Category: Medical

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has launched thrombolysis service, a medical procedure that restores paralysed stroke patients to normalcy. The introduction of the service is seen as a major breakthrough in the treatment of stroke. Thrombolysis uses medications or a minimally invasive procedure to break up blood clots and prevent new clots from forming in the brain. Patients who are brought in on time and are eligible for the thrombolysis service could be treated and saved from conditions such as speech difficulties, weakness in arms and legs as well as loss of balance. Stroke is said to be the leading cause of death at the medical block at KATH, a reason that makes the incorporation of thrombolysis into routine stroke care at the facility a key intervention to save lives. Professor Fred Stephen Sarfo, a Neurologist at KATH, who is leading the implementation of the thrombolysis service, believes the management of stroke in Ghana looks promising with the introduction of thrombolysis and the training of various medical professionals in that field. Throwing more light on thrombolysis at the launch of the service, Prof. Sarfo said, 'When someone suffers a stroke, essentially what happens is that there is a blood clot sitting in a vessel taking blood to the brain. So the reason why the person cannot talk or has paralysis is because a part of the brain is not working because it is not receiving blood so that blood clot that is preventing the blood from getting to that part of the brain is what we seek to dissolve to restore blood flow to the brain,' he explained. He further expounded that once blood was restored to the brain the patient would be able to talk and the paralysis would disappear, thereby curing the patient completely unlike in the past when there was no proper cure for stroke. Prof. Sarfo spoke about the essence of time in administering the thrombolysis service on patients, saying that patients must be brought to the facility within an hour or two, to commence the process. ' If the person comes late, we will still assess the person and treat him or her, but we will not give the person thrombolysis because the thrombolysis is time bound,' he added According to him, if a patient is given the thrombolysis treatment after four and half hours, it could rather harm the patient because it could cause the patient to bleed into the brain. He underlined the need to prioritise risk factor screening, prevention and treatment, adding that, hypertension which was a major risk factor was common with about 40 per cent of Ghanaian adults without their knowledge. Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KATH, said the commencement of thrombolysis service at the facility was a significant milestone in the treatment and management of stroke cases in the middle and northern part of the country. He said as one of the leading causes of admissions and deaths at the KATH and the country as a whole, it was refreshing to witness the historic launch of the stroke thrombolysis service which was expected to save many lives The CEO urged other peripheral hospitals and the public to act with speed in getting stroke patients to KATH for the live-saving service. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Hope For Future Generations (HFFG) , a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving health, education and socio-economic status of women, children and young people, has reiterated the called on the government to prioritise the financing of immunization vaccines. The call is as a result of the impending exit of international donors who procure 60 per cent of immunization vaccines for the country. Dr Felicia Alemna, Consultant, HFFG, who made the call at a stakeholder engagement in Accra on Thursday, explained that currently 60 per cent of the immunization given to children were procured by donors while the government paid for the remaining 40 per cent. However, the donors were to bring and end to the financial support in 2028. 'So as the donors are pulling out because we have become a middle income country, we are supposed to be able to fend for ourselves. 'So our advocacy is for the people who matter to prioritise immunization such that our children will benefit and not come down with other diseases,' she said. Dr Alemna said the country would experience pockets of outbreaks and a break in head immunity if the government did not prioritise immunization financing. She made reference to an outbreak of measles which occurred in 2022 as a result of a shortage of the vaccine, because the country's attention was more on Covid-19 at the detriment of other diseases. Mr Felix Sarpong, a Representative from UNICEF, said having equitable access to immunization was key. He said vaccines had saved millions of lives over the years so it was important to make them accessible to all. He said UNICEF would collaborate with HFFG and other stakeholders to ensure increased access to vaccine financing. Source: Ghana News Agency

Four West African Cities, Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, Dakar in Senegal, Freetown in Sierra Leone, Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso are implementing healthy food policies to address the rising rates of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities (PHC) Food Policy, the cities are identifying ways by which their urban population can eat healthy foods in healthier environments. Ms Ariella Rojhani, Director for the PHC at Vital Strategies, told the press at the PHC Summit in Cape Town that the cities were successfully implementing nutritional measures that was reforming what children ate and drunk in a school environment. 'The cities are enforcing nutritional standards for food served in schools, hospitals and other public places ensuring that only healthy food options are available,' she said. Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and Dakar, Senegal are for instance designing nutrition standards aimed at reducing excessive salt consumption in public schools. Freetown, Sierra Leone is training m arket vendors on the dangers of excess salt consumption and on how to bring the information to their customers. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso is creating nutritional standards and developing a policy on foods served in schools and hospitals, with a focus on reducing salt and sugar consumption. Ms. Rojhani said as West African cities experienced epiderniological transition from infectious diseases to chronic NCDs, where cities were observing an increase in stroke, hypertension, diabetes and cancers, enforcing strong healthy food interventions was necessary. She said through the power of the partnerships, cities were becoming successful by learning from each other and replicating ideas with focus on developing meaningful nutritional standards. 'Cities are putting forward rules that say that food must be limited to fresh products, it must not contain excess salt and sugar,' she said. Ms Rojhani said in Latin America, there had been a huge demand for stronger food policies, as a human right issue, and that peopl e in communities were demanding for healthier food and clean water. The city of Cali, Colombia is implementing a new decree that ensures all students have access to nutritious and wholesome meals during school hours. Córdoba, Argentina is preparing to pass a food policy restricting the sale and advertising of unhealthy food and beverages in schools and requiring healthy alternatives. Montevideo, Uruguay is incentivising food services to provide healthier meals to public sector workers, through its 'Healthy Canteens' initiative. Cairo, Egypt is working on a project aimed at making healthy food more accessible to primary-school aged children. London, United Kingdom is reducing children's exposure to unhealthy food and drink through advertising restrictions. Under the PHC programme, each one of the Partnership cities works with at least one out of PHC public health areas which are food policy, overdose prevention, road safety, safe and active mobility, surveillance and tobacco control. With the food polic y, cities get to strengthening food policy measures through four intervention areas; tax, sugary drinks, set nutrition standards for foods served and sold in public institutions, regulate food and drink marketing and create healthier restaurant environments. Source: Ghana News Agency

The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is targeting to test 1.9 million people in 2024, as part of a comprehensive plan under the Global Fund's Grant Cycle 7. Using regional targets, an estimated 1.1 million pregnant women would also be tested as part of the programme, Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, the Programmes Manager said. Ghana has received 234 million dollars under the GC7 to fight HIV, TB and Malaria from 2024 to 2026, and HIV is getting close to 100 million of the amount for interventions across the country. Dr. Addo, addressing stakeholders at the 2024 Joint TB/HIV Annual Review held in Ho, said as part of activities for the year, an HIV Case Based Surveillance programme would be launched, and an E-tracker for the ART rolled out. He said there will be a triple elimination intervention for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B, as well as HIV interventions for special groups, and HIV Cadre Community Interventions. The NACP plans to enhance differentiated ART service delivery and strengthen the community g roups and models. It will further develop its guidelines and job aids, enhance HIV positive baby units, the pregnancy registry, and also improve upon the integration of ART into non-communicable disease care. Other activities for the year include the pilot of a cervical cancer screening programme, operational research in key areas, and expansion of family-based index testing. A newly revised HIV testing algorithm will be rolled out in the year. Dr. Addo said stakeholders should work on optimising electronic medical records and also address staff attrition for HIV care. He said there was the need to improve uptake of HIV services, and also called for the promotion of a paediatric HIV implementation plan. He reported how data challenges continued to affect the control programme and said the necessary support would help deliver a more successful implementation. 'Our work in 2024 is clearly cut-out and the targets are very attainable,' Dr Addo assured. Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, Acting Chairman of the Co untry Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund, said 1.2 billion dollars had so far been invested in the country by the Global Fund, sustaining some 254,000 people on TB and HIV treatment. He made an appeal to the Government to ensure the availability of domestic resources, including counterpart funding to aid a successful fight. The annual joint TB/HIV review brought heads of the Ghana Health Service from across the Regions, and various stakeholders including the WHO, UNICEF, and CSOs as well as health research institutions. Source: Ghana News Agency

Renowned pharmaceutical giant, Cipla, is set to broaden its reach into the thriving healthcare landscape of Ghana, in a move aligning with its 'Africa for Africa' strategy, it has announced. The Chief Executive Officer of Cipla Africa, Paul Miller, outlined that the company is committed to fostering equitable access to quality medications across the continent, with a particular focus on Ghana's burgeoning healthcare needs. Mr. Miller articulating Cipla's vision for the future, stated, 'We envision a future where everyone in Ghana has equitable access to quality, life-saving medicine, and innovative therapies. Our expansion aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the improvement of health and well-being.' Highlighting the pivotal role pharmaceutical companies play in achieving these goals, he emphasized, 'Addressing disparities by enabling access to medication is one of the most important things we can do in any country to help improve health outcomes. We believe that heal thy people are the foundation of healthy economies.' Cipla's strategic approach involves unlocking the continent's well-being potential and driving inclusive economic growth. The CEO of Cipla Africa underscored the company's global commitment to agile and sustainable growth, with a specific focus on complex generics and portfolio expansion in emerging markets. 'We're guided by our philosophy of 'Caring for life,' which has earned us the trust of healthcare professionals and patients worldwide,' he stated. The initial therapeutic portfolio Cipla is introducing to the Ghanaian market encompasses respiratory, gastro, cardiovascular/diabetes management, pain/colds/flu, and anti-infectives. Also, the company plans to collaborate closely with local healthcare professionals and prioritize patient education in Ghana, aiming to enhance health outcomes in the region. Recognizing the pivotal role of investment in Africa for catalyzing job creation, infrastructure development, and sustainable economic prosperity, Ci pla is determined to empower local communities and contribute to Ghana's socio-economic advancement. Moreover, Cipla is committed to going beyond conventional pharmaceutical roles, actively engaging in corporate social responsibility initiatives. Mr. Miller revealed, 'Our philosophy is to do well while doing good. Our first corporate social investment in Ghana, through our Miles for Smiles initiative in partnership with Operation Smile, aims to fund corrective surgeries for people born with cleft conditions.' As Cipla takes strides to make a lasting impact in Ghana, Mr. Miller expressed excitement about the company's sustained commitment to creating a positive and sustainable footprint in the region. Cipla's expansion into Ghana, it believed, signifies a potent catalyst for positive change and improved well-being across the nation in the realm of healthcare, where access and innovation intersect. Source: Ghana News Agency