Day: May 25, 2024

SEND Ghana, a subsidiary of SEND WEST Africa, has called on the Ministries of Education and Sanitation and Water Resource to improve Water, Sanitation And Hygiene (WASH) facilities, especially in basic and secondary schools.

It said most schools, especially at the basic level, had inadequate sanitation facilities to promote good hygiene and sanitation practices, including menstrual hygiene management (MHM).

The School Health Education Programme (GESS-SHEP) of the Ghana Education Service recognises the provision of a friendly, physical, psychosocial, and conducive learning environment to enhance school retention and academic competence while preventing ill-related absenteeism.

However, schools do not have separate washrooms and toilet facilities for boys and girls, as well as male and female teachers.

The call was made at the launch of a report on ‘Period Poverty’ on some selected regions in Ghana. It was on the theme: ‘Breaking Menstrual Silence: Unveiling the Hidden Struggles Among Adolescent Girls in Gh
ana.’

The report indicated that adolescents’ knowledge on menstruation and menstrual related issues was limited, with many acceding to the misconceptions and cultural taboos around menstruation.

It said 60.3 per cent of young girls found it difficult to buy sanitary pads because it was expensive and not accessible.

The report showed that 63 percent of most schools did not have adequate WASH facilities and friendly environments to enable girls menstruate freely.

Miss Ihlass Issah, Lead Youth Advocate, SEND Ghana, speaking on the report, said there must be changing rooms with adequate water for hand washing with soap and proper bins for collecting and disposing of menstrual waste.

She said these mechanisms would allow girls to have safe and dignified period free from stigma, thus increasing their school attendance, promoting effective learning, and reducing the risk of infectious diseases and early drop-outs.

She called on the Ministry of Education to implement comprehensive menstrual health education pro
grammes , increase public awareness and sensitisation drive.

‘This education would help in breaking the myths and reducing discrimination and stigma surrounding menstruation in schools and the wider community,’ she said.

Miss Issah said such education would be crucial in fostering open conversation about menstruation, promote empathy and create mutually supportive environment, to allow girls to navigate their menstrual cycles with dignity.

She recommended specific community programmes, involving the participation of parents, opinion leaders, boys and girls, and other relevant stakeholders to deepen understanding and engender equitable development.

She said the government through the Ministry of Finance must scrap taxes on sanitary pads and reclassify them as ‘essential medical necessities’, which should have zero tax rating.

This action would be the first important step in ensuring that prices on menstrual products are lowered making them affordable to girls and women from low-income households.

‘Other
support systems could include targeting deprived schools and distributing pads to deserving students monthly.’

Miss Issah said such initiatives could be included in existing education-related interventions packages, such as the capitation grant, the school feeding and the free SHS programmes.

She said these would reduce the vulnerabilities associated with challenges of access to sanitary pads and would enhance the prospects of girls to attain higher education and guarantee their socio-economic wellbeing in the future.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) in South Korea, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana (MoFA), has commissioned 100 hectares of land for the construction of a rice seed cultivation complex at Dawhenya.

The project was officially launched in November 2023 following the signing of a US$7,800,000 grant agreement between the MAFRA and MoFA in tandem with the Korea Rural Community Corporation and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) as the administrative implementation bodies for the project.

The project dubbed: ‘The Project of Increasing Agricultural Productivity Through Irrigation Infrastructure Modernization in Accra, Ghana’ is one of the K-Ricebelt programmes seeking to establish a rice seed cultivation complex in 10 African countries, namely Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone.

Mr Park Kyong Sig, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Ghana, said the Korea?International C
ooperation Agency (KOICA) was assisting Ghana with US$28 million this year, while another institution had lent US$2 billion to the Ghanaian government.

He mentioned that the irrigation facility would enhance rice production tremendously, saying, ‘We need blood in our body; rice needs water to grow.’

He said the Korea Partnership for Innovation in Agriculture (KOPIA), which handed over 330 tonnes of high-yielding rice seeds to the MoFA, would share knowledge on how to grow the seeds and provide materials needed for the project.

