Day: June 29, 2024

A maiden National Forum on Tobacco Taxation has been held with a call on the public to support tobacco taxation to safeguard the present and future generations for effective sustainable development.

The forum organized by the Vision for Alternative Development – Ghana (VALD-Ghana) was on the theme ‘Strengthening the Evidence for Effective Tobacco Taxation for Health and Development in Ghana.’

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of Finance, made the call in a statement read on his behalf by Mr Hendrick Dwomoh-Mensah, Principal Economics Officer of the Ministry to open the forum in Accra on Thursday.

He said such fora served as a crucial platform for the process of engagement and dissemination of information to stakeholders on Government Policy as well as propose feasible recommendations through which Ghana’s tobacco taxation regime could be aligned to address emerging trends in the tobacco industry.

‘As we may be aware, Article ‘6’ of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC) WHO FCTC encourages price and tax measures as the most effective means to reduce the demand for tobacco, including increasing taxes to raise the sales price of tobacco products and prohibiting or restricting sales of tax- and duty-free tobacco products,’ he stated

Dr Adam said as a Government and a Ministry, they had not reneged in their efforts since the evolution of excise taxes on tobacco prior 2007 to date, which had witnessed several reforms in the tax structures from flat ad-valorem to specific excise duty, to ad-valorem in 2010 until recently a mixed structure.

‘This not only demonstrates Government’s commitment towards these Conventions, but also our remarkable strides in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) ‘3’ by 2030, which aims to prevent needless suffering from preventable diseases and premature death by focusing on key targets that boost the health of a country’s overall population,’ he noted.

The Minister said it was alarming to note that the global e-cigarette market
was valued by Euromonitor International at over US$32 billion a year in 2022 and E-Vapour was worth US$ 19 billion.

‘Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) sales, and Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENNDS) facilitated the growth of tobacco companies by maintaining nicotine addiction and recruiting younger consumers.

‘In Europe, these companies have been able to market them as healthier alternatives to smoking and an aid to cessation.

After decades of marketing lethal products to the public, they now present themselves as champions of ‘harm reduction,’ striving to help smokers to quit cigarettes and transition to safer electronic alternatives. This is a calculated attempt to also distract attention on ENDS of policymakers from classic tobacco control measures, moving the discourse away from cigarettes,’ he stated.

Dr Adam said it was therefore an undeniable fact that, the more informed the government was about the sophisticated tactics employed by the tobacco industry, the more effective the
nation could impose tobacco control measures including tax policies.

He commended the efforts of VALD-Ghana, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, WHO, IMF and other civil society organisations who had constantly brought to the fore some of these deceptive schemes.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Aids Control Programme (NACP) says there is an increase in HIV mother to child infections despite the implementation of the Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT).

Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Programme Manager, National Aids Control Programme (NACP), said the situation was due to lack of testing and adherence to medication by pregnant women, hence the continuous infection from mothers to their babies.

At the 2023 dissemination of National HIV estimates, Dr Ayisi Addo expressed concern that facilities continue to record newborn babies infected with the virus, which is a transmission from the mother to the baby.

The Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission PMTCT) is one of the interventions instituted by NACP, Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) and partners to ensure the prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to their babies.

With the intervention, pregnant women would have to get tested for HIV at Antenatal care service and those found positive would be to put on medication to protect the baby from g
etting infected.

The National HIV estimation showed that 12,108 mothers, age 15 to 49 years are receiving Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) treatment.

It also indicated that 13, 445, mothers needing PMTCT between the ages of 15 to 49 years.

He noted that a lot of the babies contracting HIV from their mothers were babies from mothers who missed testing during ANC, saying, ‘We are talking covering about 90 per cent of all ANC attendance for HIV testing, so those who come in late do not get the treatment to prevent the mother from transmission to the baby.

‘We need to be able to improve the ANC testing coverage. We need to improve so that people will have supervised delivery on their routine services offered when pregnant women come to the facility,’ he added.

The Programme Manager also indicated that lack of adherence in taking their medication by HIV infected mothers was causing transmission from mothers to their new-borns.

