Month: November 2023

The Members of the Western Region Department of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Essential Service Committee have hinted to the public on the growing debilitating acts of some basic school children inserting their hands into their private parts.

The phenomenon, according to them, had become prevalent in schools and communities with the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and called on parents to be high alert and re-orient their wards.

The committee members also expressed worry about teachers luring girls into sex.

A committee member who raised the issue at the second meeting of the Committee said, ‘We found out on our community engagement that children in some communities were developing unusual infections in their private parts and investigations revealed that this is what they were doing.

‘We have asked the teachers to monitor them especially when they rush in groups to go to the washrooms’.

Meanwhile, Violence against women has gained
worldwide currency in both advanced and deprived economies due to its pervasive and debilitating nature.

Ms Maribel Okine, the Western Regional Director for the Department of Gender said Ghanaian women faced barriers in reporting such violence.

The Essential Services Package aims to fill the gap between the agreements and obligations made at the international level for the provision of services for Violence Against Women (VAW), including the agreed conclusions of the 2013 Commission on the Status of Women, and country-level activity by providing technical guidance on how to develop quality essential services. ?

A public health report showed that 33 to 37 per cent of women in Ghana had experienced intimate partner violence during their relationship which included physical, sexual, and emotional violence.

?In Ghanaian schools, studies found that 14 per cent of girls were victims of sexual abuse and 52 per cent had experienced Gender-Based Violence.

She said under International Human Rights Treaties ratifie
d by Ghana, the government was obligated to address, prevent, investigate, and punish domestic violence perpetrators.

This was aimed to provide greater access to a coordinated set of essential and quality multi-sectoral services for all women and girls who had experienced Gender Based Violence, she added.

Ms Okine said the committee, among others, identified the essential services to be provided by the health, social services, police, and justice sectors.

These obligations are detailed in Human Rights instruments, international agreements and accompanying declarations and policies that provide global norms and standards.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly, has reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to assisting Ghana’s cities in their journey toward sustainable development.

Mr Razaaly stated this during a joint meeting with four mayors in preparation for Ghana’s participation in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

The mayors included those of Accra, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ningo-Prampram, and Awutu Senya East.

‘Today’s roundtable is a testament to our collective resolve in tackling climate challenges head-on. It is crucial that these local insights and experiences from Ghana were brought forth at the upcoming COP28 to ensure global climate strategies resonate with local realities,’ he stated.

Mr Razaaly, highlighting the significance of the gathering, stated that 70 per cent of the emissions that cause climate change occur in cities and municipalities, and that ‘all municipalities in the world share the same concern.’

He noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to exch
ange notes and better prepare Accra’s Mayor, who is representing all West African cities at COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The meeting also examined what the EU was presently doing jointly with Ghana to effectively address the issue of climate change adaptation.

He stated that the EU and its Member States were the leaders in climate financing, spending 40 billion Euros globally to meet adaptation and mitigation activities.

The EU, according to the Ambassador, aspires to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030 and has asked the world’s largest economies to join the effort.

The roundtable was as part of the EU Climate Diplomacy Week, aimed at addressing the pressing issue of climate Change challenges amid rising urbanization and population growth.

The European Union Climate Change Diplomacy Week is part of the EU and its Member States’ annual global drive to strengthen cooperation on climate change and inspire genuine action.

The 2023 COP28, which will be held from Nov
ember 30 to December 12, at the Expo City, Dubai, is aimed at promoting the use of carbon pricing as a cost-effective tool to reduce emissions and raise revenue to finance the green transition.

It would also urge governments to move forward with the implementation of loss and damage financing mechanisms, including the establishment of a fund.

Ms Elizabeth Sackey, the Mayor of Accra said, ‘this roundtable has been a powerful platform for us to unite our voices and concerns.’

‘As we approach COP28, it is clear that the challenges we face in Accra are shared by many, and together, we can advocate for meaningful global action and support’ she said.

Other participants at the roundtable included Ms Anita Love Obo Amissah, Municipal Chief Executive of Awutu-Senya East Municipality, Mr Yohane Amarh Ashitey, Mayor of Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Innocent Haligah, Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and Mr Al-Latiff Tetteh Amanor, District Chief Executive of Ningo-Prampram D
istrict Assembly.

