Saturday, May 9, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 3)
By Rebecca Kwei
‘Hausa koko’ or ‘oblayo’ may be your favourite breakfast, but how long can you wait in a queue to get a cup of your favourite porridge?
A food purveyor, Koko King, has hit the market with a variety of innovative, convenient and hygienic porridge that are catching on fast with many workers and other clients in Accra.
Koko King currently has on its product line, ‘Hausa koko’, ‘oblayo’, ‘eko egbeemii’, wheat, oats and tom brown. Other breakfast meals in the offing include plain koko and rice water.
All these dishes come with milk and a variety of bread, beef loaf, croissant and ‘kose’ to choose from at affordable prices.
According to the Managing Director of the Koko King Limited, Mr Albert Osei, he realised that many people enjoyed the various kinds of porridge sold in the country, but the way they were presented to patrons was not attractive enough.
“Increasingly, customers are looking for more hygienic, tasteful and convenient food,” he told The Mirror in an interview.
Thus, he devised ways and means of delivering the products (as breakfast) to his customers, rather than they (customers) queuing up for them.
Koko King started operations in March, last year, by providing breakfast set for the table to his customers.
He explains that the food is prepared in the local way, but presented in a more hygienic and convenient pack for easy consumption.
The products come in very attractive and hygienic sealed cups. A distribution channel has been developed with cars delivering the product to such locations as banks, media houses, telecommunication organisations, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), among others, every morning. In every organisation, there is a sales assistant who takes care of the sales.
Mr Osei said the company started with only ‘Hausa koko’ with a workforce of only three, but as time went on, his customers started asking for other breakfast options, and this resulted in the company building its capacity by including different kinds of porridge available on the local cuisine. Now, the workforce has increased to almost 40.
Mr Osei indicates that there is a bakery that supplies his company with fresh bread every morning, but that his company also prepares its own sandwich, beaf loaf and kose.
On how customers responded to the innovation so far, he said “it’s been a tough road. A lot of people were sceptical of the innovation, but once they tasted the food, they liked it and appreciated our efforts.”
He said the customer base kept increasing on a daily basis.
However, the major challenge facing the company, Mr Osei indicated, was “consistently delivering good quality food daily. Trying to give customers the same standard they are used to everyday. One day, if the standard falls, that’s the end because food is very delicate.”
He said there are plans to establish an office in Tema and also franchise in other regions across the country.
Additionally, the company is looking at other ways of developing standard lunch meals to deliver to customers.
Mr Osei, who is an ex-banker, said most local foods could be presented in a better way, but that “the country has a long way to go.”
He said since he started operations, he had realised that most caterers presented their foods to their customers in a decent manner, and he believed that this was one of the contributions of Koko King to the food industry in Ghana.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
No vasectomy say C/R men
Saturday, May 2, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 3)
No vasectomy - say C/R Men
From Shirley Aseidu-Addo, Cape Coast.
Men in the Central Region say they will not patronise vasectomy and will not risk opting for it even if it is the only family planning method available.
And, indeed, there is no record of vasectomy in the region, indicating that the men are, indeed, not patronising it. Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that makes a man sterile.
It is generally considered by health experts to be at least as effective as female sterilisation and is simple to perform, safer and less costly. It is done by blocking the tube through which sperms normally pass from each testicle on the way to the seminal vesicle to form semen.
The surgery usually takes no more than 30 minutes, after which time almost all men go home the same day.
In an interview conducted by The Mirror randomly in Cape Coast, the regional capital, not even one man said he would opt for the method.
They said the issue of vasectomy was one that touched on socio-cultural sensitivities and advised advocates of family planning methods to go slow on it.
“Madam, this vasectomy thing is castration given a nice name and no man would want to be castrated, I tell you,” Kofi, a student, said with all seriousness.
Others said they believed it would take a long time and extensive education for Ghanaian men to decide to opt for vasectomy.
“We don’t joke with such things, madam. I will not even think about opting for it; not even the old men will,” one gentleman said.
“I know a man whose children died and he wanted to have more children. If he had done vasectomy, what would he have done? It is a serious matter and I think it must not be encouraged,” said another gentleman, Eshun, a father of two.
It was not so surprising what the interviewees said. Indeed, the Regional Population Advisory Committee (RPAC) was seriously divided on the issue.
The male members of the committee vehemently opposed a suggestion that they should promote the method by opting for it and serve as role models for other men.
No male member of the RPAC supported the idea, saying promoting vasectomy in our culture and environment would not be an easy task.
