An anti-malaria mass immunisation exercise is expected to begin Monday August 15, this year, throughout the region in what is known as the Seasonal Malaria Chemo (SMC) prevention to help reduce the burden of the disease in children below 5 years. And the first phase, which has been scheduled to come to a close this Saturday, is targeting children who fall between the ages of 3 and 59 months.

“This exercise falls under the general country’s strategy of reducing the burden of malaria in children under five [years] who are part of vulnerable population. The benefit of investing in these children is enormous, which includes actually getting them healthy, contributing to households’ productivity and also making savings when the disease is prevented,” the Upper East Regional Director of Health, Dr. Kofi Issah, told journalists at the close of a stakeholders’ meeting held in Bolgatanga, the regional capital, to herald the exercise.

He added: “These months are the highest transmission season. Definitely, if they take this drug, they are able to have enough concentration of the drug in their bloodstreams to fight the malaria parasites. This exercise will be starting on the 15th of August and it would be given again a month later, so we have four rounds and this covers the transmission season for malaria in this region.”

It is a door-to-door outreach 

Volunteers from the health sector have been engaged to move from house to house to instruct parents or caregivers as to how to administer two anti-malaria medicines called Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine.

“We would be using one drug called Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine. Let’s call it SP for short. And then, we would be using Amodiaquine. We would use the two drugs on the first day. Then, the subsequent days, we would be using the Amodiaquine. So, it is for three days. And definitely, the dosages for the children from 3 months to 11 months would be different from those who are from 12 months to 59 months.

“The volunteers and the health staff would, during these periods, educate not only the mothers at the clinics but also come to the house to educate people on how these things should be given. We know some of the children would vomit these tablets out but they would need to be given. Or some of these children would miss this round. It doesn’t mean that in the next round, they shouldn’t take the drugs. They would have to take the drug,” Dr. Issah explained.

Possible side effects may include diarrhea 

The directorate has hinted at the possibility of side effects showing in some children after the medicines have been administered. Households, the directorate advised, are not to panic but to report at the nearest health facility if any side effect occurs.

“Normally, with every drug there would be some side effects. And some of these side effects might include rashes on the body or diarrhoea. Or if the mother notices something abnormal in the child, the mother, the household, everybody should report. Our intention is to do good, but in any human endeavour, there are normally some mishaps. Even if the mishap is one in a million, we should prepare for that one case,” the Regional Director recommended.

A number of children who have travelled out of the region for holidays and as a result may miss the first round would have the opportunity to be immunised when they return. The exercise is a four-month campaign, stretching from August to November with over 200,000 children expected to be covered within the period. Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council has assured the directorate of its support to ensure a successful exercise.

Government has made available Gh¢1,622,020 for the exercise in the region where the burden of the disease in the area is said to be incomparable to what obtains in the other parts of the country.

“The burden of malaria due to research or a survey has found out 44% of our children 6 to 59 months of age, when they were tested for parasites were found to have malaria parasites in their bloodstreams compared to far, far lower in some of the other regions in the country. We are not saying that other regions don’t have malaria but then where the burden is highest that is where I think Ghana Health Service and the Government of Ghana would actually target these resources. If they reduce the burden, it’s actually going to benefit the whole country,” Dr. Kofi Issah stated.

According to her, the donation was to complement the efforts of the Christ’s Ambassadors for Nation, a community-based non-governmental organisation at Anapansu which had over the years helped residents in the area.

A member of the Biker’s Ghana, Sam Bamford, and the International Needs Ghana also donated GH¢100 and books, respectively to support the community.

Handing over the items, Akua Gaddafi, whose real name is LCpl Bernina Okoh-Akrofi of the Very Very Important Person Unit (VVIPU) of the Ghana Police Service, noted that she wanted to use her passion for biking to create a better society through being an inspiration for the poor and needy in society.

The first female biker to ride across four West Africa countries in a day said she believed in the maxim that ‘givers never lack’ and has over the years done charity works in Ghana, as well as Côte d’Ivoire.

Receiving the items on behalf of the community, the Chief of Anapansu, Nana Kwesi Essel, commended Akua Gaddafi and her partners for the kind gesture, describing it as timely.

He said Prof. Attah Mill’s administration started a classroom block for the community but the contractor abandoned the project half way for reasons unknown to members of the community.

He appealed to the government to iron out whatever grievances that was stalling the work so that the contractor could resume work. 

The Founder of Christ’s Ambassadors for Nation, Mr and Mrs Christopher Amenyinyor, said they had for the past five years helped the community through their charity foundation and thanked Akua Gaddafi and her husband for the support.
* Source: Daily Graphic Ghana

“From 2002 to date, a total of 420,000 bags of cement at a cost of GH¢13.4 million has been donated free of charge to qualified schools and hospitals in Ghana, he indicated.

One hundred and sixty eight schools and hospitals in the northern sector of the country which includes the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions received a total of 16,750 bags of cement at a cost of about GH¢536,000 at the event.

The southern sector, which includes the Greater Accra, Volta, Central, Western and Eastern regions also received a total of 12,930 bags valued at GH¢ 450,000 at a similar event held a fortnight ago in Koforidua.

Agyensaim said Nana Prah, the initiative demonstrated Ghacem’s commitment to supporting development in the country. “As a good corporate citizen, Ghacem does not only ensure that it pays taxes and dividend to the government but we equally support its development agenda.”

Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, the Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of Ghacem, said Ghacem would continue to sustain the programme since it was bent on supporting health and educational institutions in deprived areas of the country.

“This effort can only be sustained if the government continued to support local industries from unfair trade practices, especially the importation of foreign cement brands,” he stated. 