The mayors are members of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative, which recognises the urgency and importance of collaborating to find sustainable solutions.

The mayors intend to implement comprehensive strategies to combat climate change at the local level.

These includes a focus on sustainable urban planning, green infrastructure development, energy efficiency, waste management, and adopting climate-smart technologies.

CoM SSA is the regional chapter of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), the largest global initiative of cities addressing climate and energy challenges. This bottom-up initiative encourages cities to voluntarily set and achieve ambitious yet realistic climate and energy targets.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Forestry Commission has arrested the Chief of Manse, Nana Kwame Sobre II, and nine other suspects, for allegedly engaging in illegal mining.

Seven Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) from the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission on Wednesday dawn, carried out a swoop on illegal miners at the Manse portion of the Anhwiaso East Forest Reserve, near Diaso in the Bibiani Forest District of the Western North Region.

The operation was coordinated by the Forest Services Division Headquarters and the Rapid Response Unit.

The swoop was carried out to flush out illegal miners who have entered the Reserve with heavy machinery, and had destroyed the forest cover and polluted water bodies through their illegal mining operations.

These illegal acts are alleged to be backed by some top political actors and traditional authorities in the Region.

The RRTs arrested 10 persons who gave their names as Nana Kwame Sobre II (Chief of Manse); Osman Shaibu; Nana Kwasi; Desmond Nkrumah; Abraham Donkor; Frank Mensah;
Richard Kurofie; Patrick Ayambila; Abdul Salam and Rasad Nuoeeikaa.

According to the rest of the suspects, the first suspect, Nana Kwame Sobre II, the chief of Manse, was the one who recruited them into the illegal mining business.

The Team also immobilised two excavators and two heavy duty generator plants found at the illegal mining site.

The arrested persons have been sent to the Dunkwa Police Station from where they would be transferred to the appropriate Police jurisdiction in the Western North Region to be processed for court.

Speaking to the press, the Coordinator of the Rapid Response Unit, Mr. Samuel Darko Akonnor, issued a strong warning to all such perpetrators to desist from such acts because the Forestry Commission was ever prepared to fight them to save the nation’s forest and wildlife resources as well as water bodies for now and posterity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Property owners at Ashalaja, near Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, have appealed to the police, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders to help curb the activities of land guards in the area.

They said their activities were undermining peace and security in the serene community.

The landlords also asked traditional authorities there to bury their differences to ensure the development of the enclave.

These were highlighted at the inauguration of the Ashalaja Amalgamated Landlords Association (AALA), which aims to find solutions to communal problems and ensure development.

The group comprises eight different Landlord Associations in the locality.

In his address, Mr Harrison Mensah, Vice Chair, AALA, cited factionalism among custodians of the land, adding that the activities of land guards had seen a significant increase, as members were harassed occasionally.

‘Our members cannot even paint their homes let alone undertake some renovations or start a project without
land guards appearing to forcefully demand some form of payment.

‘Individuals who bought plots to develop into businesses to create jobs have had to advise themselves as it has become painfully impossible to register such plots to allow for the acquisition of the necessary permits for work to commence,’ he lamented.

Inspector Samuel Oppong of the Ghana Police Service at Denkyira, encouraged the formation of watchdog committees as the police continued to arrest criminals and ensure the safety of residents.

Mr Harry Agbanu, Chair for the occasion, urged citizens and members of the Association to support the police with logistics to help maintain law and order in the locality and beyond.

Urging unity among members, he said the Association would intensify advocacy at all fronts to achieve the much-needed development at Ashalaja.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), has organised a sensitization forum for exporters in the Eastern Region on procedures to reduce cost of export shipments.

Participants included officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority, Trade Ministry, the Customs Division, business and trade groups among others, in Koforidua.

GSA since its inception in 1974, has been a pacesetter in trade facilitation and addressing challenges faced by shippers.

Mr. Charles Darling Sey, Tema Regional boss of the GSA, said the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) has charted an ambitious path for the next decade and envisioned growth of non-traditional exports from $2.8 billion to a substantial $25.3 billion in 2029.

He said efforts were underway to review export-related policies, reduce bureaucracy, simplify procedures and create a more conducive environment for businesses in the shipping industry to grow.

‘This growth is coupled with a profound structural transformation aimed at positioning Ghana as a competitive export – l
ed industrialized economy’ he added.