They, however, thought it should be encouraged, as it was a very effective way of checking unwanted pregnancies.
“Even the wives would not want their husbands to go in for this, I assure you,” one member said.
But the women The Mirror interviewed said if they had had the required number of children, they would not mind if their husbands underwent vasectomy.
“Why not?” one woman queried, “we are all human beings and what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. If I am able to take pills and others which also have side effects, why can’t he undergo the vasectomy?”
Ms Joyce Amedoe of the Central Regional Office of the National Population Council confirmed that there were no records of vasectomy in the region.
She noted in an address at the RPAC meeting that 2,282 abortions were recorded in the region in 2008, which she said indicated that people were having unwanted pregnancies.
She said only 33.6 per cent of the targeted population were receiving family planning services in 2008, a reduction from 37.3 per cent in 2006.
She said people were also preferred short-term contraceptive methods to long and more permanent methods, while the use of condoms was also very low.
Ms Amedoe said that called for concern, since the quality of life of the people was essential for development.
She noted that problems such as streetism, teenage pregnancy, prostitution and drug abuse were increasing, adding that Ghanaians must work to help reduce the rate of population growth to meet the level of economic growth.
A Deputy Director at the Central Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr Emmanuel Nortey, who chaired the meeting, said it was important for institutions to collaborate to help deal effectively with population issues.
The members called for clear messages to enable the populace to understand and adopt more responsible reproductive health lifestyles.
Meanwhile, figures available at the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for 2006 show that the Central, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper West and Volta regions did not record any man undergoing vasectomy, reports Rebecca Kwei.
These five regions, with the exception of Brong Ahafo, which had one vasectomy, again recorded zero in 2007. The Upper East, Western and Eastern regions also recorded zero in 2007.
However, in 2006 the Western Region recorded four, while the Eastern Region had one and Upper East had three vasectomy cases.
The Ashanti Region recorded a high of 53 in 2006, but the figure dropped to 37 in 2007, while Greater Accra, which recorded 27 in 2006, had its vasectomy cases increasing to 85 in 2007.
According to the Data Manager of the Family Health Division of the GHS, Mr Henry Safori, the 2008 figures for vasectomy were not ready since they were still in the process of cross-checking figures made available to the division.
On why men did not patronise vasectomy, a maternal health programme officer of the division, Mrs Gladys Brew, said it had to do with culture and religion.
She explained that some men would not undergo vasectomy because they feared it would interfere with sexual function or they thought it was castration.
She, however, dismissed those thoughts as untrue.
Additionally, she said most men felt that contraception was solely a woman’s responsibility, since she was the one who would get pregnant and carry a baby.
Mrs Brew was, however, quick to add that undergoing vasectomy was a personal choice and not something to be forced on men, adding that there was a range of family planning options and one would have to choose the one which he or she would be comfortable with.
No vasectomy - say C/R Men
From Shirley Aseidu-Addo, Cape Coast.
Men in the Central Region say they will not patronise vasectomy and will not risk opting for it even if it is the only family planning method available.
And, indeed, there is no record of vasectomy in the region, indicating that the men are, indeed, not patronising it. Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that makes a man sterile.
It is generally considered by health experts to be at least as effective as female sterilisation and is simple to perform, safer and less costly. It is done by blocking the tube through which sperms normally pass from each testicle on the way to the seminal vesicle to form semen.
The surgery usually takes no more than 30 minutes, after which time almost all men go home the same day.
In an interview conducted by The Mirror randomly in Cape Coast, the regional capital, not even one man said he would opt for the method.
They said the issue of vasectomy was one that touched on socio-cultural sensitivities and advised advocates of family planning methods to go slow on it.
“Madam, this vasectomy thing is castration given a nice name and no man would want to be castrated, I tell you,” Kofi, a student, said with all seriousness.
Others said they believed it would take a long time and extensive education for Ghanaian men to decide to opt for vasectomy.
“We don’t joke with such things, madam. I will not even think about opting for it; not even the old men will,” one gentleman said.
“I know a man whose children died and he wanted to have more children. If he had done vasectomy, what would he have done? It is a serious matter and I think it must not be encouraged,” said another gentleman, Eshun, a father of two.
It was not so surprising what the interviewees said. Indeed, the Regional Population Advisory Committee (RPAC) was seriously divided on the issue.
The male members of the committee vehemently opposed a suggestion that they should promote the method by opting for it and serve as role models for other men.
