After just 19 months of marriage, he was preparing to say goodbye to Theresa Boakye Dua, the woman he described as his best friend, soulmate and the love of his life.

She was only 31.

She had gone to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as Ridge Hospital, expecting to have a scheduled Caesarean section and return home with her newborn.

Instead, she died.

Her husband says the circumstances surrounding her death have left him devastated and angry. He believes failures in the healthcare system and what he described as negligence and unprofessional conduct contributed to her death.

As he prepared to lay her to rest on Friday, August 28, 2026, he promised that her story would not end at the cemetery.

“The full truth will be told,” he wrote.

For him, this is no longer only about the loss of his wife. It is about ensuring that another husband does not receive the same devastating news.

It is about a mother who should have gone home with her daughter but instead had to mourn her.

It is about a newborn boy who will grow up knowing his mother only through photographs, memories and the stories his family will tell him.

And, increasingly, it is about a question many Ghanaians are asking: Why are women still dying while giving birth in a country where so much is known about how to prevent maternal deaths?

A tragedy that should not be normal

Pregnancy is supposed to end with a new beginning.

Families prepare clothes for the baby. Names are discussed. Rooms are arranged. Mothers count the days until they can finally hold their children.

But for some families in Ghana, childbirth has become a moment of unbearable uncertainty.

A woman can walk into a hospital pregnant, hopeful and looking forward to meeting her baby, only for the family to leave without her or both of them.

That reality is difficult to accept.

And it becomes even harder when the death is believed to have been preventable.

The story of Theresa has triggered anger and sadness on social media, with many people sharing their own experiences of childbirth, Caesarean sections, delays in receiving care and losing loved ones.

Some stories are difficult to read.

Some are stories of mothers who never returned home.

Others are stories of babies who survived but were left without their mothers.

Together, they paint a troubling picture of a maternal health crisis that cannot simply be reduced to statistics.

Behind every maternal death is a name.

A wife.

A daughter.

A sister.

A friend.

A mother.

And a family forced to continue living with an absence that can never be filled.

The numbers tell part of the story.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, recently described maternal mortality as the worst-performing health indicator among Ghana’s health indices.

She disclosed that Ghana recorded about 945 institutional maternal deaths in 2025.

She has called for a different approach to tackling the problem, stressing that the Ministry of Health cannot solve maternal mortality alone.

One of the concerns she identified is the failure to recognise high-risk pregnancies early enough and refer patients to facilities capable of providing specialised care.

That can mean the difference between life and death.

A pregnant woman who needs urgent attention cannot afford to wait.

A woman losing blood during childbirth cannot afford unnecessary delays.

A mother in distress cannot afford a system where responsibility is passed from one person to another.

Every minute matters.

Is a Caesarean section really safer?

For many expectant mothers, a Caesarean section is viewed as the safer option when complications arise.

Some women even tell friends and relatives that they would rather have a CS than go through normal delivery because they believe it offers greater protection.

But a Caesarean section is still major surgery.

It requires trained professionals, functioning equipment, blood when needed, proper monitoring and quick action when complications occur.

The procedure itself cannot guarantee safety if the healthcare system around it fails.

That is where the conversation must go deeper.

The question should not simply be whether a woman delivered naturally or through a Caesarean section.

The question should be whether she received the right care, at the right time, from the right people.

A woman should not have to die to become a mother

There is something deeply painful about maternal death.

A woman becomes pregnant because she is preparing to bring another human being into the world.

She carries that child for months, endures the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy, and finally arrives at the hospital expecting help.

Her only “crime” is being pregnant.

Yet, for some families, the reward for that journey is a funeral.

That should never become something Ghana accepts as normal.

Young husbands are becoming widowers.

Children are growing up without mothers.

Parents are burying daughters who should have been celebrating their babies.

And families are left asking whether something could have been done differently.

The anger is growing

The reaction to Theresa’s story shows that people are tired.

Many Ghanaians are no longer willing to see maternal deaths as unavoidable tragedies.

They want answers.

They want accountability.

They want hospitals where patients are attended to promptly.

They want health workers who understand that behind every patient is a family anxiously waiting for good news.

They want systems that work even when the hospital is busy.

And above all, they want women to feel safe when they walk into a health facility to give birth.

This is not an attack on every healthcare worker.

Thousands of doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals work under difficult conditions every day and save lives.

But good workers cannot compensate for a system that has gaps in supervision, staffing, equipment, emergency response and accountability.

Where failures occur, they must be investigated.

Where negligence is established, there must be consequences.

Where systems are broken, they must be fixed.

Theresa’s son will grow up without his mother

Perhaps the most painful part of Theresa’s story is the child she left behind.

Her husband now has to raise their son without the woman they both expected to have beside them.

The baby’s birthdays will come.

His first day at school will come.

His graduations will come.

There will be moments when he achieves something and instinctively looks for his mother.

But she will not be there.

That is the real cost of maternal mortality.

It does not end when a death certificate is issued.

It follows families for years.

It changes childhoods.

It changes marriages.

It changes futures.

Something has to change

Ghana cannot continue discussing maternal mortality only when another mother dies.

The country needs sustained action: better emergency response, stronger supervision of health facilities, improved referral systems, adequate staffing and equipment, and clear accountability when preventable failures occur.

Expectant mothers must also receive timely information and respectful care throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

Most importantly, maternal deaths must be investigated properly so that lessons are learned and the same mistakes are not repeated.

Theresa’s husband may never get his wife back.

Nothing can erase the pain of losing her at 31.

But perhaps her story can force a difficult conversation.

Perhaps it can push authorities to look more closely at what is happening in our hospitals.

Perhaps it can remind every healthcare worker that the woman lying on the hospital bed is not just another patient.

She is someone’s wife.

Someone’s daughter.

Someone’s sister.

And, very often, she is someone’s entire world.

No woman should have to fear that becoming a mother could cost her life.

Not in Accra.

Not in Kumasi.

Not in Tamale.

Not in any part of Ghana.

Pregnancy should bring hope, not fear.

Childbirth should mark the beginning of a life, not the end of one.

For Theresa, that chance was lost.

For the women who are still waiting to give birth, Ghana must do better.

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Between January and June 2026, the hospital recorded 55 institutional maternal deaths, down from 78 over the same period last year, a reduction of 23 deaths that ends nearly ten years of rising or stagnant figures at the facility.

Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, announced the figures at the opening of the hospital’s 2026 Mid-year Performance Review Conference in Kumasi.

“We recorded a welcome reduction in institutional maternal deaths from 78 at mid-year 2025 to 55 in the corresponding period in 2026,” he said.

Dr Baidoo credited the improvement partly to the hospital’s new Maternal Intensive Care Unit, set up with support from anaesthesia and intensive care specialists. The unit has capacity for eight beds, though only four are currently in use, and Dr Baidoo said fully activating it could drive the numbers down further.

“No woman should die,” he stressed, describing the reduction as the first in the hospital’s maternal mortality record in about ten years.

In a related development, KATH has completed an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Centre, which is expected to begin operating this month.

Dr Baidoo said it would make KATH the first public health facility in Ghana with a fully-equipped specialist fertility centre, part of a broader push to widen access to specialised care.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Adann Benjamin Diaz, says the company’s growth is driven by a desire to go beyond supplying medical equipment and contribute directly to improving healthcare delivery in Ghana.

He said ADB Ghana Medicals is focused on building lasting partnerships and providing quality, reliable and affordable solutions that respond to the real needs of healthcare institutions.

“Our ambition is to build a Ghanaian healthcare company that creates lasting value not only through what we supply, but through the infrastructure, expertise and solutions we bring to the sector,” Diaz said.

When Diaz established what began as ADB Scientific Product Enterprise in 2006, his ambition was to build a business capable of responding to a fundamental need within Ghana’s healthcare system — access to quality medical equipment, supplies and technical solutions.

Nearly two decades later, that vision has evolved into ADB Ghana Medicals Limited, a specialist healthcare company providing medical equipment, consumables, engineering and healthcare infrastructure solutions to institutions across Ghana.

That evolution is increasingly reflected in the nature of projects undertaken by the company.

From medical supplies to healthcare infrastructure

While medical equipment supply remains central to ADB Ghana Medicals’ operations, the company has expanded its capabilities to include hospital engineering and construction.

The company says it has developed in-house expertise comprising medical engineers, administrators, warehouse and logistics personnel, enabling it to provide more integrated solutions to healthcare institutions.

Its areas of expertise include medical equipment supply, hospital engineering and hospital construction.

Its client base has also included hospitals, healthcare facilities, government agencies, NGOs, charities and other institutions within the health sector.

The expansion has positioned ADB Ghana Medicals within a growing conversation about the role indigenous Ghanaian companies can play in strengthening the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

Focus on specialist healthcare

One of the company’s current projects is the construction and equipping of a new Cardiothoracic Centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The project forms part of efforts to expand access to specialised cardiac and thoracic care in Ghana.

A recent technical working visit to the site brought together representatives of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, KATH and the Ministry of Health, with Diaz participating in the assessment of the ongoing works.

The technical discussions focused on issues including power capacity, utilities integration and structural planning — areas critical to the safety and eventual functionality of the facility.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund has described the foundation stage as one of the most demanding phases of the project, requiring close coordination among engineers, planners and healthcare administrators.

For ADB Ghana Medicals, the project represents an important step in its evolution from a company primarily focused on supplying healthcare products to one participating more directly in the development of the infrastructure in which those products and services are used.

A company built around quality and reliability

At the heart of ADB Ghana Medicals’ corporate philosophy are values including integrity, accountability, performance, quality, respect, teamwork and passion.

Its mission includes providing quality medical equipment and healthcare consumables, developing customised solutions for clients, maintaining strong communication and collaboration, and delivering products and services at competitive and affordable prices.

The company also places emphasis on partnerships, technical expertise and customer satisfaction.

In a healthcare sector where the quality, reliability and timely delivery of equipment can directly affect the effectiveness of medical services, these principles remain critical.

‘Healthcare is ultimately about people’

For Diaz, the company’s growth is not simply about expanding a business.

“Healthcare is ultimately about people. Every piece of equipment we supply, every facility we help develop and every technical solution we provide should ultimately contribute to better care for someone who needs it.”

He said the company’s long-term ambition is to build an institution that can contribute meaningfully to healthcare development in Ghana while demonstrating that indigenous companies can compete through quality, professionalism and technical competence.

“Our vision has always been bigger than supplying products. We want to be part of the solution. That means building the capacity, expertise and partnerships required to deliver healthcare infrastructure and solutions that meet the standards patients deserve.”

Expanding the Ghanaian footprint

ADB Ghana Medicals’ vision extends beyond Ghana, with the company seeking to expand its operations into other West African countries and eventually beyond the region.

That ambition comes at a time when Africa’s healthcare sector continues to require significant investment in infrastructure, technology, equipment and specialist services.

For Diaz, the opportunity is therefore both commercial and developmental.

“We are a Ghanaian company, and we believe Ghanaian businesses must be able to participate meaningfully in solving some of the country’s biggest challenges. Healthcare is one of those areas. Our responsibility is to build a company that is trusted for what it delivers.”

ADB Ghana Medicals says its journey is far from complete.

Its ambition is to continue building a Ghanaian healthcare company capable of delivering solutions not only for today’s needs but also for the future of healthcare in Ghana and across Africa.

ADB Ghana Medicals: The Ghanaian company building solutions for a stronger…

Established in 2006 by Adann Benjamin Diaz, the company has grown from a medical supplies business into an integrated healthcare solutions provider, offering services ranging from medical equipment supply and hospital engineering to construction, maintenance, servicing, consultancy and project management.

The company says its focus is to provide reliable, quality and affordable solutions while helping health facilities improve the delivery of care.

According to Chief Executive Officer of ADB Ghana Medicals Limited, Adann Benjamin Diaz, the company’s growth has been guided by the belief that healthcare businesses must ultimately contribute to better patient outcomes.

“Our ambition is not simply to supply medical equipment. We want to build a company that provides solutions, develops expertise and contributes meaningfully to the infrastructure required for quality healthcare delivery in Ghana and across Africa,” he said.

From medical supplies to healthcare infrastructure

ADB Ghana Medicals has expanded its operations beyond the supply of medical products to provide comprehensive solutions for health facilities.

Its services include hospital planning, engineering, construction, equipment maintenance, technical servicing, consultancy and project management.

The company says this integrated approach allows it to better understand the needs of health facilities, from the equipment required by medical professionals to the infrastructure and technical systems needed to keep hospitals functioning effectively.

One of its current projects is the development of a specialist cardiology facility at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

The facility is expected to improve access to advanced cardiac care in the Ashanti Region and surrounding areas.

For decades, KATH operated without a catheterisation laboratory, meaning some patients requiring specialised cardiac interventions had to travel to Accra for treatment.

The new centre is expected to bring such services closer to patients in the Ashanti Region and beyond, potentially reducing the need for referrals to facilities in the capital.

Building a Ghanaian healthcare brand beyond borders

For Diaz, the company’s long-term ambition extends beyond Ghana.

ADB Ghana Medicals seeks to establish itself as a trusted African healthcare solutions provider, with plans to expand its presence into other West African markets and beyond.

The company’s vision is to become a recognised leader and preferred provider of medical equipment, healthcare consumables and related solutions.

“We believe indigenous companies have an important role to play in solving Africa’s healthcare challenges. Our responsibility is to build the expertise, systems and partnerships that allow us to deliver at the highest possible standard,” Diaz said.

As healthcare infrastructure remains an important part of Ghana’s development agenda, ADB Ghana Medicals is positioning itself as one of the local companies seeking to contribute to the sector through technical expertise, infrastructure development and medical technology.

For the company, success is not only about commercial growth but also about the quality, reliability and impact of the healthcare solutions it delivers.

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The musician made the call in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, raising concerns about the practice of artistes using the same microphone at events without sanitising it between performances.

According to Sista Afia, performers often move from one event to another and share microphones with several people who sing, speak and breathe into the same equipment.

She believes artistes should take precautions to reduce their exposure to germs by disinfecting microphones before using them.

“I’m going to say something controversial, but my fellow artists need to hear this. PLEASE DISINFECT THE MIC BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR MOUTH ON IT!” she wrote.

She noted that artistes may use shared microphones at several shows and sometimes fall ill after performances, although she acknowledged that illnesses cannot necessarily be attributed to the equipment.

“I’m not saying every sickness after a show comes from a microphone, but with so many people sharing the same equipment, why not take precautions?” she added.

Sista Afia suggested that artistes carry microphone-safe disinfectant sprays or sanitising wipes with them and clean shared microphones before performing.