He said even with those tested and identified, not all of them g
et the anti retroviral treatment to prevent mother to child transmission.

Besides, out of the about 6,000 PMTC facilities, just 730 facilities were delivering ARV.

Dr Ayisi Addo said at facilities where there were no PMTC coverage, pregnant women would have to be transferred to other facilities for such services, but they refuse to go due to transportation issues, hence, the new strategy to decentralise antiretroviral therapy across all centres.

He said postnatal transmission was also occurring due to exposure to breast feeding.

As part of the interventions, the national response programme had instituted strict infant feeding guidelines for HIV positive mothers to prevent transmission.

However, some mothers are unable to adhere to the guidelines and such gaps are contributing to the continuous records in transmission.

The Programme Manager acknowledged that the infant feeding guidelines for persons living with HIV had reduced due to unavailability of trained service providers to educate the mothers as t
hey missed the appropriate feeding procedure, getting their babies exposed to the virus.

‘It is our aspiration and determination to make sure that we address all these issues and improve on strategic interventions to improve on the figures and reduce mother to child transmission to at least 2 per cent, which is an elimination target.

Dr Stephen Atuahene, Director General of the GAC, said strict adherence to treatment was key as it suppressed the virus and would help to avoid perinatal transmission.

He said it was important for HIV positive women to achieve viral suppression before getting pregnant and necessary to maintain the suppression status, saying, ‘It is also the responsibility of the mother to adhere to treatment, maintain viral suppression status and avoid transmission.

‘As long as you can do that, you have a better chance of averting transmission to your baby and so adherence is very crucial to all persons living with HIV and taking the medication. This is so important for mothers because every
woman will want to have a healthy baby and therefore you have to avoid any risk that will expose your child to infection.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Sam Newton, Dean of the School of Public Health of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, says statistics of the effect of tobacco and alcohol consumption are frightening and should not be ignored by government.

‘Every intervention, therefore designed to reduce consumption of these harmful products even if that means raising taxes on them should be applauded.

‘It has been said that there are two things in life which are certain; death and taxes. Therefore, if that means raising taxes on a harmful product to delay the onset of death, then this should be seen as a progressive step,’ he stated.

Prof Newton made the remark when the Vision for Alternative Development – Ghana (VALD-Ghana) organised the maiden National Forum on Tobacco Taxation, in Accra.

The forum was aimed at seeking feasible recommendations through which Ghana’s tobacco taxation could be comprehensively aligned with global standard, particularly those outline by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The
goal was to address the social, health, environmental and economic impact of tobacco use.

Source: Ghana News Agency

More than 150 basic school pupils in Ablekuma North Constituency in Accra have benefited from free Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) screening.

The free screening was organised by the Ghana Foundation for Sickle Gene Action in collaboration with the Ablekuma North Health Directorate, which formed part of activities to commemorate World Sickle Cell Day 2024, on the theme: ‘Hope Through Progress, Advancing Care Globally’.

The schools that benefited from the activity included Saleria 1 and 2 Basic Schools in the Ablekuma North District.

The Foundation also educated the pupils and staff of the schools on SCD.

According to research, SCD is a hereditary disease which affects the heamoglobin.

Persons living with the condition experience pain and other complicated issues but with the intervention of modern treatment, such individuals are able to live healthy lives. 

In Ghana, about 15,000 babies, out of all babies born annually are diagnosed with SCD. Early detection reduces mortality.

Mrs. Mary Lamptey, National Nurs
e Coordinator for Newborn Screening Programme for SCD Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana, expressed concern that out of 24 screening sites, only three of them were functioning as at December 2022

The facilities include Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital. 

Mrs. Lamptey who is also an Advisory Board Member for the Ghana Foundation for Sickle Gene Action, appealed to the government to expand the newborn screening facilities to help save more lives. 

Madam Victoria Awo Twumasi, The Executive Director of the Foundation, said the global theme reminded everyone that there was hope for sickle cell warriors as the world advanced in its research to find better ways to fight the disease. 

