GHANA'S POPULATION HIGHLY MALNOURISHED

A great number of Ghanaian children under the age of five (5) years likewise the adult population, are said to be highly anaemic or malnourished; and that is according to a Deputy Director in charge of Nutrition at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Mrs. Wilhelmina Okwabi.

According to her, the Ghana Demographic Health Survey (GDHS) of 2008 pegs the national figure of anaemic children at 78 per cent, with those living in urban areas made up of 68 per cent and 84 per cent living in the rural area. These figures she said, obviously are far beyond the World Health Organisation's cut-off point for anaemia in children which is 10 per cent. Also, nationally 59 per cent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, She added.

Against this background, Mrs. Okwabi disclosed that GHS, Food and Drugs Board (FDB) and other collaborators has initiated what it called the National Food Fortification Project (NFFP) as one of the numerous interventions by the Ministry of Health to control malnutrition in the country.

The objective of this project which is a nationwide campaign, aims to make the public aware of the need to patronize fortified foods, especially fortified wheat flour and commercially produced vegetable oil that have logos which set fortified foods apart from others.

NFFP managers are also urging the Ghanaian public to eat more vegetable based foods and fruits in order to get the required nutrients or minerals that the body needs for appropriate development.

Addressing a media briefing in Tamale, Mrs. Okwabi, further revealed that 72 per cent of children were found to be Vitamin A deficient with Northern Ghana recording 80.1 per cent. This, she explained translates into 8 out of every 10 children and 6 out of every 10 women being anaemic.

According to her, the impact is significant, both human and economic, and impacts on survival, intelligence and productivity.

For instance, PROFILES, a spreadsheet model based on scientific research gives economic consequences of some nutritional situations if there are no urgent interventions. Projections from 2005 to 2014 paints a very gloomy picture and that is; child deaths due to Vitamin A deficiency over the period is 104,300. Losses due to stunting are $947 million; anaemia in adult labour force is $42,933 million and that in children is $2,579 million.

Mrs. Okwabi noted that Ghana, has an unacceptably high maternal mortality rate of 451 per 100,000 live births and 20 per cent of this figure is attributed o anaemia. These figures have serious current and future financial implications for Ghana, she observed.

However, the Deputy Director of Nutrition, mentioned several interventions by government as regards the fight against malnutrition or Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine deficiencies which include the ongoing promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for children for the first 6 months of life, promotion of appropriate complementary feeding at 6 months with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years or beyond, vitamin A supplementation for children from 6 months to 5 years every 6 months and integrated management of neonatal and child illnesses, among others.

GHANA TO BE DECLARED GUINEA WORM FREE IN MID 2011 IF.....

Ghana would be declared a guinea worm free country in June this year, if the current successes chalked continues unimpeded, Dr. Akwasi Twumasi, Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has declared.

According to him, the Northern Region, which is the most endemic area of the water borne disease in the past two decades had recorded only 8 cases for the past year (2010) and had not recorded any single case of the disease for about 8 months now, with the last case being May 11, 2010.

Dr. Twumasi was speaking during this year's annual performance review meeting of the GHS in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

It was under the theme: “Using information for better decisions towards effective staff support and supervision to achieve MDG 4 and 5”.

Goals 4 and 5 talks about drastic reduction of child mortality and improved maternal health respectively by 2015. Children and pregnant women are most the vulnerable when attacked by malaria, thus everything was being done to ensure that the number of children and pregnant women who die as a result of malaria was halted.

He said the guinea worm disease had reduced from 237 in 2009 to 8, adding that there was the optimism that “we almost won, because of the sustained efforts of the staff and the collaborators”.

Dr. Akwasi Twumasi commended partners for their efforts and announced an award scheme of GH¢100.00 to anyone who would report any suspected case of the disease.

The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service also stated that, malaria continues to be the main cause of Out-Patient-Department (OPD) attendance, accounting for 48.3 per cent of the 36,969 cases, and that typhoid fever was also among the top ten cases of OPD.

He disclosed that, the region recorded a total of 1,040 cases of snake bites and expressed worry that the situation was getting serious due to the activities of shea nut pickers and appealed to the people to protect themselves when picking the wild fruits or nuts.

Meanwhile, Hajia Hajara Telly, chairperson for the occasion appealed to the Ghana Health Service to collaborate with the Information Services Department and the National Commission for Civic Education to sensitize the general public most especially rural dwellers on various ways of healthy living.

ProMPT GHANA TO DISTRIBUTE OVER 12M LLINs THIS YEAR

Promoting Malaria Prevention and Treatment (ProMPT Ghana), an agency engaged in the fight against malaria would this year distribute over 12million Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) to every Ghanaian living everywhere in the country.

This effort by ProMPT Ghana was aimed at complementing government’s quest to completely eliminate malaria by the year 2015 as being demanded by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4, 5 and 6).

Goals 4, 5, and 6 talks about drastic reduction of child mortality, improved maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, respectively by 2015. Children and pregnant women are most the vulnerable when attacked by malaria, thus everything was being done to ensure that the number of children and pregnant women who die as a result of malaria was prevented.

Maurice Oquaye, Programmes Coordinator of ProMPT Ghana, disclosed this to journalists and other media practitioners at a workshop on malaria reporting in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale. The one day workshop was organized by ProMPT Ghana in collaboration with National Malaria Control Programme, USAID and other partners, with aim of updating the knowledge of over twenty participants drawn from the electronic and print media on effective reportage on malaria.

According to him, if the current population figures of 24 million plus were anything to go by, then two persons in every household were supposed to get one free LLIN which will protect them from mosquito bites in the night or during bed time. Adding, “This strategy is also aimed at eliminating malaria from Ghana by the year 2015”.

Mr. Oquaye also appealed to journalists to educate the public through their reportage to adopt the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) and Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) for the treatment and prevention of malaria, which according to World Health Organization (W.H.O) had proven to be very effective.

ACTs are antimalarial drugs which include Artesunate-Amodiaquine (AA), Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DP), and according to health experts are very efficacious in the treatment of malaria as compared to other drugs or therapies in the system.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and its partners have therefore, encouraged the Ghanaian populace to adopt the use of ACTs for the treatment of malaria and discard the negative notions or myths associated with the use of the drugs.

According to Mr. Oquaye, apart from the fact that ACTs and LLINs can treat and prevent malaria well, the W.H.O has also heavily subsidized the cost of producing ACTs by the manufacturers; hence the drugs were now very affordable and available for purchase by the public when they fall sick.

He said, the heavily subsidized ACTs have green leaflet logos on their packs or boxes and available in almost every pharmaceutical shop across the country which cost between GH¢1.50pesewas and GH¢2.00. “The public should always look-out for the green leaflet logo on the pack or box when buying the drug and if anyone or chemist shop tries to sell it more than Two Ghana Cedis which is the maximum, don't buy it. Also, report the particular chemist shop to the police or the appropriate quarters for action to be taken,” Mr. Oquaye warned.

Meanwhile, statistics available indicate that malaria was the number one cause of morbidity, accounting for about 32.5 per cent of all outpatient illnesses, 35.9 per cent of all admissions and 30.3 percent of all deaths in children aged less than five years.

Also, between 3.1 and 3.5 million cases of clinical malaria were reported in government health institutions each year of which 900,000 cases were of children under five years. Fever, headache, chills and vomiting are some of the common symptoms of malaria and the public are advised to access prompt medical attention when they begin to experience such symptoms.

TAMALE NMTC NEEDS URGENT ASSISTANCE

Lack of infrastructure and hostel facilities continues to be a major obstacle in the production of high quality of nurses and midwives’ practitioners at the Tamale Nursing and Midwifery Training College (NMTC).

According to the Principal of the oldest nursing college in Ghana established in the early 70s, Hajia Mohammed Teshayiou, the school built originally to effectively accommodate a total student population of 120, currently accommodates 692.

This, she observed has a negative repercussion on the vision of the institution to be a centre of excellence in producing a high caliber of nurses and midwives’ to support the health sector of Ghana and the rest of Africa.

Hajia Teshayiou said this when she addressed the thirteenth batch of Diploma in General Nursing Students and second batch of Diploma in Midwifery Students at the maiden matriculation of the Tamale NMTC recently.

The colourful event which was under the theme: “Quality healthcare delivery-The role of nursing and midwifery training institutions” saw the official admission of fresh students of a total of 181 consisting of 136 General Nursing Students (67 males and 69 females) and 45 Midwifery Students (all females) for the 2010/2011 academic year.

According to the Principal of the Tamale NMTC, the college received 1,676 applicantions out of which 696 were short-listed taking into consideration the aggregate score of 24 or better, subject combination and core subjects, after which an independent panel selected the suitable candidates of 136 to study General Nursing while 45 would study Midwifery.

The Principal Nursing Officer stated categorically that, because of the lack of hostel facilities and classroom accommodation, the number of students reduced drastically from a previous figure of 300 to 181. “We therefore appeal to government and various stakeholders for more infrastructures to meet the accommodation needs of the college,” Madam Teshayiou requested.

Currently, it is only the first year students and some few second and third year students who live on the school’s campus while the rest live in rented homes outside the college.

Hajia Mohammed Teshayiou however, indicated that the Tamale Nursing and Midwifery Training College has been able to renovate the skills laboratory and library refurbished with some few items, equipment and relevant books for the course. Adding, the college is working hard to renovate the main male hostel and complete college fencing project to step up discipline and ensure maximum security.

The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, San Nasamu Asabigi, who was guest of honour, noted that the nursing and midwifery institutions are among the panaceas to realizing the Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6, since these institutions are responsible for producing the relevant manpower to solve the health needs of the populace.

He acknowledged the challenges facing the training of quality health personnel for Ghana and said that, government was walking the talk of investing in people by building more health infrastructure and expanding existing ones including the Tamale NMTC to admit more students to meet the increasing population.

Mr. Asabibi cited the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion work at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, adding that five polyclinics had been built and commissioned last year for districts such as Zabzugu-Tatale, Kpandai, Chereponi, West Mamprusi and Karaga in the Northern Region.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister admonished the matriculants to let hard work be their watchword and ignore the many fleeing detractions that would come seeking their attention saying “remember to abide by the words of the oath you have taken.”

TAMALE MAYOR EDGES YOUTH GROUPS TO COMPORT THEMSELVES

The Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday has availed himself to some selected National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth groups in the Tamale North Sub-Metro District area as a follow-up to account for his stewardship and take views of the people especially the youth for strategic development in the area.

Addressing the various youth groups who comprised of Sagnarigu Pressure Group for Development, Youth Coalition, Ataya Base of Choggu-Mma Naayili and Bukurusung Youth Group at a meeting in the Tamale North Sub-Metro District Council as part of his programme to further drum home his message of peace and development, he appealed to the youth to sustain the relative peace currently being enjoyed in the Metropolis.

Alhaji Friday urged the gathering to comport themselves very well so that Tamale would attract more investors to come and create new job avenues. Adding, “there are so many ways you can help and that is, by cooperating with the Metropolitan Assembly to decongest the Central Business District (market areas), take part in cleanup exercises and impound stray animals that roam about the centre of town and defaecate allover the place”, he added.

The Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive used the opportunity to catalogue his achievements over the period he had stayed in office.

He mentioned a steady improvement in the streetlights system, building new educational infrastructure, health centres, improving upon the general security situation in the Metropolis, sanitation and good environmental practices and among others.

According to him, the Metropolitan Assembly has about 1,242 volunteer watchdog committees in all 54 Electoral Areas to monitor crime; accrued Gh¢854,904.66 as revenue in the year 2010 representing 105%, awarded scholarship of grand total of Gh¢176,065.26 to cover 597 tertiary students between 2009 and 2010, GH¢1,424,326 invested towards a major expansion of educational infrastructure by eliminating school shift system and phasing out schools under trees.

The Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Haruna Friday also disclosed that, his office spent GH¢385,215.00 in the Youth in Agric programme between 2009 and 2010, GH¢19,570.12 on National Afforestation Development programme, invested Gh¢266,880.10 in the health sector between 2009 and 2010, spent Gh¢5,043, 509.35 on roads which comprise of grading, gravelling and road line marking and Gh¢659,961.21 spent on sanitation between June 2009 and October 2010.

On Local Government sector projects which include Assembly’s offices and bungalows, assembly hall complex, markets and other projects, he also said the Assembly spent Gh¢2,166,947.27, used Gh¢130,164 on rehabilitation of streetlights and procurement and supply of 8 metre low voltage wooden treated poles and others in the metropolis for the period of 2010.

Meanwhile, the Tamale Mayor plans to execute a number of projects for the year 2011 which include the urban development and slum improvement which will cost GH¢2,267,400.00 and Gh¢4,163,400.00 respectively. The projects components include construction of 1 No. 20 Unit Toilets and No. 15 water stand pipes, installation of security lights while renovating electrical distribution systems, construction of 100 market stalls, construction of 5 No. 40 stall sheds and pavement of the market areas and lorry park and construction of drains.

Others include construction of roads and drains, streetlights, water systems, construction of places of convenience among others.

JHS PUPIL OF ALHASSAN GBANZABA SCHOOL ADJUDGED 2ND BEST IN FRENCH IN N/R

Master Arnold Brendan Osei, a Junior High School pupil at Alhassan Gbanzaba Memorial School in the Northern Region of Ghana, has been adjudged the second best in French in the region.

Brendan Osei, 14, who is currently in JHS 3 preparing to write the 2011 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in April, placed second in a French quiz competition organized last year by the Regional Centre for the Teaching of French (CREFT) in Tamale.

He was adjudged the second best French student recently at an event to mark this year’s French Awareness Day Celebration held at the GNAT Hall in Tamale. The event was under the theme: “Connect with the world; learn French”.

For his prize, Master Brendan Osei alongside thirty other awardees from selected Primary, Junior High and Senior High Schools who took part in the same competition took home dictionaries and some French literature books for their outstanding performances.

An Assistant Senior School Prefect of Alhassan Gbanzaba Memorial School, one of the best private educational institutions in the Northern Regional capital, Master Brendan Osei is obsessed with French and science.

However, his father Mr. Joseph Charles Osei, said his son wants to read science at the Senior High School level because he has a dream of becoming a medical doctor.

According to Mr. Osei in an interview with Savannahnews, “my son though shy, does not joke with his studies. “My son is very good at French and science, but his desire is to read medicine in future”, he said.

He expressed the desire to support him to the apex of the academic ladder if he continues to put in much effort in his studies.

Master Arnold Brendan Osei Savannahnews learnt, had topped second twice in the same quiz competition in which he is often being beaten by his rivals by just one or one and half marks.

The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, Mrs. Elisabeth De-souza, appealed to parents to encourage their children to take the study of French very serious like any other subject taught in the school.

She also urged the few French teachers in the schools to be committed to their work and make the learning of the subject very simple and interesting for students to learn it.

Meanwhile, French teachers at the event which was aimed at whipping up the interest in French studies, appealed to government to establish a higher institution of learning for French only. This in their view would help solve the problem associated with the shortage of French teachers in the country”.

They further stated that even though currently, there are quite a number of French professionals ready to take up teaching as a profession, they have not been accepted by the GES simply because, they were trained outside the country.

The Northern Regional Director of CREFT, Mr. Cletus Ganaah, said that, there are a lot of bureaucracies involving the process that people trained outside have to go through in order to acquire accreditation or recognition before they can teach in public or government schools.

The Director of CREFT also observed that, the French speaking countries in Africa have made the learning of English compulsory in their schools, which is therefore complementing their efforts on the job market and trade across the continent and other parts of the world. This is because French is the second widely spoken language in the world after English, he said.

Mr. Ganaah therefore, called on government to endeavour make it easier for French teachers trained outside the country get the opportunity to teach in Ghana, while the study of the subject made compulsory.

2700 SCHOOL OF HYGIENE GRADUATES STRANDED

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GOVT URGED TO ESTABLISH FRENCH UNIVERSITY

French teachers in the Northern Region of Ghana are advocating for the establishment of a university purposely for the mass training of teachers to meet the current high demand for French professionals in the country’s educational sector.

They are also asking the government to make the learning of French a compulsory subject right from the basic school to the tertiary levels.

