45% Of Populace In North Gonja HBV, HCV Positive

An estimated forty-five percent [45%] of the population of the newly created North Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana has been infected with two types of the deadly liver disease, Hepatitis B Virus [HBV] and Hepatitis C Virus [HCV].

According to a health official of the Daboya Polyclinic in the overseas district who pleaded anonymity in an interview with this blogger, a recent screening conducted revealed that the two types of the liver disease were very rampant in the area particularly among young people.

Speaking to this reporter, residents also confirmed that a lot of their young men and women were dying of the epidemics and appealed to the government to immediately intervene in order to save lives.

There are five main types of hepatitis viruses and they include types A, B, C, D, and E. The most common types are the A, B, and C. Of the three, only the B type has a vaccine. 

HBV is a blood-borne viral disease caused by a virus and is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. It can be acute or chronic. Most healthy adults (90%) who are infected recover and develop protective antibodies against future HBV infections. A small number (5-10%) are unable to get rid of the virus and develop chronic infections. Unfortunately, this is not true for infants and young children – 90% of infants and up to 50% of young children infected with HBV develop chronic infections. Therefore, vaccination is essential to protect infants and children. The virus is passed from an infected person to another through blood and body fluids like semen. Only about 30 percent of people with HBV have any symptoms. Staggering statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that 600,000 people die each year worldwide, due to acute or chronic HBV.

HCV is also a liver disease caused by a virus. HCV infection sometimes results in an acute symptomatic illness. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic condition that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Unlike HBV which is transmitted sexually and through other means, HCV is only transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person. According to the WHO, about 130 – 170 million people are chronically infected with HCV, and more than 350,000 people die from HCV-related liver diseases each year. HCV infection is curable using increasingly effective antivirals. Despite ongoing research, there is currently no vaccine to prevent HCV infection. It is estimated that 3 – 4 million people are infected with HCV each year globally.

Health NGO Theobald Hepatitis B Foundation also claims millions of Ghanaians [3/4] across the country are living with HBV. While one out of five Ghanaians is infected by HBV, several calls had been made to the Ghana Aids Commission in recent times to work towards integrating HBV in HIV/AIDS campaign. This was because, the disease was far higher than the prevalence of HIV, but awareness was inexplicably very low and the majority of those infected were unaware.

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Furthermore, it is believed that one in 12 Ghanaians is living with a chronic (life-long) HBV, and one in four of those living with chronic HBV will die from liver cancer or liver failure. The good news however is that the effects could be avoided or prevented with appropriate education, monitoring and treatment.

The Chief of Daboya Wasipewura Kabasaya Anyame II in an interview with The Daily Dispatch, appealed to the government to endeavour to equip the Polyclinic in the area with more staff and infrastructural facilities to enable personnel actually provide the services that were expected of a standard polyclinic. 

According to the Chief and people of Daboya, there were a lot of maternal and infant deaths in the hinterlands most of which were inaccessible due to poor road networks that somehow hampered travelling by cars and motorbikes. This, health officials corroborated when this reporter checked. 

Wasipewura II also expressed concern over the lack of accommodation facilities for staff of the newly created district and called on the government to make that its top priority since workers posted to the area did not have a place to lay their heads.   

Meanwhile, the North Gonja District with a population of over 18,000 has no single tarred road network, no ambulance, laboratory, motorbikes and offices for its health centre as well as accommodation for staff.  

The Northern Woman: A Tool For Economic Growth, Not A Beast Of Burden

The 13^th Century Dominican Roman Catholic Priest, Theologian and Philosopher St. THOMAS AQUINAS described women in enviable terms such as: “A necessary object, woman who is needed to preserve the species or to provide food and drink.” The key word is necessary, indicating that women are indispensable. Without them, procreation ceases and therefore, the earth stops moving. Apart from providing food and drink, women in every society make significant and unquantifiable contributions towards building their nations and the world around men.

Nonetheless, a demographic finding from the United Nations Decade for Women (2000) also describes the situation of women in statements such as; “Women constitute half of the world’s population, perform two-thirds of the world’s work, but receive only one-third of its income and own less than one–hundredth of its property”.

The situation described above is generally true for all women worldwide, but its proportions, dimensions and effects, in the socio-cultural setting of the women of Northern Ghana, is very worrisome and thus calls for action in finding ways of removing these limitations, which are inhibiting the growth of Northern women in their lives functions.

Women in the area believe they have the potential to own their own business enterprises and also have the strong will to grow them to prove their worth in various endeavours, as they are the major source of labour of their societies.

It is the insistent contention of women that, giving equal opportunities to women through practical interventions and policies must be at the heart of initiatives aimed at addressing not only poverty rates but also reducing the numerous causative gender disparities in the distribution of wealth.

The 2000 UN Convention defines discrimination against women, as any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment and exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status on a basis of equality of men and women of human rights and fundamental human rights, freedoms and protections in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.

Unfortunately, certain negative traditional practices, cultural misapplications and religious misinterpretations continue to limit women and tend to sway them in their attempt to grow in business in the Northern Region in particular as they continue to suffer from male dominance and abject poverty. As tools for economic growth, most men in the region rather see or regard women and young girls as beast of burden by shifting most of the domestic responsibilities to them while they fold their arms. Unromantic of the men, isn’t it?

woman preparing shea butter

Why Northern women are less economically empowered

Marriage institution bias towards progress of women: The women of Northern Region believe that the institution of marriage poses one of the stiffest limitations to the growth of their business. Some women believe that some men use supernatural powers (juju, in African parlance) or other ways to truncate their wives flourishing businesses to ensure their (husbands) hold. Thus, a married woman, who is also a successful business entrepreneur, owning landed property is a rare phenomenon in the region, according to a 2007 co-relation research by Diamond FM and BUSAC Fund. The marriage institution, the traditional system of inheritance and the traditional leadership system are the main socio-cultural vehicles over which men in the region do not only have absolute dominance but also are used as denial, exclusion and limitation tools to inhibit the growth of women in many life’s functions. 

Gender discrimination creating disharmony in families: Sex stereotypes, defining male/female traditional roles which the women themselves, unaware of their rights, readily accept without question is largely responsible for their own inferior portrayal. While women single parenting and women headed homes are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception in the region, (either they are widowed, divorced or married to poor or irresponsible husbands) they are at the same time denied the right to land, inheritance, credit means, enter the professions or rise in business. About 40% of households in the region are headed by women and invariably single parenting as well, who are playing roles greater than that of men, the research revealed. 

Where are the men?

Low female education/early marriage: There are many barriers to female education such as parents’ inability to pay school fees/provide uniforms, harassment by male teachers, menstruation, pregnancy, and among others; yet educating girls proves to be the most cost-effective measure a developing country can take to improve its standard of living. Studies have shown that when females earn money, that money is more likely to be put into savings, into the community, into education, or into a family’s well being and health than when that same amount of money is earned by a male. Thus, females’ choice of spending tends to be more beneficial for the family, community, and country as a whole. No wonder one of Ghana’s pioneer educationists Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey once said: “When you educate a man, you educate one person. But when you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation”. But, the number of well educated women across the length and breadth of the region – is less than women. At the moment, it is estimated that over 65% of women in Northern Region cannot read, write or speak the English language as against 68% or more men who can read, write and speak the language [GLSS]. 

Also, the issue of “Child brides” continues to deny girls the right to education and it feeds into the low Gender Parity Index (GPI) at the basic school level in the region. This phenomenon exists because of poverty and as a result, parents who have their daughters in school but cannot take care of them due to financial challenges are forced to withdraw them from school to marry. Thus the women are stripped of many skills and capacities in life’s functions. The end result is a cycle of poverty that transcends from one generation to the other. 

