Day: November 20, 2023

The Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) will on Saturday organise a health walk to create awareness on HIV Self-Testing (HIVST).

The exercise, which is in collaboration with the Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+), and other stakeholders, is in commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day.

Mr Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, President, GHANET, in a press release, said the walk would start from Ayi Mensah, Accra, at 0600 hours and end at Peduase, where there would be statements from government officials, development partners and civil society organisation leaders, as well as persons living with HIV (PLHIV).

It said special dignitaries, including a representative of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would be in attendance.

Side attractions will include onsite colour splashing, onsite face painting, live brass band music, live gyama music, live instructor-led aerobics, free condom distribution, free HIV self-testing kits, social networking, photo opportunities, and a Kenkey party.

Mr Ortsin said similar e
vents would take place across the country in some regional capitals.

In 1988 the UNAIDS designated the 1st of December as World AIDS Day (WAD) in remembrance of persons who had lost their lives to the then ravaging HIV and AIDS menace.

The Day was also to be used to create awareness about the pandemic and encourage people to protect and prevent themselves from getting infected.

The initiative was embraced by countries around the world and, since then, it has always been celebrated with both global and locally adapted themes.

This year, the theme for the WAD celebration is ‘Let Communities Lead’ aimed at inspiring persons infected and most affected by HIV and AIDS to take up roles and initiatives that can help end the disease as a public health concern by 2030.

In July this year, the Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, officially launched HIVST in Ghana.

At the time of the launch, the only approved form of self-testing, as per the country’s guidelines, was the oral method.

However, with the supp
ort of Global Fund, the Ministry of Health (MoH), through the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has successfully piloted the use of OraQuick HIVST in about 50 districts.

Whilst the pilot was ongoing, other HIVST methods were evaluated by the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP) to expand HIVST options in Ghana.

Following the success of the evaluations, the country has now revised its guidelines to include blood-based methods of HIVST.

This revision has opened a window of opportunity for companies such as Abbott to introduce its CheckNOW HIVST in the country, giving Ghanaians a variety of choices.

CheckNOW is a blood-based method of HIVST, which gives test results in just 15 minutes.

It is based on a 3rd generation HIVST technology, which detects HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies in a fingerstick blood sample.

The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is optimistic that the multiplication of HIVST testing options will help the country to achieve the first 95 of the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets.

Currently, only abo
ut 72 per cent of the estimated 354,000 persons living with HIV in Ghana know their status.

This means that about 100,000 PLHIV are not aware of their status and may be inadvertently spreading the virus.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The chiefs and people of Adaklu-Kodzobi in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region over the weekend marked the 40th anniversary of Bliza (Corn Festival).

It was on the theme: ‘Forty Years Journey : Building the capacity of the youth through quality education for development’, and served as homecoming for hundreds of natives.

Togbe Dzegblade IV, Chief of the town, stated his resolve to rally the people for the rapid socio-economic development of the farming community.

He said it was the responsibility of chiefs to bring development to their community and champion the welfare of their people and said he remained committed to that pledge.

Togbe Dzegblade called for support from the people to open the area up for growth and cautioned the youth against folding their arms and waiting on government for projects.

He said it was time chiefs in the Volta Region pooled resources to create jobs for the youth and said he was ready for such engagements.

Madam Juliana Kpedekpo, Adaklu District Chief Executive, said d
evelopment was a collaborative work and commended the chiefs and the people for their self-help projects.

She said education in recent times when attained strategically, affected every facet of the lives of people positively and urged the youth to take education serious.

The DCE stated that government since 2017 had initiated numerous initiatives and programmes targeted at the total development of the youth and urged them to take advantage of such interventions.

Madam Kpedekpo mentioned some of the youth intervention programmes as National Entrepreneurship Programme and YouStart initiatives.

The DCE said the Adaklu District Assembly was making efforts to ensure the provision of social amenities like water, electricity, roads and markets to the people and appealed to them to regularly pay their fees and rates to the Assembly.

Mr. Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu, in an address delivered on his behalf, urged the people to live in peace and pray ceasingly for the country to ‘rise again on its
feet’ .

Mr. Matthew Wormenor, Chairman of the Bliza Planning Committee, said: ‘The festival, which started like a mustard seed in 1983 to thank God for a bumper corn harvest after the 1983 drought and hunger and also honour corn for being the foodstuff that ended their hunger had blossomed to become one of the biggest festivals in the Adaklu district.

The festival attracted chiefs and people from Tsrukpe, Woadze, Goviefe, Awudome Tsito, Abutia Kloe, Hodzo, Ahunda Kpodzi, Ho Bankoe and other communities in the Adaklu district.

Over 40,000 Ghana Cedis was realised during an appeal for funds for the completion of the Community’s information Centre project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

In a move towards community development and healthcare infrastructure enhancement, olam food ingredients (ofi) Ghana Limited, has donated GHC 300,000 towards the ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ Initiative.

The donation follows a call by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, for collective efforts to raise $10 million for the renovation of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

Ofi is a prominent player in Ghana’s cocoa sector and a leading cashew exporter.

Mr Jonathan Quaynor, the Vice President and Procurement Head of the Beans Business, presented the cheque to Professor Dr Otchere Addai Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of KATH.

Mr Quaynor commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his unwavering commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure and praised the ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ initiative, saying it was a ‘visionary’ one.

