Published in the Daily Graphic on 9/06/2010, pg 49
Story: Timothy Gobah & Matilda Attram
The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, yesterday inaugurated an eight-storey office block built by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra with the assurance that the government would motivate teachers for them to give their best.
The GH¢7.2 million facility, constructed with contributions from members of the association, will be rented out to businesses to generate more funds for the welfare of the members of GNAT.
The new office complex, also known as the GNAT Heights, adds to the number of subsidiaries owned by the association.
The others are a GH¢5.8million hostel facility constructed at the University of Ghana, a non-banking financial institution and a credit mall.
Mr Mahama said the government, recognising the role of teachers in the nation’s human resource development, would make all efforts to support them to enable them to perform creditably.
He said the government was working out an incentive package for teachers, particularly those in the deprived communities and science teachers.
He said since teachers contributed greatly to the development of every nation and their services covered all sectors of the economy, there was the need for them to be motivated to be encouraged to give their best.
“Government is determined to give comfort to teachers, since they contribute tremendously in moulding the future leaders of this country for development,” he said.
The Vice-President said although the remuneration of teachers was below their expectation, they continued to discharge their duties with commitment, which portrayed their patriotism.
He said GNAT was one of the few professional associations in the country that had withstood challenges due to its strong structural internal mechanisms and governance, and called on other associations to emulate the example.
“As teachers society holds you in high esteem as the paragon of all virtues. I, therefore, urge you to continue to remain united and steadfast in your vision to building a solid association,” he stated.
Giving an overview of the Teacher’s Trust Fund, the Board Chairman of the fund, Mr Samuel Ofori-Adjei, indicated that the fund was established in 1998 by the association as a retirement supplement scheme for its members.
“The objectives of the fund are to provide retirement supplement, lifestyle enhancing facilities, access to credit purchases from Credit Mall Limited, and to engage in real estate ventures,” he stated.
According to him, although some members of the association faced challenges with their salaries at the time the fund was established, they remained committed by paying contributions, which had finally paid off.
He stated that investment of the fund had grown from GH¢3.6million in 2002 to over GH¢72 million with contributions from more than 150,000 teachers
In a statement, the President of GNAT, Mr Paul Apanga, called on members of the association to contribute their best to the fund to enhance their welfare.
Present at the function were the Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, and the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Dr Fred Degbe, among other personalities.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
National plan to end child labour launched
Published in the Daily Graphic on 8/06/2010, pg 11
Story: Matilda Attram
The elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) is one of the country’s major priorities for the enhancement of a sustainable development.
To fight the menace, provisions of the country’s 1992 Constitution and other relevant legislation such as the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560) protect the rights of children and absolve them from engaging in any work that constitutes a threat to their education, health or development.
A more coordinated effort to eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour was adopted by stakeholders and became validated in 2009 to harmonise relevant actions by partners in order to address all issues related to child labour by 2015.
The project, a National Plan of Action (NPA) for the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL), brings together stakeholders in development to address child labour in a more coordinated and sustained manner.
They include the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW) as the leading organisation partnering with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), the Ghana Employers Association, as well as representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The NPA provides a comprehensive framework which sets out a priority collection of interventions for ensuring the protection and development of every Ghanaian child.
According to the NPA, the worst forms of child labour as defined in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 182 includes practices such as the sale and trafficking of children, serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, which includes the forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, the use, procuring or offering of children for prostitution, or for the production of pornography or pornographic performance, and the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs.
The 2003 Ghana Child Labour Survey (GCLS 2003) revealed that 2.47 million children out of an estimated number of 6.36 million aged between 5 and 17 were economically active, with about 1.27 million in activities classified as child labour.
The launch of this year's World Day Against Child Labour and the current International Labour Organisation (ILO) Child Labour Global Report aimed at reducing all forms of child labour to the barest minimum by 2015, took place in Accra recently.
It had the theme 'Ghana, Go for the Goal: End Child Labour'.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Commissioner of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Anna Bossman, stated that child labour continued to pose problems that resulted in child abuse and hindered the growth and development of children in developing countries.
She said children who were the most vulnerable in society lacked the necessary protection they need to enable them acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
According to her, a number of children were still engaged in all forms of economic activities which undermined their development. She also mentioned that fishing, farming and forced labour contributed to prostitution and streetism, thereby exposing children to all forms of abuses.
She called on all to support in the fight against child labour to create a better future for children.
In his welcoming address , the President of GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, described child labour as a violation of the rights of children which needed to be considered and the nagative cultural practices and traditional beliefs in Africa and Ghana in particular, affected moves to address the problem of child labour.
He attributed the major cause of the problem to the poor economic status of Africa and Ghana and emphasised the need for an effective mechanism to help curb the menace.
Mr Tetteh, therefore, urged the media to seek proper understanding of the issue to assist them in their reportage.
Giving an overview of the NPA for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Ghana, which is targeted for the period 2009-2015, the Principal Labour Officer of the Child Labour Unit of the Labour Department, Madam Stella Ofori, indicated that the NPA was instituted in recognition of the fact that child labour was a challenge to development.
According to her, the project prioritised nine worst forms of child labour which include child trafficking, fishing, mining and quarrying (galamsey), ritual servitude, commercial sex exploitation and child domestic servitude.
Others were carting of heavy loads, involvement of children in agriculture (cocoa, cattle herding, oil palm, cotton, crop and vegetable farming), and street hawking and begging.