She also encouraged performers who can afford it to consider taking their own microphones to events.

The singer’s comments have drawn attention to hygiene practices in the live entertainment industry, where microphones are often passed between performers at concerts, festivals, corporate events and other public gatherings.

She also called for greater attention from event organisers, sound engineers and production teams to ensure shared equipment is properly cleaned between users.

Sista Afia said her message was ultimately about encouraging artistes to take their health seriously while navigating the demands of the entertainment industry.

“Your health first,” she concluded.

The move follows data showing that 92 per cent of maternal deaths recorded at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in 2025 involved referrals from peripheral health facilities, with only eight per cent originating from the hospital.

The figures were presented at the Mid-Year Performance Review of KATH, highlighting concerns over the quality of care and referral systems at facilities that transfer complicated maternal cases to the teaching hospital.

Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, said the data suggested that efforts to reduce maternal deaths must extend beyond KATH and focus on strengthening care at the point of referral.

According to the data, Ghana recorded 235 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2025, while the Ashanti Region recorded 196 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The region accounts for about one in every four maternal deaths recorded nationally.

Dr Adomako-Boateng, however, said the Ashanti Region had recorded an improvement in maternal mortality figures this year despite the worsening national trend.

“For the half year, if you compare the whole country to what we have presently, the figures have increased, but Ashanti, which was leading, has reduced,” he said.

A further breakdown showed that 15 per cent of maternal deaths recorded in the Ashanti Region involved women referred from outside the region, while 85 per cent were from within the region.

Of the total deaths recorded, 62 per cent occurred at KATH, with the remaining 38 per cent occurring at other facilities across the region.

Dr Adomako-Boateng said the figures showed that the challenge was not primarily at KATH but rather at the point where patients were referred.

“Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress, but working together is success,” he said.

Clinical mentorship

As part of the response, the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, with support from UNICEF, is working with KATH to strengthen the capacity of peripheral health facilities through clinical mentorship.

Dr Adomako-Boateng said specialists at KATH who helped develop relevant clinical guidelines would mentor health professionals at district hospitals, private facilities and Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) facilities.

“The people who developed the guidelines are serving as mentors to support district hospitals, private and CHAG facilities. All those people are in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,” he said.

The initiative is expected to improve the quality of maternal care at peripheral facilities and reduce avoidable referrals to KATH.

Virtual labour ward

The region is also introducing telemedicine through a virtual labour ward to enable health professionals at peripheral facilities to receive remote support when managing labour and emergency cases.

The system will allow specialists to supervise cases remotely and help determine which patients require referral to KATH for tertiary care.

The initiative is expected to ensure that only cases requiring specialised intervention are transferred to the teaching hospital while improving the management of cases at district and other peripheral facilities.

KATH has also committed to supporting the interventions being rolled out by the Regional Health Directorate.

Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, said the collaboration would help improve clinical care and the quality of referrals from health facilities in the Ashanti Region and beyond.

“We are grateful to the Regional Director, he has been so helpful. The ultimate objective of this collaboration is to improve clinical care and the quality of referrals from the peripheral hospitals in the region and beyond, especially when it comes to the area of maternal care,” he said.

The exercise targets public spaces and sanitation facilities considered potential breeding grounds for disease vectors and disease-causing pathogens.

These include public toilets, markets, schools, health facilities, communal waste container sites, dumping grounds and drainage systems, where accumulated waste, stagnant or contaminated water, and poor sanitary conditions could pose risks to public health.

The intervention forms part of a broader nationwide programme being implemented by Zoomlion in collaboration with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

It follows recent flooding in parts of southern Ghana and is intended to strengthen environmental sanitation and disease-prevention measures during the rainy season.

As part of its corporate social responsibility, Zoomlion is undertaking the disinfection and disinfestation exercise at no cost to beneficiary communities.

Speaking during the exercise, the Upper East Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Mr Kojo Njabore Upon, explained that although the Upper East Region was not directly affected by the recent flooding in southern Ghana, prevailing rainy-season conditions made preventive intervention necessary.

According to him, rainfall and runoff can carry contaminants from areas affected by open defecation, indiscriminate waste disposal and other unsanitary practices into drains, watercourses and public spaces.

Such conditions, he explained, could increase the risk of disease transmission, including cholera, particularly in communities where environmental sanitation standards are poor.

He said the intervention was therefore designed to treat high-risk locations where pathogens and disease vectors could thrive, thereby helping to reduce potential public health risks.

Mr Upon clarified that the ongoing intervention was specifically focused on disinfection and disinfestation and did not constitute a general refuse-collection exercise.

He noted, however, that waste evacuation and clearing could be undertaken in selected communities under separate sanitation programmes where necessary.

He further called on residents to participate actively in the National Sanitation Day and assume greater responsibility for keeping their homes, businesses and communities clean.

“Sanitation is not an event; it is continuous,” Mr Upon stressed, explaining that periodic disinfection and disinfestation alone cannot provide lasting solutions where waste, debris and other insanitary conditions are allowed to persist.

He encouraged households, traders and businesses to store waste properly and engage authorised waste management service providers to ensure regular collection and disposal at designated sites.

Residents, he added, should regard proper waste management as an investment in their own health, since preventable diseases can result in substantial medical expenses, loss of productive time and reduced household income.

The Upper East Regional Environmental and Sanitation Officer, Mr Charles Yinbil Awuni, welcomed the exercise and described it as a timely intervention, particularly during the rainy season.

He appealed to residents to complement the exercise by maintaining clean surroundings, avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal and adopting responsible sanitation practices.

The week-long exercise is expected to improve environmental sanitation conditions and help reduce potential disease risks across the Upper East Region.

Beyond the immediate intervention, Zoomlion is encouraging residents to embrace cleanliness and responsible waste management as continuous responsibilities essential to protecting public health and building cleaner, healthier and more resilient communities.

The partnership is aimed at reducing financial barriers that prevent patients from accessing essential medical services and forms part of the Trust Fund’s efforts to support beneficiaries in obtaining quality specialised care.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said the agreement formalises the commitment of both institutions to collaborate in improving healthcare delivery.

She explained that the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre was selected as a strategic partner because of its specialised cancer services, including radiotherapy and PET scan services, which play an important role in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cancer patients.

Ms Darko-Opoku noted that although the mandate of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund includes providing financial assistance to eligible Ghanaians with chronic non-communicable diseases, the broader goal is to ensure that beneficiaries can access the specialised treatment they require.

“For me, this MOU is more than just a document that we are signing today. It represents our shared commitment to working together to improve access to quality cancer care,” she said.

She stressed that patients remain at the heart of the partnership and should not be denied specialised cancer treatment because of financial difficulties.

Medical Centre welcomes partnership

The Chief Executive Officer of the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, Dr Clement Egyin Edusa, welcomed the collaboration and expressed confidence that it would improve access to advanced healthcare services for patients.

He said the Centre was pleased to partner with the GMTF and noted that the agreement would give more beneficiaries access to specialised services and modern medical technology.

According to Dr Edusa, the facility has advanced technologies capable of supporting the diagnosis and treatment of various conditions, particularly cancer.

He expressed optimism that the partnership would enable more eligible patients to benefit from these technologies and improve their health outcomes.

Dr Edusa further emphasised the importance of the collaboration for cancer patients, noting that timely access to quality diagnosis and treatment can significantly influence patient outcomes.

He said the partnership reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to removing financial and other barriers to specialised healthcare.

The MOU establishes a framework for sustained collaboration between the GMTF and the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre, with both institutions expected to strengthen their partnership and explore additional areas of cooperation in the future.

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According to him, about eight out of every 10 people who suffer a stroke experience an ischaemic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain becomes blocked.

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Dr Agbemaple explained that stroke is broadly classified into two major types: haemorrhagic and ischaemic.

He said a haemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, while an ischaemic stroke happens when a blood vessel becomes blocked, restricting blood flow to part of the brain.

“There are two types of stroke. There is a stroke resulting from a blood vessel rupturing called haemorrhagic stroke, and there is stroke resulting from a blood vessel being blocked called ischaemic stroke,” he explained.

“Now, eight out of 10 people who have a stroke will have an ischaemic stroke, that is, blood clotting in the vessels,” he added.

Dr Agbemaple attributed the increasing prevalence of ischaemic stroke partly to the accumulation of cholesterol along the walls of blood vessels, which he said is influenced by dietary choices.

“Ischaemic stroke is cholesterol deposition in the walls of the blood vessels, and this is a lifestyle problem. The cholesterol comes from oils and fats in your diet,” he said.

He expressed concern about the increasing consumption of foods high in fats and oils, particularly fried foods, saying such dietary patterns could contribute to cholesterol build-up in blood vessels.

“Our diets these days have been increasingly westernised with high oil and fat content, so the incidence of cholesterol deposition in the walls of the blood vessels is now increasing at alarming rates,” he said.

“People’s diets are now heavily laden with fats and oils. We eat a lot of fried foods,” he added.

Dr Agbemaple cautioned the public to adopt healthier dietary and lifestyle habits as part of efforts to reduce some of the risk factors associated with stroke.

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Director of Technical Services at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Fred Nana Poku, said PrEP is currently available in Ghana in tablet form and is intended for people who may face an increased risk of exposure to HIV.

He explained that PrEP is taken by HIV-negative people to help prevent them from acquiring the virus if they are exposed.

According to Dr Poku, PrEP forms part of Ghana’s broader HIV prevention strategy and is not a treatment for people already living with HIV.

He noted that PrEP can be administered in different forms, including injectable formulations, but the form currently available in Ghana is the tablet.

Dr Poku said the preventive medication is particularly important for people whose circumstances or sexual practices may expose them to a higher risk of HIV infection.

He mentioned sex workers and men who have sex with men among groups that may be considered for PrEP, while stressing that the intervention is not limited to those groups.

He explained that other Ghanaians who believe they may regularly engage in activities that could expose them to HIV can also seek professional advice on whether PrEP is appropriate for them.

Dr Poku urged people who may be at higher risk of HIV infection to seek guidance from qualified health professionals and make informed decisions about available prevention options.

He stressed that PrEP should be viewed as an additional tool in HIV prevention, alongside other measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus.

The Ghana AIDS Commission’s emphasis on PrEP forms part of ongoing efforts to expand access to HIV prevention services and encourage people at increased risk of infection to take proactive steps to protect their health.

GHAFTRAM General Secretary, Okogyeabibiduro Nana Kwadwo Obiri, said the decision was necessary because plants cultivated in galamsey-affected areas could be contaminated and pose risks to traditional medicine practitioners and their clients.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, he said about 40 percent of the areas where members previously cultivated medicinal plants have now been considered unsafe.

“When you look at the areas where galamsey is taking place, we do not have much control over what is happening there. So, we have advised our members to desist from cultivating medicinal plants in those areas,” he said.

Nana Kwadwo Obiri explained that the Federation had no option but to take the precautionary measure to protect the quality and safety of the plants used in preparing traditional medicines.

“For now, I can tell you that about 40 percent of the areas where we cultivate our plants, we have asked our members not to cultivate there because it will not be safe for us,” he stated.

He, however, noted that some parts of the northern regions, including the North East, Oti and Savannah areas, still have relatively safe environments where practitioners can obtain good-quality medicinal plants.

“Some parts of the north, Oti and Savannah are a bit better. We can still get plants from those areas, and they are very good,” he said.

The GHAFTRAM General Secretary therefore appealed to Ghanaians to support efforts to end illegal mining, warning that the continued destruction of the environment could have serious consequences for traditional medicine and the country as a whole.

“We urge Ghanaians to rally their support for us to ensure that we get rid of galamsey in our country because it is becoming very worrying,” he said.

He also expressed concern about the involvement of foreign nationals in illegal mining, alleging that some Ghanaians are supporting their activities.

“Some of those doing the galamsey are from other countries, but some Ghanaians are behind them and supporting them. The government must do something about it because this is a national security threat,” Nana Kwadwo Obiri added.

He called on the government and relevant authorities to intensify efforts to combat illegal mining and protect areas used for the cultivation of medicinal plants.

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The exercise, which started last Friday (August 21), is expected to end on September 30.

The exercise is being carried out by the Vector Control Unit of the company in collaboration with the assemblies.

It forms part of Zoomlion’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) to prevent outbreaks of cholera, malaria, typhoid and other infections following the recent floods that affected some communities in the region.

The mass spraying exercise is focused on markets, lorry parks, places of convenience, refuse container sites and containers, particularly during the rainy season, to reduce disease-causing organisms in such places.

It is also aimed at eliminating pathogens, controlling disease vectors and restoring safe conditions in all flood-affected places in the region.

Such an intervention has become critical to preventing waterborne diseases.

Briefing the media to kick-start the exercise at Agartha Market in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Manager of Zoomlion, Cynthia Gbadago, said the exercise was in response to the floods which hit the entire country, especially the Eastern Region, to prevent waterborne diseases.

She however indicated that the company realised the environment had been contaminated, hence the exercise, which she stated was the company’s corporate social responsibility to make the affected communities safe for the people.

Mrs Gbadago stated that the company had already educated people, especially market women and residents, on the exercise to ensure that food and drinking water were properly covered.

She further explained that after fumigation, people should allow between four and six hours to elapse before re-entering such places.

Mrs Gbadago advised the people in the communities to protect their environment, particularly on how to properly dispose of refuse.

She also asked them not to dump refuse indiscriminately within the environment to help prevent disease outbreaks in the region.

For his part, the Eastern Regional Environmental Officer, Prince Osei Kissi, lauded Zoomlion, which had been a partner of the assemblies, for its support for the exercise.

He gave the assurance that his outfit would continue to support the company to carry out the exercise to render the communities free from waterborne diseases.

At the Agartha Market in Koforidua, a trader, Georgina Agbesi, was hopeful that the fumigation exercise would get rid of harmful insects like mosquitoes and cockroaches, as well as rodents such as mice, in the market.

Another trader at the market, Afia Adutwumwaa, appealed to the government to provide places of convenience and also prevent the place from flooding whenever it rained heavily. The two traders expressed their appreciation to Zoomlion and the assemblies for the fumigation exercise.

Executive Secretary of the Council, Rev. Dr. Cyril G. K. Fayose, said the Council considers the work of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund an extension of the Christian responsibility to care for the sick and alleviate human suffering.

Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the GMTF, led by its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, and a member of the Board of Directors, Hon. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, Rev. Dr. Fayose pledged the Council’s support for the initiative.

He said the Christian Council had “caught the back” of the Trust Fund and would support it “through and through.”

