Category: Medical

Mr. Raphael Kwabena Angmortey, the Nutrition Officer of Ada East, has said that beautiful, glowing, and anti-ageing skin is not necessarily based on cosmetic products but rather on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Mr. Angmortey told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that most fruits and vegetables, such as blackberries, carrots, and tomatoes, are packed with antioxidant properties that delay or prevent ageing and other age-related disorders.

He mentioned that the skin is an outside layer that portrays problems in the internal body, hence the need to tackle and combat skin challenges from the core rather than using lotions, creams, and masks to cure the outer layer.

The Nutrition Officer said that fruits and vegetables contain vitamins that produce collagen, a protein that keeps the skin firm and elastic, protects the skin from sun damage, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles, among others.

He said that being conscious of the foods consumed, coupled with regular exercise, was essential to a
ttaining beautiful, youthful skin.

He said fruits and vegetables had numerous other health-promoting benefits, such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties, needed for the entire body to function effectively.

He explained that foods that were rich in vitamin C supported collagen production for smooth and supple skin, adding that their anti-inflammatory properties helped to reduce the signs of ageing.

Mr. Angmortey cautioned against cosmetics, especially bleaching products, being used to reduce anti-ageing and other skin issues.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Tamakloe, the Municipal Director of Health Service of Ahanta West Municipal says the Municipality has not recorded any malaria related deaths in the last four years.

The feat was achieved through life-saving interventions such as early diagnosis and prompt treatment, Long Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) distribution, Larval Source Management.

Other interventions included, engaging communities in health decision-making, bringing health care closer to where people lived and work through primary health care system and address factors that increased Malaria risks in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The Municipal Director of Health was speaking during a durbar and donation exercise by Yinson Ghana and the West Africa Rescue Association to mark world Malaria Day in Kejebril in the Municipality.

The theme for this year’s celebration was on’Health Equity, The Cornerstone for Achieving Malaria Elimination in Ghana.’

He noted that, under the Larval Source Management (LSM), the Municipal Healt
h Directorate (MHD) collaborated with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and mapped out and sprayed a total of 474 mosquito breeding sites and thus topped the league table among the seven implementing LSM districts in the Western Region.

The Municipal Director of Health said Kejebril was ranked the 14th epidemic Malaria community but through LMS and other Malaria intervention, the health Centre in the community now ranked 3rd best in reducing Malaria morbidity compared to the 2022 and 2023 annual cases.

‘No wonder we are celebrating this year commemoration in Kejebril’ he said.

He added that sustained funding, strong surveillance system and community engagement were key to the success of the ambitious target of zero Malaria.

‘Together with a robust political commitment, adequate investment and the right combination of strategies, we can reach our common goal of eradicating Malaria by 2030’, he said.

Mr. Tamakloe commended some health facilities in the Municipality for their excellent performance in reducing annual M
alaria morbidity and their strive in ensuring zero Malaria death in the Municipality.

He also made a call to the Chiefs to support community members who suffer from the deadly Malaria illness.

Meanwhile, the Municipality recorded 33,065 Malaria cases out of which 512 were pregnant women and 8,053 were children under five years.

‘Together we can reduce morbidity in line with the vision of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Malaria Community which is a world free of Malaria’ he noted.

He therefore called on frontline health workers, partners, stakeholders, Chiefs, and all opinion leaders in the Municipality to help accelerate the fight against Malaria for a more equitable world.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Labram Musah, the National Coordinator of the Ghana NCD Alliance (GhNCDA) has called on the media and civil society organisations (CSOs) to remain steadfast in their commitment towards achieving Universal Health Care (UHC).

‘Together let us forge and fight towards a future where health is truly a universal right acceptable by all of us,’ he said.

Mr Musah made the call at the close of a day’s capacity-building seminar for media professionals and CSO members in Accra on the theme: ‘Accelerating UHC through the 2nd Global Financing Dialogue on NCDs and Mental Health.’

The seminar was organised by the GhNCDA and supported by NCDA Advocacy Institute Accelerator Track Programme through NCDA partnership with the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

It was aimed at educating the media and the CSO members on their roles towards the forthcoming second Global Financing Dialogue in June 2024 in Washington, USA.

The participants were taken through how the media should be positioned in the lead up to t
he upcoming dialogue to catch the attention of relevant policy makers and how to demand appropriate policy responses that will guide Ghana’s participation at the meeting.

Mr Musah said investment in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health were imperative to achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target.