The Korea ambassador called for commitment from the farmers to boost rice production in the country for both importation and local consumption.

Mr?Yaw Frimpong Addo, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, said the project fits into phase two of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative and would complement the government’s efforts to promote food security in the country.

Mr Frimpong added that the expansion of the irrigation facility to use solar powered pumps to pump water i
nto the farms would reduce the cost hitherto incurred to pump water to the farms and would therefore put smiles on the faces of the farmers.?

He urged the farmers to make good use of the seeds that would be provided to them so that other farmers too would benefit from the project, adding that ensuring the project’s sustainability would ensure an annual budgetary allocation even before the project ends.

Mr Lee Sang Jun, the Director of K-Ricebelt, said the Korea once received food assistance but attained complete self-sufficiency in rice production in 1977, saying that his outfit would help improve food security in countries that consume rice through the project.

He said MAFRA plans to contribute massively to the improvement of Ghana’s rice?value chain by producing high-quality seeds and providing effective seed distribution to the local farmers.

He said the ministry aims to increase the incomes of local farmers by continuing to cooperate with the government of Ghana to make the initiative successful, expl
aining that the project would serve as a starting point for the agriculture cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Ghana News Agency

World Vision Ghana, a Christian relief and advocacy organisation has held a pre-season agricultural market linkage fair for agriculture value chain actors in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The fair dubbed, ‘Boosting the agricultural value chain through market fairs and linking of the actors,’ is under the auspices of the European Union funded Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (EU LEAN) project.

It sought to promote visibility of value chain actors, promote partnerships, enhance business-business opportunities, and build a network to support sustainable access to markets and services of key products.

It was most importantly to link local smallholder farmers and producers to service providers in the agriculture value chain such as input dealers, extension service providers, financial institutions, relevant government institutions among others to help farmers prepare for the farming season and improve food production.

In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Jose
ph Edwin Yelkabong, the EU LEAN Project Officer, Mr Francis Gumah, the Northern Regional Operations Manager, World Vision Ghana, said contribution of smallholder farmers to Ghana’s food security systems could not be overemphasised.

However, he said, there was some disconnection between farmers, inputs dealers, service providers, processors, and consumers, hampering the farmers’ ability to expand production, increase yields, create employment, and reduce poverty.

‘Agricultural value chain actors are oblivious of where to access products and services that enhance their various business interests. In situations where farmers have produced to sell, it is difficult to find favorable market conditions,’ he said.

He said the situation continued to worsen the plight of smallholder farmers and there was the urgent need for stakeholders including the District Assembly, players in the agribusiness among others to support to address the challenges for farmers to increase production.

‘To address this situations, World
Vision uses the Local Value Chain Development (LVCD) approach. An approach that helps agriculture business by creating partnerships between producers, processors, and marketers to improve quality, increase efficiencies and market differentiated products.

‘This agriculture market linkage fair will therefore help promote inclusive and efficient food systems that better integrate smallholder farmers and small and medium agribusinesses into value chains.

‘This will generate greater structural transformation in families; better access to farm inputs (seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides), technology, and extension services to our local farmers. It will also improve their access to markets, generate decent employment, and make nutritious food available for our children,’ he said.

The EU LEAN Project Officer, said the objective of the project is to support national and local efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers, build climate resilience, and reduce emissions from land-use cha
nges across Ghana’s high forest, savannah, and transition zones.

Mr Mohammed Bukari, the Kassena-Nankana West District Director of the Department of Agriculture, said the pre-season fair was timely as the farmers were preparing to undertake their farming activities and urged the farmers to take advantage of the fair to increase production.

‘Most of the programmes that we have, help farmers to produce but we do not have specific aggregators for them but fortunately under the phase two of the Planting for Food and Jobs government has recognised that gap and we hope World Vision will maintain this exercise,’ he added.

Mr Gerard Ataogye, District Chief Executive for the area, commended World Vision Ghana for their investment in the district over the years and added that it had contributed to transform livelihoods and reiterated the commitment of the Assembly to support activities that enhanced development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Electrochem Ghana Limited (EGL), a subsidiary of the McDan Group, an industrial salt production company in Ada, has created water passageways to minimise flooding in the Lolonya community in the Ada West District.

The community, which was hit by tidal waves a few days ago, became flooded with water that had no channels to flow out, leaving residents devastated.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that the flood affected homes and the basic school in the community.

The heavy waves from the sea deposited sand at the outlets of the Lolo stream, which links the drains in the community to the Songor Lagoon, leading to its silting, and blocking the excess water from getting out of the community, leading to flooding.

Mr Rockson Ahuakese, assembly member for the area, said he, together with the chief and elders of the community, contacted the company to intervene as the situation was becoming dire.

He said Electrochem helped them with its machinery and fuel to create channels, adding that the water was now rece
ding into the sea.

He commended the company for being helpful to the community, indicating that they had already constructed gutters along major stretches of the community, and adding that he has even written again to them to help desilt the drains.

He said there was a need to improve sanitation in the community, stating that there are currently no refuse dumping sites, which leads to indiscriminate disposal of refuse.

‘We are in dire need of tools like rakes, shovels, wheel barrels, safety boots, gloves, and the rest for frequent clean-up exercises. We are pleading with the public, NGOs, and agencies to assist us in protecting the community,’ he appealed.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mavis Mensah (not her real name) is a physically challenged young lady who lives in Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

Although she was not born with a disability, Mary became paralyzed, due to polio, when she was about to be enrolled in school at age four.

Her mother, Alice Asare, said her daughter was looking healthy and bouncy as a child, she felt it was not necessary to continue with the rest of the immunization package, so, she did not avail her daughter to the child welfare clinics nor any form of immunization against the six childhood killer diseases.

Mavis has never stepped foot in a classroom and has no vocational training for her future. Her mother could not sustain her trading activities any longer, she is always busy caring for her daughter and life has been unbearable, living on the benevolence of society.

Mavis, who is now an adult, is facing mobility issues and is unable to work for a livelihood.

Many other children like Mavis have missed the routine immuniza
tion package.

Vaccines, when administered to persons, provide resistance against infectious diseases, and boost the body’s immune system to protect an individual from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD).

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent infectious diseases, which saves 3.5 to 5 million lives every year.

Poliomyelitis is one of the six childhood killer diseases instituted as part of Ghana’s primary healthcare programme, including Diphtheria, measles, pertussis, tetanus, and Tuberculosis.

Ghana has increased its routine vaccine coverage from six childhood killer diseases to 11, targeting 14 VPDs, while the integration process for COVID-19 vaccines are currently ongoing.

According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), fresh babies from day one to five years old are expected to go through the routine vaccination procedure as prescribed by the WHO to protect children from paralysis and in times of outbreaks.

This is necessary as the vaccines prevent
the spread of infectious diseases, and reduce the risk of serious illness, complications, and deaths among Children, who are unable to get up-to-date vaccines as prescribed and either become paralyzed or suffer preventable deaths.

Immunization again, lowers healthcare costs by reducing the burden of treating preventable diseases and increases overall community and global health well-being.

Globally in 2021, more than 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered, 14.4 million lives were estimated to have been saved and had reduced the likelihood of new variants from emerging.

Sustainable Development Goal three ensures the promotion of health for all people of all ages, therefore the advocacy to get everyone to accept immunization is necessary in order not to leave anyone behind.

As part of the many efforts to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy, the GHS in collaboration with UNICEF has launched a new mobile application, the ‘Cranky Uncle Game,’ a Global App which was adapted to suit the Ghanaian
situation.

The digital technology has been designed to equip persons with tools to learn, identify and debunk the myriad tricks and tactics employed by the public on vaccination, using the conspiracy theory.

