Day: October 12, 2023

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has launched its annual blood donation drive to complement the stock levels of whole blood at the National Blood Bank. The exercise, which is part of the Authority’s corporate social responsibility, seeks to collect 2,000 pints of blood in the next two weeks. The drive is being done in all FDA offices across the country on the theme ‘Give Blood, Share Life’. Dr Mrs Ekua Martey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in Charge of Technical Operations at the FDA, who launched the drive in Accra, said it was being done with support from the Ghana Standard Authority, Nurses and Midwifery Council, National Identification Authority, CSIR- Food Research Institute, WAEC, Ghana Red Cross, Tullow and Deloitte. She said students of UniMAC – GIJ, National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the University Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) had committed to support the exercise. Dr Martey said whole blood and its derivatives had been rightly listed as essential medicines by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) because they were indispensable and life-saving medical interventions. ‘Every two seconds, someone will need blood to survive, unfortunately, human blood cannot be produced through artificial means, as there is no substitute for it. ‘ Dr Martey described blood as a precious body substance, which could only come from generous healthy living donors, stressing that a nation’s blood supply was a unique life-giving resource. Madam Joyce Oppong Adu, Deputy Chief Blood Donor Recruitment Officer at the National Blood Service, said the blood donors would be screened to know their blood level, weight and blood pressure. She said the GNBS would always ensure that blood taken was safe for use. Madam Adu lauded the Food and Drugs Authority for its consistent commitment to help stock the national blood bank. She urged the public to donate blood to the bank often, stating that donating blood helped in the production of fresh blood cells and reduced the risk of heart and cancer diseases. In 2016, the FDA through its annul blood donation exercise contributed a total of 82 units of blood to the Korle-Bu blood bank, in 2018, it contributed 86 units, in 2019, 504 units were collected, a total of 670 units and 1489 units were collected in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A two-day conference that seeks to provide a platform for stakeholders in the health sector across the African continent to exchange knowledge and ideas on health financing schemes with a special focus on the role of public health insurance schemes in the attainment of universal health coverage will be held in Ghana from Thursday, October 12 to Friday, October 13, 2023. The conference which forms part of the National Health Insurance Scheme’s 20th anniversary will draw together representatives from over 30 African countries to converge under one roof to explore ways of enhancing health financing on the continent. The conference, themed ‘Overcoming Financing Barrier and Providing Financial Risk Protection’ is the product of collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health, the National Health Authority, and the World Health Organization. Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, the chairman of the planning committee for the conference and Director of Projects at the NHIA, Raphael Segkpeb disclosed that at the heart of the conference are important deliberations on the strengthening the financing of health insurances schemes to ensure that they deliver quality and affordable healthcare to the public. He asserted that conference participants would be tasked with bringing to the fore their knowledge and experiences on how their respective countries and African countries could empower their respective public health insurance schemes to adequately deliver on the mandate for which they were established. ‘The crux of this matter is to give the continent of Africa through the ministries of health, the health insurance schemes, and other stakeholders the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge in respect of the health financing schemes in their countries and the role of public health insurance in the attainment of universal health coverage,’ he stated. While congratulating the NHIA on its 20th anniversary, Francis Chisaka Kasolo, Country Representative for the World Health Organization, commended the management for living up to their reputation as the oldest public health insurance scheme on the continent by bringing together African countries to discuss on delivering affordable and effective healthcare to citizens. Francis Chisaka Kasolo noted that the conference was the ideal platform for stakeholders to propose ways of mitigating the challenges that had plagued some public health schemes in the country. He stated that the conference would help African countries re-examine the direction and focus of public health insurance schemes and birth plans and resolutions that would shape the sector for the better. Some countries expected to be present at the two-day seminar are Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Togo, South Africa, Guinea, and Comoros, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Abu K. Kasangbata, a former Deputy Upper West Regional Minister has stated that good governance and democracy depend media freedom and responsibility. ‘It is a call to action, a call to protect the essence of democracy, and a call to safeguard the voices of the people. ‘It is crucial to remember that a key element of a thriving democracy is an independent media that can question authority and hold leaders accountable.’ In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in reaction to the alleged attack on studios of UTV in Accra, he called on the ruling New Patriot Party to call their party members to order. ‘ The attempts by those attackers to shape media content, to define what is considered political or not, and to dictate when and what Ghanaians should consume goes against the principles of media freedom’. He said the erosion of media freedom and the growing intolerance towards the media posed a severe threat to Ghana’s democratic fabric. ‘A healthy democracy relies on the free flow of information, diverse voices, and the ability of the media to act as a check and balance on political power. When this is compromised, it not only weakens the pillars of democracy but also limits the ability of citizens to make informed decisions.’ He said the erosion of media freedom in Ghana, as previously discussed, wa exacerbated by the troubling connection between media outlets and the attackers. ‘This not only undermines the fundamental principles of democracy but also poses a direct threat to Article 21(f) of the 1992 Ghanaian Constitution, which enshrines the right to freedom of expression. ‘One of the pillars of a healthy democracy is a free and vibrant media. In Ghana, however, the attackers had exhibited a concerning level of intolerance towards the media, contradicting their self-styled image as liberals. This intolerance has become increasingly evident, with several incidents that raise questions about the state of media.’ He said Article 21(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana was crystal clear and guaranteed the freedom of expression as a fundamental right. ‘However, when the government attempts to manipulate the media, control their narratives, and dictate what qualifies as political content, it undermines this constitutional right. Media freedom is not a privilege but a fundamental cornerstone of democracy. It is through a free and independent media that citizens can exercise their right to expression, access diverse information, and hold those in power accountable.’ ‘In the face of this encroachment on media freedom and the potential infringement of constitutional rights, it is imperative for Ghanaians to resist such threats. This resistance should not be limited to journalists or media outlets alone. It is a collective responsibility for all citizens who value democracy and the principles on which their nation was built’. Mr Kasangbata said to protect the constitutional right to freedom of expression, Ghanaians must stand together and hold their government accountable. ‘A truly democratic society is one in which all voices are heard and where the media can function without fear of reprisal. It is essential for individuals and civil society organizations to advocate for the principles of media freedom, demand transparency in media ownership, and encourage a diverse range of perspectives in the media landscape’. He said protecting media freedom was pivotal to preserving the democratic principles upon which Ghana was founded.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has expressed concern about the growing perception of corruption in the government. He said issues of corruption among the political class were critical warning signs to the security of the State, and as such government must pay critical attention to them. ‘As a leading founding member of the New Patriotic Party, I am worried how leading figures in the ruling Party’s presidential primaries are now publicly confessing these acts of corruption with accusations of siphoning of public money and coffers to resettle their families abroad, acquiring properties while the people of Ghana largely suffer.’ Dr Nyaho Tamakloe was speaking at a press briefing in Accra on current happenings and the effect on the political stability of the country. The programme, which was organised by Crusaders Against Corruption (CAC), a Civil Society Organisation, was also addressed by Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah, and Madam Rhodaline Ayarna. He asked: ‘How do Ministers stash cash in foreign and local currencies in their homes, acquire property in prime areas of Accra and other parts of the country, drive the most luxurious cars and live extravagantly and expect our youth, who remain largely without meaningful employment to be satisfied?’ Dr Nyaho Tamakloe condemned the recent invasion of the UTV Studios by some young men affiliated to the NPP. ‘We encourage young people to be tolerant of divergent views no matter how disappointed you are and not resort to violence as a measure to seek redress,’ he said. He asked political parties to provide young people with opportunities to develop their leadership skills and help them to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Innohub, a business accelerator and impact investment platform, has appealed to the Government and corporate organisations to establish business parks to serve as co-working spaces to support business start-ups across the country. The Organisation said the high cost of rent and lack of affordable working spaces was a major problem for young entrepreneurs and undermined their ability to raise the needed finances to grow their establishments. Mr Nelson Amo, the Chief Executive Officer of Innohub, made the call in an interview after launching the Osei Business Park – an ultra-modern co-working facility in Tema – dedicated to supporting small and growing businesses. The facility was executed by the Osei Academy Foundation, a non-Governmental Organisation, Prime Advocate, a law firm in the United Kingdom, and Innohub. Mr Amo told journalists that the objective for establishing the facility was to support early-stage businesses and address the issue of real estate deficit for small and growing business who cannot afford to rent office spaces in the long term. He said the Osei Business Park would also provide coaching, mentoring, access to network, partnership and finance opportunities to young entrepreneurs that patronise the facility. ‘We have a fashion venture accelerator. People have gone through fashion training and want to build their fashion start-ups. These guys will have access to toolkits, fashion making space, consulting support and access to international scaling opportunities,’ he said. Mr Amo said the country should be international about policies dedicated to supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises and address all issues that undermine the viability of SMEs. ‘In advanced economies, there is a lot of access to co-working facilities. Every country that is serious about entrepreneurship should think about the real estate issue and this could be a private sector initiative backed by a clear government policy,’ he added. Mrs Gladys Murphy, Founder, Osei Business Park and Osei Academy Foundation, said her dream was to support Ghanaian dressmakers to polish their craft and export their products to foreign markets. She appealed to the Government and corporate organisations to come to support the Academy to achieve its vision of training local fashion designers to scale-up their designs to meet international standards. ‘It is not good only sewing in Ghana and only Ghanaians can use it and we cannot sell it abroad. I want to change that and make it in a way that our Ghanaian fabric would be cut in a way that is appealing and capture the foreign market,’ Mrs Murphy said. Mr Solomon Adjei, President, Association of Ghana Start-ups, applauded Innohub, the Osei Academy and their partners for the initiative and encouraged SMEs to take advantage of the facility. He said providing periodic funding support to SMEs alone was not enough to address the myriad of challenges affecting young entrepreneurs and urged the Government to execute programmes that would holistically champion the growth and survival of SMEs.

Source: Ghana News Agency