‘There is treatment for SCD, and we are grateful to the government of Ghana for the efforts in providing Hydroxyurea through the National Health Insurance Scheme.’

Madam Twumasi said the Foundation had plans to sponsor 100 patients in paying their medical bills for one year and ho
ped to expand in future.

Dr. Valeria Osei Tutu, Health Director at Ablekuma North Municipality, expressed appreciation to the Foundation for the gesture and called for more of such programmes. 

 Mr. Perry Ofori, Director of Education, Ablekuma North, commended the management of Ghana Foundation for Sickle Gene Action and encouraged other organisations to emulate such efforts.

SGA is also partnering with the Paediatric SCD Clinic at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to create awareness to empower and strengthen patients through support group mobilisation. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Two health facilities in the Northern and Savannah Regions have each taken delivery of a tricycle ambulance to serve as emergency rural health transport tools to ensure improved care for patients.

The two tricycle ambulances were locally fabricated and fitted with bed, first aid box and oxygen facility to support the provision of health care for patients on referral.

The beneficiary facilities were Saint Lucy Catholic Hospital at Kpalsi in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region, and the Primary Health Care Unit of the Catholic Clinic at Salaga in the Savannah Region.

They were donated to the health facilities by the Tamale Archdiocesan Development Organization (TADO), the development wing of the Catholic Church, as part of the implementation of the Promoting Resilient Outcomes in Maternal/Child Health Programming through Technology (PROMPT) for Zero Mortality project.

The PROMPT project, funded by Service for Charitable Interventions for the Development of Peoples of the Italian Episcopal Confe
rence, seeks to ensure improved academic performance of adolescent girls through reduced menstruation, induced anemia and improved access to maternal and child health services for rural women.

This is to aid the attainment of zero mortality in selected communities in the northern part of the country to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (three).

Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, at a ceremony in Tamale to hand over the ambulances to representatives of the beneficiary facilities, said the intervention would help rural and underserved communities to access basic ambulance services, which were very critical in the value chain of health delivery.

Most Reverend Naameh appealed to development partners for support and collaboration to ensure that health care services were extended to communities without health facilities

Reverend Father Sebastian Zaato, Development Coordinator for TADO, said the ambulances would help the health facilities to respond to
the emergency needs of people seeking health care, especially children and pregnant women to help reduce maternal and child mortality.

Reverend Father Zaato urged the beneficiary facilities to put in place a maintenance plan to help keep the ambulances in good shape to continue to serve them.

Mr Reynolds Awuah, Administrator, Saint Lucy Catholic Hospital, commended TADO and partners for the support, saying it would contribute significantly towards sustainable health care delivery in the area.

He gave assurance that the ambulances would be properly maintained and used for the intended purpose.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Madam Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Authority, says tax policies on products like tobacco and alcohol, with negative public health consequences are beneficial.

‘The taxes advance health equity, prevent disease, save lives, and generate revenue for the general budget. These funds can also support Universal Health Coverage,’ she stated.

Madam Darko made the remark at the first National Forum on Tobacco Taxation on the theme: ‘Strengthening the Evidence for Effective Tobacco Taxation for Health and Development in Ghana.’

It was organised by the Vision for Alternative Development – Ghana (VALD-Ghana) in Accra.

The forum was aimed at seeking feasible recommendations through which Ghana’s tobacco taxation could be comprehensively aligned with global standards, particularly those outlined by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The goal was to address the social, health, environmental and economic impact of tobacco use.

Madam Darko said the passage of the E
xcise Duty Amendment Act, 2023 (Act 1096), marked a significant milestone in tobacco control in Ghana, transitioning from an ad-valorem tax structure to a mixed tax structure.

‘Raising taxes on tobacco products increases their price, making them less affordable and preventing youth initiation,’ she noted, adding that; ‘Article ‘6’ of the WHO FCTC encourages countries to implement price and tax measures, and Ghana is dedicated to this effort,’ she said.

She said tackling tobacco use globally was a priority within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that controlling the product was crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG Target 3.4.