She outlined the weak comprehensive legal framework for addressing child labour, the unprotected welfare and rights of children, limited livelihood opportunities for poor households and communities and the low technological practices involved in the production of goods and services in traditional economic sectors as some major issues and objectives identified by the NPA as contributing factors to the practice of child labour and stressed the need for the adoption of new strategies that would help protect the rights of children.
The Chief Technical Advisor of ILO/IPEC, Mr Francesco d'Ovidio, who gave a global trend of the problem, expressed the need for the commitment of stakeholders to fight child labour.
He stated that although the situation declined due to the approaches adopted, it required much work to be done.
In a statement, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere called on the media to project the voice of the Ghanaian child to help transform society.
The launch of the event which would be climaxed on June 12, was attended by representatives from organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ILO/IPEC and MOWAC.
Story: Matilda Attram
The elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) is one of the country’s major priorities for the enhancement of a sustainable development.
To fight the menace, provisions of the country’s 1992 Constitution and other relevant legislation such as the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560) protect the rights of children and absolve them from engaging in any work that constitutes a threat to their education, health or development.
A more coordinated effort to eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour was adopted by stakeholders and became validated in 2009 to harmonise relevant actions by partners in order to address all issues related to child labour by 2015.
The project, a National Plan of Action (NPA) for the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL), brings together stakeholders in development to address child labour in a more coordinated and sustained manner.
They include the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW) as the leading organisation partnering with the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC), the Ghana Employers Association, as well as representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The NPA provides a comprehensive framework which sets out a priority collection of interventions for ensuring the protection and development of every Ghanaian child.
According to the NPA, the worst forms of child labour as defined in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 182 includes practices such as the sale and trafficking of children, serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, which includes the forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, the use, procuring or offering of children for prostitution, or for the production of pornography or pornographic performance, and the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs.
The 2003 Ghana Child Labour Survey (GCLS 2003) revealed that 2.47 million children out of an estimated number of 6.36 million aged between 5 and 17 were economically active, with about 1.27 million in activities classified as child labour.
The launch of this year's World Day Against Child Labour and the current International Labour Organisation (ILO) Child Labour Global Report aimed at reducing all forms of child labour to the barest minimum by 2015, took place in Accra recently.
It had the theme 'Ghana, Go for the Goal: End Child Labour'.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Commissioner of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Anna Bossman, stated that child labour continued to pose problems that resulted in child abuse and hindered the growth and development of children in developing countries.
She said children who were the most vulnerable in society lacked the necessary protection they need to enable them acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
According to her, a number of children were still engaged in all forms of economic activities which undermined their development. She also mentioned that fishing, farming and forced labour contributed to prostitution and streetism, thereby exposing children to all forms of abuses.
She called on all to support in the fight against child labour to create a better future for children.
In his welcoming address , the President of GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, described child labour as a violation of the rights of children which needed to be considered and the nagative cultural practices and traditional beliefs in Africa and Ghana in particular, affected moves to address the problem of child labour.
He attributed the major cause of the problem to the poor economic status of Africa and Ghana and emphasised the need for an effective mechanism to help curb the menace.
Mr Tetteh, therefore, urged the media to seek proper understanding of the issue to assist them in their reportage.
Giving an overview of the NPA for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Ghana, which is targeted for the period 2009-2015, the Principal Labour Officer of the Child Labour Unit of the Labour Department, Madam Stella Ofori, indicated that the NPA was instituted in recognition of the fact that child labour was a challenge to development.
According to her, the project prioritised nine worst forms of child labour which include child trafficking, fishing, mining and quarrying (galamsey), ritual servitude, commercial sex exploitation and child domestic servitude.
Others were carting of heavy loads, involvement of children in agriculture (cocoa, cattle herding, oil palm, cotton, crop and vegetable farming), and street hawking and begging.
She outlined the weak comprehensive legal framework for addressing child labour, the unprotected welfare and rights of children, limited livelihood opportunities for poor households and communities and the low technological practices involved in the production of goods and services in traditional economic sectors as some major issues and objectives identified by the NPA as contributing factors to the practice of child labour and stressed the need for the adoption of new strategies that would help protect the rights of children.
The Chief Technical Advisor of ILO/IPEC, Mr Francesco d'Ovidio, who gave a global trend of the problem, expressed the need for the commitment of stakeholders to fight child labour.
He stated that although the situation declined due to the approaches adopted, it required much work to be done.
In a statement, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere called on the media to project the voice of the Ghanaian child to help transform society.
The launch of the event which would be climaxed on June 12, was attended by representatives from organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ILO/IPEC and MOWAC.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Prudential Bank opens Adenta Branch
Published in the Daily Graphic on 04/06/2010, pg 29
Story: Matilda Attram
PRUDENTIAL Bank Limited, an indigenous bank which aims at promoting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME’s) thorughout the country has opened a new branch at the Adenta community to improve on the economic activities of the community.
This brings to 24 the number of branches the bank has opened throughout the country. The bank also has three agencies operating as subsidiaries.
At the opening ceremony, the Deputy Managing Director of the bank, Mrs Mary Brown said the bank would expand on its branch network in order to cover every district and region in the country.
According to her, Prudential Bank was the first local bank to introduce micro financing to assist SME’s in the country.
She said the bank, since its establishment in 1996 had given financial assistance to individuals and SME’s and other businesses.
Mrs Brown indicated that although the bank operated locally, it provided international banking services and covered the operations of both the local and foreign currencies.
She mentioned the handling of import and export bills, sales and purchase of foreign exchange and the handling of foreign transfers as some of the international services offered by the bank.
The Head of Corporate Marketing Department of the bank, Ms Grace Osei-Bonsu, stated that the bank offered all types of banking services within the area it operated but focused mainly on SME’s such as trading and agriculture production.
She, further, outlined savings account, current accounts, students accounts, fixed deposit, transfer of funds, project financing, export financing, consumer credit facility, home base account, trust account, executive banking, export advisory services, and short, medium and large term loans as some of the services offered by the bank.
“PBL provides one-stop-shop banking services to our customers and all sectors of the economy at all our branches but with special focus on SME’s,” she emphasised.
She, therefore, encouraged all to take advantage of the bank’s products and services in order to enjoy its benefits.
Story: Matilda Attram
PRUDENTIAL Bank Limited, an indigenous bank which aims at promoting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME’s) thorughout the country has opened a new branch at the Adenta community to improve on the economic activities of the community.
This brings to 24 the number of branches the bank has opened throughout the country. The bank also has three agencies operating as subsidiaries.
At the opening ceremony, the Deputy Managing Director of the bank, Mrs Mary Brown said the bank would expand on its branch network in order to cover every district and region in the country.
According to her, Prudential Bank was the first local bank to introduce micro financing to assist SME’s in the country.
She said the bank, since its establishment in 1996 had given financial assistance to individuals and SME’s and other businesses.
Mrs Brown indicated that although the bank operated locally, it provided international banking services and covered the operations of both the local and foreign currencies.
She mentioned the handling of import and export bills, sales and purchase of foreign exchange and the handling of foreign transfers as some of the international services offered by the bank.
The Head of Corporate Marketing Department of the bank, Ms Grace Osei-Bonsu, stated that the bank offered all types of banking services within the area it operated but focused mainly on SME’s such as trading and agriculture production.
She, further, outlined savings account, current accounts, students accounts, fixed deposit, transfer of funds, project financing, export financing, consumer credit facility, home base account, trust account, executive banking, export advisory services, and short, medium and large term loans as some of the services offered by the bank.
“PBL provides one-stop-shop banking services to our customers and all sectors of the economy at all our branches but with special focus on SME’s,” she emphasised.
She, therefore, encouraged all to take advantage of the bank’s products and services in order to enjoy its benefits.
School of Nursing to introduce electives
Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/06/2010, pg 13
Story: Matilda Attram
The School of Nursing of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana (UG) is to introduce electives in its courses to enable nurses to specialise in different subject areas.
Starting with Paediatric Nursing as an elective, this decision is to permit persons who gain admission to the school to specialise in courses of their interest under the nursing programme for quality delivery of health services.
The acting Dean for the School of Nursing of the College of Health Sciences, UG, Dr Ernestina Donkor, announced this at an open day ceremony organised for second cycle institutions on academic programmes and career prospects in Accra.
The event was part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the college, held on the theme: 'A Decade of Achievements and Future Prospects'.
It was to interact with students of second cycle institutions who had interest in furthering their education with the college.
????The event also aimed at exhibiting the courses of the schools under the college and their differences.?????
Other activities of the anniversary include open lectures and a science conference.
The college currently has seven schools, all of which offer different courses.
They are the Medical School, Dental School, School of Allied Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Public Health, School of Pharmacy and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
Dr Donkor said although the school had produced competent personalities in the delivery of health services, the country would improve on its health sector when students were allowed to specialise in areas of their interest to help them deliver better services.
She explained that the school, since its establishment, offered general knowledge in nursing, which constituted all the areas of the course.
"We offer general nursing for all, where students go through all the areas under the nursing course," she said.
According to her, the school currently offered three programmes — the Degree of Science (DSC) Nursing, Master of Science Nursing and Master of Philosophy Nursing.
Addressing the gathering, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences of UG, Professor Aaron Lante Lawson, indicated that most students who applied for admission to the college opted only for the School of Medicine due to the lack of information on the others.
"There are different categories under the health sciences apart from medicine but most people have the wrong notion that only medicine goes into health science," he said.
He stated that although the idea of health constituted medicine, the area of health sciences was a broad area which had a high range of specialities.
He further explained that despite the different areas under health sciences, there was the need for individuals to commit themselves in their different areas, as well as work together to achieve a common goal.
"Although each area has its specialities, we all work together to achieve the aim of delivering quality healthcare services in the country and beyond," he added.
He emphasised the need for students to seek information on the courses and programmes of interest before making choices.
He made known the intention of the college to extend its education to other parts of the country.
Professor Lawson called on parents to refrain from forcing their children to make wrong choices of programmes of their interest, but should help them make the right choices.
Other heads of the different schools of the college took participants through admission and requirements processes, and explained the courses they offered to them.
Participating second cycle institutions included Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHE), Manya Krobo SHS, St Peter's SHS and the Gomoa T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS.
Story: Matilda Attram
The School of Nursing of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana (UG) is to introduce electives in its courses to enable nurses to specialise in different subject areas.
Starting with Paediatric Nursing as an elective, this decision is to permit persons who gain admission to the school to specialise in courses of their interest under the nursing programme for quality delivery of health services.
The acting Dean for the School of Nursing of the College of Health Sciences, UG, Dr Ernestina Donkor, announced this at an open day ceremony organised for second cycle institutions on academic programmes and career prospects in Accra.
The event was part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the college, held on the theme: 'A Decade of Achievements and Future Prospects'.