‘Regrettably, progress in addressing illnesses and mental health conditions has decelerated since the onset of the SDGs era in 2015, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,’ he stated.

He said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development had acknowledged the significance of addressing NCDs and mental health, aiming to reduce premature mortality from the diseases by one-third and promote mental health and well-being by 2030.

‘This inclusion marks a pivotal step towards rallying efforts for a comprehensive approach to tackle these pressing developmental challenges of the 21st century,’ the coordinator said, adding that the NCDs constituting
74 per cent of all deaths globally and 46 per cent of total death in Ghana highlights the urgency of action.

Mr Musah noted that each country harbours the potential to realise the global SDG 3.4 target (reduce by one-third premature mortality from NCD through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being) and advance towards UHC for individuals with the diseases and mental health conditions.

‘This can be achieved through the scaled-up delivery of context-specific, cost-effective priority interventions, coupled with domestic capacity-building efforts across government sectors,’ he stated.

He said the upcoming second Global Financing Dialogue aimed at delineating actionable national strategies and formulating policy recommendations conducive to integrating NCDs and mental health within the national health financing system.

‘The first Global Financing Dialogue stressed the fact that current rates of investments were not sufficient to meet SDG 3.4 by 2030,’ Mr Labram stated.

Participants
at the seminar expressed their commitment to carry out concerted awareness creation among stakeholders for them to see the need for NCDs and mental health financing to help achieve the Universal Health Care target.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Health Service, Yinson Ghana, and the West Africa Rescue Association (WARA) have collaborated in series of activities to mark World Malaria Day in Kejebril community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.

The strategic partnership for improved health saw the entities organising clean up exercise in the Kejebril community, visualisation competition for school children, school health and awareness programme on Malaria prevention for 100 students, durbar, and the donation of essential commodities to the community’s health Centre.

Kejebril, forms part of the catchment communities in which Yinson’s operated.

The medical items included,16 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT), 50 Lonart DS, five Packs of Sanitizers, one Nebulizer Machine, two Large Oxygen Cylinders, two Flow Meters, two Gas Canisters, and one Set of Otoscope.

The rest are: one Hematology Analyzer, Reagents for the analyzer, one Microscope, 200 Treated Mosquito Nets, one Veronica Bucket and Office printer.

The partners also ren
ovated the delivery ward of the facility.

Some school children in a competition expressed their understanding through a visualisation processes where the top five winners received awards

Dr. Kobby Dzakpasu, led an engaging session using visual aids to bring the issues of Malaria and thus helping the school children to understand the ins and outs of malaria.

At the durbar, Dr. Joe Gbene a Medical practitioner, took the community through the ABCDE of malaria prevention which he explained as Awareness on risks factors, avoiding being Bitten by mosquito, usage of the Chemoprophylaxis, seeking Diagnosis and treatment and Emergency response.

He urged the community to be environmentally conscious, the use of treated long lasting Nets, and repellent among other means of prevention.

Nana Anghmatia VI, the Chief of Kejebir was so appreciative of the kind gesture by the partners and tasked the community to patronise the facility.

He said, ‘Don’t leave the centre here and go to Apowa,Kwesimibtsin or European for he
althcare, we are really fighting for upgrade, and it is the level of patronage that will make the trick.’

The Municipal Director of Health, Mr Emmanuel Tamakloe, was so happy that various interventions had yielded positive results over the last four years.

‘The Municipality had done marvelously well, we have not recorded any official Malaria deaths among pregnant women, children under five and even the children public,’ he added.

He noted that, Ahanta West recorded 33, 065 Malaria cases out of which 512 were pregnant women and 8,053 were children under five years.

‘Together we can reduce morbidity in line with the vision of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Malaria Community which is a world free of Malaria,’ he noted.

He therefore called on frontline health workers, partners, stakeholders, Chiefs, and all opinion leaders in the Municipality to help accelerate the fight against Malaria for a more equitable world.

Mr. Edward Mensah, Corporate Social Responsibility Lead of the Yinson said
since 2016, Yinson had actively engaged in educational interventions within the Western region, with a particular focus on Kejebril adding that, ‘the Kejebril community holds a special place in our hearts-it is not just a location; it is our home. We firmly believe that local impact begins with familiar places.’

He said the company recognized that profits should not be confined to their balance sheets but rather contribute to a better world-for this generation and those yet to come.

Mr. Mensah said, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on eradicating poverty to ensuring quality education, promoting health and well-being to fostering environmental sustainability formed the blueprint for positive change for Yinson towards a brighter community.

A malaria screening exercise, saw 10 people infected with Malaria and were promptly treated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Hypertensive and diabetic expectant mothers have been advised to strictly follow the instructions of their caretakers, as the two conditions, if uncontrolled, can cause birth defects in babies.

Mrs Cecilia Ankomah, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Ashaiman Polyclinic’s Wellness Clinic, gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), stressing that uncontrolled maternal hypertension and diabetes could negatively affect fetal development, leading to birth defects.

Mrs Ankomah said the diseases also put pregnant women at higher risk of complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-term birth, and having babies with a large birth weight (macrosomia).

‘These conditions can also lead to increased rates of caesarean delivery and chronic health issues in children, saying, roper antenatal care is therefore crucial to monitoring blood pressure and managing risks,’ she said.

She disclosed that recent statistics indicate that in Ghana, the prevalence of hypertension rang
es between 25 per cent and 48 per cent in adults, while according to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes also shows a worrying trend, with prevalence rates estimated at around 6.46 per cent in the adult population.

‘These conditions account for a significant portion of the country’s health burden,’ she noted.

She said data from the Ashaiman Municipal Health Directorate revealed that hypertension topped 2023 Outpatients Department (OPD) diseases in the municipality, with 22,002 cases seen between January and December.

The Principal Nursing Officer defined hypertension as a chronic medical condition that was characterised by elevated blood pressure levels, which usually occurred when the pressure in the blood vessel is too high, (140/90 mmHg or higher).

Mrs Ankomah indicated that diabetes, on the other hand, was a metabolic disorder that affected blood sugar regulation and characterised by high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period.

She said diabetes was primarily categorised into two type
s: type (1), where the body failed to produce insulin, and type (2), where the body could not effectively use the insulin it produces.

She said children with diabetes typically had Type (1) diabetes, which could critically affect their growth and development, adding that diabetic children required lifelong insulin therapy and careful dietary management.

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Touching on the causes of these diseases, the wellness nurse said both hypertension and diabetics had genetic factors, saying, diabetics could also cause hypertension.

Other causes of hypertension were unhealthy diets, which contained a high intake of salt, fat, and processed foods; a lack of physical activity; tobacco use; and harmful levels of alcohol consumption, as well as urbanisation and lifestyle changes.

She said Type (1) diabetes, also called ‘juvenile diabetes,’ typically appeared in adolescents, while Type (2) was more common and often linked to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and genetic factors.

She encouraged the public to make good use o
f wellness clinics to regularly screen for hypertension and diabetes, stating that hypertension was often asymptomatic, as people may not feel any symptoms, while some may experience headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision.

The principal nursing officer said that with diabetes, some symptoms may include excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.

She said to reduce the rising prevalence of these two diseases, there was the need to raise awareness about their causes and dangers, have screening programmes for early detection and interventions, promote eating diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, encourage regular physical activity, and implement policies that reduce salt in processed foods,?restrict marketing of unhealthy foods, and promote healthier environments.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Hunger Project (THP) Ghana, in partnership with the Asuogyaman District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has commemorated this year’s World Malaria Day at Sapor in the Eastern Region.

World Malaria Day is an international commemoration held annually on April 25, to recognise global efforts at controlling malaria.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of an infected female anopheles mosquitoes.

Mr Charles Dzamesi, the Project Officer of the Adjena Donor Epicenter, said malaria killed faster than many diseases and it was common in rural areas, hence observing the day in the Sapor community under the Epicenter was in the right direction.

He called on stakeholders in health to join hands in eradicating malaria in the various communities, to unlock human potential and improve economic growth.

Madam Afua Konadu, the Public Health Nurse in the Asuogyaman District, entreated the people to use the recently shared insecticide mo
squito nets to protect themselves from mosquito bites thereby minimising the transmission of the parasite.

She said malaria was among the top 10 causes of illnesses in the district, which could lead to muscle weakness, fatigue, respiratory distress, and brain damage and must be treated as a matter of urgency.

Madam Konadu took participants through the causes, symptoms, and preventive measures of malaria.

She cited some preventive measures as clearing of bushes, doing away with stagnant water, and the use of antimalarial drugs.

A demonstration was given to show participants the proper way of raising the insecticide mosquito net.

The Hunger Project is an international organisation that focuses on facilitating individual and collective actions to transform the systems that create hunger and perpetuate its existence.

Source: Ghana News Agency