No male member of the RPAC supported the idea, saying promoting vasectomy in our culture and environment would not be an easy task.
They, however, thought it should be encouraged, as it was a very effective way of checking unwanted pregnancies.
“Even the wives would not want their husbands to go in for this, I assure you,” one member said.
But the women The Mirror interviewed said if they had had the required number of children, they would not mind if their husbands underwent vasectomy.
“Why not?” one woman queried, “we are all human beings and what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. If I am able to take pills and others which also have side effects, why can’t he undergo the vasectomy?”
Ms Joyce Amedoe of the Central Regional Office of the National Population Council confirmed that there were no records of vasectomy in the region.
She noted in an address at the RPAC meeting that 2,282 abortions were recorded in the region in 2008, which she said indicated that people were having unwanted pregnancies.
She said only 33.6 per cent of the targeted population were receiving family planning services in 2008, a reduction from 37.3 per cent in 2006.
She said people were also preferred short-term contraceptive methods to long and more permanent methods, while the use of condoms was also very low.
Ms Amedoe said that called for concern, since the quality of life of the people was essential for development.
She noted that problems such as streetism, teenage pregnancy, prostitution and drug abuse were increasing, adding that Ghanaians must work to help reduce the rate of population growth to meet the level of economic growth.
A Deputy Director at the Central Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr Emmanuel Nortey, who chaired the meeting, said it was important for institutions to collaborate to help deal effectively with population issues.
The members called for clear messages to enable the populace to understand and adopt more responsible reproductive health lifestyles.
Meanwhile, figures available at the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for 2006 show that the Central, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper West and Volta regions did not record any man undergoing vasectomy, reports Rebecca Kwei.
These five regions, with the exception of Brong Ahafo, which had one vasectomy, again recorded zero in 2007. The Upper East, Western and Eastern regions also recorded zero in 2007.
However, in 2006 the Western Region recorded four, while the Eastern Region had one and Upper East had three vasectomy cases.
The Ashanti Region recorded a high of 53 in 2006, but the figure dropped to 37 in 2007, while Greater Accra, which recorded 27 in 2006, had its vasectomy cases increasing to 85 in 2007.
According to the Data Manager of the Family Health Division of the GHS, Mr Henry Safori, the 2008 figures for vasectomy were not ready since they were still in the process of cross-checking figures made available to the division.
On why men did not patronise vasectomy, a maternal health programme officer of the division, Mrs Gladys Brew, said it had to do with culture and religion.
She explained that some men would not undergo vasectomy because they feared it would interfere with sexual function or they thought it was castration.
She, however, dismissed those thoughts as untrue.
Additionally, she said most men felt that contraception was solely a woman’s responsibility, since she was the one who would get pregnant and carry a baby.
Mrs Brew was, however, quick to add that undergoing vasectomy was a personal choice and not something to be forced on men, adding that there was a range of family planning options and one would have to choose the one which he or she would be comfortable with.
Word Malaria Day launched
Saturday, May 2, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
The Ministry of Health will launch a Malaria Elimination Programme later this year to bring all stakeholders on board to help fight the disease.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, who announced this at the launch of World Malaria Day last weekend in Accra, said he was serious about the fight against malaria.
It was on the theme, “Counting malaria out”.
Although he did not give details of how the programme would run, he said once the programme had been launched after the rains this year, all available interventions would be used to wage war on the disease.
Dr Yankey said there would also be a reintroduction of aerial spraying in the country, while indoor residual spraying would take place in all senior high schools.
He said malaria endemic countries had been categorised into three zones, namely, control, elimination and eradication, and that Ghana was in the control zone.
He said the cost of the malaria burden to the economy was so huge, making it necessary to pool resources to eliminate it.
He expressed concern over the use of monotherapies, which are single drugs such chloroquine, for the treatment of malaria and said it was important to comply with the new policy of treating malaria with the Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), Artesunate-Amodiaquine, or the second-line drug, Arthemeter-Lumefantrine.
To that effect, he said, the ministry had decided to ban the importation of unapproved malarial drugs into the country.
In order to make ACTs affordable, he said, there were discussions with donor partners to build consensus to make the drugs cheaper, adding that at the same time measures would be put in place so that it did not affect local drug manufacturers.
A malaria elimination song which will be reproduced in the various languages was also launched.
Dr Yankey called on all to come together to defeat mosquitoes and malaria, adding, “Malaria, now we know you very well and we shall not give you another chance.”
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said now was the time to challenge ourselves by using every available tool to stop malaria in its tracks.