The target aims at reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030, while Target ‘3.a’ supports the objective by calling for the strengthening of the implementation of the WHO FCTC.

The Chief Executive stated: ‘Beyond health, tobacco control reduces poverty and inequalities, strengthens
the economy, and promotes sustainable development.’

Madam Darko said the FDA was committed to fully supporting the continuous implementation of the Excise Duty Amendment Act, 2023 (Act 1096) to reduce tobacco use and save lives in Ghana.

Dr Charles Addai, the Deputy Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority, said the Authority was implementing all the excise taxes, which were called ‘sin taxes’ to raise revenue and help reduce the consumption of harmful products.

He said one of the major laws being used by the GRA was the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act 2023 (Act 1108).

‘The objective of the Act is to raise revenue, mitigate the harmful effect of excisable products, and conform to ECOWAS protocol; and the major changes in the Act were; increase in the tax rates, introduced e-cigarettes, and introduced mixed excise tax regime (specific and ad-valorem,’ he stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Kasseh Health Centre in the Ada East District has been upgraded to a model health center to help improve health services in the area and beyond.

Mr. Edmund Ninson, the Physician Assistant in charge of the facility, disclosed this during the launch of the Networks of Practice (NOP) for the district, an initiative by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service aimed at ensuring access to high-quality healthcare services.

The NOP is also to reduce preventable maternal and infant fatalities and impairments, as well as enhance accessibility to emergency public and clinical services.

Mr. Ninson, in an interview with the GNA, noted that the Kasseh Model Health Centre, following the new policy, will be getting more human and material resources to strengthen and improve health delivery.

He explained that the NOP initiative has an objective to upgrade existing health centres into Model Health Centres, which will serve as a hub to link other public health facilities such as the CHPS Compound, private inf
irmaries, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, and maternity homes within the same geographical area to maximise efficiency in quality and efficient health delivery.

Mr Ninson said: ‘So now referrals will be well coordinated from the CHPS Compound to the Model Health Centre and then to the District Hospital.’

He said the new policy has been welcomed by all the staff of Kasseh Health Centre and surrounding smaller clinics called ‘spokes’ for a successful implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Rocky Tettedzie, a Physician Assistant at the Pleasant Medical Centre, Ashaiman Middle East, has advised the public to seek proper medical diagnosis before turning to spiritual remedies.

Mr. Tettedzie emphasised the importance of visiting medical treatment centres first to identify any potential health issues and the needed intervention.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, he acknowledged the role of spirituality and personal beliefs in personal health care decisions, stressing, however, that health institutions were equipped to detect problems through laboratory tests.

Mr. Tettedzie stated that clinical conditions could sometimes be diagnosed without lab tests and in such cases, if lab investigations yielded negative results but the patient remained symptomatic, treatment might still be administered, often resulting in the patient’s improvement.

He noted that when no medical cause can be identified, healthcare providers would explain to patients that health encompassed not only t
he absence of disease but also mental and physical well-being.

‘While medical centres do not typically direct patients to seek spiritual remedies, there are rare instances where a clinician with spiritual insight might advise so, nonetheless, medical practice prioritises evidence-based treatments,’ he said.

The physician assistant pointed out that some conditions, like HIV/AIDS, cannot be completely cured but could be managed to improve the patient’s quality of life and prevent further complications.

He urged people to avoid prioritising spiritual interventions over medical consultations, recommending a proper diagnosis first, if no medical issues were found, they could then explore spiritual avenues, stressing that the Holy Spirit is accessible to everyone for prayer and intervention, not just spiritual leaders.

He shared some experiences of patients with breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension, and diabetes who sought treatment at religious prayer camps.

He said these patients often report to the
hospitals very late when faced with severe complications or when their conditions had worsened.

Mr. Tettedzie clarified that no doctor would prevent a patient from seeking spiritual health, but medical professionals advised that individuals must first visit health institutions for early diagnosis, adding that clinics might have varied diagnoses, therefore what is undetected at one centre could be identified at another for treatment.

Source: Ghana News Agency