It was to interact with students of second cycle institutions who had interest in furthering their education with the college.
????The event also aimed at exhibiting the courses of the schools under the college and their differences.?????
Other activities of the anniversary include open lectures and a science conference.
The college currently has seven schools, all of which offer different courses.
They are the Medical School, Dental School, School of Allied Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Public Health, School of Pharmacy and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
Dr Donkor said although the school had produced competent personalities in the delivery of health services, the country would improve on its health sector when students were allowed to specialise in areas of their interest to help them deliver better services.
She explained that the school, since its establishment, offered general knowledge in nursing, which constituted all the areas of the course.
"We offer general nursing for all, where students go through all the areas under the nursing course," she said.
According to her, the school currently offered three programmes — the Degree of Science (DSC) Nursing, Master of Science Nursing and Master of Philosophy Nursing.
Addressing the gathering, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences of UG, Professor Aaron Lante Lawson, indicated that most students who applied for admission to the college opted only for the School of Medicine due to the lack of information on the others.
"There are different categories under the health sciences apart from medicine but most people have the wrong notion that only medicine goes into health science," he said.
He stated that although the idea of health constituted medicine, the area of health sciences was a broad area which had a high range of specialities.
He further explained that despite the different areas under health sciences, there was the need for individuals to commit themselves in their different areas, as well as work together to achieve a common goal.
"Although each area has its specialities, we all work together to achieve the aim of delivering quality healthcare services in the country and beyond," he added.
He emphasised the need for students to seek information on the courses and programmes of interest before making choices.
He made known the intention of the college to extend its education to other parts of the country.
Professor Lawson called on parents to refrain from forcing their children to make wrong choices of programmes of their interest, but should help them make the right choices.
Other heads of the different schools of the college took participants through admission and requirements processes, and explained the courses they offered to them.
Participating second cycle institutions included Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHE), Manya Krobo SHS, St Peter's SHS and the Gomoa T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS.
Forum on illegal migration
Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/06/2010, pg 29
Story: Matilda Attram
A public forum has been held at Kasoa to educate potential travellers on the dangers involved in illegal migration.
The forum is also intended to sensitise Ghanaians on the dangers involved in the use of fraudulent certificates and documents.
The event, which started three years ago by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the AENEAS project, aimed at countering documentation fraud in the country.
Speaking at the forum, the Head of Migration Information Bureau (MIB) of the GIS, ACOI Adwoa Sika Anim, said migration was a global phenomenon which had effects on both origin and destination countries with impact on development.
She said although Ghana acknowledged the significance of migration with regard to her development, citizens needed to be encouraged to go through the right processes to avoid any inconvenience.
"In Ghana, we are all aware of the positive benefits of migration to the economy through money transfers, knowledge and skills transfer. However, the continuos flow of migrants in an irregular manner increases the vulnerability to exploitation," she stated.
She mentioned the lack of education and information on the processes of migration as major reasons why people travelled dangerously.
Explaining the negative effects of illegal migration, ACOI Anim pointed out that most migrants got stranded in various transit countries while others were arrested, detained and deported.
She said there were three categories of illegal migrants: Migrants who crossed borders illegally to avoid immigration officials, those who crossed borders using falsified documents and those who stayed on after the expiration of their legal status.
She further advised the public to refrain from illegal means of migration to enhance the country's reputation in the subregion adding that “free movements of persons and the rights of residence and establishment as instituted by ECOWAS, as a result of trade among nations, does not mean travelling without any travel document."
A Senior Registration Officer of the Birth and Death Registry, Hajia Fulera Iddi, who took participants through the process of the registration of documents, recommended that individuals should register through recognised organisations to avoid any fraudulent certificate.
The event also hosted officials from the Passport Office, Registrar General's Department and the Police CID who educated participants on the various aspects of documentation.
Story: Matilda Attram
A public forum has been held at Kasoa to educate potential travellers on the dangers involved in illegal migration.
The forum is also intended to sensitise Ghanaians on the dangers involved in the use of fraudulent certificates and documents.
The event, which started three years ago by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the AENEAS project, aimed at countering documentation fraud in the country.
Speaking at the forum, the Head of Migration Information Bureau (MIB) of the GIS, ACOI Adwoa Sika Anim, said migration was a global phenomenon which had effects on both origin and destination countries with impact on development.
She said although Ghana acknowledged the significance of migration with regard to her development, citizens needed to be encouraged to go through the right processes to avoid any inconvenience.
"In Ghana, we are all aware of the positive benefits of migration to the economy through money transfers, knowledge and skills transfer. However, the continuos flow of migrants in an irregular manner increases the vulnerability to exploitation," she stated.
She mentioned the lack of education and information on the processes of migration as major reasons why people travelled dangerously.
Explaining the negative effects of illegal migration, ACOI Anim pointed out that most migrants got stranded in various transit countries while others were arrested, detained and deported.
She said there were three categories of illegal migrants: Migrants who crossed borders illegally to avoid immigration officials, those who crossed borders using falsified documents and those who stayed on after the expiration of their legal status.
She further advised the public to refrain from illegal means of migration to enhance the country's reputation in the subregion adding that “free movements of persons and the rights of residence and establishment as instituted by ECOWAS, as a result of trade among nations, does not mean travelling without any travel document."
A Senior Registration Officer of the Birth and Death Registry, Hajia Fulera Iddi, who took participants through the process of the registration of documents, recommended that individuals should register through recognised organisations to avoid any fraudulent certificate.
The event also hosted officials from the Passport Office, Registrar General's Department and the Police CID who educated participants on the various aspects of documentation.
Report symptoms of Buruli ulcer early
Published in the Daily Graphic on 3/06/2010, pg 46
Story: Matilda Attram, Obom
The Deputy Chief Medical Assistant of the Obom Health Centre in the Ga South municipality, Mr Isaac Lamptey, has advised the people living in Buruli ulcer endemic communities to report symptoms of the disease early to the hospital to avoid complications.
According to him, the disease often started as a painless swelling on the skin which itches and develops into a sore, stressing that, although Buruli ulcer was dangerous and causes devastating effects on patients, most patients only reported to the centre with the disease when it had reached a critical stage.
Records indicate that the centre recorded 22 cases of Buruli ulcer in the first quarter of the year, and that children are those mostly affected because they bath and play in some of the water sources in the communities.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a germ known as a Mycobacterium ulcerans which are found in water bodies such as slow flowing rivers, ponds, swamps and lakes. It mainly affects the skin but it can also affect the bone.
Mycobacterium ulcerans belongs to the same family of organisms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis.
Explaining the effects of the disease, Mr Lamptey said it led to extensive destruction of the skin and soft tissues of the human body.
"With the formation of large ulcers, usually on the legs or arms, the infection can result in functional disability, such as restriction of joint movement, if not treated early," he said.
He said the communities which depended on the centre for their health care had boreholes as their source of water but continued to use the unhygienic rivers and ponds in the communities as their sources of water.
He said the communities reported cases of Buruli ulcer late, after attributing the ulcers to primitive beliefs such as witchcraft, and ascribed the behaviour and attitude of the people to illiteracy and ignorance.
"They come to the clinic when their visits to herbalists and other traditional sources of healing fail and their conditions have become critical," he added.
Mr Lamptey told the Daily Graphic that the centre, in collaboration with other private institutions, organised durbars, film shows, free screening of children during school hours and embarked on door-to-door campaigns to educate the people on the disease as a means of minimising the rate of infection in the area.
He said the lack of vehicles and the bad state of roads in the communities were the major challenges facing the centre in carrying out its activities.
Story: Matilda Attram, Obom
The Deputy Chief Medical Assistant of the Obom Health Centre in the Ga South municipality, Mr Isaac Lamptey, has advised the people living in Buruli ulcer endemic communities to report symptoms of the disease early to the hospital to avoid complications.
According to him, the disease often started as a painless swelling on the skin which itches and develops into a sore, stressing that, although Buruli ulcer was dangerous and causes devastating effects on patients, most patients only reported to the centre with the disease when it had reached a critical stage.
Records indicate that the centre recorded 22 cases of Buruli ulcer in the first quarter of the year, and that children are those mostly affected because they bath and play in some of the water sources in the communities.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a germ known as a Mycobacterium ulcerans which are found in water bodies such as slow flowing rivers, ponds, swamps and lakes. It mainly affects the skin but it can also affect the bone.
Mycobacterium ulcerans belongs to the same family of organisms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis.
Explaining the effects of the disease, Mr Lamptey said it led to extensive destruction of the skin and soft tissues of the human body.
"With the formation of large ulcers, usually on the legs or arms, the infection can result in functional disability, such as restriction of joint movement, if not treated early," he said.
He said the communities which depended on the centre for their health care had boreholes as their source of water but continued to use the unhygienic rivers and ponds in the communities as their sources of water.
He said the communities reported cases of Buruli ulcer late, after attributing the ulcers to primitive beliefs such as witchcraft, and ascribed the behaviour and attitude of the people to illiteracy and ignorance.
"They come to the clinic when their visits to herbalists and other traditional sources of healing fail and their conditions have become critical," he added.
Mr Lamptey told the Daily Graphic that the centre, in collaboration with other private institutions, organised durbars, film shows, free screening of children during school hours and embarked on door-to-door campaigns to educate the people on the disease as a means of minimising the rate of infection in the area.
He said the lack of vehicles and the bad state of roads in the communities were the major challenges facing the centre in carrying out its activities.
'Report Buruli ulcer early'
Published in the Daily Graphic on 2/06/2010, pg 23
Story: Matilda Attram, Obom
The Deputy Chief Medical Assistant of the Obom Health Centre in the Ga South municipality, Mr Isaac Lamptey, has advised the people living in Buruli ulcer endemic communities to report symptoms of the disease early to the hospital to avoid complications.
According to him, the disease often started as a painless swelling on the skin which itches and develops into a sore, stressing that, although Buruli ulcer was dangerous and causes devastating effects on patients, most patients only reported to the centre with the disease when it had reached a critical stage.
Records indicate that the centre recorded 22 cases of Buruli ulcer in the first quarter of the year, and that children are those mostly affected because they bath and play in some of the water sources in the communities.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a germ known as a Mycobacterium ulcerans which are found in water bodies such as slow flowing rivers, ponds, swamps and lakes. It mainly affects the skin but it can also affect the bone.
Mycobacterium ulcerans belongs to the same family of organisms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis.
Explaining the effects of the disease, Mr Lamptey said it led to extensive destruction of the skin and soft tissues of the human body.
"With the formation of large ulcers, usually on the legs or arms, the infection can result in functional disability, such as restriction of joint movement, if not treated early," he said.
He said the communities which depended on the centre for their health care had boreholes as their source of water but continued to use the unhygienic rivers and ponds in the communities as their sources of water.