She said Zambia, whose death rate from malaria had fallen by 66 per cent since 2000 by using insecticide-treated nets, among others, had shown the way that it was possible to eliminate malaria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Daniel Kertesz, said the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) aimed at preventing 4.2 million deaths from malaria by 2015 by providing an array of interventions, including insecticide-treated nets, indoor insecticide spraying and effective malaria drugs.
He said malaria control was possible and cost effective, adding that the tools to do that were currently available and so there was the need to scale up intervention and improve on healthcare systems.
A former Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof Isabella Quakyi, who chaired the launch, said more research needed to be conducted in order to overcome the malaria parasite.
In a related development, Zoomlion, a waste management company, undertook a spraying exercise at the Accra International Conference Centre to rid the place of mosquitoes and their larvae.
The Head of the Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion, Mr Abibu Mohammed Ziblim, said the chemical used in the spraying, Vectobac 12AS, was biological and thus was environmentally friendly.
By Rebecca Kwei
The Ministry of Health will launch a Malaria Elimination Programme later this year to bring all stakeholders on board to help fight the disease.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey, who announced this at the launch of World Malaria Day last weekend in Accra, said he was serious about the fight against malaria.
It was on the theme, “Counting malaria out”.
Although he did not give details of how the programme would run, he said once the programme had been launched after the rains this year, all available interventions would be used to wage war on the disease.
Dr Yankey said there would also be a reintroduction of aerial spraying in the country, while indoor residual spraying would take place in all senior high schools.
He said malaria endemic countries had been categorised into three zones, namely, control, elimination and eradication, and that Ghana was in the control zone.
He said the cost of the malaria burden to the economy was so huge, making it necessary to pool resources to eliminate it.
He expressed concern over the use of monotherapies, which are single drugs such chloroquine, for the treatment of malaria and said it was important to comply with the new policy of treating malaria with the Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), Artesunate-Amodiaquine, or the second-line drug, Arthemeter-Lumefantrine.
To that effect, he said, the ministry had decided to ban the importation of unapproved malarial drugs into the country.
In order to make ACTs affordable, he said, there were discussions with donor partners to build consensus to make the drugs cheaper, adding that at the same time measures would be put in place so that it did not affect local drug manufacturers.
A malaria elimination song which will be reproduced in the various languages was also launched.
Dr Yankey called on all to come together to defeat mosquitoes and malaria, adding, “Malaria, now we know you very well and we shall not give you another chance.”
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, said now was the time to challenge ourselves by using every available tool to stop malaria in its tracks.
She said Zambia, whose death rate from malaria had fallen by 66 per cent since 2000 by using insecticide-treated nets, among others, had shown the way that it was possible to eliminate malaria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Daniel Kertesz, said the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) aimed at preventing 4.2 million deaths from malaria by 2015 by providing an array of interventions, including insecticide-treated nets, indoor insecticide spraying and effective malaria drugs.
He said malaria control was possible and cost effective, adding that the tools to do that were currently available and so there was the need to scale up intervention and improve on healthcare systems.
A former Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof Isabella Quakyi, who chaired the launch, said more research needed to be conducted in order to overcome the malaria parasite.
In a related development, Zoomlion, a waste management company, undertook a spraying exercise at the Accra International Conference Centre to rid the place of mosquitoes and their larvae.
The Head of the Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion, Mr Abibu Mohammed Ziblim, said the chemical used in the spraying, Vectobac 12AS, was biological and thus was environmentally friendly.
Malaria vaccine trial begins in Africa
Saturday, May 2, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 34)
By Rebecca Kwei
About 16,000 children aged between six weeks and 17 months in 11 Africa countries will participate in a three-year trial to determine the efficacy of a malaria vaccine in May, this year.
About 1,500 of the participants will be recruited from Kintampo to try the RTS,S vaccine which was created in 1987, while its clinical evaluation began in 1992.
Dr Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre made this known at a media seminar organised by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) as part of activities to commemorate World Malaria Day.
It was on the sub-theme, “Counting on the media to eradicate malaria”. This year’s world theme is, “Counting Malaria Out”.
It is estimated that there are between 300 million and 500 million clinical cases of malaria per year, with 80 per cent of those cases in Africa. In Ghana, about 4,500 deaths traceable to malaria are recorded annually and 1,500 children under five die from malaria every year, while 60 pregnant women die every year from malaria.
Dr Asante said a phase-two trial of the vaccine to determine the safety and potential side effects was conducted among 2,022 children between one and four years in Mozambique recently and it demonstrated a 30 per cent efficacy against clinical disease, 45 per cent efficacy against infection and 58 per cent efficacy against severe disease.
According to Dr Asante, in the recent past other trials on the vaccine had been undertaken in children in Tanzania, Gabon and Ghana and it had been found to be safe.
In another presentation, Dr Daniel Ansong of the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) said the vaccine was the most clinically advanced candidate in the world and it had the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives across Africa.
He noted that the vaccine would add on to other interventions currently being used and that it would make a positive impact on the economy and the capacity of our healthcare systems.
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Dr Alex Dodoo, said there was an urgent need for rigorous data to inform malaria policy in Africa.
In view of that, he said, a new project dubbed the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies (INESS) that would monitor Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs) in real life settings in Africa to provide information and data to drive malaria policy was in the offing.
The countries involved in the project are Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Burkina Faso. It will, however, start in Ghana and Tanzania.
In Ghana, the studies will be undertaken at three sites, namely, Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo, where the participants will be monitored when given ACTs.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the media were the gatekeepers of every society and they had a critical role to play in getting the malaria story out.
Therefore, she said, the media must not be left out in counting malaria out of the world, adding, “It is only through the active participation of the media in malaria eradication efforts that the menace can be conquered.”
A programme officer of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Mr James Frimpong, said his organisation would, among others, continue to ensure consistent use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and scale up indoor residual spraying to 45 districts with support from the global fund.
Additionally, there was the need to improve diagnosis and that would be done with the introduction of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits and strengthening laboratory microscopy services, he said.
By Rebecca Kwei
About 16,000 children aged between six weeks and 17 months in 11 Africa countries will participate in a three-year trial to determine the efficacy of a malaria vaccine in May, this year.
About 1,500 of the participants will be recruited from Kintampo to try the RTS,S vaccine which was created in 1987, while its clinical evaluation began in 1992.
Dr Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre made this known at a media seminar organised by the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) as part of activities to commemorate World Malaria Day.
It was on the sub-theme, “Counting on the media to eradicate malaria”. This year’s world theme is, “Counting Malaria Out”.
It is estimated that there are between 300 million and 500 million clinical cases of malaria per year, with 80 per cent of those cases in Africa. In Ghana, about 4,500 deaths traceable to malaria are recorded annually and 1,500 children under five die from malaria every year, while 60 pregnant women die every year from malaria.
Dr Asante said a phase-two trial of the vaccine to determine the safety and potential side effects was conducted among 2,022 children between one and four years in Mozambique recently and it demonstrated a 30 per cent efficacy against clinical disease, 45 per cent efficacy against infection and 58 per cent efficacy against severe disease.
According to Dr Asante, in the recent past other trials on the vaccine had been undertaken in children in Tanzania, Gabon and Ghana and it had been found to be safe.
In another presentation, Dr Daniel Ansong of the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) said the vaccine was the most clinically advanced candidate in the world and it had the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives across Africa.
He noted that the vaccine would add on to other interventions currently being used and that it would make a positive impact on the economy and the capacity of our healthcare systems.
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Dr Alex Dodoo, said there was an urgent need for rigorous data to inform malaria policy in Africa.
In view of that, he said, a new project dubbed the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies (INESS) that would monitor Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACTs) in real life settings in Africa to provide information and data to drive malaria policy was in the offing.
The countries involved in the project are Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Burkina Faso. It will, however, start in Ghana and Tanzania.
In Ghana, the studies will be undertaken at three sites, namely, Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo, where the participants will be monitored when given ACTs.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Mrs Charity Binka, said the media were the gatekeepers of every society and they had a critical role to play in getting the malaria story out.
Therefore, she said, the media must not be left out in counting malaria out of the world, adding, “It is only through the active participation of the media in malaria eradication efforts that the menace can be conquered.”
A programme officer of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Mr James Frimpong, said his organisation would, among others, continue to ensure consistent use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and scale up indoor residual spraying to 45 districts with support from the global fund.
Additionally, there was the need to improve diagnosis and that would be done with the introduction of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits and strengthening laboratory microscopy services, he said.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Malarial mosquitoes don’t breed in filth
Saturday, April 25, 2009 (The Mirror Pg 25)
By Rebecca Kwei
A Medical entomologist of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Ms Aba Baffoe-Wilmot, has discounted the notion that the malarial mosquito breeds in filthy areas.