According to him, the work of the Trust Fund reflects the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, who reached out to the sick, restored hope and brought relief to people in pain.

“For us, this is the work of God. Jesus Christ went about healing the sick and alleviating the pain and suffering of people. When you provide treatment and hope to someone who otherwise could not afford medical care, you are doing a work that is at the very heart of our Christian calling,” he said.

Rev. Dr. Fayose noted that the Council’s support for the initiative was not new, revealing that it was consulted during the conception of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and therefore understood its importance and potential to transform lives.

He commended the leadership of the Trust Fund, particularly its Administrator, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, for the progress made within the first year of the institution’s existence.

The Executive Secretary said the stories of patients receiving life-saving treatment through the Trust Fund demonstrate why churches, corporate institutions, philanthropists and Ghanaians in general must rally behind the initiative.

He pledged that the Christian Council would become one of the “crusaders” of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund by using its extensive network of churches and congregations to create awareness about the Fund’s impact and encourage donations to enable it to support more patients.

‘No Ghanaian should die because they cannot afford treatment’

Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, said the Fund was founded on the conviction that no Ghanaian should lose their life simply because they cannot afford or access the medical care they need.

She highlighted the challenges faced by families who exhaust their savings on medical bills, parents forced to choose between treatment and other basic necessities, and patients who delay critical care because of the cost involved.

“Sometimes, the difference between someone receiving treatment and losing their life is simply the availability of financial support at the right time. This is the gap that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund seeks to help address,” she said.

Ms. Darko-Opoku described the Christian Council as a natural and strategic partner because of the Church’s extensive reach, credibility and longstanding contribution to healthcare, education and social development in Ghana.

She said churches could help mobilise congregations, support fundraising efforts and promote a national culture in which saving lives is recognised as a collective responsibility.

She challenged the Christian community to help build a Ghana where churches can confidently say: “If there is someone among us who needs life-saving medical care and cannot afford it, we will not look away.”

The Administrator stressed that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund is not intended to replace existing healthcare financing arrangements but to complement them and address critical gaps that continue to deny vulnerable people access to specialised treatment.

CHASS calls for tougher SHS code of conduct as heads flag…

The new deadline is August 31, 2026, and the Ministry says this constitutes the final extension for all affected professionals.

According to the Ministry, some professionals who went through the required interviews and screening have already reported to their assigned facilities and commenced the process of being captured onto the payroll, with some already receiving their salaries.

The Ministry has also clarified the recruitment, posting, and salary payment processes amid what it describes as misleading information circulating publicly.

Under the established process, the Ministry first receives financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance before opening the recruitment portal for eligible applicants.

Applicants then apply for postings to their preferred districts and undergo interviews in their respective districts. Successful applicants accept their postings, after which their assigned facilities confirm their assumption of duty and submit the required documentation to the Ghana Health Service, Christian Health Association of Ghana and other relevant agencies.

An appointment letter is subsequently generated by the relevant agency to enable the applicant to complete the processes required for salary input.

Following completion of the salary input process, the facility validates the worker’s salary before payment is effected by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).

The Ministry stressed that every recruited professional must complete these processes before salary payment can be made, describing the procedure as necessary to ensure that only genuine workers are paid and to prevent payment for work not done or the creation of ghost names.

The Ministry has therefore directed Human Resource Directors and other relevant officers to expedite the necessary processes to ensure that all eligible professionals who have reported for duty are promptly captured and processed for salary payment.

Directors and managers have also been instructed to use the September 2026 data entry window to mechanise all professionals who have assumed duty.

The Ministry further warned that professionals who fail to report to their assigned facilities by August 31, without an approved and justifiable reason, will have their names removed from the recruitment and posting system.

Such vacancies will subsequently be filled through a mop-up exercise scheduled for the first week of September 2026.

The Ministry of Health has therefore urged all affected professionals to take advantage of the final extension and report to their assigned facilities within the stipulated period.

Speaking during Parliament’s emergency sitting, Mr Afenyo-Markin said residents of mining communities were paying a devastating price for the extensive pollution caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

“As we speak, Ghanaians in mining communities across this country continue to suffer kidney failure, lung failure, and other grave conditions at alarming rates because of the extensive pollution that illegal mining has visited upon our water bodies and our air,” he said on Monday, August 24.

“This has become nothing short of a widespread epidemic, one this government appears to have neither the clue nor the courage to confront.”

The Minority Leader said the situation demanded urgent attention, particularly as concerns persisted over the Gold Board’s ability to account for 1.7 billion, which he said was equivalent to about GH¢22 billion.

“So while Gold Board cannot account for 1.7 billion, an equivalent of 22 billion Ghanaian cedis, Ghanaians in our mining communities are paying with their kidneys, their lungs, and in other cases their lives,” he said.

“This House owes them an answer too.”

Mr Afenyo-Markin made the remarks shortly after Speaker Alban Bagbin addressed the House on the business for which Parliament had been recalled.

The Speaker had urged Members to restrict proceedings to the matters outlined in the notice of recall, including the consideration of nominations to the Supreme Court, ministerial nominees and the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Amendment Bill.

According to her, several market women have resorted to using chemicals to ripen fruits and preserve food without fully understanding the potential health risks involved.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Madam Sowah said she had repeatedly contacted the FDA to organise an education programme for women at the market but was instead asked to submit a formal letter before officials would visit.

“When you call the FDA and ask them to come and educate the women in the market, they tell you to go and write a letter before they come,” she said.

She said the requirement was unfair, particularly because the women needed urgent education on the safe handling of food and chemicals.

“I am organising the women and asking you to come and educate them, but you tell me to write a letter. We have called them several times. It is very worrying,” she added.

Madam Sowah expressed concern that some traders use chemicals to treat fruits without knowing their potential effects on human health.

She said some women even taste the substances they mix with water before applying them to fruits because they are unaware of the dangers.

“Some women will just mix the medicine and taste it. Because they don’t know, they are endangering their lives,” she stated.

Her comments come after the FDA cautioned the public and traders against using unapproved chemicals to force-ripen plantains and other fruits.

Madam Sowah said the concerns go beyond fruits, alleging that similar practices are being used in the handling of other food products sold in markets.

“It is not only fruits. Even hard fish that they sell in the market, there are concerns,” she said.

She further alleged that some traders use chemicals to make deteriorated fish appear fresh again, a practice she said poses serious health risks to consumers.

According to her, such allegations make it even more important for the FDA to intensify public education among market women rather than wait for formal requests.

“The FDA people are not doing their job. If I see all these things and tell the FDA to come and educate our market women on the dangers, then you ask me, a woman who didn’t go to school to any level, to write a letter?” she questioned.

Madam Sowah called for closer collaboration between the FDA and market leaders to ensure that traders receive regular education on food safety, the proper use of approved products and the dangers associated with harmful chemicals.

She stressed that educating traders would help protect both the women who handle the products and the consumers who ultimately buy them.

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According to her, the use of chemicals on fruits has become a growing concern, yet authorities appear to be paying attention to the issue only after it has attracted public attention.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Madam Sowah alleged that the FDA must take greater responsibility for protecting consumers from potentially harmful food practices.

“Those who are allowing these things to happen to Ghanaians are the FDA people,” she said.

She questioned why the FDA had recently intensified its attention on the issue, suggesting that the problem had existed for some time.

“These things did not start long ago, so we don’t know why all of a sudden they are acting, just doing it for the cameras,” she stated.

Madam Sowah said she had previously raised concerns with authorities about the use of chemicals on fruits sold to the public.

“We have told them and spoken to them that the fruits from the bush are all chemicals, so I hardly eat fruits,” she claimed.

She, however, explained that not every fruit responds to chemicals in the same way, noting that some fruits are more susceptible to chemical treatment than others.

“For oranges, when you put chemicals there, it won’t work because even if water touches them, they can go bad. But watermelon, you can use chemicals on it,” she alleged.

She also mentioned pawpaw and other fruits as products that could potentially be subjected to chemical treatment.

Madam Sowah said consumers are often unaware of what happens to fruits before they reach the market, making stronger monitoring and education necessary.

“For banana and plantain, especially when they are being ripened, if they say chemicals are used, we will understand because we know they put chemicals on them,” she said.

She also accused some traders of withholding information when disciplinary action is taken against them for violating market rules.

According to her, she personally investigates complaints received about traders before taking action.

“When I see people doing that in the market and there are complaints, I always take time to go and see for myself,” she explained.

Madam Sowah said traders who are found using chemicals and refuse to heed warnings could face expulsion from the market.

“So if I see you doing that, I won’t forgive you at all. When we see you using chemicals and we advise you and you refuse to heed the advice, then we sack you,” she stated.

She said some traders subsequently present their dismissal as unfair treatment without explaining the circumstances that led to the action.

“They won’t tell the truth. They will rather say that we intentionally sacked them when, indeed, they know what they did in the market before we sacked them,” she added.

Madam Sowah stressed that her opposition to the practice was driven by concerns about public health and the wellbeing of consumers.

“I always speak against it in the market because it is not healthy for us to consume fruits with chemicals,” she said.

Her comments come amid growing concerns over food safety and the use of unapproved chemicals in the handling and ripening of fruits, with renewed calls for stronger enforcement and public education to protect consumers.

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The company, led by medical doctor and pharmacognosist Dr De-Gaulle Moses Dogbatsey, says its work aligns with calls by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh for Ghanaian researchers to move their discoveries beyond the laboratory and into commercially viable medicines and vaccines.

Mr Akandoh recently urged researchers and industry players to prioritise the commercialisation of research at the Research Meets Manufacturing award ceremony under the PharmaVax Ghana programme.

He said the success of government support for research should not be measured only by the number of grants awarded but by the number of research projects that eventually become commercially viable products.

According to the Minister, Ghana must strengthen local pharmaceutical production to reduce its dependence on imported medicines and vaccines, retain foreign exchange, create jobs and improve the country’s preparedness for future health emergencies.

Medi-Moses says its experience provides an example of how research into medicinal plants can be translated into products for use by patients.

Dr Dogbatsey, a medical doctor trained at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), later obtained an MPhil in Pharmacognosy (Plant Medicine) from the same university.

He also served as Head of the Clinical Research Department at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine at Mampong-Akuapem between 2004 and 2008 and received further training in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After leaving the Centre, he established the Medi-Moses Clinic and Prostate Centre, which has since expanded to five branches across Ghana.

The company focuses on the management of conditions including enlarged prostate, medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostatitis.

Its flagship products include Prostacure Herbal Tea and Prostacure-X capsules, which the company says are developed from its research into plant-based treatments.

Medi-Moses says Dr Dogbatsey has formulated 57 herbal products targeting various health conditions, including infertility, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, menstrual disorders, peptic ulcers, haemorrhoids, vaginal infections, skin diseases, typhoid, malaria and glaucoma.

The company says the products demonstrate how research into locally available medicinal plants can be developed into products accessible to Ghanaian patients.

The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners has also endorsed efforts to translate research findings into patient care.

“We are particularly enthused that research into plants grown in Ghana can inure to the benefit of the general Ghanaian populace. Strides made by Medi-Moses products in this area are therefore worthy of encouragement and support,” said Dr Andre Kwesi Kumah, President of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners.

The endorsement was made at the society’s Annual General Meeting in Ho in the Volta Region.

The development comes as government seeks to expand Ghana’s domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.

The Health Minister has announced a government framework contract for medicines estimated at GH¢159 million, with plans for expansion, aimed at creating a more predictable market for quality locally manufactured pharmaceutical products.

Mr Akandoh has also stressed the need for partnerships that transfer technology and expertise while strengthening Ghanaian capacity.

Medi-Moses says its experience over the past three decades demonstrates the potential for Ghanaian research and private-sector innovation to contribute to the country’s pharmaceutical development and broader health-security goals.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Medi-Moses Has Been Doing It for 30 Years: Turning Research into Medicines – Answers Health Minister’s Call for Action

Accra, Ghana – As Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh urges Ghanaian researchers to move discoveries “beyond laboratory shelves” into commercially viable medicines and vaccines, one indigenous company has already been doing exactly that for nearly 30 years.

Dr De-Gaulle Moses Dogbatsey, CEO of the Medi-Moses Group of Companies, has built a proven track record of converting plant-medicine research into practical herbal products that reach patients across Ghana. His work offers a living example of the health-sovereignty agenda the Minister outlined this week at the Research Meets Manufacturing award ceremony under the PharmaVax Ghana programme.

Mr Akandoh told beneficiaries that the true measure of success “will not be the number of grants awarded but the number of research projects that progressed into commercially viable products.” He stressed that Ghana can no longer afford to wait “at the back of the queue” for essential medicines and vaccines, as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local production, he said, is now a national health-security imperative that will also retain foreign exchange, create jobs and reduce vulnerability to external supply shocks.

Dr Dogbatsey’s journey mirrors that call. A medical doctor trained at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), he later obtained an MPhil in Pharmacognosy (Plant Medicine) from the same university and became the first Ghanaian medical doctor to specialise in the field. He headed the Clinical Research Department at the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine at Mampong-Akuapem from 2004 to 2008 and trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After leaving the Centre, he established the Medi-Moses Clinic and Prostate Centre, which has grown from humble beginnings into five branches across the country. The company specialises in the management of enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia), prostatitis and related conditions. Its flagship product, Prostacure Herbal Tea, together with Prostacure-X capsules, is credited with shrinking enlarged prostates without surgery and has earned international recognition.
In total, Dr Dogbatsey has formulated 57 herbal products targeting a wide range of conditions including infertility, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, menstrual disorders, peptic ulcer, haemorrhoids, vaginal infections, skin diseases, typhoid, malaria and glaucoma. These products are the direct outcome of research translated into medicines available to ordinary Ghanaians.

Speaking in the spirit of the Minister’s message, industry observers note that Medi-Moses demonstrates what is possible when research is designed with manufacturability, scale-up, regulatory approval and patient affordability in mind.

The Health Minister announced a government framework contract for medicines estimated at GH¢159 million, with plans for expansion, to create a predictable market for quality local products. He also emphasised partnerships “with dignity and respect” that transfer technology and expertise while building Ghanaian capacity.

Dr Dogbatsey’s three-decade record shows that such capacity already exists in pockets of the private sector. As Ghana seeks to become a pharmaceutical hub for West Africa, the Medi-Moses story stands as practical proof that research can – and already does – travel the full distance from laboratory to pharmacy shelf, improving lives and strengthening national health security.

Endorsement

The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners endorses the transition of research material into care for our clients. We are particularly enthused that research into plants grown in Ghana can inure to the benefit of the general Ghanaian populace. Strides made by Medi-Moses products in this area are therefore worthy of encouragement and support.
— Dr Andre Kwesi Kumah, President, Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (AGM, Ho, Volta Region)

About Medi-Moses Group of Companies

Medi-Moses is a leading Ghanaian herbal medicine company specialising in research-based plant medicines, with a focus on prostate health and a broad portfolio of 57 formulated products.

Media Contact
Medi-Moses Group of Companies
Head Office: Adenta Barrier New Site – Off the Aburi Road
P.O. Box TF 324, LA – Accra
Tel: +233 24 406 8447 / +233 50 349 4885
Website: Medimoses.com.gh
Social: @Medi_moses (TikTok/Instagram) | Medi-Moses Prostate Centre (Facebook)
Branches
Accra Central | Tema | Kumasi

He said the situation has forced management to travel to Koforidua to purchase oxygen cylinders to support the treatment of patients who require oxygen.

Dr Antwi made the disclosure when the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, presented medical equipment to the hospital to help improve healthcare delivery at the facility.

The Kyebi Government Hospital, also known as the Abuakwa South Municipal Hospital, serves as a major referral facility for neighbouring municipalities and districts in the Eastern Region, attending to hundreds of patients daily.

According to Dr Antwi, the non-functional oxygen plant has become a major challenge for medical personnel, particularly when treating patients who require oxygen support.

He estimated the cost of repairing the plant at GH¢500,000 and appealed to philanthropists, corporate organisations, individuals and other well-meaning members of the public to support the hospital in restoring the facility.

Meanwhile, Dr Kingsley Agyemang disclosed that his office is working to secure a dialysis centre for the hospital.

He also announced that construction of accommodation for health workers is ongoing at Asiakwa, as part of efforts to address the acute accommodation challenges facing health personnel in the constituency.

The medical equipment donated to the hospital included three suction machines, three electronic weighing scales with height measurement, two pulse oximeters, ten blood pressure machines, 10 thermometers, three electronic patient monitors, 20 wheelchairs, several boxes of examination gloves and one Cardiotocography (CTG) machine.

The arrival marks the fifth field service by Mercy Ships in Ghana and was welcomed at a ceremony attended by government officials, diplomats, healthcare professionals and members of the international volunteer crew.

During its stay, volunteer medical teams are expected to perform between 1,950 and 2,600 free surgeries, while an estimated 1,610 to 2,145 people will receive free dental treatment.

The mission will also provide training opportunities for between 100 and 250 Ghanaian healthcare professionals through mentoring, education and clinical placements aboard the vessel.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh described the initiative as a continuation of Ghana’s longstanding partnership with Mercy Ships, which dates back more than three decades.

He said the programme complements Ghana’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP), launched in 2024 to improve access to safe and equitable surgical care across the country.

The Minister stressed that the Global Mercy’s visit should be viewed not simply as a humanitarian intervention but as a partnership supporting Ghana’s own healthcare priorities.

He said the lasting impact of the mission would be measured not only by the number of surgeries performed but also by its contribution to patients, healthcare professionals and local health institutions after the ship leaves Ghana.

A key component of the mission will be the HOPE Center, which provides support to patients before and after surgery while creating opportunities for Ghanaian healthcare professionals to work alongside international medical volunteers.

Mercy Ships CEO, Dr Michelle White, said returning to Tema carried special significance because the organisation’s first hospital ship, Anastasis, docked at the port more than 30 years ago.

She disclosed that Mercy Ships has trained nearly 3,000 Ghanaian healthcare professionals and performed more than 2,500 surgical procedures in Ghana since 1991.

The organisation also plans to work with the Ministry of Health, universities and professional institutions, including the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Ghana College of Nursing and Midwifery, to provide postgraduate training opportunities aboard the vessel.

Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe also welcomed the Global Mercy, assuring the crew of the full support of Ghana’s port authorities throughout its stay.

He described Ghana’s ports as an important gateway to the wider West African sub-region and wished the medical team a successful mission.

Since 1990, Mercy Ships says it has completed 47 field services across 14 African countries and delivered more than 128,800 surgical procedures worldwide.

The organisation says its work has increasingly shifted from emergency humanitarian interventions towards long-term healthcare system strengthening through training, partnerships and locally led capacity development.

The donation comprised GH¢50,000 in cash, 10,000 packs of sanitary pads, 5,000 stationery pouches, 5,000 pens and 5,000 exercise books, which are expected to support young people, particularly schoolgirls, in their educational journey.

The initiative forms part of the Administrator’s birthday celebration and reflects her commitment to giving back to the community and investing in the wellbeing and development of the younger generation.

Speaking on the motivation behind the gesture, the Administrator emphasised the importance of supporting young people with basic necessities that can have a meaningful impact on their education, confidence and overall wellbeing.

The provision of sanitary pads is particularly aimed at helping girls manage their menstrual health with dignity and reducing challenges that may interfere with their participation in school.

The educational materials, meanwhile, are intended to equip students with essential resources for learning.

The donation to Saint John the Divine Anglican Parish in Nsawam underscores the belief that birthday celebrations can extend beyond personal milestones to create opportunities to positively impact the lives of others.

The initiative is anchored on three key values: dignity, education and the future, recognising that providing young people with the resources they need today can contribute to a more confident, educated and empowered generation tomorrow.

As she celebrates her 49th birthday, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Administrator has therefore chosen a celebration centred not only on gratitude for another year of life but also on service, compassion and investment in the next generation.

The woman, identified as Linda Ampofo, a member of The Church of Pentecost in the Brofoyedru District of the Kwadaso Area, delivered the triplets on January 13, 2026, to the glory of God.

Family members and church leaders have described the birth as a miracle and an answer to years of prayer.

Mrs Ampofo had experienced several miscarriages, often losing her pregnancies around the fourth month. Her final miscarriage occurred in 2014.

Despite the challenges, she remained confident that God would intervene and bless her with a family.

Mrs Ampofo continued to serve in the church as a devoted Christian and member of The Church of Pentecost. She was known for waking up early to clean the church premises and consistently participating in church activities and prayer gatherings, particularly at the Brofoyedru Central Assembly.

As the firstborn of her parents, she said she remained focused on her faith and did not allow her situation to discourage her. She drew strength from the Word of God and the weekly morning prayers, popularly known as “Emergency”, held at the church district.

“I was born into The Church of Pentecost. I was taught that the God who worked miracles in the olden days is still working today. That kept me strong. Despite my situation, I was not discouraged. I continued to serve God and support His work while waiting for my miracle. I never stopped praying, and my pastors and some church members kept encouraging me that God would answer me one day,” she recounted.

Following years of waiting, church leaders encouraged her not to abandon her faith but to continue trusting God regardless of her age.

Mrs Ampofo said she was eventually told by a doctor that she was pregnant after she visited the hospital when she was unwell.

“We were eight women believing God for children. Seven of them have had their babies, leaving me alone. Anytime I conceived, I lost the pregnancy. That was my biggest worry. I kept asking God in prayer what sin I had committed that He could not forgive, to bless me with even one child. But my pastors told me not to give up,” she said.

She said she was stunned when she was informed that she was carrying three babies.

“Last year, when the doctor told me I was carrying three babies, I started shaking. I was very surprised. Even in my youthful years I could not carry a pregnancy, so at age 55, I doubted it. I asked the doctor, ‘With which womb am I carrying three children?’ But truly, on 13th January, God had mercy on me and blessed me with these children,” Mrs Ampofo added.

She subsequently delivered the triplets on January 13, 2026, while a naming ceremony was held at the Brofoyedru Central Auditorium on Sunday, July 6, 2026.

Together with her husband, Deacon Kwame Ampofo, church leaders, family, friends and members of The Church of Pentecost, the new mother, dressed in white, celebrated and glorified God for what she described as a remarkable blessing.

Mrs Ampofo expressed profound gratitude to God, as well as to the leadership and members of the church for their encouragement and prayers throughout her years of waiting.

She encouraged other married women, particularly Christian women experiencing similar challenges, not to lose hope but to remain steadfast in their faith.

According to her, God remains faithful and will grant them their own testimonies in His appointed time.

Her husband, Deacon Kwame Ampofo, also expressed gratitude to God for what he described as a special grace that enabled them to continue believing.

He disclosed that although he was sometimes discouraged as a married man without children, he remained confident that God would reward them for diligently seeking Him.

He added that the birth of the triplets had strengthened his faith and inspired him to serve God even better under all circumstances.

‘The Lord has done great things for us’

Delivering the sermon at the naming ceremony, the Head Pastor of the Brofoyedru Praise Temple, Joshua Appiah, preached on the theme, “The LORD has done great things for us,” taken from Psalm 126:3 and Psalm 30:5b.

He highlighted how joy at the end of every trial can redefine the faith of believers after seasons of weeping and affliction.

He encouraged the congregation to use Mrs Ampofo’s experience as a case study and continue trusting God for transformation.

He urged believers to hold firmly to their faith through the knowledge of God’s Word, which he said is effective in empowering Christians to overcome trials.

Meanwhile, the Presiding Elder of the Brofoyedru Central Assembly of The Church of Pentecost, Elder Thomas Tuffuor, urged members to remain content and refrain from moving from one prayer camp to another.

He stressed that God remains at work in the Church for the welfare of His children.

A rare pregnancy at 55

Medical professionals note that natural conception at age 55 is extremely rare, as most women at that stage have reached menopause, when the ovaries stop releasing eggs, making pregnancy without medical intervention highly unlikely.

A woman is considered to have reached menopause after going 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. This milestone typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51.

The stages of menopause include perimenopause, which usually begins in a woman’s 40s as hormone levels change and periods become irregular; menopause, which is reached after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle; and post-menopause, which refers to the years following menopause.

The birth of the triplets has brought joy to the family, the church and the wider Brofoyedru community, with many describing it as a testimony of faith, patience and perseverance.

The story has also become a source of encouragement to many couples, particularly within the church, who continue to hope and pray for children.

The donation was aimed at supporting healthcare professionals and improving the quality of care provided to patients.

The medical equipment included three suction machines, three electronic scales with height measurement, two pulse oximeters, ten blood pressure machines, ten thermometers, three electronic patient monitors, 20 wheelchairs, several boxes of examination gloves, and one Cardiotocography (CTG) machine.

The equipment is expected to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to attend to patients, particularly in areas requiring regular monitoring, emergency care, maternal healthcare, and general clinical services.

Beyond the provision of the medical equipment, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang also took an additional humanitarian step by settling all outstanding inpatient bills at the facility.

The gesture is expected to bring considerable relief to patients and their families who may have faced financial difficulties in settling their hospital bills.

The intervention further underscores the MP’s longstanding interest in the welfare of constituents and the improvement of healthcare delivery within Abuakwa South.

The latest donation is not the first time Dr. Agyemang has supported the Kyebi Government Hospital on several occasions.

Interestingly, his support for the hospital predates his return to government. Even while in opposition, he continues to respond to the needs of the facility and the people who depend on it for healthcare.

Speaking during the presentation, Dr. Agyemang encouraged healthcare practitioners at the hospital to continue giving their best in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.

He urged them to treat patients with compassion, dedication, and professionalism, stressing the importance of their role in protecting lives and improving the well-being of residents within the constituency and beyond.

While expressing his commitment to supporting the hospital where possible, the MP also called on the government to provide the Kyebi Government Hospital with the necessary equipment and resources required for the facility to function effectively.

He noted that while individual interventions and donations could help address immediate needs, the sustainable development of healthcare facilities requires continuous investment by the government.

He therefore appealed for the provision of the requisite medical equipment and other resources to enable the hospital to deliver quality healthcare services to the people of Abuakwa South.

According to the MP, healthcare workers can only perform optimally when they have access to the appropriate tools and equipment needed for their work.

The Chief Superintendent of the Kyebi Government Hospital, Dr. Isaac Antwi expressed appreciation to Dr. Agyemang for the gesture and his continued support for the facility.

He acknowledged the importance of the equipment to the facility and expressed gratitude for the support extended to both healthcare workers and patients.

The settlement of the outstanding inpatient bills was particularly significant, as it provided immediate relief to patients who may otherwise have struggled to meet their financial obligations before leaving the hospital.

In attendance was the Abuakwa South NPP Constituency Chairman, Mr. Otis Asante, together with members of the Executive Committee.

Their presence highlighted the collective interest of the constituency leadership in initiatives that seek to improve the welfare of residents and strengthen essential social services such as healthcare.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, Dr. Kaba Akoriye explained that the document is intended to address recommendations aimed at advancing Ghana’s health security and improving coordination during emergencies.

He said the initiative would provide a structured framework for relevant institutions to work together and mobilise the necessary resources when the country is confronted with public health emergencies.

The Director-General emphasised the importance of collaboration among institutions in ensuring an effective and coordinated response to emergencies, while maintaining the respective mandates and responsibilities of each organisation.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Kwame Amponsah Achiano, said the GHS is committed to working with its stakeholders to translate the document into action.

He said the Service would collaborate with relevant partners to ensure the effective implementation of the strategic document and strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capacity. The launch forms part of efforts to improve Ghana’s health security and ensure that the country is better prepared to prevent, detect

He explained that floodwaters often pass through highly contaminated areas, including public toilets, septic tanks, drains, dumping sites and other waste facilities, before spreading into communities and public spaces to pose health risks.

Mr. Donkor made the statement while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an extensive disinfection and disinfestation exercise embarked upon by waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited at Accra New Town. The operation is being carried out in partnership with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra. 

The operation is part of a broader disinfection and disinfestation programme being undertaken across Greater Accra, following the recent flooding, with the aim of reducing the presence and spread of disease-causing organisms, flies, mosquitoes and other public health threats.

He contended that flood runoff should not be considered ordinary wastewater because it could contain a high concentration of pollutants and pathogenic organisms capable of posing serious risks to public health.

At the Five-Five Public Toilet at Accra Newtown, he said the exercise had therefore come at an important time to deal with harmful microorganisms that may have been carried along by floodwaters.

“This is to make sure that we take care of all pathogenic organisms that came along with the flooding that we had a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

Mr. Donkor acknowledged that the operation could have been undertaken earlier, but noted that its implementation at this stage remained important in protecting communities from the potential health consequences of the floods.

“I must admit that even though it is late, better late than never,” he said, while expressing appreciation to the Presidency and Zoomlion Ghana Limited for supporting the intervention.

He also commended media organisations for supporting efforts aimed at promoting sanitation, public health and environmental safety, noting that maintaining acceptable public health standards required collective responsibility.

The Zoomlion teams deployed covered a number of public and institutional facilities within parts of the Greater Accra Region, including the Five Five Public Toilet at Accra Newtown, facilities serving the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Ambulance Service and Ghana Education Service (GES) at Mamobi, as well as selected dumping sites and other sanitation facilities.

Other areas that benefited included the La Bawleshie dumpsite, the Gbegbeyisie cluster of schools at Dansoman, Glefe unauthorized dumpsite and parts of Sowutuom in the Ga Central Municipality.

Mr. Donkor entreated residents and managers of public facilities to complement such interventions by maintaining proper sanitation practices and ensuring that waste and other materials that could create breeding grounds for disease vectors are properly managed.

A few weeks later, it is darker.

Then the questions begin.

Is this normal? Does it mean I’m having a boy? Is my baby taking all my melanin? Will the line disappear after delivery?

For many expectant mothers, the appearance of this dark line can be surprising, especially for women who have never experienced it before.

But that mysterious pregnancy mark has a name: linea nigra.

And while social media is full of theories about what it means, the science behind it is much less dramatic and actually quite fascinating.

From a Faint Line to a Dark Pregnancy Mark

Before pregnancy, most women already have a faint vertical line running down the abdomen. It is called the linea alba, which means “white line.”

It is usually barely noticeable because it has little pigmentation.

During pregnancy, however, hormonal changes can stimulate the skin’s pigment-producing cells, known as melanocytes.

As melanin production increases, the previously faint linea alba can become darker and more visible.

That is when it becomes known as the linea nigra, or “black line.”

The line may run from the belly button down towards the pubic area. In some women, it can extend upwards towards the chest.

And no two women necessarily experience it in the same way.

For some, it is barely visible. For others, it can become quite dark and prominent.

So, Why Does Pregnancy Make the Skin Darker?

Pregnancy brings a major hormonal shift.

Levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone rise, and these changes can influence melanin production and distribution in the skin.

That is also why some pregnant women notice darker nipples, darker patches on the face or other areas of increased pigmentation.

So when someone says, “You’ve become darker because you’re pregnant,” there is a little truth behind the observation, but it is not because the baby is somehow “taking” or “needing” the mother’s melanin.

Rather, pregnancy hormones can stimulate melanocytes, resulting in increased pigmentation.

Does the Dark Line Mean the Baby Is a Boy or a Girl?

Now, this is where things get interesting.

For generations, people have had their own theories about the linea nigra.

One popular belief says that if the line stops at the belly button, the baby is a girl.

If it continues above the belly button towards the chest, the baby is supposedly a boy.

Sounds convincing, right?

Not quite.

There is no scientific evidence that the length, darkness or appearance of the linea nigra can predict a baby’s sex.

So if someone confidently looks at your belly and announces, “Definitely a boy!” based on the line, you may want to smile but wait for the medical confirmation.

Is the Line a Sign That Something Is Wrong?

For most pregnant women, no.

The linea nigra is generally a normal and harmless consequence of pregnancy-related pigmentation changes.

It does not usually cause pain or require treatment.

It can become more noticeable as pregnancy progresses, particularly around the second trimester and beyond.

And for many women, it gradually fades after childbirth as hormone levels return towards their pre-pregnancy state.

The timing varies from person to person.

Can You Stop It From Appearing?

Not really.

The linea nigra is a natural pregnancy change, so there is no guaranteed way to prevent it.

However, increased exposure to sunlight can make pigmentation more noticeable, so protecting the skin from excessive sun exposure may help prevent it from becoming darker.

Most importantly, there is no need to scrub, bleach or use harsh products in an attempt to remove it.

Your belly is not dirty.

It is simply responding to the remarkable changes happening inside your body.

‘My Body Is Drawing a Line for the Baby’

Some of the conversations around pregnancy pigmentation are rooted in curiosity, cultural beliefs and personal experiences.

Women often share stories about suddenly noticing changes in their skin, sometimes wondering whether the changes are connected to their baby’s development.

One popular social media explanation even suggests that the body is “preparing for life” by producing more melanin.

While that makes for an interesting way of describing the experience, the scientific explanation is simpler: pregnancy hormones influence melanocytes, leading to increased pigmentation in certain areas of the skin.

The body is certainly preparing for new life, but the dark line itself is not a biological signal telling the body to “create life.”

More Than Just a Line

Pregnancy can transform a woman’s body in ways she may never have anticipated.

The belly grows. The breasts change. The skin may stretch and darken. Veins can become more visible. Hair and nails may change. And suddenly, a line that was almost invisible for years becomes one of the most noticeable features on the stomach.

For some mothers, it may feel strange at first.

For others, it becomes a beautiful reminder of the journey to motherhood.

And yes, sometimes it becomes a conversation starter.

“What’s that line?”

“Is it a boy?”

“Does it mean something?”

The answer is simple: it is called the linea nigra, and in most cases, it is just one of the many normal changes that can accompany pregnancy.

So, dear mama, if you look down and see that dark line stretching across your beautiful bump, don’t panic.

It is not a curse.

It is not a warning sign.

And it certainly cannot tell you whether you are carrying a boy or a girl.

It is simply your skin responding to the extraordinary hormonal journey of pregnancy.

And when the baby finally arrives, that once-dark line will slowly begin to fade, leaving behind more than just a disappearing mark a beautiful reminder of the incredible journey your body took to bring new life into the world.

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He said chemical drift from pesticide spraying was contributing to air pollution and putting farmers’ health at risk.

According to him, prolonged exposure to pesticides could cause respiratory illnesses and other serious health conditions, including cancer, heart disease and cognitive problems.

The warning comes amid growing concerns over the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides in Ghana’s agriculture sector, where studies have found that many farmers spray chemicals without adequate protective gear.

Speaking to Adom News on air pollution and rising deaths in Ghana, Mr Mensah said chemicals released into the atmosphere during pesticide spraying could have serious health consequences for farmers and communities living around farmlands.

“Chemicals from pesticide sprays enter the air and cause air pollution, which can affect farmers’ health through cancer and heart illness. This can kill slowly,” he said.

He cautioned that the health risks extend beyond farmers, noting that pesticide runoff could contaminate nearby water bodies and expose surrounding communities to harmful chemicals.

“The air contamination in the area where the farm is located is dangerous. The river closer to the farm gets contaminated and people will fetch the water and drink, which is not good,” he added.

According to Mr Mensah, a preliminary study conducted by one of his students on the Ankobra River detected pesticide-related chemicals in the water.

He urged farmers to wear appropriate protective equipment whenever they spray crops, particularly cocoa farms, warning that prolonged exposure could have long-term effects on their health.

“Farmers should put on protective equipment before spraying crops or cocoa farmlands. Exposure to pesticides over the years will give them cancer and affect their DNA. The cognitive effects are equally dangerous. Pesticides should be used well,” he cautioned.

A 2020 study of vegetable farmers in the Central Region also linked pesticide exposure to symptoms including headaches, coughing, skin rashes and dizziness, while noting that many farmers lacked adequate protective equipment.

Former Secretary of the Peasant Farmers Association, Charles Nyaaba, has also urged farmers to adopt safer spraying practices.

“Farmers should spray early in the morning or late evening when there is less wind. Avoid spraying against the wind, and always use nose masks, gloves and boots,” he advised.

Mr Nyaaba said he had personally experienced the effects of pesticide exposure.

“I have personally applied pesticides and I felt headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. I have also seen some farmers who have used pesticides for years develop several cancers, especially from inhaling the chemicals. Eye irritation is also common,” he noted.

He stressed that chemical pollution from farms could affect entire communities, not just farmers.

“The air pollution may not affect only the farmer but community members around,” he said.

Some farmers in the Volta Region have similarly reported headaches and skin problems associated with spraying pesticides without nose masks.

At Ashaiman, farmers said the unprotected use of weedicide has also resulted in cases of poisoning, with young people and the elderly reportedly among those affected.

A farmer, Emmanuel Asare, said many farmers avoid protective clothing because of the heat generated while working.

“Most farmers do not want to wear the protective gear because it generates a lot of heat. But that is the best for spraying. We are calling on government to provide us with protective jackets, gloves, face masks and drones for spraying. They should also give us more education on the use of pesticides and Weedicide,” he said.

Chairman of the Ashaiman Left Bank Rural Farmers Association, Stephen Kadre, also appealed for government support.

“We are about 130 farmers working on 200 acres. Many of us do not have protective gear. Government should provide us with drones to do our chemical spraying. It will help us use the chemicals wisely so that consumers will not be affected,” he appealed.

Mr Mensah and Mr Nyaaba are calling for increased training and public education on the safe handling and application of pesticides to protect farmers while sustaining agricultural production.

With air pollution estimated to contribute to thousands of premature deaths in Ghana annually, health experts say reducing exposure to pesticide chemicals and promoting safer spraying practices should be treated as a public health priority.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives, with funding from the Clean Air Fund. The donor had no say in the story’s content.

She disclosed this during a presentation at the 3rd Volta Regional Coordinating Council meeting held at the Residence Conference Room on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

According to her, some of the patients are receiving treatment at the Ho Teaching Hospital, while others have been referred to specialised health facilities in Accra and Kumasi due to the unavailability of certain services in the region.

She explained that one child has been referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), while another is receiving treatment at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Another child diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma has also been referred to Korle Bu for specialised treatment.

Ms Daitey added that patients diagnosed with breast cancer and cervical cancer are currently being managed at the Ho Teaching Hospital.

She said the referrals are part of efforts by Mahama Care to ensure beneficiaries receive appropriate specialised treatment, regardless of where the required service is available.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is a government-supported health intervention designed to provide financial assistance for the treatment of selected serious medical conditions for eligible beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has commended the Mahama Care programme for supporting residents suffering from non-communicable diseases.

Speaking to Adom News Correspondent Odehyeba Owusu Job, Mr Gunu said the programme was helping families who would otherwise struggle to meet the cost of medical treatment.

He said reports received by the RCC indicated that beneficiaries were receiving the needed support, easing the financial burden associated with their treatment.

Mr Gunu also urged residents to maintain peace and unity, stressing that stability was crucial to attracting investment and accelerating development in the Volta Region.

The gaps are particularly stark when it comes to sanitation. In Guinea-Bissau, only 7% of health care facilities met the basic sanitation standard in 2025. The figure was 11% in Burkina Faso, 12% in Mali, and 16% in Ghana. Nigeria recorded 29%, while Senegal stood at 35%.

The findings are contained in Progress on Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Environmental Cleaning and Waste Management in Health Care Facilities 2015–2025, produced by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme.

They reveal a problem that goes beyond whether a hospital or clinic simply has a toilet.

To meet the basic sanitation standard, a health facility needs improved and usable toilets. There must be a toilet for staff, separate facilities for men and women with provision for menstrual hygiene, and a toilet that can be used by people with limited mobility.

The report says menstrual hygiene facilities and access for people with limited mobility were often among the factors preventing health facilities from meeting the standard.

For patients, that can make something as ordinary as using a toilet while receiving medical care a question of privacy, accessibility, and dignity.

Ghana below the regional level

In Ghana, only 16% of its health facilities met the basic sanitation standard in 2025. That means roughly five in every six fell short of the full standard. The figure is also below the 23% recorded for sub-Saharan Africa and well below the 40% global level.

But Ghana is not the lowest among the West African countries for which estimates are available.

Basic sanitation coverage was 7% in Guinea-Bissau, 11% in Burkina Faso and 12% in Mali. Côte d’Ivoire recorded 21%, while Nigeria and Senegal performed better at 29% and 35% respectively.

The differences are substantial, but even some of the better-performing countries remain far from universal coverage.

Some facilities still have no water

Sanitation is only part of the problem. The assessment also found health facilities operating without basic water services in several West African countries.

In Ghana, 65% of health facilities had basic water services in 2025, meaning water from an improved source was available on the premises. Senegal recorded 75%, while Sierra Leone stood at 64%.

But the report identifies several West African countries where at least one in 10 health facilities had no water service. They include Liberia, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.

The situation was particularly difficult in Guinea, where more than half of health facilities had no water service.

Water in a health facility is needed for handwashing, cleaning, sanitation and other routine infection-prevention measures.

There are also gaps in something health workers and patients are routinely told is one of the simplest ways to prevent infection, washing their hands.

WHO and UNICEF classify a health facility as having a basic hygiene service when functional hand-hygiene facilities are available at points of care, with water and soap available at toilets.

In Ghana, 54% of health facilities met that standard. But the report identifies Nigeria, Niger, and Côte d’Ivoire among countries where at least one in 10 health facilities had no hygiene service, meaning hand-hygiene facilities were missing both at points of care and near toilets.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, only 34% of health facilities met the basic hygiene standard in 2025.

What happens to medical waste?

Another problem begins after treatment has been given. Hospitals and clinics generate used needles, contaminated materials, and other potentially infectious waste that must be separated, treated, and disposed of safely.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, only 24% of health facilities met the basic waste-management standard in 2025.

Several West African countries appear among those with low coverage, including Niger, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Ghana. In Ghana, the figure was 27%, a little more than one in four facilities.

The report also names Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Nigeria among countries where more recent surveys produced lower estimates of waste-management coverage.

WHO and UNICEF caution that this does not necessarily mean conditions have become worse. Better data collection may now be revealing gaps that previous monitoring systems did not fully capture.

Beyond the numbers

The report does not provide a single figure for West Africa as a region, so the country estimates cannot simply be combined into a regional average. But taken together, they show how uneven the provision of basic services remains across health facilities in the region.

A country may perform relatively well on water but poorly on sanitation. Another may have handwashing facilities in most hospitals, but struggle with the safe disposal of medical waste.

And behind each percentage is an everyday issue for people seeking or providing health care: Is there running water? Is there a usable toilet? Can a patient with limited mobility use it? Can a health worker wash their hands where care is being provided? And can a used needle be disposed of safely?

Globally, 85% of health facilities had basic water services in 2025. But coverage fell to 72% for hygiene, 71% for waste management, and just 40% for sanitation.

For many West African health facilities captured in the WHO/UNICEF assessment, the distance from those global levels remains substantial.

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Tatale Sanguli officials destroy expired food products, warn traders

The exercise formed part of efforts by the district authorities to protect consumers and ensure that food products available on the market meet required health and safety standards.

Officials inspected a number of shops and storage facilities during the operation and removed several expired items from circulation.

The authorities said the exercise would help prevent residents from consuming products that could pose health risks.

Traders and shop owners have consequently been cautioned to regularly check the expiry dates of products in their possession and ensure that expired items are not offered for sale.

Residents have also been encouraged to support the enforcement efforts by reporting traders suspected of selling expired or unsafe food products to the relevant authorities.

Officials believe increased public cooperation will help strengthen food safety and protect public health in the district.

Speaking to Channel One TV during the disposal of the confiscated products, Head of the Environmental and Sanitation Unit, Nasigri Abukari, said protecting public health remained the primary objective of the exercise.

“Public health is our major concern and as practitioners we are to ensure that people consume wholesome food from the market,” he said.

Mr Abukari warned traders that offenders would face the appropriate sanctions, adding: “We are serving a notice to everybody within the district that we are coming and once we find you selling expired products, we will ensure the law comes after you.”

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Taofeek Adeleye, Senior Manager for Prevention Programmes at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, gave the advice during a national training for media personnel on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

Adeleye warned against using substances such as palm oil, vegetable oil and other household products as alternatives to purpose-made lubricants.

He advised sexually active people who require lubrication to opt for water-based lubricants, which he said are more appropriate.

The medical practitioner also offered guidance on situations where a person does not have access to a lubricant, saying personal saliva could be considered rather than using saliva from another person.

He further encouraged sexually active individuals to use condoms that fit properly, stressing the importance of choosing the appropriate size.

His comments formed part of discussions around HIV prevention and safer sexual practices, as health professionals continue to encourage the public to make informed choices that reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Some of the individuals at the facility, according to Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Eugene Kobla Dordoye, believe they are receiving spiritual treatment from the centre’s leader.

He said the facility was previously licensed to operate.

“We wanted to close it down. He has a licence, but it has expired,” he said, while speaking at the 5th Graduation Ceremony of the Ghana Christian University College.

Dr Dordoye said the Authority is particularly concerned about the conditions at the centre, including reports that some of the people supposedly receiving treatment are being kept in chains.

He questioned how health professionals could effectively provide treatment to people who remain restrained.

He also cautioned the public against prescribing or administering medication to people with mental health conditions without proper medical guidance.

The Mental Health Authority’s move comes amid concerns over the treatment and conditions of people receiving care at unlicensed or unregulated spiritual healing facilities.

In a statement issued to mark World Mosquito Day 2026, the network said the fight against mosquito-borne diseases was far from over, even though science had transformed the world’s ability to prevent and control illnesses such as malaria.

Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMMREN said the African region accounted for 94% of global malaria cases and 95% of malaria deaths in 2024, with children under five remaining among the worst affected.

It added that mosquitoes also spread other diseases, including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya, making their control central to protecting public health on the continent.

The network said several factors continued to threaten progress.

“Insecticide resistance, changing environmental and climatic conditions and the spread of invasive mosquito species are creating new concerns for disease-control programmes. At the same time, new tools, including malaria vaccines and improved vector-control interventions, are changing what is possible in the fight against malaria.”

AMMREN stressed that mosquito-borne diseases could not be treated as a problem of the past. It said Africa needed to strengthen prevention, embrace scientific advances and ensure accurate, accessible information reached every community, adding that knowledge had to translate into action, and action into lives protected.

Read the full statement below

The Malaria Atlas Project has estimated that malaria control efforts have helped prevent more than 1.22 billion cases and 3.5 million deaths across Africa since 2000. Its analysis found that insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) were the biggest contributor to this progress, accounting for 72percent of the cases prevented. This is significant progress. Malaria prevention tools, including ITNs and other vector-control interventions, have helped protect millions of people. New tools, including dual-active ITNs and malaria vaccines, are further expanding the ways we can protect communities.

However, we cannot take their effectiveness for granted. ITNs only work if mosquitoes continue to respond to the insecticides used within them.

Mosquitoes evolve quickly. They develop resistance to insecticides and change their behaviour. These changes influence how well malaria prevention tools perform. Continued monitoring and research is essential to stay ahead of the mosquito, ensuring existing and next-generation ITNs perform as mosquito populations evolve.

What most people never see is the science that sits behind an ITN. Before a mosquito net reaches a family, it has undergone years of research, rigorous testing, and quality assurance.

At the Vestergaard–Noguchi Vector Labs (VNVL) in Ghana, my colleagues and I work with mosquito populations with different insecticide-resistance characteristics. We maintain and carefully monitor the mosquito colonies and use them to conduct standardized laboratory testing of Vestergaard ITNs, including PermaNet Dual, a latest generation ITN. This work supports quality assurance and product development by generating reliable evidence on how our nets perform against the mosquito populations they are designed to target. Most of this work happens far from public view, yet it plays an important role in ensuring that our ITNs perform as expected.

This year we will mark 15 years of partnership between Vestergaard and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, that has helped to build and sustain technical capacity for high-quality entomological testing in Ghana. Alongside laboratory infrastructure, the collaboration has supported the development of specialized expertise in mosquito rearing, laboratory testing of ITNs and insecticide resistance monitoring.

Last year, this commitment was reinforced through a Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Ghana National Malaria Elimination Program, further strengthening public-private partnerships towards Ghana’s Malaria elimination target.  

Every mosquito we study and every net we evaluate serves a purpose beyond the laboratory: helping ensure that the products people rely on continue to perform as intended. On World Mosquito Day, I am reminded that the fight against malaria is an all-hands-on-deck situation, and my hands are contributing. Yet more is required, for it is not only about the tools we use, but also protecting people from a disease that synchronizes well in evolution and continues to threaten millions of lives. The better we understand the mosquito and how it changes, the more equipped we are to protect the communities most at risk.

The proposed collaboration is aimed at reducing the cost of treatment for thousands of Ghanaians, while cutting the country’s reliance on expensive imported medicines.

Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, led a team from the Trust Fund on a working visit to Atlantic Lifesciences Limited to inspect its facilities, assess its manufacturing capabilities and identify potential areas of collaboration.

The visit followed an earlier engagement between Atlantic Lifesciences, its partners and the GMTF, where discussions were held on how the private pharmaceutical sector could support the Trust Fund’s mandate.

A key focus of the discussions was how Ghana could make life-saving medicines more affordable while reducing the financial burden associated with imported drugs.

Among the interventions being considered is the local production of cardiovascular medicines, anti-cancer drugs and immunosuppressants to support the next phase of the GMTF’s services package.

The Trust Fund believes local production could help reduce import-related costs, improve the availability of essential medicines and allow it to extend support to more patients battling chronic and life-threatening diseases.

The initiative also aligns with government’s broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and build a more resilient and self-sufficient healthcare system.

Speaking during the engagement, Dhanankay Tripathi, CEO of PharmaNova Ltd., stressed the need to identify gaps in Ghana’s healthcare system and develop practical solutions that directly address patients’ needs.

Atlantic Lifesciences, in collaboration with the PharmaNova Group, is seeking to contribute to healthcare delivery by identifying critical gaps and developing solutions to address them.

The visit allowed the GMTF team to gain first-hand insight into the company’s operations and manufacturing capabilities, while also giving Atlantic Lifesciences and its partners a better understanding of the Trust Fund’s mandate and the healthcare needs of the patients it supports.

Ms Darko-Opoku said discussions between the two sides would continue, with emphasis on affordable access to medicines, local pharmaceutical production and other sustainable interventions that could help reduce the cost of specialised healthcare.

The proposed partnership forms part of the GMTF’s broader strategy of working with pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and other organisations to mobilise expertise, resources and innovative solutions in the fight against chronic diseases.

The Trust Fund says its ultimate goal is to reduce treatment costs, expand access to life-saving medicines and ensure that every contribution it receives can support more patients.

By strengthening local pharmaceutical production and securing medicines at competitive prices, the GMTF believes the initiative could benefit patients while contributing to the development of a stronger and more affordable healthcare system in Ghana.

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He said the physical, mental and general wellbeing of the youth must remain a central consideration in policies and programmes designed to prepare them for the future.

Speaking at the National Youth Forum organised by the Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Wednesday, August 19, Mr Ayariga said Ghana’s development could not be separated from the wellbeing of its young population.

“Youth health and wellbeing must remain central to the development of the country,” he said.

According to him, a healthy and empowered youth population would be better positioned to acquire skills, pursue education, engage in entrepreneurship and contribute productively to national development.

He said youth empowerment must therefore adopt a holistic approach that addresses not only employment and skills development but also the broader social and personal needs of young people.

Mr Ayariga said sustained investment in the youth would help build a more resilient generation capable of driving Ghana’s development in the years ahead.

Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra under the theme, “Rethinking the Social License to Operate,” Ms Darko-Opoku told mining executives, investors and policymakers that the true wealth of Ghana is not buried beneath the soil but found in its people.

“You do not extract value from the soil. You extract value through people.”

With this message, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF), Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, challenged Ghana’s mining industry to look beyond traditional corporate social responsibility projects and invest in healthcare systems that protect the lives of people in mining communities.

Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 in Accra under the theme, “Rethinking the Social License to Operate,” Ms Darko-Opoku warned that when the health of a nation deteriorates, every sector, including mining, ultimately suffers.

‘At 2am, money cannot buy time’

In one of the most striking moments of her address, the GMTF Administrator challenged the assumption that wealth can shield people from Ghana’s healthcare challenges.

She painted the picture of a sudden heart attack in the middle of the night, when there may be no time to fly a patient to London or Johannesburg, regardless of how wealthy the family may be.

“At 2:00 AM, money cannot buy time. In a medical emergency, your wealth does not save you; the infrastructure nearest to you does.”

Her message was simple but unsettling: Ghana’s healthcare challenges do not discriminate between the rich and the poor.

She recounted the devastating reality of families who spend decades building modest lives, only for a diagnosis such as prostate cancer to wipe out their savings, force them to sell property and leave them borrowing desperately to keep a loved one alive.

For many families outside Accra, the situation becomes even more painful when they are told that the equipment needed to save their loved one simply does not exist nearby.

By the time they travel across regions in search of treatment, she said, “the family is financially ruined, the patient is significantly weaker, and the cost of treatment has doubled.”

‘A healthcare gap that should awaken every leader’

Obuobia Darko-Opoku revealed worrying findings from a nationwide needs assessment conducted by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund across teaching, regional and referral hospitals.

According to the assessment, Ghana’s public tertiary health sector had only two functional MRI machines, five mammogram machines and two public radiotherapy machines for cancer treatment.

The entire northern sector, she added, had only two practising cardiologists without the appropriate equipment, serving millions of people.

The consequences, she said, were measured not merely in statistics but in human lives.

Mining companies must leave more than pits behind

Turning directly to Ghana’s mining industry, the GMTF Administrator challenged companies to move beyond the traditional definition of Corporate Social Responsibility.

For decades, she noted, mining companies had demonstrated their commitment to host communities through projects such as schools, boreholes and roads.

But the time had come, she argued, to raise the bar.

“A true Social License cannot simply mean, ‘The community tolerates our presence.’ It must mean, ‘Because this company operates here, our people live longer, healthier lives.’”

She reminded mining companies that their host communities were more than coordinates on concession maps; they were families whose lives could be transformed by access to specialised healthcare.

She asked industry leaders to imagine a mining company being able to tell a community:

“We didn’t just extract gold from your soil. We built the regional Cancer Centre that saved your mother. We installed the Cath Lab that saved your chief.”

“That is not CSR,” she declared. “That is an unshakable, generational Social License.”

The Administrator invited mining companies to partner with the GMTF to map healthcare needs in their operational areas, co-invest in urgently needed medical equipment, sponsor the training of specialists and build healthcare infrastructure capable of serving communities long after mining operations have ended.

‘Ghana’s greatest resource is the Ghanaian’

Ms Darko-Opoku ended with an emotional reminder to corporate leaders about the legacy they will ultimately leave behind.

Years from now, she said, history may not remember how many ounces of gold they extracted, their quarterly profits or the contracts they signed.

But families will remember the hospital that saved a father.

A child will remember the equipment that helped a mother survive cancer.

A doctor will remember the company that provided the tools to save a life.

And communities will remember businesses that stood with them when survival was on the line.

Then came her defining message:

“The gold beneath our soil is valuable. But Ghana’s greatest resource has never been underground. Ghana’s greatest resource is the Ghanaian.”

She called on corporate Ghana, particularly the mining sector, to help build a new legacy—one measured not only in gold extracted from the earth, but in lives saved above it.

“Let us rethink the Social License. Let us build a legacy of health, dignity and survival. Because when life is on the line, none of us can stand alone.”

The Council said it uncovered the practice during its ongoing nationwide compliance and inspection exercise, with some facilities allegedly assigning individuals without the required qualifications, registration and licences to handle patients’ medical records and confidential health information.

According to the AHPC, some of these individuals are employed under the designation of receptionists but are assigned responsibilities that are legally reserved for qualified and licensed Health Information Officers, Medical Records Technicians and Medical Records Assistants.

The Council described the practice as unlawful and a breach of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).

It said the management of patients’ health information is a regulated professional function that must only be performed by duly qualified, registered and licensed practitioners.

The AHPC warned that allowing unqualified persons to handle such responsibilities could compromise patient confidentiality, undermine professional standards and pose risks to the quality and integrity of healthcare delivery.

The Council has therefore directed owners and managers of health facilities, hospital administrators and Human Resource departments to immediately discontinue the practice and ensure that all Health Information and Medical Records functions are handled exclusively by qualified professionals recognised under the law.

It further warned that compliance and enforcement exercises would continue across the country.

Health facilities found engaging unqualified persons to perform regulated Health Information and Medical Records duties will face sanctions in accordance with the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).

The AHPC urged healthcare providers to comply with the law, respect the professional mandate of licensed practitioners and work with the Council to protect patient safety, confidentiality and standards in healthcare delivery.

The warning came during the 10th edition of the Loud and Green X Space, a discussion themed “Galamsey: The Health and Livelihood Crisis,” where health professionals painted a grim picture of what continued inaction could mean for Ghanaians living near mining sites.

Public health researcher Dr Floret Maame Owusu told the forum that the danger with galamsey lies in what cannot immediately be seen. Toxic byproducts released during illegal mining, she explained, can alter cells at a genetic level leading to dire consequences in future.

“From my perspective as a medical doctor, the thing about galamsey is that these chemicals that are released from galamsey result in a lot of mutations which eventually lead to cancers.”

Dr Owusu added that unborn children are among the most vulnerable.

“For pregnant women who are exposed to these chemicals, they end up having children who have some developmental issues.

“In the next five years, if we do not deal with this, we’ll have a generation of children who will be born with a lot of developmental issues in areas where these galamseys are being operated,” he said.