Large family sizes breeding poverty rather than fighting it: Educating females has been shown to reduce their fertility rates and to delay when they begin childbearing. In addition, more educated females seek earlier prenatal care when they are pregnant, which lowers maternal mortality. But due to low female education in the region, only 6% of women between 15 and 49 years use contraceptives, according to the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Thus, the number of children between the ages of 1 and 15 constitutes about 47% of the total population of the whole region, and about 23% of young girls between ages 15 and 19 are already mothers or are currently pregnant. Currently, the average number of children per every single woman in the region is 6.8% representing about 7 children per woman as against the maximum national figure of 4 children per a woman, according to the survey. Thus, in the Northern Region where many polygamists exist, women with more children are often compelled to take up strenuous jobs in order to take care of their children since most husbands appear to be irresponsible. The phenomenon breeds domestic violence and poverty in most homes. 

Way Forward

The way forward is for women to come together as one global force to fight this global phenomenon with a sustained and determined fight. This war can never be won in small fragmented groups. The situation calls for more ‘Beijing Conferences’ on regional and sub-regional basis. 

The financial institutions must design soft credit facilities for women entrepreneurs while the women themselves must be encouraged to go into Susu (micro finance) savings with the financial institutions as a way of recovery.   

The Traditional Authorities in the Northern Region should appreciate the part they play in this situation and be prepared to make the necessary concessions that will effect structural changes in customary land holdings, marriage contractual vows (to make the parties equals) and the Traditional skinship setup to bring on board more women as pertains in other traditions in other parts of Ghana. By this singular concession, the face of women’s enterprise and fortunes in the region will change.  

Education holds the ray of hope in eradicating the gender biases from the mindset of both men and women in the region. Therefore, the government, civil society organizations, traditional authorities and all stakeholders should spare no effort in ensuring that education reaches all corners of the region to quicken the dynamics of culture.

Better education on sexual health information, increased access to contraceptives, and discouraging early marriage would help alleviate the barriers inhibiting the economic growth of women. Training teachers and students to be gender-sensitive would help. Besides, establishing Girls Clubs, as some schools do, would also be beneficial to raising the self-esteem of female students and decreasing harassment. Funding for proper bathrooms would help give female students privacy and ensure their comfort in school while going through difficult changes. Greater access to sanitary napkins for school-aged females would also help, as many females cannot afford sanitary napkins.

It is only when women, who form more than half of the population and are also responsible for domestic management and other vital socio-economic roles are empowered, that will impact holistically on the economic development of the Northern Region.    

Bibir-Ghana Provides Support To Ten Savelugu Schools

Mr. Kumah [L] receiving items from Mr. Osei [R]

Bibir-Ghana, a non-governmental organization working in less endowed communities in the Northern Region of Ghana, has presented assorted textbooks and other learning materials worth GH¢28,770.00 to ten selected basic schools in the Savelugu-Nanton Municipality whose performance at the annual BECE is said to be very appalling. 

The textbooks included Science, Mathematics, Religious and Moral Education, ICT, Citizenship Education, Creative Arts and Dagbani Literature, covering primary one to six syllabuses as well as mathematical sets, maps, rules, pair of scissors, colour pencils, and among others.

The presentation of the materials to the beneficiary schools in the Savelugu-Nanton Municipality was part of the implementation of an educational project by Bibir dubbed “Supporting Basic Education in The Communities of Northern Ghana.”  

A survey by the Ghana Education Service in the municipality suggested that, of the 22 Junior High Schools that were presented for the 2012 Basic Education Certificate Examination, 15 schools scored below 40 percent representing 68.20 percent.

Some of the underlying causes attributed to the woeful performance of the schools included candidates lack of adequate understanding of simple concepts in their subject areas; incomplete coverage of syllabus/loss of contact hours; weak foundation at the primary level; poor attitude of teachers towards work; lack of standardized mode of assessment to track schools performances and high level of truancy among BECE candidates after registration.

Funded by Intervida, a Spanish donor organization, the Bibir project which began this year has so far built the capacities of Parent Teacher Associations, School Management Committees and Teachers selected from the ten schools whose performance had been dwindling over the years at the BECE. 

