Day: January 24, 2024

The Government of Ghana in partnership with the United States (US) has launched a $25 million support programme to improve healthcare delivery in Ghana.

The Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement would support the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to improve the quality of primary healthcare delivery at Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) and health centres across the country.

A statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would provide $18.8 million in funding while the GHS is expected to contribute $6.2 million over the five-year period.

Kimberly Rosen, USAID/Ghana Mission Director said investments in health paid back dividends for generations, saying: ‘The partnership we announced today will help provide quality services to all Ghanaians no matter where they live or how much they can afford to pay.’

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, GHS, believed that the support would help to provide continuous quality hea
lth care and also enhance the patient experience through the network of practice as the Service marched towards achieving universal health coverage.

The statement said the United States Government remained Ghana’s largest bilateral partner with over $150 million in support in the last year for health, economic growth, agriculture, education, governance, security, and more.

It said the five-year agreement was in line with Ghana’s health objectives, including the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap (2020-2030).

USAID and the GHS would also support 60 Networks of Practice (NoP) in five regions, including the Northern and Western Regions with essential equipment, training of health staff, and on-the-job supportive supervision to strengthen their skills.

The Network of Practice (NoP) model would link community health facilities to district health centres for improved healthcare delivery while the agreement would also support the GHS to operationalise its Planning and Budgeting Management Information System and t
he Ministry of Finance for its Integrated Financial Management Information System, among others.

The USAID/Ghana Mission Director also handed over three Yamaha motorcycles to the GHS to support community health officers in accessing hard-to-reach areas.

USAID has donated more than 300 motorcycles, 20 vehicles, and 3,000 electronic tablets to the GHS to facilitate health service delivery over the past years.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Reverend Professor Joseph Osafo Adu, an expert in Health Psychology, says it is alright to seek help from the right persons when traumatised.

Prof. Adu said death, traumatic separation, rape, reduced satisfaction, over protections, divorce, abuse and bullying were some of the key causes of trauma among people, adding that all must however build resilience to withstand such tough times.

He gave the advice at the commencement of a two-day Trauma Healing Community of Practice Conference 2024 organised by The Bible Society of Ghana and the Trauma Healing Institute as the keynote speaker.

The conference is on the theme: ‘Strength from Weakness: The Path to Resilience.’

He said 20 per cent of every young man between 14 and 22 years, had at one time attempted suicide in the country, a situation that needed dire attention.

To build resilience to withstand the test of time, Prof Adu, also the Acting Director, Centre for Ageing Studies, University of Ghana, encouraged persons in such moments to build and maintain
social connections, share problems and seek support from others, find ways to

maintain a positive outlook, and embrace challenge as a learning experience to build a personal growth.

Adversities in life, he said, would continue to challenge humanity’s quest to live in dignity, however, adversities and challenges in life did not challenge the power of God.

‘Don’t let past adversities erase today’s joy but rather embrace opportunities,’ he said.

Prof. Adu entreated the public to set realistic goals, avoid stress, learn from past experiences, and tackle challenges with critical thinking and positivity.

The keynote speaker, also a Suicidologist, also called on citizens to be each other’s keeper, care for one another and make the burden on them easier to reduce thoughts of suicide.

‘We need to care for that child that feels unloved, that person that has lost confidence in God and that person who needs material support,’ he said

Madam Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the former Vice President, Bible Society of Ghana,
said no one was free from Trauma.

The most important thing is to empower people to recover from trauma themselves, she said.

She advised individuals who needed support to seek one from a clinical Psychologist or a Christian Counsellor to overcome their challenges.

The conference was also used to launch the ‘Updated Audio Healing Group Model’, a mobile app that allows individuals from across the globe to access trauma healing support.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The internal organs of Musa Fatoul, a cattle rarer killed on December 31, 2023 in Foumban in the Noun division have still not been found and the unidentified and suspected body part traffickers are still on the run.

‘We are continuing with investigations to identify and arrest the body part traffickers. This is a big crime that shouldn’t go unpunished,’ Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Zourmba , Major Commander of the West gendarmerie region said.

The cattle rearer was allegedly killed by two men, Bouba, 21 years old and Damdi, 29 in the course of a fight with the help of a machete. His body was found at a place called Fosset.

‘That fateful day I received a call that my younger brother’s corpse had been found at Fosset. He was butchered like an animal,’ Amadou Saley said.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Zourmba , major commander of the West gendarmerie region explained that ‘the victim had consumed sachet whiskey given to him by Bouba. Later on, Musa and Damdi engaged in a quarrel that led to a fight. Damdi brutally sent a
machete through Musa’s stomach, pulling out his internal organs.’

The suspect Damdi who escaped was arrested recently following investigations opened.

‘We arrested Damdi in Tiko, South West region. Bouba was also apprehended after. We are not relenting efforts to arrest individuals who made away with Musa’s internal organs,’ the commander added.

The gendarmerie officials urged the population to stay vigilant and denounce criminals.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Professor Francis Kasolo, the Country Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), says community engagement is critical during public health emergencies.

?He said community involvement in preparation and readiness for emergency situations was necessary because it helps them to be?better placed in responding to such emergencies.

?Prof. Kasolo was speaking at the opening of a three-day Community Readiness Tabletop Simulation Exercise in Accra, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, WHO and the United Kingdom (UK) Public Health Rapid Response Team.

The Tabletop simulation exercise gives Community Members and stakeholders the opportunity to be prepared and equipped with necessary information during outbreaks and the best approach for response.

The WHO Country Director said, that health emergencies start and end in communities, hence, the importance of community involvement in emergencies could not be overemphasized.

