list for mothers are medicines to treat infection, high blood pressure and sexually transmitted infections and drugs to prevent preterm birth.
Additionally, the WHO estimates that pneumonia kills an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of five years, yet research has shown that treatment with simple antibiotics could prevent as many as 600,000 deaths.
It said improving access to Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and zinc tablets would save many of the 1.3 million children who are dying annually from diarrhoea.
The organisation noted that medicines appropriate for children are often not available, partly because of lack of awareness that children need different medicines from adults.
As a result, health workers are forced to adapt medicines intended for adults. Tablets are crushed into imprecise portions and dissolved into unpalatable drinks that are difficult for children to swallow and are potentially ineffective, toxic or harmful.
The WHO, therefore, recommends that wherever possible, medicines for children should be provided in doses that are easy to measure and easy for children to take.
A newly developed artemisinin combination tablet for malaria is dissolved in liquid and is sweet tasting, making it easier for children to swallow and ensuring that they receive correct and effective doses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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