“Filth is not malaria. The mosquito which the public presumes to breed on rubbish dumps and gutters are not malarial mosquitoes. There are other mosquitoes that will breed in such areas but not the malarial mosquito,” she said.
Ms Baffoe-Wilmot, who was making a presentation on the “Epidemiology of Malaria and the Malaria Vector control in Ghana” at a day’s seminar for the media in Accra, said the malarial mosquito was not attracted to filthy areas but in relatively clean water, potholes, ponds, poodles, excavations, rice fields, stagnant waters along rivers and streams.
The seminar, which was organised by the NMCP, formed part of activities to mark this year’s World Malaria Day, which falls today, April 25, on the theme “Counting Malaria Out”.
Malaria is responsible for one out of every four childhood deaths in Africa and it also accounts for 10 per cent of Africa’s disease burden.
In Ghana malaria is a major cause of death and about 4,500 deaths due to malaria are recorded annually.
Ms Baffoe-Wilmot said it was commendable for people to make efforts to clean gutters and clear refuse dumps because they may prevent other diseases but not malaria.
She said one of the malarial mosquitoes, the anopheles gambiae, likes breeding in temporary fresh stagnant waters and that was why malarial cases went up after the rains.
Consequently, she said it was important for potholes to be covered and stagnant waters prevented, not to leave water in flower pots while clean water in containers must be covered to prevent the breeding of the malarial mosquito.
She also recommended the use of insecticide treated nets, which will help reduce malarial cases in the country.
In another presentation, Dr Keziah Malm of the NMCP, said laboratory confirmation of malaria was crucial since not all fevers were malaria and there were a lot of misdiagnoses and over-prescription of malaria.
She said research showed that only about 10 per cent of presumptive treatment of malaria were true cases of malaria in urban areas.
Consequently, a manual has been developed to help laboratory technicians and other health professionals to properly diagnose and ensure that the true picture of malarial cases are presented.
Dr Joseph Somuah Akuamoah, a private medical practitioner, said a tool known as the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) that would help properly diagnose malaria would be introduced nation-wide.
He encouraged pregnant women to seek early treatment when they got malaria.
On how the media could effectively communicate on malaria, the Country Director of the John Hopkins Centre for Communication Programmes — Voices Project, Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, said it was necessary to promote stronger partnerships between the media and malarial professionals.
Additionally, he said editorial guidelines which had a health component that included malaria should be a priority for media houses and that an ongoing programme of education and training was required to improve the journalists’ knowledge, as well as their professional skills.
By Rebecca Kwei
A Medical entomologist of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Ms Aba Baffoe-Wilmot, has discounted the notion that the malarial mosquito breeds in filthy areas.
“Filth is not malaria. The mosquito which the public presumes to breed on rubbish dumps and gutters are not malarial mosquitoes. There are other mosquitoes that will breed in such areas but not the malarial mosquito,” she said.
Ms Baffoe-Wilmot, who was making a presentation on the “Epidemiology of Malaria and the Malaria Vector control in Ghana” at a day’s seminar for the media in Accra, said the malarial mosquito was not attracted to filthy areas but in relatively clean water, potholes, ponds, poodles, excavations, rice fields, stagnant waters along rivers and streams.
The seminar, which was organised by the NMCP, formed part of activities to mark this year’s World Malaria Day, which falls today, April 25, on the theme “Counting Malaria Out”.
Malaria is responsible for one out of every four childhood deaths in Africa and it also accounts for 10 per cent of Africa’s disease burden.
In Ghana malaria is a major cause of death and about 4,500 deaths due to malaria are recorded annually.
Ms Baffoe-Wilmot said it was commendable for people to make efforts to clean gutters and clear refuse dumps because they may prevent other diseases but not malaria.
She said one of the malarial mosquitoes, the anopheles gambiae, likes breeding in temporary fresh stagnant waters and that was why malarial cases went up after the rains.
Consequently, she said it was important for potholes to be covered and stagnant waters prevented, not to leave water in flower pots while clean water in containers must be covered to prevent the breeding of the malarial mosquito.
She also recommended the use of insecticide treated nets, which will help reduce malarial cases in the country.
In another presentation, Dr Keziah Malm of the NMCP, said laboratory confirmation of malaria was crucial since not all fevers were malaria and there were a lot of misdiagnoses and over-prescription of malaria.
She said research showed that only about 10 per cent of presumptive treatment of malaria were true cases of malaria in urban areas.
Consequently, a manual has been developed to help laboratory technicians and other health professionals to properly diagnose and ensure that the true picture of malarial cases are presented.