It is a user-friendly and interactive game for everyone, made available in text and six local languages (audio) and to help dispel vaccine hesitancy in the country.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, GHS, who expressed worry about the continued phenomenon, which was affecting the sector, indicated that the App had been introduced at the right time and would help address the situation.

He urged everyone to embrace the App, learn about the tricks of misinforming the public, change their perception and enable them to have confidence in accepting the vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), GHS said despite significant achievement, there are pockets of children out there with zero immunity and when not cap
tured could affect their growth or lose their lives.

He expressed concern that some mothers fail to avail their children of vaccination while others refuse it to be administered to their children due to religious beliefs, a situation which was hampering the efforts of the sector.

Mr Amponsa-Achiano said despite Ghana’s progress in vaccination coverage, especially with childhood immunizations the little left out when not captured could accumulate outbreaks.

He said, ‘that is why it is so important that we capture everyone so that we leave no one behind, we noticed that most of the childhood killer diseases are almost becoming a thing of the past and we need to rally more partnerships to achieve desired results.’

He said the GHS would continue to focus attention on urban and Peri-urban areas due to high population size, saying ‘We are going all out until we get to the last child by providing interventions such as market clinics right in the middle of the markets and other services to help achieve the target
.’

The Programme Manager identified media engagement as one of the important interventions to achieve coverage, being the gateway to the public, adding that people tend to believe any information from radio and television, hence, feeding them with the right information was crucial.

Mr Joel Abekuliya, Head, Health Education Unit, GHS Health Promotion Division, said for a long time the public has been fed with misinformation on social media and some media houses that wanted to be the first to break the news without fact-checking.

Mr Abekuliya described such a situation as unfortunate, which had caused hesitancy and had compelled individuals to be reluctant, disbelieved and refused to take the vaccines, causing so much harm to the sector.

He said journalists have the responsibility to shape the narrative on vaccine uptake with compelling storytelling, fact-based reporting, engaging experts in interviews, verifying information and dispelling myths.

The Head of Education Unit said that the media Editors were
change agents and the success of vaccination lies with the media playing its gatekeeping role effectively, hence effective collaboration with experts and promoting positive stories of successful vaccination experiences would go a long way to change the narrative.

The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), a non-governmental organisation in controlling and eliminating malaria and other diseases in Africa, is leading an advocacy on vaccine uptake in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.

Dr Charity Binka, Executive Secretary of the Organization said vaccine hesitancy in the country continued to worry and could be detrimental should any disease outbreak occur.

She stressed that immunization had become an important component of the country’s healthcare system, which had saved the lives of many, however, not everyone had accepted to take the vaccines, particularly, the COVID-19 vaccines adding that, without herd immunity, everyone would be in trouble.

It is for this reason that AMMREN is un
dertaking a project with journalists across the country to equip them with the necessary information to help push the agenda forward.

Source: Ghana News Agency

One hundred and sixty-seven persons with disabilities have received various forms of support from the disability common fund disbursed by the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA).

The disbursed fund, which is to help alleviate poverty among beneficiaries, is funded with three percent of the District Assembly Common Fund.

Miss Felicia Edem Attipoe, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive, said the beneficiaries were drawn from four disability groups in the district, which included the blind and albinos.

Miss Attipoe said the disbursement of the funds was in the form of support for their businesses, medical care, and education, indicating that they applied for what they needed, after which they were vetted and selected.

She noted that the Assembly was working on bringing out a policy to ensure that the beneficiaries received the needed training to help their businesses grow and expand.

She further said persons with disabilities would be trained and used to impart the knowledge to their colleagues.

The MCE
stated that they would also help identify persons with disabilities in the municipality and encourage them to join the various groups and take advantage of such services to make a meaningful income.

She said that to ensure that the funds disbursed would yield the needed result, a monitoring mechanism had been put in place.

Mr Charles Nartei, the Chairperson of the Tema West Persons with Disabilities Common Fund, said the disbursement was done every quarter of the year to empower persons with disabilities to create a living for themselves instead of becoming a burden on their families and society.

