Day: March 19, 2024

To ensure that every child with cleft lip or palate has access to surgical care, the Renowned Adventurers and Cipla Foundation members have begun running the coastline of Ghana to raise awareness and funds for the corrective surgeries.

It is anticipated that by the end of June 2024, surgical care would be provided for about 410 children in Ghana.

One cleft surgery costs around $700.

Adventurers, David Grier, an inspirational speaker from Cape Town, South Africa, and his friend, Andrew Stuart, would run 160 kilometres in four days, starting from the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and end at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The Cipla Foundation initiative, ‘Miles for Smile’, strives to ensure that every child with a cleft lip or palate has access to surgical care.

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately one in every 1,000 babies in Africa is born with a cleft lip or palate.

In Ghana, it is estimated that one in every 760 children are born with a cleft condition.

Health statistics
indicates that one in 10 children born with a cleft will die before their first birthday.

Those that survive are often malnourished, exposing them to frequent infections.

They also struggle with speech difficulties, and are frequently ostracised because of their appearance.

For these children, a relatively quick operation results in a life-changing smile.

The Cipla Foundation initiative, Miles for Smiles, through Operation Smile, strives to ensure that every child with a cleft lip or palate is treated and cared for.

To help raise awareness and funds for Operation Smile for the corrective surgeries, adventurers Grier and Stuart would be running 160 kms in four days along the coastline of Ghana.

The run will start at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and finish at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. David and Andrew are no strangers to epic undertakings.

In 2018, the duo ran roughly 4,200 kms along the entire length of The Great Wall of China, also to raise funds for much-needed cleft surgeries.

Mr Paul Mill
er, the CEO of Cipla Africa, said its philosophy ‘is to do well while doing good.’

‘We’re exploring opportunities to make a positive impact for people in local communities, starting with the launch of Miles for Smiles in Ghana to help with funding for life-changing surgeries,’ he said.

‘A smile is a promise of peace, and the first sign of love. A smile is the most inexpensive gift and yet the most valuable. It’s an unspoken language – learnt by none and understood by all.’

‘That’s why Cipla wants to help ensure that no child is left behind.’

At the beginning of March (this month), a speech surgical programme was held at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Supported by a team of local and international volunteers, Operation Smile Ghana screened 64 patients and performed 34 surgeries, to enhance the speech of patients who had previously received cleft palate surgery.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged the government to take immediate and decisive measures to expedite the clearance of malaria Rapid Diagnostic Testkits (RDTs), Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs), and Antiretrovirals (ARVs), among others, to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

The drugs, which were procured from the Global Fund, had not been cleared from the port since August 2023, causing serious consequences for the fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in the country.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the PSGH said currently malaria RDTS and ARVs were out of stock in health facilities across the country, imperilling the health and well-being of numerous Ghanaians grappling with the debilitating conditions of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

It said Ghana recently commemorated 20 years of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) usage, celebrating significant strides in combating HIV and enhancing patient outcomes, however, the unavailability of health commodities jeopardis
es these achievements.

‘Access to timely treatment is imperative, as delays could precipitate health deterioration, heightened viral loads, and the emergence of drug resistance. Such setbacks not only imperil individual patients but also compromise Ghana’s progress in combating these epidemics,’ it added.

It said the delay in clearing vital medications presented a disconcerting dissonance between doctors professed commitment and actionable steps, adding the disjunction risked undermining partnerships and tarnishing Ghana’s international reputation in the battle against the diseases.

The statement said PSGH requested that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) inspected the commodities and ensure that the products were being stored under good conditions.

Additionally, medicines should be quarantined upon clearance and a full assay or quality control assessment should be done by the FDA before the products were made available to patients.

PSGH acknowledged the imperative of securing sustainable funding for HIV
/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programmes.

It urged domestic dialogues on financing mechanisms to safeguard these vital initiatives.

‘Through concerted endeavours, we can guarantee equitable access to medications and other health commodities, enabling all Ghanaians to lead healthy and productive lives,’ the statement added

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Daniel Opoku Gyamfi, Optometrist at Savanna Opticals, Tamale has expressed the need for people to monitor their eye pressure regularly to manage glaucoma.