Dr Joseph Somuah Akuamoah, a private medical practitioner, said a tool known as the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) that would help properly diagnose malaria would be introduced nation-wide.
He encouraged pregnant women to seek early treatment when they got malaria.
On how the media could effectively communicate on malaria, the Country Director of the John Hopkins Centre for Communication Programmes — Voices Project, Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, said it was necessary to promote stronger partnerships between the media and malarial professionals.
Additionally, he said editorial guidelines which had a health component that included malaria should be a priority for media houses and that an ongoing programme of education and training was required to improve the journalists’ knowledge, as well as their professional skills.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Our testament
Thursday, April 9, 2009 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
For most Christians, Easter is one of the most important festivities on their calendar.
It is the time when they commemorate the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
It is also a time for reflection and meditation and one way of doing this is by listening to inspirational songs.
There are many gospel songs out there but the new six track album by God’s Family International titled “Our Testament” is a must-listen for all not only for the Easter season but for all times.
With lyrics ranging from thanksgiving to God and total reliance on God, the group sings with passion, which is made more beautiful with their good voices.
“Be not afraid” inspires anyone facing trials in life not to despair or be afraid because “It’s only the master calming the storm . . . be of good cheer; be of good faith.”
With a danceable tune accompanying it, “Alleluia Chant” sung in a mixture of English and other languages, renders appellations to God as the omnipotent.
Other cool and soul-inspiring tracks are Here I am which is in English and French, which says “Take me as I am and use me” while ‘Guide me Great Jehovah’, an old-time song, has been re-arranged with additional lyrics giving it a new touch.
‘Breathe on me’ is refreshing and ‘Thank you Jesus’, as the title suggests, expresses thanks to Jesus. Part of the song says “Thank you Jesus for the grace that you have given us. We can never pay; from our heart I’d like to say I thank you’.
God’s Family International is a five-member young and dynamic Christian singers from Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia who are committed to moving the gospel in tunes.
The group began as a family heirloom more than 15 years ago in Nigeria and has changed into an international gospel group based in Ghana.
In 2005, the group launched its first album titled “Behold How Great Thou Art” in Ghana.
By Rebecca Kwei
For most Christians, Easter is one of the most important festivities on their calendar.
It is the time when they commemorate the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
It is also a time for reflection and meditation and one way of doing this is by listening to inspirational songs.
There are many gospel songs out there but the new six track album by God’s Family International titled “Our Testament” is a must-listen for all not only for the Easter season but for all times.
With lyrics ranging from thanksgiving to God and total reliance on God, the group sings with passion, which is made more beautiful with their good voices.
“Be not afraid” inspires anyone facing trials in life not to despair or be afraid because “It’s only the master calming the storm . . . be of good cheer; be of good faith.”
With a danceable tune accompanying it, “Alleluia Chant” sung in a mixture of English and other languages, renders appellations to God as the omnipotent.
Other cool and soul-inspiring tracks are Here I am which is in English and French, which says “Take me as I am and use me” while ‘Guide me Great Jehovah’, an old-time song, has been re-arranged with additional lyrics giving it a new touch.
‘Breathe on me’ is refreshing and ‘Thank you Jesus’, as the title suggests, expresses thanks to Jesus. Part of the song says “Thank you Jesus for the grace that you have given us. We can never pay; from our heart I’d like to say I thank you’.
God’s Family International is a five-member young and dynamic Christian singers from Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia who are committed to moving the gospel in tunes.
The group began as a family heirloom more than 15 years ago in Nigeria and has changed into an international gospel group based in Ghana.
In 2005, the group launched its first album titled “Behold How Great Thou Art” in Ghana.
Ghana Music Awards tonight
Saturday, April 4, 2009 (The Mirror)
By Rebecca Kwei
The biggest event on Ghana's entertainment calendar, the MTN Ghana Music Awards (GMA) Festival comes off tonight at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Tagged "It's a big deal", one thing most music lovers will be looking out is the one to be crowned Artiste of the Year.
Artistes in contention for this award are Sidney, Christiana Love, Okyeame Quame, Philipa Baafi, Praye or Asem. And who takes home the MTN GMA Artiste of the Decade award plus the cash of GH¢5000? Will it be Daddy Lumba, Lord Kenya, Obrafour, Kojo Antwi, Daasebre Dwamena, Obour, Esther Smith, Ofori Amponsah or Samini.