Nana Philip Archer, the Commercial Director of Ghacem, said the company’s new product – Ghacem Super Strong (42.5r), was tailored to meet the demands of developers in the precast business such as block makers and concrete manufacturers.

“For those who do not know, you cannot use one type of cement to construct all manner of projects. As such, using the right type of cement will avert calamities; and this has informed the company’s decision to introduce the Super Strong which guarantees extra strength, maturity and sets faster.” The commercial director cautioned the public to avoid buying inferior cement products. He said some of the cement on the market had exceeded 90 days which meant they had expired.
* Source: Daily Graphic Ghana

“Hunger is an enemy, we cannot study without food. When we are satisfied, we are motivated to learn hard and we need this support to enable us to accomplish our aims,” he said. 

Mr Issahaku Nuhu Putiah, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, presented the items to the school on behalf of the Vice President. He said the Vice President was in the Upper West Region recently to inaugurate 64 Community Based Health Planning and Service CHPS Compounds but was pressed for time and could not come to the school to donate the items. Madam Grace Amoako, the Headmistress of the School, thanked the Vice President for showing concern for the students. 

Meanwhile, the Assembly Hall of the school which got burnt in 2012, had not seen any rehabilitation works hence part of the Dining Hall had been turned into an assembly hall which is causing congestion.  Source: Citi FM Ghana

Children of school going age are often found engaging in fishing with their parents or guardians on the Lake Volta during school hours resulting in lateness or total absenteeism at the only educational centre in the community - Accra Town D/A Primary School.

This came to light when Challenging Heights (CH); a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Winneba, visited the coastal community with members of its Ambassadors Programme. The visit was to expose the ambassadors to the humanitarian and philanthropic activities of the organisation.

It also provided an opportunity for the Ambassadors to interact with the schoolchildren, teachers and residents of the community.

The group of seven from the United States of America, for a period of two-weeks, will familiarise themselves with the four core programmes - education, recovery and rescue of trafficked children, livelihood and advocacy - of Challenging Heights, Ms Arthur said although the scale of child trafficking and hazardous labour amongst children in the area had declined significantly since Challenging Heights started working with the community, there still remains a lot more work to be done.

“Challenging Heights has since 2005 rescued over 1,500 children from the Lake Volta and has provided shelter for over 1,000 survivors,” she added.

Ms Arthur said Challenging Heights would work closely with its partners to bring an end to child labour in the coastal communities.

The Headmaster of Accra Town D/A Primary School, Mr Wisdom Tsamenyi, said one of the major problems confronting the school was the issue of pupil absenteeism and lateness.

He said that often, families in the community had very little interest in their children's education as compared to their help with fishing and mending of nets on the Lake.

“Sometimes, I have to go round the community on my motorbike appealing to parents and guardians to release their wards to come to school. Some of them yield to my request and allow the children to come to school for a period. Others release their children after their fishing is done and some do not come to school at all,” he added.

Mr Tsamenyi noted that children were frequently late in coming to school and due to the nature of work they do, they mostly report to school very tired as a result, noting “These pupils habitually sleep during lessons and immediately ran back home during break-time.”

He further explained that the pupils, after completing their primary school, have to relocate to the Yeji township to continue with their junior high education, adding that, the situation discourage them from starting school since it is unlikely that they will carry on with the learning process.

Speaking about the unavailability of accommodation for teachers, Mr Tsamenyi explained that housing problems deterred most teachers who have been posted to the community from coming to teach.

“The conditions of service in this vicinity are very poor. Accommodation is not provided for us and this is coupled with inaccessibility to potable drinking water. Even here in the school, students have to walk three kilometres to and fro each day to fetch drinking water from the lake, which is our only source of water,” he lamented.

Mr Tsamenyi was however, grateful to Challenging Heights for facilitating the construction of the primary school for Accra Town and supporting the school with shoes for the pupils as well as teaching and learning materials.

Chairman of Friends of Challenging Heights USA, Mr Mark Hamilton, they have been inspired more to raise funds to help stop child trafficking in Ghana, improve education and strengthen communities to economically empower themselves and resist trafficking.

“We have been to the CH’s Hovde House Shelter in Central Region where we met some survivors of child trafficking and saw for ourselves how Challenging Heights is working with them to reintegrate them into society. Now we are here in Yeji, and judging by the number of children we saw working on the lake, it’s obvious that more needs to be done to end child slavery in Ghana,” he said.

The Recovery and Community Engagement Manager of Challenging Heights, Stephen Addo, urged the government, corporate institutions and individuals to join forces with CH to end child trafficking in Ghana

Reverend Emmanuel Kwabena Mustapha, Baptist Missionary incharge in North Eastern Mission Field, who presented the equipment on behalf of the team to the Hospital, said GBC in partnership with Care for Ghana has mobilised a team of 44 doctors and nurses for an outreach programme in the hospital.

He said the American surgeons and gynaecologists would be in the hospital to render specialist services in the area of surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.

Rev Mustapha said other cases to be handled include hernia, thyroid, soft, tissue masses, hysterectomy, breast masses and bowel surgery.

Dr Ayuba Abdulai, Municipal Medical Superintendent, expressed satisfaction for the donation, which included the much needed incubators.

He said this was not the first time the medical team had visited the hospital and expressed the hope that others would emulate their example.

Alhaji Issah Zakaria Municipal Chief Executive lauded the GBC for its development assistance to the municipality.

Kumpakuya Na Yakubu Abdulai Andani, Regent of Dagbon in a speech read on his behalf thanked the team of doctors include Dr Jonathan Limpert, Surgeon, Dr Patricia Limpert, Surgeon, Dr Carlton Gynaecologist and Dr James Cassat.