Receiving the materials from the Executive Director of Bibir-Ghana Mr. Joseph Charles Osei on behalf of the beneficiary schools, the Savelugu-Nanton Municipal Director of GES Mr. Joseph Kumah, thanked the NGO for its unflinching support towards the educational sector in the region.

Mr. Kumah pledged the materials would be put into proper use in order to avert the poor performances of the various schools so that it would enable the Northern Region to catch up with the rest of the country.  

Meanwhile, Bibir-Ghana is a local NGO based in Tamale with its operational areas in the Tamale Metropolitan, Tolon/Kumbungu Districts and Savelugu-Nanton Municipality. Established in 2005, the organization works with mainly women and children in deprived communities. The emphasis is on giving children a good environment and health to enable them gain access to formal education so as to be the motor of change in society.

The Gluttonous Attitude of Ghanaian Politicians Is Disgusting

Character is one of the most important assets in a man’s life. It is a person’s distinctive identity, whether good or bad. It can also be your attitude and actions in secret; who you are when no one is watching. If a man does not lose his character, then there is hope for his/her destiny.  

Thus, a story is told of the vulture, one of the biggest birds on earth. It can fly as high as one can imagine, and also travel far and wide on its wings in search of food. The vulture mostly feeds on decomposed corpses and has no mercy for even weaker preys that are about to die. In fact, it is largely a carnivorous animal that salivates incessantly whenever it smells a decomposing corpse, its best delicacy.  

Ghanaian politicians have the ability to fly as high as the vulture with their people to the “promise land” no matter how strong the storm is. Unfortunately, a greater number of them can fly to any extent to satisfy only their whims and caprices, mostly leaving behind their people due to a corrupt character they acquire immediately they assume any public office. 

For Ghana to reach greater heights and attain economic freedom like the United States of America or the United Kingdom, which are the best role models often cited by her citizens, then that will depend largely on the good character of its political leadership. If her political leadership is morally right, the institutions within which they work or supervise would also be morally upstanding, strong and resilient in spite of difficulties and challenges.   

But in recent years, most Ghanaian politicians at the District, Regional and National levels [whether as DCEs, Regional Ministers and Ministers of State], have all failed and continue to fail their people in their bid to take them to the promise land. Like the vulture, they seize every little opportunity to prey on the people they represent and only think about them when their bellies are full and they can eat no more. Seriously, they have no mercy towards the ordinary people they represent just as the vulture has no pity for the already dying prey. 

I have not lost my senses and neither have I gone round the bend if that is what is going through your mind as you read this piece. However, I’m simply mincing no words to voice my frustrations after peer reviewing the behaviour and conduct of our politicians over the years and in recent times.  

For instance, I like many Ghanaians heard it in the news the other day, that each of the 275 legislators was going to receive GH¢50,000.00 as rent allowance and truly, in less than a week our President John Mahama and his people, who claim single spine pay policy is draining the state coffers, paid the money with alacrity. As if that was not enough, each legislator was again given an US$70,000 to buy their official cars. 

In fact, what provoked the larger Ghanaian populace and caused most of them to be talkative overnight was when Mr. President didn’t even care a hoot and went ahead to pay former legislators huge sums of money as end of service benefits [ESBs], with the least taking home not less than GH¢100,000.00. 

What preceded all these payments before the beginning of 2013 was the increment of monthly salaries of the 275 legislators to GH¢7,200.00. Besides, it is believed the current Ministers of State and their Deputies receive monthly salaries of GH¢9,000.00 and GH¢8,000.00 respectively. It is also said that each of these ministers of state receive GH¢200.00 every week as fuel allowance for those heavy Toyota land cruisers and Nissan patrols Mr. President used our money to procure for them all in the name of running a government. Like the legislators, no minister pays water and electricity bills. Everything for them is freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. How then can these politicians feel the pain and suffering of the ordinary citizens? 