Mercury, cyanide, lead and arsenic were flagged as the chief culprits, substances that experts say don’t need to build up in large quantities to do serious harm. Even minor exposure, Dr Owusu noted, can carry outsized health risks.

Beyond individual illness, the ripple effects could hit Ghana’s health system directly, straining resources in communities where many residents already struggle to afford specialised care.

Researcher Dr Forgive Awo Norvivor pushed back on the five-year timeline altogether, suggesting the crisis may already be closer than experts think.

“Because as we speak, about 60 percent of rural populations still do not have access to clean water.”

Both experts urged government and stakeholders to stop treating galamsey purely as an environmental or economic issue and start responding to it as an active health threat, one requiring prevention, monitoring and treatment systems built specifically for exposed communities, not just enforcement against miners.

According to the Chief, the poor state of the road has become a major concern for residents and motorists in the area, particularly due to the excessive dust generated by vehicles.

Nana Oteng Krankye II said the dust poses health concerns for community members, while the poor condition of the road is also contributing to frequent vehicle damage to vehicles.

The Chief’s appeal comes amid growing frustration among residents who are demanding urgent action to improve the road and ease the difficulties faced by commuters.

Meanwhile, Nana Kwadwo Sarpong, Tipon Kwadwo Kromhene and Committee Member, and Nana Odei Leebi, Brekusu Asona Gyasihene and Apesemakahene, have expressed disappointment in the Members of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya and Akuapem for allegedly failing to receive their petition.

Speaking to Adom News after a demonstration over the bad road, the traditional leaders said the MPs’ failure to receive their petition was disrespectful to the community and its concerns.

They are therefore calling on the government and relevant authorities to take immediate steps to fix the road, which they say has become a serious burden on residents, motorists and businesses in the area.

The traditional leaders maintain that the road requires urgent attention to protect the health of residents, reduce vehicle damage and improve transportation within the communities.

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The workers, dressed in black and red, staged the protest to express their displeasure over claims that a private developer has taken over part of the health facility’s land to undertake a hotel project.

Speaking to Adom News correspondent Isaac K. Normanyo, the Adansi North District Health Promotion Officer, Eric Karkari, said the Directorate was informed through a letter from traditional leaders that a portion of the land had been leased to a private developer.

According to him, the developer has already commenced work on the site, raising concerns about the potential impact on the operations of the health facility.

Mr Karkari said the alleged encroachment poses risks to staff and clients, prompting the workers to embark on the sit-down strike.

He warned that the workers would maintain their action if authorities failed to address their concerns.

Meanwhile, the Adansi North District Presiding Member, Akwasi Afoakwah, has acknowledged the concerns raised by the health workers.

He assured the staff that the matter would be taken up with the relevant authorities to help resolve the dispute and restore normal operations at the facility.

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The initiative was launched under the theme, “Removing Financial Barriers Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage.”

The programme is expected to remove financial barriers that prevent some residents, particularly those in underserved communities, from seeking timely medical attention.

The launch brought together health officials, local government authorities, traditional and community leaders, as well as residents, who welcomed the initiative as an important step towards improving healthcare delivery in the municipality.

Speaking at the event, Betty B. Sam, a member of the Western Regional Health Committee, commended the Jomoro Municipal Assembly for introducing the programme.

She said accessible primary healthcare was essential to ensuring that residents received early treatment and preventing minor health conditions from developing into serious illnesses.

Madam Sam urged residents to take advantage of the programme and make healthcare a priority, while encouraging health workers to continue providing quality and respectful services to beneficiaries.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro, Boadi Benedict, said the Assembly was committed to improving healthcare delivery in the municipality.

According to him, the initiative forms part of efforts to ensure that residents, irrespective of their financial circumstances, have access to basic healthcare services.

He said the Assembly would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen the programme and ensure that it achieves its intended purpose.

The MCE also called on residents to support the initiative by making proper use of the services and cooperating with health authorities.

The event was chaired by Sylvester Daddie, a former District Chief Executive of the Jomoro Assembly.

In his remarks, Mr Daddie described the launch as a significant milestone for the municipality and praised the Assembly and health authorities for prioritising the welfare of residents.

He encouraged traditional leaders, community members and other stakeholders to support the programme to ensure its sustainability.

The Jomoro Municipal Health Director, Gabriel Yengliereh, highlighted the importance of primary healthcare in disease prevention, early detection and treatment.

He explained that the programme would bring essential healthcare services closer to residents and encourage them to seek medical attention before their conditions became severe.

Mr Yengliereh also called on health workers and community members to work together to ensure the success of the initiative.

The launch was attended by stakeholders and residents from communities across the Jomoro Municipality.

The free primary healthcare programme is expected to improve access to healthcare, promote early treatment of diseases and contribute to better health outcomes, particularly for residents who face financial difficulties in accessing basic medical services.

The Jomoro Municipal Assembly said it remains committed to working with health authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve the quality of life of residents.

The Member of Parliament for Jomoro and Deputy Transport Minister, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, was unable to attend the launch but was represented by her Personal Assistant, Godwin Alueke, and the Jomoro NDC Constituency Youth Organiser, Ernest Anaman.

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Yet, for too many women in our dear country, pregnancy and childbirth remain dangerous journeys. Preventable complications continue to claim lives despite significant improvements in access to healthcare and antenatal services.

Ghana has made important progress, reducing its maternal mortality ratio from 943 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 234 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, according to the latest estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partner agencies.

However, this remains far above the Sustainable Development Goal and WHO benchmark of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

While these may sound like the usual statistics, they represent the lives of mothers, children and families, and futures forever changed.

President Mahama’s charge

This sad reality is driving a renewed national effort led by President John Dramani Mahama through the Ministry of Health to address maternal mortality and save the lives of mothers.

President Mahama, as a father and leader of our nation, has been unequivocal on this issue: no woman should lose her life while giving life.

That conviction is driving the government’s determination to make the reduction of maternal mortality a national priority. For us at the Ministry of Health, we see it as a moral imperative and a shared national responsibility.

As a medical doctor, a woman, a mother and Deputy Minister for Health, I share that commitment. Together with my Minister, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, we are determined to work with healthcare professionals, traditional leaders, development partners and communities to ensure that every pregnant woman has access to timely, quality and life-saving care.

The Maternal Mortality Action and Response Plan (MMARP) is an initiative by the Ministry of Health aimed at accelerating the reduction of maternal deaths and ensuring that every woman survives pregnancy and childbirth.

The troubling question

As part of the MMARP, I recently undertook a working tour of the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, engaging key stakeholders, including health professionals, traditional leaders and volunteers, to canvass support for efforts to reduce maternal deaths.

The engagements confronted me with a troubling question: Why are women still dying during childbirth after attending more than eight antenatal care visits?

The answer lies in the reality that access to care alone is not enough. A woman may diligently attend antenatal clinics yet still face fatal complications if emergency care is delayed, referral systems fail or critical services are unavailable when she needs them most.

That is why, as a government, we are not focusing only on access. We are also concerned about the quality, timeliness and effectiveness of care.

At the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regional Health Directorates, I met health managers, medical directors, frontline professionals and development partners to examine maternal mortality trends and identify gaps that continue to put lives at risk.

Together, we discussed practical solutions to strengthen emergency obstetric care, improve referral systems and deepen accountability across our health facilities.

I also paid courtesy calls on King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, and Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, to seek the support of traditional authorities in this national effort.

Maternal health is not solely the responsibility of doctors and nurses. Communities, families, chiefs, queen mothers, religious leaders and opinion leaders all have a role to play in ensuring that pregnant women receive timely and appropriate care.

I was encouraged by the commitment of the Asantehene and the Ga Mantse, and their pledge that traditional leaders would champion maternal health awareness and encourage women to seek care early and consistently.

Health workers’ commitment

My visits to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital provided valuable insights into the realities facing frontline health workers.

Doctors, nurses and midwives continue to work tirelessly, often under immense pressure, to save lives. They also identified challenges that must be addressed if we are to achieve lasting reductions in maternal mortality.

Government remains committed to working with them to strengthen services, improve emergency response systems and close critical gaps in care.

The charge

Maternal mortality is a sad reality facing our republic and, as leaders and citizens, we must all rise to help address it.

Fortunately, President Mahama has given his commitment, and we at the Ministry of Health are eager to roll out measures to address the challenges.

That is why I am appealing to every Ghanaian to join this effort.

Support pregnant women in your family and community. Encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics, deliver in health facilities and seek immediate care when complications arise.

Our men must become active partners in maternal health. Community leaders must use their influence to promote healthy behaviours. Employers, faith-based organisations and civil society groups must also lend their voices to this cause.

The truth is that most maternal deaths are preventable. With timely care, strong health systems and community support, more mothers can survive and thrive.

As a government, our vision is clear: Every pregnancy should be safe. Every delivery should be protected. Every mother should return home with her newborn.

Together, let us make maternal mortality a challenge of the past and build a Ghana where no woman dies while giving life.

“Some people go really overboard,” Jason tells me when we meet in Manchester.

His procedure increased the girth of his penis by 16% – an amount he, and his partner, are really happy with. He says it has given him a “self-confidence boost”.

“Everything still functions” as normal, Jason explains – just with “that extra little bit of width”.

It is not clear how many men like Jason are having penis fillers. And you can’t walk down the street and get a sense of it in the way you can visibly see the popularity of lip fillers. There is little regulation and there are no official records as anybody can start offering the procedure.

Penis fillers even became the topic of a bizarre conspiracy theory at the last Winter Olympics. Male ski jumpers were rumoured to be using fillers to increase the surface area of their suits so they could jump further.

However, some men have ended up in A&E with a penis turning black and skin “sloughing off” after a botched procedure. And the British Association of Urological Surgeons has issued warnings to men having these procedures.

So why are men doing it and what are the risks?

Jason talked to us frankly, but anonymously, about his decision to have fillers.

He was happy with the length of his penis but wanted a “bit more symmetry” and more girth to “get that nice, balanced look”.

“If you feel like it’s a bit lacking,” Jason says, “then, why not?”

He spent a year weighing up options and ruled out having a surgical procedure. He chose a type of filler – hyaluronic acid – that is temporary so he knew that even if he hated the look it would “eventually just dissolve”.

Jason says he wasn’t motivated by swaggering alpha masculinity – “I don’t subscribe to ‘how big your dick is, is how big of a man you are'”. Rather, he says expectations of male beauty have shifted.

“It’s not just women that need to keep up, men need to keep up as well.

“It’s literally just society changing. I think the way the media portrays everything has a massive impact on everyday life now,” he says. “It’s like you can’t actually go anywhere without seeing some picture-perfect somebody.”

Trawl the websites of clinics offering penis enlargement – which ask questions like “are you embarrassed by the size of your penis?” – and you can see how some tap into this.

There are a variety of penis-enhancement options. There are surgical and non-surgical techniques and different materials that can be injected into the penis.

Most common by far is injecting the gel-like substance hyaluronic acid – the same key ingredient used in lip fillers.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar molecule in the body and is known as a “moisture magnet” as it grabs hold of water.

Dr Javed Hussain has been offering penis fillers for more than a year at his clinic in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

Hussain trained as a doctor before moving into cosmetic procedures, but penis fillers do not legally require any medical training to perform.

He says demand is increasing. He’s treated men of all ages – some in their mid-20s, while his oldest client is aged 72.

The process starts with consultations on the patient’s health, reasons for wanting to have the procedure, expectations about the results, and a discussion about the risks.

On the day of the event itself, a penis is injected with hyaluronic acid three times – on the top and on either side. The hyaluronic acid filler is delivered through a cannula that enters at the base and travels along the length of the shaft.

The filler is then massaged to give an even look, which the patient continues as home.

At a cost of up to £3,500, Hussain says men can expect between 10% and 20% more girth for the next six to nine months.

But there are risks. These range from relatively minor ones such as soreness, bruising and uneven filler, to serious ones including infection. These risks apply to all procedures using filler. However, there is also a risk of damaging the vital structures and blood vessels in the penis that are needed for an erection.

When asked why he feels comfortable offering procedures that are concerning surgeons, Hussain says he “totally understands” why some are worried.

“It comes from the right place, that nervousness,” he says, “but at the same time, more and more evidence is growing and we’re getting the results” and that “there is a benefit” to men.

Hussain says he has an “immediate action plan” including drugs to quickly dissolve the filler in the event that things go wrong, and reports that “thankfully, we’ve never needed to” – although the BBC cannot independently corroborate that.

But he recalls one patient who came to him for advice after treatment elsewhere, which had “really gone wrong”.

He says the incorrect type of filler had been used and the “shaft of the penis was starting to become black” as the procedure had damaged the blood vessels in the penis and the skin was dying. The man was sent straight to A&E.

Prof Vaibhav Modgil, an andrologist and consultant urological surgeon for the NHS in Manchester, has seen these men coming into hospital after botched procedures.

“When it does happen, it can be devastating for the patient,” he says.

He recalls seeing men with “skin necrosis, where an area of the skin dies off it turns very black and then it sort of sloughs off.

“So, men will go in thinking, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be brilliant’, but they might come out actually being even more dissatisfied than when they went in.”

Alex, who did not want his real name to be used, travelled to Germany for a different type of penis enhancement procedure.

He had surgery to cut the ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone to make it appear longer. He also had his own fat cells harvested and injected into his penis to enlarge it.

When he woke up after the procedure, he was in so much pain he couldn’t stand.

“I sustained a lot of bruising, and all my upper legs turned yellow,” Alex says. “I couldn’t walk properly for about a month.”

Alex was treated at Modgil’s clinic, where he was eventually given the all-clear. “Many people do not get that luxury,” he says. “I got off lucky.”

Alex says he knows he was “never small in the first place”, but society and porn had convinced him that a bigger penis was “masculine and the best”.

Despite a lack of official data on the number of penile enhancement procedures, Modgil says online search trends, advertising and social media all “points to the fact that the numbers are on the up”.

This has led the British Association of Urological Surgeons to issue new recommendations against these procedures.

“The guidance that we’ve recently produced essentially says we cannot recommend that any of these procedures should take place because the evidence is so poor,” says Modgil.

It looked at 36 studies, involving 3,750 men, but said it was still not clear what the “safety profile” of these procedures were.

This is partly down to a lack of data on how fillers affect the penis long-term. But there is also concern that – just like lip fillers – you do not need any qualifications to perform the procedure.

Modgil says an outright ban is “probably too severe”, but if these procedures are going to continue, then the industry “massively needs regulation”.

He called for a national registry to record when penis filler procedures have been performed and for long-term data to be collected so men can make an informed decision based on the risks and the benefits.