He said the communities reported cases of Buruli ulcer late, after attributing the ulcers to primitive beliefs such as witchcraft, and ascribed the behaviour and attitude of the people to illiteracy and ignorance.
"They come to the clinic when their visits to herbalists and other traditional sources of healing fail and their conditions have become critical," he added.
Mr Lamptey told the Daily Graphic that the centre, in collaboration with other private institutions, organised durbars, film shows, free screening of children during school hours and embarked on door-to-door campaigns to educate the people on the disease as a means of minimising the rate of infection in the area.
He said the lack of vehicles and the bad state of roads in the communities were the major challenges facing the centre in carrying out its activities.
Story: Matilda Attram, Obom
The Deputy Chief Medical Assistant of the Obom Health Centre in the Ga South municipality, Mr Isaac Lamptey, has advised the people living in Buruli ulcer endemic communities to report symptoms of the disease early to the hospital to avoid complications.
According to him, the disease often started as a painless swelling on the skin which itches and develops into a sore, stressing that, although Buruli ulcer was dangerous and causes devastating effects on patients, most patients only reported to the centre with the disease when it had reached a critical stage.
Records indicate that the centre recorded 22 cases of Buruli ulcer in the first quarter of the year, and that children are those mostly affected because they bath and play in some of the water sources in the communities.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a germ known as a Mycobacterium ulcerans which are found in water bodies such as slow flowing rivers, ponds, swamps and lakes. It mainly affects the skin but it can also affect the bone.
Mycobacterium ulcerans belongs to the same family of organisms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis.
Explaining the effects of the disease, Mr Lamptey said it led to extensive destruction of the skin and soft tissues of the human body.
"With the formation of large ulcers, usually on the legs or arms, the infection can result in functional disability, such as restriction of joint movement, if not treated early," he said.
He said the communities which depended on the centre for their health care had boreholes as their source of water but continued to use the unhygienic rivers and ponds in the communities as their sources of water.
He said the communities reported cases of Buruli ulcer late, after attributing the ulcers to primitive beliefs such as witchcraft, and ascribed the behaviour and attitude of the people to illiteracy and ignorance.
"They come to the clinic when their visits to herbalists and other traditional sources of healing fail and their conditions have become critical," he added.
Mr Lamptey told the Daily Graphic that the centre, in collaboration with other private institutions, organised durbars, film shows, free screening of children during school hours and embarked on door-to-door campaigns to educate the people on the disease as a means of minimising the rate of infection in the area.
He said the lack of vehicles and the bad state of roads in the communities were the major challenges facing the centre in carrying out its activities.
Stakeholders in cocoa industry fight challenges
Published in the Daily Graphic on 01/06/2010' pg 16 (spread, middle pg)
Story: Matilda Attram
STAKEHOLDERS in the cocoa industry from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Pacific Islands, South-East Asia and Europe are meeting at a workshop in Accra to deliberate on sustainable cocoa productivity in major cocoa-producing countries.
The five-day workshop is intended to offer practical insight into and ideas for cocoa researchers to enable them to solve common problems associated with cocoa production.
The event is being organised by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in collaboration with the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) and Bioversity International with funds from the Common Fund for Commodities.
Opening the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Mr Anthony Fofie, indicated that the increasing global awareness of the need to pursue development in a sustainable manner under the guiding principle that development must satisfy present needs without compromising the ability of future generations posed a great challenge to cocoa production.
He said the low yields in cocoa productivity resulted from the many challenges facing the cocoa industry.
“This poses a big challenge to cocoa production as yields are low and quality is invariably poor in most countries and needs to be improved,” he stated.
According to him, improvement in productivity and quality in the industry would enhance the economic well-being of a lot of cocoa farmers, thereby improving on productivity.
He mentioned poor planting material and the low nutrient states of soils as some of the challenges that shattered the dreams of most cocoa farmers in production.
He expressed the hope that an improved cocoa productivity would also serve as an incentive to attract the youth into cocoa cultivation.
The Director of Economics and Statistics Division of the ICCO, Dr Jean-Marc Anga, stressed the need for cocoa-producing countries to sustain their partnership in fighting the challenges of the industry.
He said although the industry tackled its thorny issues such as cocoa quality, cocoa traceability, food safety concerns, environmental concerns and social ethics, there were two important challenges they faced in trying to bring about a sustainable cocoa economy.
He mentioned the two important challenges as the ability to consider increase in the income of cocoa farmers and how to meet the requirements of chocolate and cocoa product consumers who would want to address health and safety concerns of the industry.
In a statement, a representative of Bioversity International, Mr Stephan Weise, urged participating countries to locate other different means of achieving a sustainable cocoa economy.
Story: Matilda Attram
STAKEHOLDERS in the cocoa industry from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Pacific Islands, South-East Asia and Europe are meeting at a workshop in Accra to deliberate on sustainable cocoa productivity in major cocoa-producing countries.
The five-day workshop is intended to offer practical insight into and ideas for cocoa researchers to enable them to solve common problems associated with cocoa production.
The event is being organised by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in collaboration with the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) and Bioversity International with funds from the Common Fund for Commodities.
Opening the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Mr Anthony Fofie, indicated that the increasing global awareness of the need to pursue development in a sustainable manner under the guiding principle that development must satisfy present needs without compromising the ability of future generations posed a great challenge to cocoa production.
He said the low yields in cocoa productivity resulted from the many challenges facing the cocoa industry.
“This poses a big challenge to cocoa production as yields are low and quality is invariably poor in most countries and needs to be improved,” he stated.
According to him, improvement in productivity and quality in the industry would enhance the economic well-being of a lot of cocoa farmers, thereby improving on productivity.
He mentioned poor planting material and the low nutrient states of soils as some of the challenges that shattered the dreams of most cocoa farmers in production.
He expressed the hope that an improved cocoa productivity would also serve as an incentive to attract the youth into cocoa cultivation.
The Director of Economics and Statistics Division of the ICCO, Dr Jean-Marc Anga, stressed the need for cocoa-producing countries to sustain their partnership in fighting the challenges of the industry.
He said although the industry tackled its thorny issues such as cocoa quality, cocoa traceability, food safety concerns, environmental concerns and social ethics, there were two important challenges they faced in trying to bring about a sustainable cocoa economy.
He mentioned the two important challenges as the ability to consider increase in the income of cocoa farmers and how to meet the requirements of chocolate and cocoa product consumers who would want to address health and safety concerns of the industry.
In a statement, a representative of Bioversity International, Mr Stephan Weise, urged participating countries to locate other different means of achieving a sustainable cocoa economy.
GIA Passengers still stranded
Published in the Daily Graphic on 31/05/2010, pg 36
Story: Matilda Attram & Collette Brown
DISAPPOINTED passengers of the Ghana International Airlines (GIA) are still stranded in Accra after their flights were cancelled by the national airline about a week ago.
On a visit to the offices of the airline on Monday, the Daily Graphic observed that angry passengers were still waiting for alternative means of travelling to their destinations.
Worried passengers who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they would lose their jobs if the management of the airline kept delaying their trips.
Others complained of wasting money on transport to and from the office on a regular basis to check on their flights.
Officials of the GIA, who refused to comment on the situation, only said some passengers had already been given alternate flights and that they were doing their best to transfer the remaining people.
The Daily Graphic, on May 15, this year, published a report on the stranded passengers who stormed the offices of the national carrier to vent their frustration on the management, only to be disappointed because the management failed to make alternative arrangements to fly them to their destinations.
The management staff of the airline virtually abandoned their offices, leaving behind a notice to inform passengers of the cancellation of GIA Flight G0 101 of Friday, May 14, 2010.
The notice read: “Ghana International Airlines regrets to announce the cancellation of Flight G0 101 of today, May 14, 2010. Passengers are, therefore, requested not to go to the airport tonight. GIA will contact passengers as soon as arrangements are completed to fly them out of Accra. We thank you for your custom.”
The disappointed passengers, who claimed to have bought their tickets about two months ago, poured vituperations on the management, saying its operations smacked of incompetence and mismanagement.
They were unhappy that the management of the airline kept using the ash clouds caused by the volcanic eruptions in Iceland, which had interrupted flights across Europe, as an excuse.
Story: Matilda Attram & Collette Brown
DISAPPOINTED passengers of the Ghana International Airlines (GIA) are still stranded in Accra after their flights were cancelled by the national airline about a week ago.
On a visit to the offices of the airline on Monday, the Daily Graphic observed that angry passengers were still waiting for alternative means of travelling to their destinations.
Worried passengers who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they would lose their jobs if the management of the airline kept delaying their trips.
Others complained of wasting money on transport to and from the office on a regular basis to check on their flights.
Officials of the GIA, who refused to comment on the situation, only said some passengers had already been given alternate flights and that they were doing their best to transfer the remaining people.
The Daily Graphic, on May 15, this year, published a report on the stranded passengers who stormed the offices of the national carrier to vent their frustration on the management, only to be disappointed because the management failed to make alternative arrangements to fly them to their destinations.
The management staff of the airline virtually abandoned their offices, leaving behind a notice to inform passengers of the cancellation of GIA Flight G0 101 of Friday, May 14, 2010.
The notice read: “Ghana International Airlines regrets to announce the cancellation of Flight G0 101 of today, May 14, 2010. Passengers are, therefore, requested not to go to the airport tonight. GIA will contact passengers as soon as arrangements are completed to fly them out of Accra. We thank you for your custom.”
The disappointed passengers, who claimed to have bought their tickets about two months ago, poured vituperations on the management, saying its operations smacked of incompetence and mismanagement.
They were unhappy that the management of the airline kept using the ash clouds caused by the volcanic eruptions in Iceland, which had interrupted flights across Europe, as an excuse.
Jubilee SHS inaugurates PTA
Published in the Daily Graphic on 28/05/2010, pg 11
Story: Matilda Attram
Jubilee Senior High School in the Ga South Municipality has inaugurated its first Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that will manage the development of the school.
The school, established in 2007, adopted its name based on the golden jubilee celebration of the country.
At the inaugural ceremony in Accra at the weekend, the acting Training Officer in Charge of Senior High Schools of the Ga South Educational Directorate, Madam Edith Amane, said an association was a collaborative body which aimed at a common goal.
She said the PTA represented the ability of parents and teachers who came together in the interest of a school for the benefit of the children and society.
"A PTA is a non-governmental and non partisan association of both parents and teachers in the interest of a school," she explained.
She noted that the PTA could do better through the assistance of infrasturacture maintenance and activities of its school.
She, therefore, advised members of the association to be committed to their expected roles.
In his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Mr Nobert Andy Sulemana, said the development of every basic and senior high school depended on its PTA who took plans to help the school to progress.
According to him, PTA is an indispensable ingredient of every school due to the productive roles it plays.
He called on the members of the association to work in unity to achieve the school's aim of becoming one of the best second cycle institutions in the country.
Giving a brief history about the school, its Assistant Headmaster, Mr Eric Fordjuor, said the school started operations three years ago with one student and seven staff members who formed its founder members.
He said the school inculcated the fear of God among other values of society in its students to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
Mr Fordjuor said the school had no records of students performance in the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) since it would be enrolling its first batch for the examinations in the next academic year.
He described the academic performance of students as encouraging and hoped for their success in the WASSCE.
Mr Fordjuor appealed to the PTA to support the school in providing permanent accommodation for academic activities.
The school currently has 140 students and 15 staff members.
Story: Matilda Attram
Jubilee Senior High School in the Ga South Municipality has inaugurated its first Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that will manage the development of the school.
The school, established in 2007, adopted its name based on the golden jubilee celebration of the country.
At the inaugural ceremony in Accra at the weekend, the acting Training Officer in Charge of Senior High Schools of the Ga South Educational Directorate, Madam Edith Amane, said an association was a collaborative body which aimed at a common goal.
She said the PTA represented the ability of parents and teachers who came together in the interest of a school for the benefit of the children and society.
"A PTA is a non-governmental and non partisan association of both parents and teachers in the interest of a school," she explained.
She noted that the PTA could do better through the assistance of infrasturacture maintenance and activities of its school.
She, therefore, advised members of the association to be committed to their expected roles.
In his welcoming address, the Headmaster of the school, Mr Nobert Andy Sulemana, said the development of every basic and senior high school depended on its PTA who took plans to help the school to progress.
According to him, PTA is an indispensable ingredient of every school due to the productive roles it plays.
He called on the members of the association to work in unity to achieve the school's aim of becoming one of the best second cycle institutions in the country.
Giving a brief history about the school, its Assistant Headmaster, Mr Eric Fordjuor, said the school started operations three years ago with one student and seven staff members who formed its founder members.
He said the school inculcated the fear of God among other values of society in its students to enable them to become responsible leaders in future.
Mr Fordjuor said the school had no records of students performance in the West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) since it would be enrolling its first batch for the examinations in the next academic year.
He described the academic performance of students as encouraging and hoped for their success in the WASSCE.
Mr Fordjuor appealed to the PTA to support the school in providing permanent accommodation for academic activities.
The school currently has 140 students and 15 staff members.
GNLD donates to Korle Bu
Published in the Daily Graphic on 25/05/2010, pg 18
Story: Matilda Attram
Nine hospitals and one school have benefited from a donation of 120 boxes of home care detergents worth GH¢30,000 from the GNLD International, manufacturers of health care, home care, personal care and skin care products.
The institutions are the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mamprobi Polyclinic, the La General Hospital, Adabraka Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Maamobi Polyclinic, Princess Marie Louise Hospital, Achimota Hospital, the Weija Leprosarium in Accra, and the Godenu LA Kindergarten/Primary School in the Volta region.
The products were expected to support the sanitation sectors of the various institutions.
Presenting the items, the International Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing of the company, Mr Ridolfo Ricco Brown, said the donation was in line with the company’s good corporate citizenship objective.
He said the company was concerned about the sanitation and health aspects of the communities where it operated adding that “ as a company, our purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of people”.
He said the exercise was also part of the company’s support towards the celebration of this year’s World Environmental Day to ensure a clean environment.
“As part of the celebration of the World Environmental Day this year, we in GNLD would like to take this step by ensuring that the environment is clean before the day itself”, he stated.
Mr Brown also mentioneded that the company assisted in the development of other institutions and organisations.
The Deputy Director for Nursing Services of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ms Comfort Aboagye-Adu, who received the items on behalf of the institutions expressed appreciation to the management of the GNLD International, for the gesture and gave the assurance that the products would be used for their intended purposes.
The company, which was first established in the United States of America (USA), currently exists in over 50 countries across the world.
Story: Matilda Attram
Nine hospitals and one school have benefited from a donation of 120 boxes of home care detergents worth GH¢30,000 from the GNLD International, manufacturers of health care, home care, personal care and skin care products.
The institutions are the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mamprobi Polyclinic, the La General Hospital, Adabraka Polyclinic, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Maamobi Polyclinic, Princess Marie Louise Hospital, Achimota Hospital, the Weija Leprosarium in Accra, and the Godenu LA Kindergarten/Primary School in the Volta region.
The products were expected to support the sanitation sectors of the various institutions.
Presenting the items, the International Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing of the company, Mr Ridolfo Ricco Brown, said the donation was in line with the company’s good corporate citizenship objective.
He said the company was concerned about the sanitation and health aspects of the communities where it operated adding that “ as a company, our purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of people”.
He said the exercise was also part of the company’s support towards the celebration of this year’s World Environmental Day to ensure a clean environment.
“As part of the celebration of the World Environmental Day this year, we in GNLD would like to take this step by ensuring that the environment is clean before the day itself”, he stated.
Mr Brown also mentioneded that the company assisted in the development of other institutions and organisations.
The Deputy Director for Nursing Services of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ms Comfort Aboagye-Adu, who received the items on behalf of the institutions expressed appreciation to the management of the GNLD International, for the gesture and gave the assurance that the products would be used for their intended purposes.
The company, which was first established in the United States of America (USA), currently exists in over 50 countries across the world.
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