Day: October 14, 2022

The Minister for Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has inaugurated an 11-Member Board of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council on Wednesday in Accra with a call on it to work hard to promote traditional medicine in Ghana and beyond actively.

He urged the council to help stop importing herbal medicine into the country.

The Chairman of the council, Mr. William Kojo Odum Eduful, said the council was ready to improve traditional medicine services, adding, “We promised that, before our term ends, we shall do our best to help achieve a healthy population with our traditional medicines.”

The other members of the Board include Mr. Paul Osei Kofi, Mad Agnes Addae, Nii Abo Commey Gbaku, Mr. Stephen Appiagyei Donkor, and Dr. Mrs. Anastasia Yrenkyi.
The rest are Dr Joycelyn Naa Korkoi Azeez, Prof Isaac Ayensu, Prof Issac kingsley Amponsah, Prof Alex Asase and Mrs Delese Mimi Darko.

The inauguration of the council was in accordance with sections 86(1) and 103(1) of the Public Financial Act, 2016 (Act 921), which requires all government institutions to establish Audit Committees which places a lot of responsibility on committee members, to provide direction and guidance to the Internal Audit Unit of the Ministry.

 

 

Source: Ghana Web

 

 

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, Obuasi Mine has partnered with develoPPP health, a Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) health programme, to launch a campaign on infection prevention and control for improved maternal and child health in Obuasi.

The current maternal mortality rate in Ghana stands at 310 per 100,000 live births. This figure is above the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) accepted standard of 70 out of 100,000 live births with majority of maternal deaths resulting from bleeding and other infections during or after childbirth.

AngloGold Ashanti through its partners; GIZ and the Health Directorates in both the Obuasi East and Municipal Districts have pledged their commitment to stem the tide and improve maternal and child health in both districts.

According to the Senior Manager of Sustainability AngloGold Ashanti, Emmanuel Baidoo, the company has collaborated with GIZ to come out with a pandemic preparedness program to be implemented in Obuasi. Featuring the six (6) outcomes of the program, he said is improving maternal health.

To promote maternal and child healthcare Mr. Baidoo underscored the need to train healthcare professionals, especially Nurses and midwives, build their capacity to prepare them to prevent and control infections.

“Today we are to launch a training program for midwives and nurses in infection management as part of specific activities under the collaboration with GIZ, all to promote Maternal health which is critical for saving lives of mother and children.”

He said the promotion of children and maternal health is a key element in AngloGold Ashanti’s social development outcomes under the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan which is targeted at improving quality health care delivery in Obuasi.

Beyond the training, the Sustainability Manager said AngloGold Ashanti is also focused on providing medical equipment and support for other government health facilities in and around Obuasi.

“Last two (2) years, we completed and handed over a maternity block with the State of the Arts equipment for the Obuasi Government Hospital. We will continue in our quest to contribute immensely to healthcare delivery for our people.”

Throwing more light on the training program and other interventions, Dr. Paul Okyere, a Lecturer and Public Health Promotion researcher at the Department of Health Promotion and Education, School of Public Health, KNUST said COVID-19 has taught countries to be adequately prepared for an outbreak of a pandemic hence it is important to build the capacity of healthcare professionals as far as maternal and child is concerned.

He said at the end of the program, 85 health workers from both the Obuasi East and Municipal Health Directorates who are service providers, are expected to be trained on the need to prevent infectious diseases that threaten the lives of children and women.

Dr. Okyere again added that as part of the campaign, a series of sensitization program has been lined up. He said, “we have developed jingles to be played on community information centers as well as radio discussions on infection prevention”.

Margaret Yaa Manu, the Obuasi Health Director said the training is timely since it is important for health professionals to undertake refresher courses to enable them to live up to the task in order to protect mothers and babies from infections including COVID-19.

 

 

Source: Ghana Web

 

Pollster, Ben Ephson says the opposition National Democratic Congress’ Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and current General Secretary Asiedu Nketia are both lacing their boots to lead the NDC as flagbearer in the 2028 election.

According to him, he has picked intelligence that the NDC will want an Akan to lead the party in 2028 hence Aseidu Nketia’s move to contest Ofosu-Ampofo for the chairmanship.