Back in Manchester, Jason is happy with the results of his procedure and thinks he’ll do it again when his current fillers wear off.

He said boards and their members should focus on governance and oversight rather than becoming involved in the day-to-day administration of institutions.

“The day-to-day running of the institution is not the responsibility of the Board or Board members,” Mr Akandoh said.

The Minister made the remarks during the second day of the Ministry of Health’s High-Level Mid-Year Review Retreat in Ho, where participants were undergoing training on corporate governance and the roles of institutional boards.

He said effective governance was essential to ensuring that public resources were properly managed and ultimately used to improve healthcare delivery and the well-being of Ghanaians.

Mr Akandoh also stressed the importance of clearly defining the respective responsibilities of boards and Chief Executive Officers to prevent interference in institutional administration and promote effective management.

He disclosed his commitment to ensuring that health agencies have the appropriate Legislative Instruments (LIs) to strengthen governance and provide clear frameworks for the operation of their institutions.

The Minister further urged health institutions to exercise greater prudence in the use of public funds, particularly when organising seminars, training programmes and official travels.

He said spending decisions must take into account the country’s current resource constraints and demonstrate value for money.

According to Mr Akandoh, the governance training is intended to equip participants with a better understanding of their responsibilities, help prevent institutional infractions and promote accountability in the management of health institutions.

He encouraged participants to actively engage in the training and use the knowledge gained to improve governance and decision-making within their respective institutions.

About GH¢36 million of the amount was released to 107 district health facilities nationwide to support the implementation.   

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, made the announcement in a speech read on his behalf at a FPHC durbar at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District.

The CEO further revealed that out of the amount, the Upper East Region received about GH¢4.2 million for 14 district health facilities and indicated that the funds were paid directly to the facilities as part of efforts to improve efficiency and reduce delays.  

“Funds for Free Primary Health Care are flowing straight to district health facilities. This direct payment model reduces delays and guarantees that resources are available at the point of care for Ghanaians,” he said.   

He disclosed that the largest allocations in the region went to the Bawku West District Health Directorate, which received GH¢514,418.71, and the Bongo District Health Directorate also received GH¢415,393.79.  

He said other beneficiary facilities included the Bawku Municipal, Binduri, Bolgatanga East, Builsa North, Builsa South, Garu, Kassena-Nankana Municipal, Kassena-Nankana West, Nabdam, Pusiga, Talensi and Tempane health directorates.  

On the introduction of a cashless revenue collection system across the NHIA district offices nationwide, Dr Bampoe said members would no longer pay cash at district offices for registration and renewal of their NHIS membership.  

He explained that the reform was intended to strengthen accountability, reduce the risks associated with cash handling and provide a clear audit trail for transactions.  

“This reform will enhance accountability and provide a clear audit trail, reduce the risks associated with cash handling, and support faster reconciliation and reporting,” the CEO said.  

He said the Authority also introduced a One-Time Authentication Code (OTAC) system as part of efforts to validate claims and ensure value for money.  

The CEO explained that under the system, NHIS members who visited health facilities would be required to generate an OTAC on a mobile phone before they receive care.  

“This confirms that the member actually attended the facility and received service,” he said.  

Dr Bampoe said a team from the NHIA was in the Upper East Region to pilot the system.  

He said the various interventions demonstrated the government’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system and expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare.  

He assured Ghanaians of the Authority’s continued commitment to strengthening the NHIS and supporting the government’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage.   

He noted that the NHIA would continue to operate with financial discipline, accountability and a clear understanding of its responsibility to meet the healthcare needs of Ghanaians.  

The FPHC programme is part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen preventive healthcare and improve access to essential health services at the community and primary-care level.  

He made the call when the Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi as part of her official tour of the Ashanti Region.

The meeting formed part of efforts to engage key stakeholders on strategies to strengthen maternal healthcare delivery and accelerate the reduction of preventable maternal deaths.

Otumfuo commended the Deputy Minister for her work under the Maternal Mortality Action and Response Programme (M-MARP) and welcomed the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to tackle maternal mortality.

He said it was unacceptable for women to visit health facilities to give birth and not return home alive.

The Asantehene therefore urged doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers to demonstrate commitment and professionalism in providing maternal healthcare.

He cautioned against negligence and called on health professionals to take all necessary steps to prevent avoidable maternal deaths.

Otumfuo also urged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly and adhere to medical advice.

He noted that timely access to antenatal and skilled healthcare could help identify and manage complications before they become life-threatening.

The Asantehene further encouraged the Deputy Minister to pursue the M-MARP initiative with urgency, describing it as an important intervention in the country’s efforts to reduce maternal deaths.

Dr Ayensu Danquah is in the Ashanti Region as part of a tour to engage health facilities and key stakeholders on ways to strengthen maternal healthcare services and improve outcomes for mothers and newborns.

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Dr. Emmanuella Amoako will receive a $100,000 award for using evidence to improve early diagnosis, expand access to treatment, and advance locally led cancer research in Ghana.

The prize honors her leadership as Lead Pediatric Oncologist at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, where she has built evidence-driven services that improve early diagnosis, expand access to treatment, and strengthen locally led research.

It also recognises her broader work across Ghana to advance early detection, workforce development, national research collaboration, and African-led evidence for precision oncology.

Dr. Amoako has used evidence to strengthen the delivery of childhood cancer care amid significant access barriers. Her work translates clinical research into practical improvements across diagnosis and treatment.

Each year, the Roux Prize recognizes an individual whose use of health evidence has contributed to measurable improvements in population health. Since its establishment by David and Barbara Roux in 2013, the prize has highlighted evidence-driven work from around the world. It is awarded by IHME at the University of Washington School of Medicine. 

Childhood cancer survival exceeds 80% in many high-income countries, compared with less than 30% in many African settings. Although Ghana has made important progress and now has 12 pediatric oncologists, specialist services remain concentrated in a few urban centers, requiring many families to travel long distances to access care. Dr. Amoako has worked to address these barriers by expanding pediatric oncology services, improving early detection, and strengthening locally led cancer research. 

“Dr. Amoako has used evidence to strengthen the delivery of childhood cancer care amid significant access barriers,” said Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, Director of IHME. “Her work translates clinical research into practical improvements across diagnosis and treatment. That is exactly the kind of evidence-informed leadership the Roux Prize was created to recognize.” 

In 2019, Dr. Amoako established a shared-care pediatric oncology service at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, bringing treatment closer to families who previously traveled up to nine hours to reach specialist care.

The service allows  children to receive portions of their care locally while remaining connected to Ghana’s comprehensive cancer centers.

Since opening, it has cared for more than 150 children, while supporting treatment adherence and strengthening coordination across facilities. 

“What we have learned through the shared-care service can inform broader efforts to strengthen childhood cancer care across Ghana,” Dr. Amoako said. “We now have an opportunity to improve early detection, diagnosis, and long-term capacity. The Roux Prize will help us build on this progress and expand the impact of our work.” 

Dr. Amoako also developed COMPASS, or Community Parents Navigating Support for Early Childhood Cancer Detection, a community-driven program designed to reduce delays in childhood cancer diagnosis. The program trains parents of childhood cancer survivors and primary health care workers to recognize warning signs, guide families through referrals, and connect children with specialized services. Its digital platform tracks suspected and confirmed cases, referral timelines, and stage at diagnosis. In its first months, COMPASS trained 10 parent navigators and 100 health care workers and reached more than 1,000 people through community outreach. 

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Amoako is working to address the underrepresentation of African patients in the evidence used to guide cancer diagnosis and treatment through her work with Yemaachi Biotech. People of African ancestry account for only a small fraction of global cancer genomic datasets, limiting the applicability of many advances in precision medicine. Through The African Cancer Atlas (TACA), one of the continent’s largest cancer genomics initiatives, she is helping build a comprehensive genomic and clinical resource using tumor and matched normal samples from thousands of African patients. The initiative aims to generate evidence that better represents African populations, strengthen precision oncology, and accelerate discoveries that improve patient care across the continent.

Dr. Amoako is currently a Cancer Genetics Fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where she is receiving advanced training that she plans to apply in Ghana to strengthen childhood cancer diagnosis, cancer genetics, and precision oncology. She also serves as Director of Clinical Affairs at Yemaachi Biotech, Secretary of the Childhood Cancer Society of Ghana, and a part-time lecturer at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences. Her contributions to pediatric care and cancer research have been recognized through the Johnson & Johnson Global Citizen Award (2017), the ASCO International Development and Education Award (2024), and the Pediatric Oncology Yvonne Award (2026). Her broader work includes writing children’s books for young patients, co-hosting the Global Health Unfiltered podcast, and volunteering with Operation Smile. 

As the 2026 Roux Prize winner, Dr. Amoako will receive US$100,000 to advance her evidence-based work in childhood cancer care. The award will support her efforts to strengthen pediatric oncology services across Ghana, helping ensure that children with cancer receive safer, more dignified, and higher-quality care. She also plans to strengthen collaboration across Africa on childhood cancer by working with governments, regional institutions, and partners to increase investment in pediatric oncology services, workforce development, research, and equitable access to innovative diagnostics and treatment across the continent.

Dr. Amoako will be recognized at an award ceremony on October 14 in London. Following this year’s celebration, IHME will begin accepting nominations for the 2027 Roux Prize on November 1, 2026. Nominations are open to individuals from all countries and sectors, including government, civil society, research, and frontline health care.  

Roux Prize 

The Roux Prize is sponsored by IHME founding board member David Roux and his wife, Barbara, to reward innovation in the application of disease burden research. The prize recognizes a person who has used health evidence in bold ways to make people healthier and highlights what is possible when visionaries use evidence to change lives. 

IHME 

An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) works with collaborators around the world to develop timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence that illuminates the state of health everywhere. In making our research available and approachable, we aim to inform health policy and practice in pursuit of our vision: all people living long lives in full health.

The initiative brought together young people, health professionals and other stakeholders for activities focused on environmental sustainability, community development and public health.

As part of the programme, the youth planted indigenous and shade trees at designated public spaces within the community.

The Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District Director of the National Youth Authority, Bright Opare Darko, stressed the importance of educating young people on environmental protection and encouraging them to develop lifelong habits of caring for the environment.

He said empowering the youth with knowledge and practical skills in environmental conservation would enable them to become responsible stewards of the planet for future generations.

The Director of the God Bless Child Development Centre and organiser of the programme, Nicholas Donkoh Barnes, said the initiative was aimed at instilling a sense of responsibility, community pride and commitment to sustainable development among young people.

The programme also featured a voluntary blood donation exercise organised in collaboration with the Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital.

A Senior Biomedical Scientist at the hospital, Benjamin Anderson, highlighted the importance of voluntary blood donation, noting that the facility needed adequate blood supplies to support emergency care, maternal health and surgical procedures.

Medical personnel from the hospital screened participants before the donation exercise, which attracted a significant number of young people.

Hospital representatives expressed appreciation for the turnout, saying the donations would help address blood shortages in the area and potentially save the lives of accident victims and women experiencing pregnancy-related complications.

The God Bless Child Development Centre said the initiative formed part of its commitment to holistic youth development, stressing that empowering young people goes beyond academic and vocational training to include health awareness, environmental responsibility and community service.

The organisers expressed gratitude to the management and medical team of the Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital, the National Youth Authority and all participating young people for supporting the initiative.

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Spend a few minutes watching children in a preschool, and you will hear it repeatedly.

“I made a new friend today.”

Often, the friendship began only moments earlier. A shared toy, a game of tag, or a few minutes on the swings is enough for one child to declare another a friend.

As adults, we smile at this innocence. We know that friendship is more complicated than that.

Or is it?

Viewed through the Continuity lens, children and adults are not defining friendship differently. They are operating with different amounts of accumulated continuity.

A preschool child has very little personal history. There are relatively few shared experiences that distinguish one relationship from another. Friendship is therefore based largely on the present moment. The willingness to play together is enough to create the beginning of continuity.

Adults are different.

By adulthood, each of us carries decades of accumulated experience. We have developed beliefs, values, habits, disappointments, ambitions, memories, and relationships. Entering another person’s life now requires connecting with a much richer history.

That is why adults rarely describe friendship by saying, “We enjoy each other’s company.”

Instead, we say:

“We’ve been friends for thirty years.”

“We’ve known each other since university.”

“We’ve been through a lot together.”

Notice what these statements have in common. None of them are really about time. They are about accumulated continuity.

Time is simply the easiest way to describe it.

In reality, time alone creates nothing.

Two neighbours may live next to each other for twenty years and never become close friends.

Two colleagues may work together for a decade and remain acquaintances.

On the other hand, soldiers serving together during conflict, founders building a company from nothing, or classmates overcoming years of shared challenges often develop lifelong friendships in a remarkably short period.

What makes the difference?

Not the number of years.

The density of shared experience.

Friendship grows when experiences are accumulated, remembered, and continuously built upon.

Every conversation.

Every challenge overcome together.

Every promise kept.

Every celebration shared.

Every disagreement resolved.

Each one becomes another layer of continuity.

Over time, something remarkable happens.

Friends no longer need lengthy explanations. They understand references that no one else understands. A single glance, a smile, or a short sentence carries years of accumulated meaning.

Continuity has reduced the friction of communication.

This also explains why trust and friendship are inseparable.

Trust is not created in a single dramatic moment. It is accumulated through thousands of small demonstrations of reliability.

Every confidence protected.

Every promise honoured.

Every act of loyalty.

These become deposits into what we might call continuity capital.

Perhaps the most beautiful demonstration of continuity is what happens at reunions.

Friends who have not seen each other for twenty or thirty years often find themselves laughing within minutes. The relationship seems to restart almost instantly.

What has happened?

They have not created a new friendship.

They have reactivated preserved continuity.

The shared experiences were never lost. They simply lay dormant until the relationship resumed.

This leads us to an important insight.

Friendship is not measured by the passage of time.

It is measured by the accumulation and preservation of shared continuity.

Time helps only because it creates opportunities for continuity to grow.

Without shared experiences, time accomplishes very little.

Viewed this way, friendship becomes one of humanity’s greatest continuity systems.

It preserves memories.

It preserves trust.

It preserves identity.

It preserves wisdom.

And in doing so, it allows two lives to become increasingly valuable to one another over time.

Perhaps this is why some friendships endure for a lifetime while others disappear within months.

The difference is not simply how long they lasted.

It is whether continuity continued.

The Continuity Principle of Friendship

Friendship is not the passage of time between two people. It is the accumulation, preservation, and reactivation of shared experience. Time provides the opportunity. Continuity creates the friendship.