The fraudulent behaviour of these politicians who belong to both the NPP and NDC [that rule the country in turns and anyhow] has over the years compelled civil servants to embark on strike actions in an attempt to get what is also due them. Thus, it is open secret that recent strike actions in the country’s labour front are as a result of monumental payments of salaries and ESBs to the executive and the legislature who only want the citizenry to keep quiet as a sign of patriotism rather than complaining. As the trend reaches its crescendo, right thinking citizens including me are even more worried than ever considering the fact that the country’s oil money is already in DANGER.  

Majority of Ghanaians cannot easily forget about the fact that most appointees of the Mills-Mahama Administration like their counterparts in the Kuffour-Aliu Mahama Administration, built two or more houses each within four years, establish fuel filling stations, radio stations and an array of other profitable ventures for themselves and their immediate families. Those who wanted certain degrees to appear on their curriculum vitae acquired such certificates within the shortest possible time from the best academic institutions one can think of. Those who are lucky to be appointed again in the Mahama-Amissah-Arthur Administration will definitely continue to feed fat at the expense of the ordinary Ghanaian taxpayer through legitimate and illegitimate means.  

Indeed, all these things are happening because the church and its leadership has lost moral grounds and mostly find it difficult to chastise the political leadership when it goes wayward. Some of the politicians are serving as chairmen of committees in some churches and making donations towards church projects, so it becomes almost impossible to bite the hand that feeds you.  

Some of the men of God are also politicians themselves or sympathizers of the NPP and NDC, thus it brings to question how honest and objective they can be as men of God who are supposed to guide the conscience of society. 

In spite of all the recent agitations and industrial actions that are drawing the development of the nation back, all that some of our self-centered and arrogant politicians continue to tell civil servants is that they should not compare themselves with them. What Mr. President and his appointees continue to say is that there is no money; government can’t afford to pay what civil servants are demanding. Please come again Mr. President. When it comes to addressing concerns or grievances of hardworking civil servants you say there is no money, but when it’s about the executives and the legislature the money is available. I think that this is provocative Mr. President. 

If I have my own way [as President of Ghana] politics will be something a lot of hungry and greedy Ghanaians who only want to use it as shortcut to make money overnight, will never dream of associating themselves with. No legislator or Minister will take home a monthly salary of even GH¢5,000.00. Ministers of State and their Deputies will not be given four wheel drives because it’s not necessary. All ministers and legislators will pay utility bills and their monumental sitting allowances for whatever duty they carryout will not exceed GH¢200.00 no matter the number of days they spend doing it. Besides, the respective ministries have cross-country vehicles and ministers or their deputies can use them when they are travelling outside Accra to attend a function. 

For instance, why should a minister of state who leaves in Accra be using a four-wheel drive that consumes so much fuel instead of using fuel efficient vehicles? I know that there are preparations underway to prevent ministers and their deputies from using their official vehicles after working hours. But just like the directive to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to stop watching television in their offices failed, the same way this new directive will fail. 

Seriously, I sometimes wonder whether our President listens to radio and whether he deals with allegations of corruption that are leveled against some of his appointees. Because it’s amazing that some public officials within few years of being in office will be able to build houses, put up a radio stations, establish fuel stations and nothing is done by you Mr. President. Please Mr. President such allegations don’t need to be reported to you officially before you take action. And if you want Mr. President, just dedicate a phone line in your office to the public to report officials of your government who are corrupt and I can assure you that, you will receive such information in dozens. In fact, you’ll be shocked that the gluttonous attitude of some of your appointees is disgusting and this is making many Ghanaians to begin to also think that using unconventional means to make money at their places of work is the norm.   

It is Rev. Billy Graham who said: “If you lost money, you lost nothing. If you lost health, you lost something. But if you lost character, you lost everything.” Thus, I urge all politicians of this country to read the biblical story of Job and take a cue from one of the noblest men who have ever lived. Job was a man of character and that is why when he lost everything that he had, God blessed him again in abundance. Joseph the dreamer is another man of undisputable character. When he was proven innocent of charges of rape leveled against him by Portipher’s wife [his boss’ wife], he was freed and made the second most powerful man in Egypt.