He said glaucoma existed in many individuals due to their genetic associations and it was important to do routine eye examinations to manage glaucoma to prevent blindness.

Dr Gyamfi, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale, described glaucoma as an eye disease that caused progressive damage to the optic nerves of the eyes leading to blindness.

He said the disease was characterised by high eye pressure, which could not be treated adding ‘The only way out is regular examination and management of eye pressure to prevent further vision loss.’

He reiterated that glaucoma could not be reversed irrespective of its advanced stage but could be managed to prevent loss of vision.

Dr Gyamfi said detecting glaucoma at an early stage was vital in preventing vision loss and advised members of the public to go for regular eye checks and glaucoma scans.

He said an eye examination in a year was a good routine as well as adherence to medical prescriptions.

He said ‘Even after glaucoma surgery, you still must monitor your eye pressure. There is no time you can be free from glaucoma once diagnosed.’

Dr Gyamfi addressed some misconceptions associated with glaucoma pointing out that it was not treatable.

He said glaucoma was not contagious as speculated but one could get it by virtue of their blood relation to someone with it.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged stakeholders and the health sector to Involve patients in advocacy organisations and local communities to empower them to make informed decisions and improve their health outcomes.

Enhancing health literacy about healthy lifestyle choices, self-care, and promoting long-term adherence to treatment strategies brings about good health and wellness.

In a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the PSGH said kidney disease, including Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) and Kidney Failure in Ghana was common, which created an increased demand for Hemodialysis (HD), a major public health concern and discourse in recent times.

It said Globally, patients struggle to access care and medication due to high costs and misinformation, impacting their health behaviours and adherence, adding, Kidney health needed to be given the needed attention by all.

It urged all patients with kidney disease not to self-medicate or take any medication including over-the-counte
r medicines without consulting their pharmacists.

The statement urged the public not to take herbal medicines which were not approved or certified by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

Patients with kidney disease are to stay away from herbal products without authorisation from a pharmacist or a medical doctor.

The statement called on government, Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to institute policies that holistically integrate kidney care into existing health programmes, provide full payment for cost of dialysis and train more specialist and professionals in kidney health.

It said the Electricity Company of Ghana must also ensure smooth electricity supply to enhance quality healthcare service.

It advised healthcare professionals to provide the public with health education on kidney health.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mama Atrato II, Queenmother of Ho Dome in the Volta Region, has called on the Government to acquire more dialysis machines for the country to cater for the many kidney diseases being recorded at the various hospitals.

She said the Government should also consider banning excessive alcohol intake among the populace to reduce the prevalence of the disease.

The kidneys filter harmful substances from the blood, one of which is alcohol. Alcohol can cause changes in the functioning of the kidneys and make them less able to filter the blood.

Mama Atrato said the present burden of kidney related diseases required more enhanced effort by the government, particularly in the improvement of health facilities and the regulation of alcohol consumption.

She made the call during a stakeholder engagement by STAR Ghana to collect inputs for political party manifestos, where she raised the alarm over the citizens’ alcohol indulgence, and the lack of adequate infrastructure at the various health centres for kidney care.

She
said it was time for the Government and stakeholders to consider those challenges for redress, adding: ‘I want to appeal to the government that if they will not bring in more dialysis machines, then they should ban the consumption of alcohol.’

Mama Attrato was among traditional rulers drawn from the Eastern, Volta and Oti regions of the country participate in a series of engagements and activities to help collate the needs of the citizenry within the political administrations.

Other participants were civil society and non-governmental organisations, and representatives of associations of persons living with disability, as well as labour, and women groups.

The engagements covered health, education, and social issues with resource persons leading participants to better appreciate the situation within the various sectors.

Madam Eunice Agbenyadi, the Head of Programmes, STAR Ghana, said views and ideas being collated were timely, as political parties were in the process of drafting their manifestos.

‘Manifes
tos have become a very major tool for development, and it is important that these voices are captured. We will present the issues to the manifesto drafting committees of the major parties,’ she said.

STAR Ghana hoped to engage the minor political parties also in a dialogue while tracking the manifesto promises of the various parties for implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency