Day: June 24, 2023

The Kadjebi District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service commences the Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention (SMC) exercise on Jun 26 to June 30. The exercise targeted 14,450 children between 3-59 months to be dosed during the period. The SMC exercise aimed to reduce morbidity and mortality among children under five years in the district. Mr Eric Nana Takyi, the District Director of Health Services, disclosed these to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Kadjebi in the Oti Region. He said ‘the registration target is 90 per cent and closing target 95 per cent ‘and that the exercise is in four rounds; round one in June, round two in July, round three in August and round four in September which are peak malaria transmission periods. Nana Takyi said ‘there was much reduction in malaria mortality during the SMC period as compared to the non-SMC period in the previous year’s’. ‘Morbidity among children under five reduced from 32 per cent in 2021 to 22 per cent in 2022’ and ‘no death among the under-five in 2022 as compared to 2021 where one death was recorded’, he said. The District Director of Health Services said SMC is a proven intervention to reduce malaria morbidity during rainfall and that the medication is not harmful and is free of charge. He said every child needs to receive three doses for three continuous days to completion and thus, called on all parents and caregivers to make sure their wards benefit from the exercise.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC and SNV Netherlands Development Organization, have announced an initiative aimed at enhancing sustainable production and supply of high-quality white sorghum. The partnership is the first of its kind, a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra has said. It said the initiative, known as Partnership for Sustainable Sorghum Sourcing in Ghana (P3SG), would empower over 12,500 smallholder and commercial farmers, including women and youth, to produce 72,375 metric tons of sorghum within the project period, spanning from 2023 to 2028. The statement quoted Ms Helene Weesie, the Managing Director of Guinness Ghana, as saying that farmer’s inability to meet the demands of the company’s stems from poor yields. She said factors that caused poor yields included inadequate access to production resources, financial services for investment in production, and climate variabilities. ‘We are committed to doing business the right way and ensuring our operations are sustainable by design, improved farmer organization, mutual understanding of quality and supply standards across the supply chain,’ she said. ‘The company is dedicated to equitable pricing, improved production techniques to enhance yield and quality while meeting environmental and quality standards, and active involvement of women and youth in production and trading to create new dynamics in the sub-sector.’ Mr Pieter Spaarman, the Country Director of SNV Ghana said SNV had vast expertise and knowledge in the agric sector and would work tirelessly to deliver on the mandate. Working with partners, he said the P3SG Project would be implemented effectively to improve livelihoods of farmers, increasing access to basic services, safeguarding sustainable and quality practices along the white sorghum value chain. According to the African Postharvest Losses Information System, in 2018, Ghana’s total sorghum production was estimated at 278,000 tonnes, mostly red sorghum with only a small portion of white sorghum allocated to large-scale industrial breweries. Postharvest grain losses accounted for approximately 12 per cent of total production, indicating substantial room for increasing local sorghum sourcing for breweries without compromising food security in the region. The P3SG Project represents a significant step towards creating a sustainable and profitable business environment for sorghum farmers in Ghana. Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC and SNV Netherlands Development Organization are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to achieve the outlined objectives and make a positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers, particularly women and youth, the statement said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Upper East Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) has taken delivery of 100,000 anthrax vaccines from Zipline Ghana Limited to vaccinate cattle and ruminants across the Region. The vaccines, expected to boost the ongoing vaccination exercise across the Region, would check the spread of the anthrax virus recently recorded in some Districts of the Region, which led to a ban on slaughtering and movement of cattle and ruminants. Speaking to journalists at the drone delivery point at the Regional Hospital, Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Regional Minister and Chair of the PHEMC, said the Region earlier received about 40,000 anthrax vaccines out of the 100,000 to beef up the ongoing vaccination exercise. He said the vaccines were manufactured in Pong-Tamale in the Northern Region with the support of government and development partners, ‘We have the 100,000 vaccines, and Zipline is helping us to move them across the entire Region. ‘Already, they have delivered about 40,000 of the vaccines to areas in critical need. We hope that these100,000 will help us meet the 70 per cent target to be able to lift the ban. Hopefully by the weekend, we would evaluate to know how many we have vaccinated so far, for the technical people to advise accordingly,’ he said. Mr Yakubu said the PHEMC was working to ensure the ban was lifted before the Eid-ul-Adha celebration, ‘That is what we are working towards, but nothing is guaranteed,’ he said, and disclosed that two animals had earlier died in the Bolgatanga Municipality prior to the vaccine delivery, and samples were taken for investigation. He emphasized that the vaccination exercise was free of charge and urged animal owners within the animal category to make their animals available for the vaccines. Dr Henry Nii Ayi Anang, the Regional Veterinary Officer, said the vaccines would immediately be dispatched to the field to continue with the vaccination exercise, adding that the exercise was ongoing smoothly, as some of the Zipline drones were delivering the vaccines across the various Districts. Dr Anang, who could not give an estimated number of animals vaccinated so far, however indicated that about 5,000 animals were vaccinated each day, and said until the entire exercise was concluded, his outfit could not give the number of animals vaccinated. ‘We collect our data at the close of every vaccination,’ Dr Anang noted. Mr Abdul-Jalil Abdulai, the Community Integrations Lead for Zipline for the Walewale Central in the North East Region, said the delivery service was a collaborative effort between the Veterinary Services Department and Cowtribe, a Non-Governmental Organization. He said Zipline was to provide instant drone delivery services, ‘So we have a state-of-the-art warehouse where we have cold chain equipment. We take stock of the vaccines from the Veterinary Services Department, process the orders, and deliver same to the various distribution drop points.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghanaian music sensation Kweku Flick has released his highly anticipated first single of the year, titled ‘Rastaman’. After thrilling music lovers with the melodious ‘High’ single, the iconic vocal sensation bounces back with Rastaman, which prior to its release had received massive social media attention. The song, produced by Ghanaian Stallion, is now available across various streaming platforms as Kweku Flick walks music lovers through his rough musical journey. The ‘Rastaman’ song traverses lyrically with a soothing hook as Kweku Flick dazzles with unique vocals, reminiscing about the ordeal of being a rastaman. The video for the song is captivating, as Kweku Flick showcases his acting skills in a well-synchronised piece that comes with beautiful cinematography and perfect imagery. Shot by renowned producer Solomon Agyei, the video tells an interesting story about the ordeals of people with dreadlocks, especially their encounters with security agencies. The song is available on all digital streaming platforms.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Fast-rising music sensation Obed Asamoah, known by his stage name Kemidar, has released his highly anticipated Extended Play (EP) titled ‘Now and Forever’. Packed with captivating tracks, the EP is a well-curated musical piece for lovers of Afrobeats and also features a range of compelling songs that exemplify Kemidar’s versatility and vocal prowess. On the EP, Kemidar unravels the story behind his rollercoaster musical journey and said this in an interview: ‘The road to having a successful music career has not been easy for me, and I have had a lot of positive experiences to save in my locker. ‘I would put the blame for any distress in my journeys on myself; I am responsible for my own life and success. This mentality helps me grip on to the certainty of breaking into the music scene.’ Some songs on the EP include ‘Alright,’ ‘Mokobi,’ ‘Favourite,’ and ‘Wavy’ and according to Kemidar these songs would spark emotions of listeners. ‘I wrote those songs to voice out people’s feelings and my experiences as well. I would not deny the fact that I also wrote them to show people my dynamisms in creating good music,’ he said. The song is available across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Boomplay.

Source: Ghana News Agency