He encouraged the beneficiaries to use the money for its intended purpose to ensure that others could also benefit and to pave the way for them to access more in the future.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The World Bank?through the?Government and in collaboration with the sefwi Bodi District Assembly, has disbursed an amount of GHC287,730.00 to 299 trainees?in the Bodi District of the Western North Region.

The beneficiaries are from Kafukaa, Kofibrafo, Attabokaa Krayawkrom and Denchemuasue.

The support is under the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project?to reduce Poverty within the Bodi area.

The Productive Inclusive Consultant,? Mr Daniel Boateng, who represented the World Bank, advised the beneficiaries?not to misuse the funds or the input given to them.

He said the idea of the government?through the initiative was to expand?and enhance social safety net and help them to venture into income generating activities.

?Mr Boateng explained to the beneficiaries that inputs dealers were brought to the programme to sell the right inputs?at a lower cost to the beneficiaries and?prevent them from the misuse of the money given to them.?

‘I want you to understand that all the inputs you need are being displayed by th
e right dealers, so kindly buy from here when you receive your money and don’t go and sell them after buying from here, ‘he said.

The District Chief Executive of the area,? Mr Ignatus Akwasi Amankwah, cautioned the beneficiaries to take advantage of the initiative as much as possible to make a living to take care of their families.?

The Chief of Sefwi Krayawkrom,? Nana Kwabena Nkuah, told the beneficiaries to desist from the habit of selling the?inputs after buying or misusing the money.??

The 299 beneficiaries?were?trained under the programme in vegetable farming, Snail farming, Piggery farming, Grasscutter Rearing. Rabbitry farming and Soap making.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Board of Directors and Management of the Benso Oil Palm Plantation, (BOPP), have announced a resilient and continual growth in the 2023 reporting year.

The company’s financial performance also remained strong despite the global challenges in the year.

Dr Alfred Mahamadu Braimah, the Chairman of the Board of Directors told Shareholders when he reported on the 2023 activities and financial statement at their annual General meeting in Takoradi in the Western Region.?

He said the company achieved a three per cent year on year revenue increase driven by 13 per cent growth in sales volume, a noteworthy achievement considering the decline in the Crude Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil prices.

The Board Chair, reported that the overall profitability of the Company dipped adding that the decrease reflected the impact of the rising cost across various areas including labour, manufacturing overheads, engineering and factory spares, cost of outside purchased fruits.

Meanwhile, improved operating efficiencies in agron
omy and Palm oil mill management, was apt.

Dr. Braimah said the company’s total fruit volume grew by 16 percent through agronomic practices and rainfall.

The company also purchased 56,112 metric tons of fresh fruits bunches at a total cost of 88 million from small holders and outgrowers in its catchment area.

The BOPP paid a combined dividend amount to a total payout of 2, 3319 per share for the year 2023 reflecting a significant portion of the company’s profit after tax.

The company focused on safety and environmental responsibility through comprehensive safety training including behaviour based, contractor safety management ensuring zero serious injuries or even fatalities.

In 2023, BOPP invested 2.2milkion in Social Investment projects: nurses’ quarters, Sanitation facilities, community centre as well as scholarships.?

Dr Braimah reported: ‘we are proud to retain our prestigious RSPO certification, solidifying our position as a model for Sustainable oil palm Plantation practices in Ghana and Africa…a
dditionally, our ranking of nineth on the Ghana Club 100 awards demonstrates our continued excellence’.

Though the business climate in 2024 poses a significant challenge, proper control, and risks systems, had been put together to improve efficiency of operations and increase the volume of purchase also from out growers.

The company praised their shareholders, customers, partners for their continuous patronage of the products, peaceful coexistence, love and winning approach to all initiatives.?

Mr Samuel Avaala, the Managing Director of BOPP, urged the government to up its game on the illegal intrusion of foreign oil products which was affecting local producers of the commodity.?

Source: Ghana News Agency