Category: Medical

Authorities of the Eastern Regional Hospital have highlighted the importance of regular health checks for the early detection and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Dr Arko Akoto-Ampaw, the Medical Director, Eastern Regional Hospital, while addressing the 2023 annual performance review meeting hosted by the hospital in Koforidua, stressed the importance of early diagnosis in managing NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases, which pose severe health risks. He encouraged individuals to undergo routine health screenings as that could significantly contribute to reducing the burden of NCDs in the region and improve overall public health. The 2023 performance review indicated that the first five of the top 10 causes of mortality were stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, prematurity, and hypertension. Non-communicable diseases, which do not spread through infection or from one person to another, are typically the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. 'This means that many people are suffering from them but are unaware that they need critical care and attention,' Dr Akoto-Ampaw said. 'If individuals, therefore, proudly refuse to visit the hospital for check-ups, how can these diseases be detected, treated, or managed,' he asked. The number of deaths recorded was 1,860, which represents a death rate of seven per cent, a reduction of a percentage point compared to the previous year. When it comes to hospital utilisation, the OPD (Out-Patients Department) saw 280,677 visits, with 240,342 being insured and 40,335 being non-insured. In total, there were 23,949 admissions and 23,411 discharges recorded. In the Child Health and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), admissions due to prematurity numbered 1,004 in 2022 and 908 in 2023. In 2022, there were 512 cases of neonatal jaundice and 27 cases of congenital heart disease. In 2023, the number of neonatal jaundice cases decreased to 470, while congenital heart disease cases dropped to 17. On the hospital infrastructure, Dr Akoto-Ampaw men tioned that renovation works at the physiotherapy area, pharmacy bungalow, main stores, and the construction of a new oxygen plant are currently in progress. He expressed gratitude to individuals, corporate bodies, Kybele and the Kabaka foundations for their significant support in upholding quality healthcare at the hospital. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Promise Sefogah with the World Health Organisation (WHO-Ghana) says hormonal imbalances that take place in pregnant women triger a change in behaviour, medically known as maternal mental health (MMH) disorder, and that is not madness. Those hormones last until after delivering and the sudden change in the levels of the hormones was what triggered the change in the behaviour of some women, he said. 'So it is not the matter of the woman has delivered and she is gone mad. No, MMH disorders are not madness. They are problems resulting from the hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy and then transition to the period of delivery,' he noted. 'All we need to do is to understand. So, let's all join in creating the public awareness that these things do happen,' Dr Sefogah, the Lead Consultant for Maternal Mental Health (MMH) Situation Analysis for the WHO said on Monday. In an interview with journalists in Bolgatanga after he presented findings and recommendations at a dissemination meeting on MMH Sit uation Analysis in Ghana, for the Northern Zone, Dr Sefogah said physiological medical reasons accounted for those happenings and called for public awareness to avoid stigmatisation. The programme was organised by the Ghana Health Service with funding from the UK - Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (UK-FCDO). Dr Sefogah, who is a Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist, said: 'Everybody has a role to play, the church, the mosques, traditional leaders, the media; so that we all create the awareness that will prevent these things from having the major tone they have.' He said some people ascribed spiritual causes to the changes and took women with such experiences to traditional healers and faith-based places, insisting that 'we need to bring them to the hospital, where they would be assessed.' The Lead Consultant called on healthcare professionals to improve on counselling of patients and their families to enhance their understanding of the changes that occurred during pregnancy. Research indicated th at 20 per cent of deaths of women after delivery was due to suicide and that could be as a result of severe depression, 'so this work has brought up very interesting findings that require urgent action,' he said. The analysis indicate that some pregnant women panicked when they were told they would undergo Cesarean Section and called on healthcare providers to improve on counselling. Dr Martin Boamah, the Technical Officer for Maternal and Child Health WHO-Ghana, said there was no policy on MMH in Ghana, which was worrying. He called on critical stakeholders to put in policies that would address MMH issues comprehensively. Over the years policy makers had concentrated on maternal deaths to the neglect of MMH issues, noting that 'we should not neglect MMH because some women who suffer from these issues may not die, but then, it affects their productivity, quality of life, and has even direct effect on their children.' Dr Boamah said there was evidence to show that children of women who suffered from mater nal mental health issues had stunted growth and those with suicidal tendencies either killed themselves or their babies. 'We believe that it is the right time, and indeed, globally, the direction is towards addressing mental health issues, and of course, MMH should not be left behind. So this is what WHO, with the support of the FCDO wants to address,' he said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Patrick Odum Ansah, the Director of the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), says Navrongo, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal capital of the Upper East Region is one of the friendliest towns for research. He said residents of Navrongo had lived with Researchers from the Centre for decades and were comfortable with the excellent record of accomplishment of the NHRC in research over the years. 'Navrongo is one of the friendliest places for research, because the people have lived with the Researchers, they are sure of what they can do and they know their records,' he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, after his opening address at a two-day annual scientific review meeting of the Centre. The meeting was on the theme, 'Exploring the synergies between health research and academia for development and excellence in tertiary education.' He said the NHRC after its successful continuous operation in Navrongo and its environs over the years, extended its services to the Bongo, Builsa North and South Distri cts, 'For now, we have done some studies in Bongo, we have gone to Builsa North, Builsa South and we are working there.' He said the initiative to extend their services to the three Districts meant that more people would be available for research, and that the more the burden of research was distributed among the entire population, the more useful it was. Dr Ansah said 'You cannot use only a few people to do research. The general principle of ethics is that, as much as possible, all those who are going to use the product should take part in the research. As we expand more, we are bringing this ethical principle to bear. 