“If you are chairman at least you will put in place structures towards 2028 because post-2024, you will be in charge of having conducted primaries for potential delegates. And as chairmen who have worked within the party at the highest levels, National Executive positions, they will know the way about people they have nurtured along the line to control triggers, which will ensure that people who will support them are in positions to be able to help them,” he explained on Morning Starr with Francis Abban Friday.

He continued: “If it has not happened doesn’t mean that it cannot happen. When I heard the Intel I kept it in my pocket and for Asiedu to step up means a lot. Because normally you will see Asiedu will want to stay where he is and help the candidate, likely John Mahama, or if Duffuor wins.”

Meanwhile, the General Secretary for the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has officially declared his candidature for the chairmanship position of the NDC.

“Yes I have the intention of picking up a form to contest the chairmanship position when nominations are opened,” the NDC scribe told Accra Fm Thursday, 13th October 2022.

According to him, he best fits the position as he’s gained vast experience as a politician to occupy the chairmanship position of the largest opposition NDC.

“I participated in the struggle against the military dictatorship in this country, after which I came to Parliament. I was there for 12 years and chaired several committees.”

“I tasted executive positions by being the Deputy Minister in charge of Agriculture. I have served as Board Chairman, among others.”

“I am confident that with my experience I will be a good leader and example to my party,” he added.

 

 

Source: Ghana Web

 

According to a GhanaWeb Poll, the current National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, will beat the outgoing General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to the chairmanship position of the party in the upcoming national executive election.

Almost 83,000 readers of GhanaWeb took part in the poll, which was held between Monday, October 10 and Friday, October 14, 2022.

The participants were asked whom they would vote for between Samuel Yaw Adusei (a former Ashanti Regional Minister), Asiedu Nkatia and Ofosu Ampofo, in the party’s national executive election which is scheduled for December 17.

Out of the over 82,000 participants, nearly 49,663, representing approximately 60 per cent of the respondents, said that Samuel Ofosu Ampofo should be retained in his position.

Most of the respondents, sharing why they voted for Ofosu Ampofu, said he had served the party well and deserved to be retained.

Some even argued that he should go unopposed.

“Hon. Ofosu Ampofo is very energetic. He’s able to combine the role of the chairman and the organizer. So where the organizer becomes ‘ineffective’, he will still be able to perform that role in addition,” a respondent said.

Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, a.k.a General Mosquito, came second in the poll with 27,162 votes representing approximately 33 per cent of the respondents.

The Asiedu Nketiah’s supporters argued that he is the firebrand the party needs to beat the NPP in the 2024 elections.

“Asiedu Nketiah is a well-tested Politician who knows how to talk when even provoked. He has the charisma to lead NDC and has been in the party for so long to know the teething problems. He has no blemish, unlike Owusu Ampofo who is in court to answer that famous leaked audio. Even if NPP goes to opposition which is possible only if NDC do their homework well, an individual can resurrect the case so the party should be careful,” a respondent said.

The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC, Yaw Adusei, came third with 4,158 votes, representing a little over 5 per cent of the respondents.

Over 2 per cent of the respondents (1,803 people) said that they have not decided yet as to whom they think should lead the NDC as the party prepares for the 2024 General Elections.

 

Source: Ghana Web

Former Parliamentary Candidate for NDC in Anyaa Sowutuom, Emmanuel Adortey Allotey has faulted the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the worsening economic situation in the country.

He says the Akufo-Addo administration has failed to turn around the economy as promised in the build-up to the 2016 election because it lied its way into power.

The fundamental struggles of Ghana’s economy have remained since the NPP took office under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government, and the indicators appear to be unfavourable.

He mentioned that the NPP’s constant attribution of the economic mismanagement to the NDC during its campaign was indicative that it was taking the citizenry for granted.

Speaking with Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9, Mr. Allotey said that, “I think right from the onset, the foundations were established on deception. And when you build something on deception, within a matter of time, it is going to collapse. So basically, they came into office riding on lies. They came into office pretending that somehow they were going to reduce taxation and at the same time increase expenditure. So right from the word go, they were deceiving the people.

“Right from the beginning, they absolutely lied to the country, especially when they made it look as if the whole of the problem was simply about the question of mismanagement when they knew it was not.”

Emmanuel Adortey Allotey explained that the financial resources at the disposal of the NPP should reflect in the output of its various flagship programs but, unfortunately, that has not been the case.

 

 

Source: Ghana Web