Mr. Eric Kweku Hammond, Deputy Director in charge of Foreign Banking Operations at the Bank of Ghana (BoG), speaking on the Bank’s Letter of Commitment (LOC), explained that it was a critical document generated by exporters from the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) portal to accompany all exports from Ghana.

He said ICUMS portal fed into the balance of payment statistics, which Bank of Ghana prepares periodically.

He said: ‘LOC has come to stay and everybody must come on board and make sure that when you are exporting, you generate the LOC, repatriate the proceeds so that at the end of the day we will all enjoy the benefit of repatriation into the country.’

Mr. Paul Kobina Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Mass Logistics Ghana Limited, took participants through topics such as freight negotiation, insurance cover, access to foreign markets, demurrage and storage, warehousing, and harmonization of processes.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr. Cecilia Kootin-Sanwu, an Endocrinologist, has called for a coordinated national effort to prevent and cure diabetes.

This is due to the disease gradually progressing to a pandemic throughout the country.

‘The diabetes pandemic is growing, we all need to put our hands on the wheel, we need to educate ourselves, family members and the general public to go for regular checkups to determine whether we stand the risk of getting diabetes or we have it already since early diagnose and treatment can prevent complications,’ she said.

Dr. Kootin-Sanwu, who is also a Senior Physician Specialist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and an Executive Member of the Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Ghana, was speaking at a public lecture on ‘Diabetes and its complications.’

The lecture, organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was in commemoration of the diabetes awareness month.

It was also intended to improve the understanding of diabetes, which is a public health concern, among health workers, s
tudents, and the general public.

Diabetes Mellitus, also known as type two (2) diabetes is a metabolic disorder where there is high glucose in the human body.

According to research, Africa is the only sub-region that has seen a more than 100 per cent increase in diabetes, with almost 80 per cent of diabetics residing in low and middle-income nations such as Ghana.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) placed Ghana as the sixth among other countries in the sub-region with a high prevalence of diabetes.

Globally, 463 million people live with diabetes, and the figure is estimated to increase to 700 million by 2045.

In Ghana, over 280,000 of the adult population (20 to 79 years) had diabetes in 2019 and that figure is also projected to rise to over 680,000 in 2045.

‘All of these figures are underestimation, there are many people out there who do not know their status and the majority of Ghanaians do not want to go to the hospital until something happens,’ Dr Kootin-Sanwu said:

‘If for nothing at all, at leas
t give yourself that gift on your birthday and go to the hospital for a total screening to know your risk of getting diabetes or if your blood pressure is high, check for cholesterol so that together, we can all help to beat the growing pandemic,’ she added.

Dr. Kootin-Sanwu stated that if Ghanaians do not take the appropriate precautions by changing their lifestyles and getting regular checkups to determine their status and risk of developing diabetes, as well as early treatment, the disease’s projections in Ghana may come true.

She expressed concern that the disease was getting worse, affecting many people under the age of 60 with stroke and cardiovascular issues, robbing the country of its most productive workforce.

Dr Kootin-Sanwu said uncontrolled diabetes could lead to stroke, a higher risk of blindness, cardiovascular disease, kidney failures, nerve damage, amputations, and death.

‘Most of the people who are coming to see us in the clinics and emergency rooms have got strokes at age 35, 45 all the
way up to age 50 and the majority of our deaths in the hospital is coming from stroke these days all because the underlying problems are diabetes and hypertension so it goes just beyond the sugar. All your organs can be affected so we need to take better care of ourselves and have a healthy screening habit,’ she said.

The Senior Physician Specialist advised the public to change their lifestyles by eating a well-balanced diet, getting regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and avoiding saturated fats, carbonated drinks, and reducing sugar and salt in their meals.

‘Our lifestyles have changed, many people have moved from being very active, majority of us are having to sit in cars early in the morning, go to work, sit through work and then come back home with very little physical activity, it is not advisable to sit for too long ….at least taking a walk is very important and can prevent one from getting diabetes.’

Dr Kootin-Sanwu expressed hope that the recently developed national diabetes guidelines
would be very helpful for all health workers across the country.

‘We know that there are not many specialists in diabetes all over the country, but at least with that guide, they can be able to give the patient the care that they need.’

Source: Ghana News Agency