'That is, everybody will take part in the research, its risks, and the benefits. So Builsa is under our care now, in Bongo, we do some studies there,' he said. The Director said management would consider expanding its work beyond the Upper East to the North East and Savannah Regions to conduct as many studies as possible, if the Centre got funds, 'The benefits of this is that it injects so me investment into the health system. 'Healthcare becomes better and general health knowledge among the population increases. The contact with the communities alone improves the health of the people, and so if we can expand beyond our borders, it will bring better benefits to the whole population.' he added. Speaking on the theme of the meeting, Professor James Akazili, the Keynote Speaker, said in an era marked by unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the role of research centres and academia was more critical than ever. 'It is a call that transcends borders, disciplines, and institutions, echoing the collective need for knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. In our current interconnected world, challenges know no boundaries. 'Thus, whenever we grapple with climate change, global health crises, limited health funding or resource allocation, the search for effective solutions demands collaboration that extends beyond geographical and disciplinary confines,' he said. Professor Akazili said the ca ll for industry and academia was a call to unite, to pool their collective intellect and resources in pursuit of solutions that could impact the entire globe. 'Over the years, the role of academia has become more crucial than ever; we find ourselves in a world marked by technological revolutions, global knowledge production and complex challenges that demand innovative solutions. 'In this context, the academic community serves as a vanguard, equipping the next generation with the requisite tools, skills, and knowledge to navigate this dynamic terrain,' the Keynote Speaker said. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema: The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in collaboration with First Star Academy in Tema Community 12, has held a day's programme dubbed 'My Kitchen, My Health' to promote nutrition among children. Ms Joyce Asare Kissi, the head of the Tema General Hospital's Nutrition Unit, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that her unit partnered with the school as it feeds into the GHS' Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI). Ms Kissi said the collaborative initiative, which started in 2022, is to address the triple burden of malnutrition through the implementation of several services to improve the nutrition and health of children and adolescents. She said the aims and objectives were to empower school children to promote positive changes in practices and norms related to nutrition, build their capacity to improve their own nutrition and lifestyle changes, and also encourage them to participate in group activities needed to protect their health and that of members of their community. Madam Isabella Adigbli, the pre-school headmistress at First Star Academy, told the GNA that the programme serves as a platform for them to educate the children on the importance of eating food from all six food groups and reducing the consumption of fizzy drinks. Madam Adigli said having a balanced diet that includes essential food groups such as fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, fats, and oil is very significant to their growth and for the body's immunity. She said children should replace their sugary drinks with healthier beverages and fruits, as the intake of excess sugar would have some negative effects on their health. 'We aim to empower children with the knowledge and skills they need by preparing them with a strong foundation in nutrition to make healthy choices for themselves,' she said. She urged parents to reinforce the nutrition lessons given to the children at school by providing them with healthy snacks and food to ensure they understand the benefits of healthy eating habits. The nutrition officers gave a talk on the various food groups with displays for the children to get a clear understanding of nutrition, while food crafts such as fruit khebabs were also demonstrated and shared to them. Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The Ghana National TB Voice Network (GNTBVN) has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to talk about the Government's commitment to fighting Tuberculosis in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) tomorrow. Mr Jerry Amoah-Larbi, the Coordinator, Ghana National TB Voice Network, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency(GNA) said: 'We want the President to specifically touch on issues bothering TB fight…' 'We are also looking at the United Nations High-Level commitment he signed concerning the commitment in which he is supposed to provide the National TB Control Programme with the needed resources to be able to fight and eliminate TB by 2030,' he stated. Mr Amoah-Larbi said the GNTBVN was also expecting to see how the President adhered to the commitments and ensure it translated into safeguarding the health of the citizenry. He said, according to the Global Fund, in each grant cycle, a country was supposed to commit a certain amount to the donors to show their willingness to support the health system. However, under the current Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 (GC7) co-financing commitment by the government, there was no allocation for TB, he said. 'I am looking forward to the counterpart funding from the Government of Ghana in this regard and the commitment made,' the GNTBVN Coordinator added. Mr Amoah-Larbi said the Government must make a commitment to the procurement of some Gene-Xperts machines and medications that were needed for the citizenry, especially for TB patients. 'This is crucial because even though the Global Fund had committed some funds under the current GC7, moving forward from 2024,2025, and 2026 the government needs to make domestic funds available to procure medications to support TB clients.' President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to deliver a message on the State of the Nation (SONA) to Parliament on Tuesday, February 27. Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, states that the President shall deliver a message on the SONA to Parliament at the start of each session and before the dissolution of Parliament. It also imposes an obligation on Members of Parliament (MPs), the Speaker of Parliament and the Judiciary to receive the President's SONA. SONA is a constitutional obligation and yearly tradition, wherein the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces reports on the status of the country, unveils the government's agenda for the coming year, and proposes to Parliament certain legislative measures. Source: Ghana News Agency