?’The capacities and resources must be in place at the Community level
for early detection and containment of health emergencies,’ he added.

?He said many stories had been told on how the lack of involvement of Communities in health emergencies had led to significant loss of lives.

?Prof. Kasolo recounted events in the early days of Ebola in West Africa when the first cases were reported when the Community Members were aware of the epidemic three months before it was officially reported by WHO.?

?’Unfortunately, many lives were lost due to this gap,?therefore, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic have also amplified the critical role of community members in prevention, preparedness, readiness and response to any type of emergency, regardless of the hazard,’ he added.

Prof. Kasolo said one of the key components of the exercise was to protect Communities and strengthen the local and community emergency coordination mechanisms and capacities for early detection and containment of outbreaks.

Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, Director, of Public Health, Ghana Health Service,?said?Ghana ha
d experienced a number of outbreaks in the past two years in the midst of COVID-19, including Lassa fever, Yellow fever, Marburg virus and Mpox among others.

?He said the need for strong and resilient systems to rapidly detect and respond to events for timely control was key while recognizing the importance and benefits of the exercise.

Globally, Ghana was the first country chosen to undertake the pilot exercise, to help identify and strengthen the gaps in the country’s surveillance system and be better placed in future emergencies.

Dr John Ekow Otoo, Deputy Director of Public Health, Eastern Region Health Directorate,?told the Ghana News Agency that participants were strategically selected from communities within?Kwahu Afram Plains North and Kwahu West Districts of the Eastern Region.

He said: ‘Kwahu Afram Plains North is one of the deprived districts in the region if something should happen, it takes extra effort to get there and have information so if we are to choose just one district, we are better o
ff in setting them up so that they will be able to contain the situation before it gets out of hand.’

Participants included Community volunteers, Assembly Members, Community Health Nurses, Medical Directors, Doctors, Physician Assistants, Disease Control Officers,?District Health Directors, Environmental Health Officers, Veterinary Services and the Red Cross Society among others.?

Source: Ghana News Agency

Africa’s Peace, Investment and Tourism Summit, an annual event organised to unite diverse stakeholders with a focus on promoting Peace, Investment and Tourism in Africa, comes off in April.

The three-day event which will take place from April 15 to 17 in Accra, is to primarily cultivate a positive and inclusive environment whilst inspiring and empowering individuals and communities to contribute to a peaceful future.

It is being organised in partnership with the Office of the Ga Mantse Star Galaxi Media UK, Enlightening and Empowering People with Disabilities in Africa (EEPD Africa, Luxurious Living USA, SunRays Group – Nigeria, DiffuserNigeria – Nigeria, Maurya Infotech Services – India, K-Pentag LLC – Finland and other international organisations.

The summit will serve as a vital platform to identify investment opportunities that can drive economic growth, job creation, and overall community development.

Beyond the economic considerations, there would be leadership and breakout sessions where seasoned
speakers would inspire participants to become catalysts for positive change in their communities.

A press release from the organisers said community and political leaders would be given the opportunity to showcase their unique potentials and engage investors to explore possibilities for industrialisation and economic growth to create employment opportunities.

Key personalities like the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia would grace the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour and also in attendance would be the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.

The Chief of Staff, US Ambassador to Ghana, British High Commissioner to Ghana, Officials from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Ministers of Defense, Trade and Industry, Aviation, Business Development and other sector Ministers would also be in attendance.

The release said on the first day, there would be discussions and initiatives on the importance of peace in national development where participants would include community and political

leaders, securi
ty agencies, members of the Diplomatic Corps, the clergy, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The second day would have an investment round table discussion and the focus would be to bring together investors, entrepreneurs and, industry experts for insightful discussions and collaborations.

There would also be an evening gala dinner, which would be an exclusive celebration in the esteemed company of King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.

On the third day, there would be a diplomatic tour where Africa’s potential for investment would be highlighted, and cultural richness and investment prospects highlighted together with the diverse heritage.

Key areas of discussion would be peace and security, real estate, wealth and asset management, wellbeing, wellness and healthcare, aviation, oil and gas, tourism, mining and solar energy.

Some participating countries are United States of America, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leon Liberia and Togo.

The rest are Nig
eria, Cote D’Voire, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Alhaji Saalim Mansur Bamba, Ashanti Regional NPP Nasara Coordinator, has stressed the need for tribal communities to revive and promote their cultural heritage and identity.

This, he said, was the only way to trace their ancestral roots and be closer to their traditional and spiritual inclinations.

Alhaji Bamba was addressing a durbar to climax the Damba festival by the Gonja community in the Ashanti region.

The festival is celebrated to mark the birth and naming of Prophet Mohammed, but the actual content of the celebration is a glorification of Gonja chieftaincy.

Alhaji Bamba said promoting cultural and traditional people’s activities was the surest way of sustaining ancestral heritage, tribal lineages and unity among the people in that tribe.

Explaining the significance of the festival, he said aside from the merry-making, the Damba festival was meant to foster socialisation and unity among family members as well as settle their differences.

The Damba festivities according to him displayed beautiful
traditional dances and served as an occasion for the glorification of chiefs and royalty in Gonjaland.

He said the Damba festival was important in the daily lives of the people since its essence was to be displayed through traditional pageantry.

The Nasara Coordinator said there was a need to embrace cultural heritage to promote sustainable development.

Alhaji Bamba called on the people to commit themselves to peaceful coexistence and unity as the country prepared for the next general elections.

He advised them not to allow any political party to divide them.

Source: Ghana News Agency