Another important category to look out for is the 'Most Popular Song of the Year' which has Go High by Philipa Baafi, Me Mma Me Werenfi by Christiana Love, Africa Money by Sidney, Angelina by Praye, Ngozi by the late Michael Dwamena and Woso by Okyeame Quame in contention. This is a very 'tight' category considering the fact that all six songs are very popular.
According to the organisers of the event, Charterhouse, the glitz and glamour associated with the awards ceremony will not be missing this year as an "elaborate 'Yello Carpet' will be laid out to welcome nominees and VIPs who will throng the conference centre.
To ensure that it is a night of grandeur, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned with performance by guest artistes like Coco Master D’Banj and his crew, Sway the Ghanaian born UK artiste, Naeto C and Ike Chukwu. The Ghanaian artistes to perform also include Cindy Thompson who has not performed on stage in ages and who is totally loved on the gospel scene, the lovely and talented Becca and Adina and the sensational Lord Kenya.
Not to be out done will be Josh Laryea, Kwabena Kwabena, Sarkodie, Praye and Pat Thomas who is intent on representing his generation of Highlife Artistes very well. There are other surprise artistes on the bill and it is expected that the MTN GMA main event will linger on people’s minds for a long time to come.
The titles sponsors of the festival, MTN, has promised each winner on the night with a cash prize of GH¢ 1000 with GH¢500 worth of MTN credit while the ultimate winner — Artiste of the Year will take home a cool GH¢4000 Ghana cedis and GH¢1000 cedis worth of MTN credit.
The cash awards will, however, be made available to the winners who attend and pick up awards at the main event tonight.
On Sunday, April 5, the celebration continues with a celebrations jam that will feature award winners and the guest acts in an unstoppable performance spree at the forecourt of the Trade Fair at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile the text lines are still open for the public to send in their votes to MTN short code 1758 and on any other network. The highest texter stands the chance of winner a trip to any exotic African location courtesy RVI.
By Rebecca Kwei
The biggest event on Ghana's entertainment calendar, the MTN Ghana Music Awards (GMA) Festival comes off tonight at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Tagged "It's a big deal", one thing most music lovers will be looking out is the one to be crowned Artiste of the Year.
Artistes in contention for this award are Sidney, Christiana Love, Okyeame Quame, Philipa Baafi, Praye or Asem. And who takes home the MTN GMA Artiste of the Decade award plus the cash of GH¢5000? Will it be Daddy Lumba, Lord Kenya, Obrafour, Kojo Antwi, Daasebre Dwamena, Obour, Esther Smith, Ofori Amponsah or Samini.
Another important category to look out for is the 'Most Popular Song of the Year' which has Go High by Philipa Baafi, Me Mma Me Werenfi by Christiana Love, Africa Money by Sidney, Angelina by Praye, Ngozi by the late Michael Dwamena and Woso by Okyeame Quame in contention. This is a very 'tight' category considering the fact that all six songs are very popular.
According to the organisers of the event, Charterhouse, the glitz and glamour associated with the awards ceremony will not be missing this year as an "elaborate 'Yello Carpet' will be laid out to welcome nominees and VIPs who will throng the conference centre.
To ensure that it is a night of grandeur, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned with performance by guest artistes like Coco Master D’Banj and his crew, Sway the Ghanaian born UK artiste, Naeto C and Ike Chukwu. The Ghanaian artistes to perform also include Cindy Thompson who has not performed on stage in ages and who is totally loved on the gospel scene, the lovely and talented Becca and Adina and the sensational Lord Kenya.
Not to be out done will be Josh Laryea, Kwabena Kwabena, Sarkodie, Praye and Pat Thomas who is intent on representing his generation of Highlife Artistes very well. There are other surprise artistes on the bill and it is expected that the MTN GMA main event will linger on people’s minds for a long time to come.
The titles sponsors of the festival, MTN, has promised each winner on the night with a cash prize of GH¢ 1000 with GH¢500 worth of MTN credit while the ultimate winner — Artiste of the Year will take home a cool GH¢4000 Ghana cedis and GH¢1000 cedis worth of MTN credit.
The cash awards will, however, be made available to the winners who attend and pick up awards at the main event tonight.
On Sunday, April 5, the celebration continues with a celebrations jam that will feature award winners and the guest acts in an unstoppable performance spree at the forecourt of the Trade Fair at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile the text lines are still open for the public to send in their votes to MTN short code 1758 and on any other network. The highest texter stands the chance of winner a trip to any exotic African location courtesy RVI.
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