The French teachers’ made these request at this year’s French Awareness Day Celebration in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale. The event was under the theme: “Connect with the world; learn French”.

According to the Northern Regional Director for Centre for the Teaching of French (CREFT), Cletus Ganaah, the establishment of a higher institution of learning for French only would help solve the problem associated with the shortage of French teachers in the system.

He further stated that even though currently, there are quite a number of French professionals ready to take up teaching as a profession, they have not been accepted by the Ghana Education Service simply because, they were trained outside the country.

Mr. Ganaah added that, there are a lot of bureaucracies involving the process that people trained outside have to go through in order to acquire accreditation or recognition before they can teach in public or government schools.

The Director of CREFT also noted that, the Francophone countries in Africa have made the learning of English compulsory in their schools, which is therefore complementing their efforts on the job market and trade across the continent and other parts of the world. This is because French is the second widely spoken language in the world after English, he observed.

The Northern Regional Director of the GES, Mrs. Elisabeth De-souza, appealed to parents to encourage their children to take the study of French very serious like any other subject taught in the school.

She also urged the few French teachers in the schools to be committed to their work and make their learning of the subject very simple and interesting for students to learn it.

Meanwhile, about thirty (30) Primary, Junior High and Senior High School students were awarded for their outstanding performances in a French quiz competition held last September.

They were given dictionaries and other French literature books whilst first places would meet in Accra few months time for national contest (grand finale).

TAMALE POLYTECHNIC IN DEEP CRISIS

The Tamale Polytechnic (T-Poly) is in deep crisis as most of its infrastructures built in somewhere 1950s including lecture halls and administration blocks are seriously deteriorating.

The current T-Poly campus and all the structures on it (accept a few), were the same structures that existed when it was a Technical Training School before it was turned into a Polytechnic in the 1990s.

The structures and the general environment of the School do not depict a modern day Polytechnic or Tertiary Institution and also completely undermine quality teaching and learning.

All the buildings, roofing sheets, trees and the few flowers on the campus are overwhelmed with dust, thereby painting a picture of a neglected institution.

A deep throat source at the School hinted the paper that some students who had gained admissions into the Polytechnic in time past from Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani and Takoradi had ever refused admissions after visiting the extremely ugly looking campus.

The Tamale Polytechnic Savannahnews can confirm is now one of the most wretched public tertiary institutions in Ghana, even though it is one of the oldest in the country. It has a student population of about 10,000 but over 95% of them have no hostel accommodation including their lecturers.

As a result, the Principal of the Tamale Polytechnic, Alhaji Yakubu Seidu Deliga has passionately appealed to government to turn special attention to the School and provide modern infrastructure that would enhance quality teaching and learning and also redeem its image.

According to the Principal, the School had carved a nitch for itself due to its excellent academic performance and quality of programmes being ran at the school, the Polytechnic continues to suffer numerous challenges especially in the area of physical infrastructure.

Since it was changed from a Technical School in the 1990s to a Polytechnic, the Tamale Poly he noted had not seen any meaningful infrastructural boost apart from a few lecture halls put up by the GETfund.

That notwithstanding, the school has no Auditorium, modern library, computer training centre and hostel facilities.

Speaking in an interview with Savannahnews at the End of Year Get-together of Management and Staff of the Tamale Polytechnic, the Principal Alhaji Yakubu Seidu Deliga complained about the poor and inadequate lecture halls, which compared some students to peep through windows during lectures, the poor road networks on campus, poor lighting system and insufficient academic staff among others.

He observed that apart from getting the requisite infrastructure, the construction of the roads in the school was one major thing that could also beautify the campus of Tamale Polytechnic.

Alhaji Deliga on the other hand, appealed to government to provide staff accommodations and also design a “special programme” to train lecturers with lower qualifications at the Polytechnic to meet the required standard.

The Principal however commended the Lecturers for their dedication towards making the Tamale Polytechnic a key competitor among other institutions.

Meanwhile, the Lecturers and their management at the Get-together, were entertained by the 2005 Best Raggae Musician, Sharif Ghali as they danced their hearts out and feast alongside. However, some deserving teaching and non-teaching staff including the Principal were awarded for their meritorious services.