‘Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has presented us with an opportunity to be catalysts for change,’ he said.

‘His call for unity and support towards the renovation of the Komfo Anok
ye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is not just a call to action but a call to compassion, a call to prioritise the health and future of our community.

‘As representatives of olam food ingredients Ghana Limited, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to the well-being of our communities.

‘ Today, we stand united in response to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s vision, pledging GHC 300,000 to the ‘Heal Komfo Anokye’ initiative.’

The 70-year Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, is a 1,200-bed major facility in Kumasi.

It receives referrals from 13 out of the current 16 regions of the country.

It is a teaching hospital for the clinical training of medical students following the establishment of the School of Medical Sciences in 1975.

It is also a major centre for the training of postgraduate medical and dental practitioners in various specialties and the training of undergraduate personnel in Pharmacy, Nursing, and many Allied Health Professions.

The National Human Resource Head of ofi, Evans Dunyo, emphasised the importa
nce of supporting initiatives that prioritised healthcare.

He explained that the Ashanti Region, where Otumfuo presided as the king, was where the business procured a lot of its cocoa and had a lot of employees, farmers, and other stakeholders’ residents.

Hence, it was expedient for the business to support a cause for an upgraded facility.

He, therefore, urged individuals and institutions to donate towards the project.

For his part, Prof. Dr Addai Mensah said KATH was under immense pressure and needed a facelift.

He thanked the leadership of the business for the support with the committment to supporting initiatives that would enhance the quality of livelihood of their stakeholders.

Ofi, born out of Olam International, offers sustainable, natural, value-added food products and ingredients for its consumers to enjoy the healthy and indulgent products they desired.

It consists of industry-leading businesses of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Palm tree fellers in the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region have appealed to the government to support them with a subsidised modern tools to facilitate their work and keep them in business.

They said the provision of such modern machinery, which could uproot a palm tree within 5-7 minutes would keep them in business as the use of the age-old tool, the axe, is time consuming.

They said the axe took them between 20-25 minutes in uprooting one palm tree, which was time-consuming and waste of energy.

Mr Francis Quarshie Najombe, a 30-year-old palm tree feller told Ghana News Agency (GNA) that though palm tree felling was a lucrative venture, the over-reliance on the axe to uproot the tree was robbing them of more revenue as human needs today far outweighs the olden days.

Mr. Najombe, who started palm tree felling at age 13, said currently he charged GHC15 per tree, while others charged GHC20 per tree.

He said if the weather permits; he could fell 10 palm trees per day, but on odd days five.

He said though
it was a good job, most youth are leaving work, because of the old device being used.

Mr Njombe, who has been in the business for the past 17 years, said the designing of a new tool to replace the axe they presently used for the work could bring more people to the work.

‘Pastor’ Kwame, another palm tree feller, told the GNA in an interview that climate change is affecting their work nowadays as soil texture at some places does not permit felling easily.

He said instead of using between 15-20 minutes to uproot a tree, it takes one close to 40 minutes to do so because of the soil texture there.

Mr Kwame said some of them are contemplating quitting the work because of the use of age-old tools, but if the government could assist them with new tools, then they would stay.

He said lack of association is also breaking their front as others decide to charge less, but if they have an association, they would charge a uniform fee and pledged to help form an association.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A delegation of Arab and Muslim foreign ministers, demanded on Monday an immediate de-escalation of the war in Gaza, during a trip to China, their first stop on a tour of capitals.

The delegation, which met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, includes ministers from the the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia. They will remain in Beijing until Tuesday.

The group said it will then travel on to other countries to press their case, but the next stop was not immediately clear.

Wang said China has always stood up for the rights and interests of Arab and Muslim countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, said Beijing was ready to work closely, to bring about an end to the six-week war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip.

Beijing has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, and continues to advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The war erupted on October 7, with Hamas massacring some 1,200 people in southern Is
rael. An air and ground offensive by Israel has killed some 13,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Speaking in the Chinese capital, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, accused Israel of ‘systematically’ obstructing aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, according to his spokesman.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, is doing everything it can to facilitate deliveries via the Rafah crossing, Shoukri’s spokesman said, adding that Israel why trying to ‘push’ desperate Palestinians out of Gaza and into Egypt.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Sulleman Abubakar, a 40-year-old man has been paralyzed and unable to walk after he was trapped under a collapsed mosque for more than an hour.

The victim was pulling down the building with the aim of putting up his apartment on the land when the structure partially collapsed over him at Dambai, the Municipal Capital of Krachi East.

Information available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that, the victim has sustained various degrees of injury after he was attacked by a swarm of bees beneath the trapped wall.

He was treated for the injuries at WoraWora Government Hospital and later referred to a traditional bone-seter at KpareKpare Electoral Area to help re-arrange his broken bones.

A visit by GNA to KpareKpare sighted the patient undergoing treatment.

Mr Abubakar told the GNA, the wall came down on him in the blink of an eye, for a moment, everything went dark as he panicked.

Many bone patients were undergoing treatment at the time of the GNA’s visit.

Mr Ibrahim Adams, the traditional bonese
tter explained to the GNA how years of practice and belief have enabled him to heal people’s broken hands, shoulders, feet and any other bones without any formal medical training.

‘It is a God-given ability for me, and by His grace alone, I’m able to cure many patients, who seek my services,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency