The beneficiary institutions are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), 37 Military Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and the Sunyani Government Hospital, with each hospital receiving 20 wheelchairs.

The latest presentation was made to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Speaking at the donation ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Insurance Company, Percy Asare Ansah, said the initiative forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to support healthcare facilities with essential equipment.

He explained that the company chose some of Ghana’s busiest referral hospitals to ensure the wheelchairs directly improve emergency response, patient movement and overall healthcare delivery.

Receiving the donation, Director of Medical Affairs at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Frank Owusu Sekyere, described the gesture as timely, noting that the hospital attends to more than 2,000 patients daily and continues to face shortages of essential logistics, including functional wheelchairs.

He said the additional wheelchairs will significantly improve patient care and reduce pressure on the hospital’s existing equipment.

Mr. Asare Ansah also encouraged Ghanaians to subscribe to reliable health insurance schemes, stressing that healthcare costs continue to rise and families should be financially prepared for unexpected medical emergencies.

“Health is expensive. Everyone should prepare for emergencies by investing in reliable health insurance,” he advised.

The donations also forms part of activities to mark the company’s 15th anniversary celebration in health insurance delivery in the country.

My advocacy is primarily driven by my commitment to addressing health challenges, preventing disease, promoting public health, and tackling societal maladies that affect individuals, families, and communities.

DNA testing at birth should not be viewed solely through the lens of establishing biological parentage. Rather, it should be considered as a potential public health intervention that could contribute to a better understanding of genetic risks, hereditary diseases, and the health needs of every child from the earliest stage of life.

Every child is born with a unique genetic profile. Early identification of inherited genetic conditions and genetic predispositions could potentially enable healthcare professionals to provide appropriate counselling, monitoring, preventive interventions, and timely treatment. In certain circumstances, early knowledge of genetic risks could help families and healthcare providers make informed decisions that may improve health outcomes and quality of life.

A well-designed national DNA-at-birth programme could also contribute to the development of a more comprehensive understanding of genetic and hereditary health conditions within the Ghanaian population. With appropriate safeguards and the use of anonymised and aggregated information, such data could potentially support public health research, epidemiological studies, and the development of targeted strategies for preventing and managing genetic and hereditary diseases.

Beyond individual health, accurate biological information may also help address certain societal challenges associated with uncertainty about biological identity and family medical history. Knowledge of biological relationships can, in appropriate circumstances, provide valuable information about inherited health risks and facilitate a more accurate understanding of family medical histories.

However, the introduction of mandatory DNA testing must be approached with great care. Genetic information is among the most sensitive forms of personal information. Any national programme must therefore be governed by robust legislation and strict safeguards relating to privacy, confidentiality, data security, informed consent, ethical oversight, and the dignity and best interests of every child.

There must also be clear rules governing who can access genetic information, how long it may be stored, for what purposes it may be used, and how it must be protected from misuse, unauthorised disclosure, discrimination, or commercial exploitation.

I therefore call for a national dialogue involving the Government of Ghana, Parliament, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General’s Department, the Ghana Health Service, healthcare professionals, geneticists, public health experts, ethicists, legal practitioners, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to critically examine the feasibility, benefits, risks, and ethical implications of mandatory DNA testing at birth.

The objective should not be to promote conflict within families or to invade personal privacy. Rather, the focus should be on preventing disease, identifying health risks early, strengthening healthcare systems, improving health outcomes, and addressing societal problems through responsible, ethical, and evidence-based interventions.

As a public health professional, I believe that Ghana must continuously explore innovative approaches to disease prevention and health promotion. We must move beyond a healthcare system that primarily responds to illness after it occurs and increasingly embrace preventive, predictive, and evidence-based healthcare.

If appropriately designed, ethically regulated, and supported by robust data-protection mechanisms, a national DNA-at-birth programme could become a component of a broader strategy to protect the health and wellbeing of future generations.

My position is simple: we must be proactive rather than reactive. We should identify health risks early, prevent disease where possible, and use science responsibly to build a healthier Ghanaian society.

*********

Dr. Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Saana, Ph.D., FGCPharm, MPH
Public Health Consultant | Specialist Public Health Pharmacist
Deputy Director of Pharmacy (Clinical Affairs), Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

Addressing Parliament, the Minister said the ongoing recruitment exercise is currently focused on the 2021 batch of trained nurses and midwives, with successful applicants already being posted to their respective duty stations.

According to him, the exercise forms part of the government’s efforts to address staffing gaps and improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly in underserved communities.

Mr Akandoh announced that the recruitment of the 2022 batch of nurses and midwives will be completed before the end of 2026, while the 2023 batch will be recruited subsequently, subject to financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.

He further disclosed that the government plans to recruit a total of 16,000 health professionals this year to strengthen the country’s health workforce.

Responding to questions from Members of Parliament, the Health Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the phased recruitment of qualified health professionals in line with available financial resources and the staffing needs of health facilities nationwide.

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In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the Ministry said the closure takes immediate effect and will remain in force until further notice.

According to the Ministry, the decision was taken after persistent disturbances and violations of the institution’s rules and regulations despite several interventions aimed at restoring calm.

The Ministry disclosed that numerous meetings, counselling sessions and appeals involving key stakeholders, including the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), had been held to encourage dialogue and restore order.

However, some students reportedly continued to engage in conduct that disrupted academic activities and threatened the peace, safety and orderly administration of the college.

It explained that the temporary closure is intended to restore calm, safeguard lives and property, and allow the appropriate authorities to assess the situation and determine the necessary steps towards reopening the institution under conducive conditions.

The Ministry directed all students to vacate the campus peacefully and return to their respective homes by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Parents and guardians have also been advised to make the necessary arrangements to receive their wards.

The Ministry assured students, staff and the general public that every effort would be made to resolve the situation promptly and restore normal academic activities.

It added that information regarding the reopening of the college would be communicated through official channels in due course.

The Ministry further expressed appreciation to students, parents, staff and other stakeholders for their understanding, cooperation and support as efforts continue to restore a safe, peaceful and disciplined learning environment at the institution.

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There has been a slight increase in cases in 2025 compared to 2024.

During the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day in Bibiani, within the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipality, the Regional Health Director, Dr. Paulina Clara Appiah, reported that the region has recorded 693 cases of hepatitis, which reflects a minor rise from the previous year.

She called on Ghanaians to prioritize their health by utilizing medical services for routine check-ups.

Dr. Appiah also highlighted the causes of hepatitis, explaining that injuries from sharp objects and unhygienic practices in salons can contribute to the spread of the disease.

She urged the public to exercise caution in order to prevent infection.

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While opportunities for education and economic empowerment have expanded over the years, many young women still grapple with societal pressure to prioritise marriage over personal development.

In 2026, conversations around women’s empowerment continue to gain momentum, yet some cultural beliefs remain deeply rooted.

For many young women, discussions about higher education or career advancement are still met with a familiar response: “You need to find a husband first.”

The persistent expectation has sparked debates about whether a woman’s worth should still be measured primarily by marriage, or whether she should be free to pursue education, financial independence and personal fulfilment alongside family life.

Culture, religion and changing perceptions

Assistant Headteacher of Al-Mustapha Ibaadu-Rahman Educational Complex, Imam Aziz Sama-M, believes many of the expectations placed on women stem from historical cultural practices rather than religious teachings.

“Everyone has a culture or tradition. Religion came after culture, and sometimes the two clash. In some cases, culture and religion promote the same values, while in others, culture has been mistaken for religion,” he explained.

According to him, in earlier societies, success was measured by the size of one’s family rather than educational achievement because communities depended largely on farming.

“In those days, the more children a family had, the larger the farm they could manage. Women were given different roles because they were not expected to work on the farms. That is where the perception that a woman’s place is in the kitchen originated,” he said.

He stressed that while men and women have biological differences, they are equal in the eyes of God and deserve equitable opportunities.

“You cannot abandon your culture, but you must examine it through the lens of values. Education begins at home. Parents who value education are more likely to raise children who appreciate it.”

He added that education today extends beyond the classroom and is essential for every child.

“In the 21st century, if a child is denied education, they become a burden on the family, the community and society. Unfortunately, some parents fear education will make their children abandon their traditions, so they deny them opportunities.”

Economic hardship fuels early marriage

Teacher Meimunatu Iddrisu Azaah says economic deprivation and limited educational opportunities continue to reinforce early marriage in parts of northern Ghana.

“One of the biggest challenges in northern Ghana is poverty, coupled with a lack of education. Because of these circumstances, some communities still believe girls as young as 14 should be married,” she said.

She noted that many young women migrate to southern Ghana in search of work to escape financial hardship or forced marriages.

“Some girls are forced into marriages they do not want. Even when they try to leave, some parents send them back.”

While acknowledging that culture is important, she believes harmful stereotypes continue to hinder development.

“Not all culture is bad. Culture is valuable, but when people believe women do not need education, it holds society back.”

According to her, some parents also see early marriage as a solution to teenage pregnancy or compare their daughters to peers who are already married.

“Marriage should never be rushed. You can marry early and not enjoy it, or marry later and have a successful marriage. Girls should be allowed to pursue their dreams and marry when they are mature enough to make informed decisions.”

She believes women should be empowered to make those choices independently.

“If we educate society about the disadvantages of child and early marriage, parents will understand that allowing girls to complete their education benefits everyone.”

Choosing both education and marriage

For hairstylist and influencer Nasiba Anass, who married in her early twenties, marriage and education should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

“There is pressure on young people to get married, but there isn’t the same level of pressure to pursue education,” she said.

Nasiba said she learnt hairdressing while in senior high school and received many questions after marrying soon after graduation.

“People kept asking why I got married instead of continuing my education. But I believe marriage should not stop a woman from furthering her education.”

She explained that she has postponed further studies while pursuing other personal goals.

“I still have many things I want to achieve, so I have put education on hold for now.”

She also recalled how relatives frequently compared her with friends who had not yet married.

“Everyone has different perspectives. Some people believe a woman’s greatest achievement is marriage, so they pressure young women into it.”

Her advice to young women is to prioritise self-development while making decisions based on their own aspirations.

“As a woman, build yourself first. Then decide what is best for you. You can have both education and marriage if that is what you want.”

A changing narrative

Although attitudes are gradually evolving, advocates say changing long-held beliefs requires continued education, economic empowerment and community engagement.

Many argue that empowering girls through education does not diminish cultural values but rather strengthens families and communities.

As more northern women pursue careers, businesses and leadership roles while also building families on their own terms, they are challenging stereotypes that have persisted for generations.

For these women, the question is no longer whether they should choose between marriage and education. Instead, they are asking why they should have to choose at all.

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According to him, although many Ghanaians have confidence in herbal medicine and are willing to seek treatment at herbal facilities, the cost of services often discourages them from doing so.

He believes that enrolling herbal hospitals onto the NHIS would make traditional healthcare services more affordable and accessible to the public.

Speaking to Adom News during the commissioning of a new herbal hospital at Suame Makro in the Ashanti Region, Apostle Dr. Amagashie said the government must place greater emphasis on supporting the herbal medicine sector, which continues to play a significant role in Ghana’s healthcare delivery system.

“It is time for the government to prioritize the growth and well-being of herbal hospitals to help save more lives. We are Africans, and our traditional medicines are herbs.

“We must therefore promote and invest in our traditional medicine as part of strengthening healthcare delivery in the country,” he stated.

He also appealed to the government to establish dedicated herbal nursing training institutions to produce skilled health professionals for the herbal medicine sector.

According to him, introducing herbal nursing training programmes would not only improve the quality of healthcare provided at herbal facilities but also help address the growing unemployment challenge among trained nurses in Ghana.

“We need herbal nursing training schools to produce qualified health workers for the herbal medicine industry. This will create employment opportunities for nurses while improving the quality of care in herbal hospitals across the country,” he added.

Apostle Dr. Amagashie expressed confidence that with the necessary government support, the herbal medicine industry could expand significantly, create more jobs, and complement conventional healthcare services in providing quality and affordable healthcare for Ghanaians.

She lives independently in her own house in Dover, Delaware, exercises every day, reads romance novels, and enjoys dancing and socializing.

The centenarian has been driving for more than 80 years and just renewed her driver’s license until 2033, when she would be 115.

“In order for me to go to the store, I have to drive,” Browne tells TODAY.com. “Anywhere I want to go, I have to drive. I’m an experienced driver. I try to be very careful.”

Her son, Jim Young, calls her “amazing” and strong.

Her daughter, Lynnette Young Overby, says she’s “quite something, and now she’s quite famous.”

Browne had a huge 108th birthday party earlier this year with guests that included the governor of Delaware

It seemed a world away from the farm where she was born on April 24, 1918, in Lincoln, Delaware. She, her parents and nine siblings lived in a house that had no electricity or running water.

Browne went to a segregated elementary school, where she admired her teacher and became determined to become one herself.

“One of the most important things that I had in mind was to get an education and be a teacher,” she said in an interview about her life.

There were no free high schools for Black students in the area at the time, so the family had to pay to send her to Delaware State College High School, Overby says.

Browne went on to attend Delaware State University, graduating in 1945 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She’s DSU’s oldest living alumna.

The centenarian worked as a teacher for 30 years, starting in a one-room schoolhouse. She also helped her first husband run a bus business. Browne retired in 1977. She’s lived in her house for more than 70 years.

“I don’t know why I’m living so long. I’m just trying to take care of myself,” Browne says.

Here is what to know about the centenarian and her tips for living a long life:

1. Keep Moving

Browne credits regular exercise as a big factor in her longevity. She starts every morning by getting on the floor and doing a 10-minute stretching, strengthening and balancing routine.

“Then I get up and stand against the wall and exercise my legs. I make sure my legs are exercised,” she says.

“She does things I can’t do,” her son notes.

“I can move better than he,” the centenarian confirms teasingly.

The exercises work — she walks without the need for a cane or a walker.

Browne also does chair dancing at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, a gathering place for older adults where she drives herself three days a week.

2. Eat Healthy Food

The centenarian lists chicken and fruit as some of her favorite foods. 

She eats an apple most every day — a famously nutritious fruit that delivers fiber, and comes with benefits for heart health, diabetes, cancer, gut health, weight loss and inflammation.

She also enjoys peaches and blueberries — a dietitian’s pick for the healthiest berries.

Her morning menu includes a cup of black coffee, which has a positive impact on heart health and brain health, plus a frozen waffle and cranberry juice, her daughter notes.

Browne avoids fried foods — “of course, I like them, but I know I shouldn’t eat them, so therefore I don’t eat them,” she says.

She also doesn’t drink alcohol and skips sugar.

“I like sweets, but I just probably avoid them for my health,” she says. One exception is her 7UP cake, which she likes to make for family gatherings.

The formula works. At 108, Browne only takes one medication, a pill to control her blood pressure, Overby says. Longevity runs in her family — one of her sisters lived to be 103.

3. Be Independent

Browne was married twice and had no desire to remarry after her second husband passed away.

“That’s right. I am not taking care of another man,” she says.

“I decided when I was left alone that I didn’t need anybody to take care of me, I take care of myself. So, in order to live a healthy life, you have to make up your own mind.”

Driving her car and living in her own home are important aspects of her self-reliance. “She very, very much wants to maintain her independence as long as she can,” Overby notes.

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4. Keep Your Mind Busy

The centenarian likes to read, including romance novels. She also enjoys doing puzzles and word games, her son notes.

Browne continues to be active in the community — she goes to church, socializes at the Modern Maturity Center, and meets with members of her sorority, her daughter adds. 

She’s a life member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Pi Chapter.

The busy centenarian likes to stay on top of all the family get-togethers and other events she takes part in.

“She’s very organized,” her son says. “She always makes sure that wherever she goes, she has a little calendar.”

5. Expand Your Horizons

Alaska and Hawaii became U.S. states while Browne was a teacher, so she visited both, even going to Alaska twice.

She’s also traveled to Spain, Portugal, Brazil and other countries around the world.

“I enjoyed my trips,” she says. Her favorite place? “Hawaii. It’s beautiful there,” she notes.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, July 28, the FDA said it swiftly deployed a rapid response team to the location on Monday, July 27, in collaboration with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly and the Ghana Police Service.

According to the Authority, the inspection led to the immediate confiscation of fish exposed to unhygienic conditions, while the fish processors involved were educated on the public health risks associated with poor handling practices.

The FDA noted that similar incidents have occurred intermittently in the past and said it has consistently worked with relevant agencies to protect public health through education and enforcement.

It further announced plans to intensify engagement with fish processors and fishmongers in the affected coastal districts to promote good hygiene practices and improve food safety standards.

The Authority advised the public to purchase smoked and dried fish only from reputable and hygienic sources, carefully inspect fish before buying, and avoid products with offensive odours, unusual colouring, visible contamination or signs of spoilage.

Consumers were also encouraged to wash smoked or dried fish thoroughly before cooking and ensure it is properly cooked before consumption.

The FDA urged the public to report any suspected unhygienic food processing, storage or sale to the nearest FDA office or local assembly.

It assured the public that, together with its partner agencies, it will continue removing unsafe fish and fish products from the market while strengthening public education and enforcement efforts to safeguard public health.

Speaking at a press conference on the Mid-Year Budget Review, the Abuakwa South MP said the government allocated about GH¢34.1 billion to the health sector in the 2026 Budget.

The allocation included GH¢22.8 billion in direct budgetary allocations and GH¢11.2 billion for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

However, Dr. Agyemang said the Finance Minister’s mid-year review did not demonstrate that the allocated funds had translated into meaningful expenditure.

According to him, the Public Financial Management Act requires the government to present a comparison between budgeted allocations and actual expenditure across key areas, including compensation, goods and services, and capital expenditure.

He argued that the review failed to provide that level of detail, making it difficult for Parliament and the public to properly assess the government’s performance in the health sector.

The lawmaker cited the NHIS as an example, noting that although the government highlighted the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy as a major achievement, only about GH¢3.4 billion of the GH¢11.2 billion allocated to the NHIS and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund had been spent in the first half of the year.

According to him, this represents about 30 per cent of the total annual allocation.

Dr. Agyemang argued that removing the cap on the health levy would have little impact if the funds were not released to enable the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to effectively carry out its mandate.

He maintained that the low level of expenditure raises concerns about the government’s commitment to adequately financing healthcare despite the promises made in the national budget.

The Ranking Member stressed that healthcare remains one of the country’s most essential sectors because every household depends on access to quality medical services.

He said budgetary commitments must be backed by timely and adequate spending to improve healthcare delivery and ensure Ghanaians receive the services they need.

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Speaking during a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the Minister said nearly 100,000 qualified nurses remain unemployed and are awaiting posting.

He explained that the government has already recruited 8,000 nurses and plans to recruit a total of 16,000 this year to help address staffing shortages and strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.

Mr. Akandoh further revealed that the government is making advanced arrangements to facilitate employment opportunities for some unemployed Ghanaian nurses abroad.

“We are collaborating with a number of countries to deploy some of our nurses to work there. Currently, we have more than 46 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) under consideration,” he said.

According to the Minister, the initiative will not only create employment opportunities for Ghanaian nurses but also generate foreign exchange for the country while enhancing international cooperation in the health sector.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, commended the government for the measures being taken to strengthen the healthcare system and improve hospital management.

He urged the Ministry of Health to continue working closely with stakeholders to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare services nationwide.

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He gave the assurance during a courtesy call on the Otumfuo at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Briefing Otumfuo on developments in the health sector, Mr Akandoh said significant progress had been made on critical infrastructure around the facility, particularly the road network, energy, and water supply.

He indicated that the outstanding works were being fast-tracked to ensure the hospital is ready for use without further delays.

“When we come again with President Mahama, we will be commissioning it,” the Minister told the Asantehene.

The Sewua Hospital, located in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region, is expected to expand access to quality healthcare for residents in Kumasi and surrounding districts.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized that, politics is all about good governance, which he commend the minister for the detailed briefing.

The Health Minister was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Akoriyea Kaba, Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku and other officials.

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The renewed call was made during the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day and the inauguration of the National Viral Hepatitis Technical Working Group in Accra. The newly inaugurated body is expected to coordinate national efforts to strengthen prevention, improve access to diagnosis and treatment, and accelerate Ghana’s progress towards eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ministry’s Chief Director, Desmond Boateng, described viral hepatitis as one of Ghana’s most pressing public health challenges.

He disclosed that an estimated three million Ghanaians are living with hepatitis B, while another 500,000 are believed to have hepatitis C, with many unaware of their condition because the disease often develops without noticeable symptoms.

According to him, the silent nature of the infection means many patients only seek medical attention after developing serious complications such as liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Mr. Boateng noted that liver cancer has become the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ghana and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with chronic hepatitis B and C infections accounting for a significant proportion of cases.

He said the inauguration of the National Viral Hepatitis Technical Working Group marks an important step in translating the government’s commitment into coordinated and measurable action.

“Viral hepatitis remains a major public health challenge in Ghana. About three million Ghanaians are estimated to be living with hepatitis B, while roughly half a million may be living with hepatitis C. Many do not know their status because the infection can remain silent for years, even as it progressively damages the liver,” he said.

The Chief Director stressed that hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination and can be effectively managed with treatment, while hepatitis C can now be cured with highly effective medicines.

He therefore encouraged Ghanaians to take advantage of available screening and vaccination services, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment are essential to preventing severe liver disease and reducing hepatitis-related deaths.

The Ministry said the Technical Working Group will play a key role in driving policy implementation, strengthening surveillance, expanding public education and improving access to quality hepatitis care across the country.

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The patient, Mr Zoug Morimmaha, was admitted to the hospital’s Male Medical Ward on May 20, 2026, in an unconscious and critical condition.

Upon arrival, he was promptly attended to by a dedicated team of doctors and nurses, who immediately commenced life-saving treatment, while reassuring his anxious family of the quality care he would receive.

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), also known as End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), is the most advanced stage of chronic kidney disease, in which the kidneys permanently lose most of their ability to filter waste and excess fluids from the blood.

The condition often develops after years of chronic kidney disease, commonly resulting from diabetes, hypertension, and other underlying medical conditions.

After more than two months of intensive medical and nursing care, the patient made a remarkable recovery and was discharged on July 24, 2026.

To mark the milestone, staff of the Male Medical Ward, with the full consent of the patient and his family, organised a modest celebration to express their joy and gratitude to God for what they described as a miraculous recovery.

Sharing the family’s experience, Mr Morimmaha’s daughter, Ms Vida Zook, recalled the condition in which her father was admitted.

“He was brought in a critical condition and later became unconscious. We were very worried. But by the grace of God and through the dedication of the doctors and nurses, he has recovered and has been discharged. He is much better than when we first came,” she said.

Madam Tengmah Zook, the patient’s wife, also expressed appreciation to the medical team, particularly the nurses, for their compassion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment throughout her husband’s admission.

She recounted how the nursing staff diligently cared for him, including feeding him through a nasogastric tube and providing continuous nursing interventions that significantly contributed to his recovery.

She wished the entire team God’s blessings and success in all their endeavours.

Mrs Angela Fiatsonu, the Male Medical Ward Manager, described the patient’s recovery as one of the ward’s most inspiring success stories, noting that although the unit had recorded several positive outcomes over the years, that particular case, stood out because of the patient’s critical condition upon admission.

She commended the commitment and resilience of the ward staff and expressed appreciation to the hospital’s leadership, led by Dr Joseph Kojo Tambil, for their continuous support in delivering quality patient care.

Mrs Fiatsonu encouraged her team to remain dedicated despite the challenges associated with healthcare delivery, emphasising that such success stories served as an “emotional salary” that motivated healthcare professionals to continue giving their best.

She also thanked the patient and his family for their cooperation throughout the treatment process and wished them good health and happiness in the years ahead.

The remarkable recovery reflects the dedication, teamwork, and patient-centered care that continues to define service delivery at the Upper East Regional Hospital, reaffirming the facility’s commitment to providing quality healthcare to the people of the region and beyond.

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The announcement was made during a stakeholder engagement between officials of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and the management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Under the intervention, the hospital will receive a 128-slice CT scanner, a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, a digital 3D mammography system, and a recovery ward for its catheterisation laboratory to enhance specialist healthcare delivery.

Officials of the Trust Fund disclosed that the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has approved the procurement process, with contractors expected to begin site inspections ahead of the installation of the equipment.

In addition, the Trust Fund revealed that three other critical medical systems—a Spectra Optia Apheresis System, a Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) Multi-Filtrate System, and a Mobile Digital X-ray Unit—have been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for commitment authorisation.

Chief Executive of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, welcomed the intervention, describing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as a key partner whose support has consistently contributed to improving patient care and expanding access to specialist services.

He noted that several of the hospital’s diagnostic machines have exceeded their expected lifespan after more than a decade of use, creating an urgent need for replacement and upgrades.

According to Dr Adam, although the hospital’s current MRI scanner remains operational, it requires upgrading, while additional capacity is also needed for PET scanning, CT imaging and radiotherapy to meet increasing patient demand.

He further revealed that the hospital recently lost its mammography machine to a fire, a development that has disrupted breast cancer screening services and affected the training of specialist doctors.

“As a tertiary teaching hospital, we cannot continue referring patients and resident doctors elsewhere for mammography services. Replacing this equipment is an urgent priority,” he stated.

The hospital is also pursuing plans to establish a One-Stop Diagnostic Centre, which will house MRI, CT scanning, mammography, PET scanning and other imaging services under one roof to improve efficiency and enhance patient care.

Officials of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund welcomed the proposal, noting that the facility would improve convenience for patients while reinforcing Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s position as Ghana’s leading referral centre for specialised healthcare.

The Association’s General Secretary, Dr Richard Selormey, says food safety concerns extend from farms to dining tables and require urgent national attention.

Dr Selormey was speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday, July 27, 2027.

He cited studies indicating that nearly 80% of sachet water sampled in Ghana contained bacteria, while food products sold in major markets have also been found to contain dangerous levels of pesticides and other contaminants.

According to Dr Selormey, illegal mining, excessive pesticide use, adulterated palm oil, poor food handling practices and unsafe storage methods are exposing consumers to serious health risks.

He said some vegetables sold in Accra markets contained toxic pesticide residues, while chemicals such as Sudan dyes continue to be detected in palm oil.

The GMA also expressed concern about reports of formalin, a chemical used to preserve dead bodies, being used illegally to preserve fish.

“And so, indeed… from the farms, the use of pesticides, all the way to the table, the issue is widespread,” he said.

Dr Selormey called for stronger enforcement of food safety regulations, greater public education and incentives to encourage businesses to adopt environmentally friendly packaging.

In such moments, stopping to read through the crowded, fine-print labels tucked away on the back or sides of the food package is often the last thing on anyone’s mind, no matter how health-conscious they may be.

As a result, many consumers unknowingly consume products without understanding their true nutritional content.

This reality captures the vulnerability and plight of the average Ghanaian consumer in an increasingly complex food environment.

Danger inappropriate labeling

Searching for nutrition information on food packages can be intimidating.

Labels are often crowded with unfamiliar figures, symbols, and tiny fonts that are difficult for the average consumer to read.

This exposes major flaws in our current food labelling system.

A label’s value lies not only in its presence but also in its clarity, readability, and placement.

Evidence increasingly shows that Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) is the most effective approach.

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancers are rapidly rising and are closely linked to unhealthy diets.

In Ghana, traditional diets are being replaced with ultra-processed, packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.

This nutrition transition heightens disease risk and demands urgent public health action.

One proven intervention is the adoption of Front-of-Pack Labels (FOPLs).

Solution

Front-of-Pack Labels provide simple, easy-to-understand nutrition information at a glance.

They help consumers quickly identify foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

Unlike complex back-of-pack nutrition panels, FOPLs use clear symbols or warnings placed prominently on packaging, enabling faster and healthier decision-making.

For Ghana, warning labels may be particularly suitable.

Typically displayed as black octagons with messages like High-in-Sugar or High-in-Salt, they deliver clear, direct alerts.

Their simplicity makes them effective in settings with varying literacy and numeracy levels, eliminating the need for complex interpretation.

Warning labels

Evidence from countries such as Chile, Mexico, and Peru shows that warning labels effectively influence consumer behaviour and industry practices.

In Chile, purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages dropped by 24 per cent within 18 months of introducing warning labels.

The policy also pushed manufacturers to reformulate products, reducing harmful nutrient levels.

Adopting warning labels in Ghana would support all consumers, regardless of literacy level and outperform systems requiring numerical interpretation or colour recognition.

Importantly, warning labels also promote accountability within the food industry, encouraging the production of healthier food options and helping to protect public health.

Conclusion

Implementing a mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Label system in Ghana would empower millions of consumers to make informed food choices while sending a clear and credible signal to the food industry.

The Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Authority must act swiftly to ensure that every Ghanaian can easily identify and instantly understand whether a product poses a health risk or represents a healthier option. Our health cannot wait.

The writer is a student and lecturer.
Department of Dietetics,
School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences,
University of Ghana.

The machines will be placed at strategic public locations, including lorry stations, mosques, stadia and shopping malls, allowing people to access condoms discreetly without having to purchase them directly from vendors.

The Commission also plans to extend the initiative to public institutions by installing the machines in washrooms within ministries, departments, agencies and financial institutions as part of its national HIV and wellness policy.

The announcement was made during a dissemination meeting in Accra on the 2026 HIV Estimates and Projections, where stakeholders reviewed Ghana’s HIV situation, assessed gaps in the national response and discussed strategies to strengthen prevention and treatment efforts.

According to the Commission, the vending machines form part of a broader condom and lubricant distribution strategy aimed at improving access to HIV prevention tools while ensuring distribution methods meet the needs of different communities.

Speaking at the event, Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, said the machines would be designed based on the specific needs and characteristics of the communities where they would be installed.

“The machines will not all be the same. Depending on the peculiar characteristics of a local population, the machine deployed could be electronically operated or manually administered,” he said.

Dr Akanbong explained that Ghana had previously introduced condom vending machines, which dispensed packs of three condoms for 50 pesewas, but the initiative was discontinued after several machines were vandalised.

“People were forcefully emptying the machines to take the coins,” he said.

He added that lessons from the previous rollout had informed improvements to the new machines, which are expected to be more secure and resistant to vandalism.

The Director-General also assured the public that concerns over condom shortages reported last year had been addressed, with government procuring additional supplies that are currently available across the country.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office Technical Lead for HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis, Dr Kafui Senya, called for sustained efforts to reduce new HIV infections, eliminate stigma and discrimination, and ensure equitable access to HIV prevention and treatment services.

Programme Manager of the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, Dr Emmanuel Akwoulo Agyigewe Teviu, urged stakeholders to address gaps in HIV prevention and strengthen integrated, people-centred care.

The Governing Board Chair of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Kakra Essamuah, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s national response to HIV/AIDS.

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Hunt said he wanted to help after seeing news reports of the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

​​The vaccine, designed using the same technology as one of the UK’s Covid vaccines, was given in Oxford, where scientists developed it in just eight weeks.

Hunt is the first of 50 healthy volunteers aged 18-55 being recruited for the trial.

​​He told the BBC what motivated him to take part: “I had wanted to volunteer for the Covid vaccine trial but was unable to because of work commitments. After seeing news from DR Congo, I thought I’d like to do my bit.”

The vaccine uses the same technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid jab, which was given to hundreds of millions of people during the pandemic.

Prof Teresa Lambe, who led the Ebola vaccine team at the University of Oxford, said they had been able to create it so quickly because of the background of decades of research.

She explained how they would confirm that the vaccine was effective at protecting people. It cannot give anyone Ebola.

​​”We will not be giving anybody Ebola in this trial or any trial.

“The aim of the phase one clinical study is to look for the safety of the vaccine, and also to see if we’re getting a strong immune response that could be protective against the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.”

​​There are four vaccines in development against the Bundibugyo species which has triggered the outbreak, but this is the first to enter human trials.

​​There is a licensed vaccine against the Zaire species of Ebola, but it does not work against Bundibugyo.

​​The Oxford team say a second small Ebola vaccine trial is due to begin soon in Uganda, followed by a bigger study, looking at efficacy, in DR Congo.

​​The Serum Institute in India has already manufactured 600,000 doses of the Oxford Ebola vaccine, ready to be used if the trials are successful.

​​To date there have been more than 2,500 confirmed cases of Ebola in DR Congo, including just over 1,000 deaths.

Speaking to Adom News, the Birim North District Health Director, Daniel Darby, revealed that only three doctors are currently serving a population of more than 87,000 people.

According to him, the district previously had five doctors, but two are currently on study leave, leaving the remaining three to cater for the healthcare needs of the entire district.

Mr Darby said the situation has significantly increased the workload of the available doctors, particularly at the New Abirem District Hospital.

He explained that the facility also serves patients from the neighbouring Akyemansa District, which does not have a district hospital, resulting in a higher patient load.

The Health Director warned that unless additional doctors are posted to the district, the pressure on the existing medical staff could continue to affect the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Meanwhile, the Birim North District Chief Executive, Hakeem Abdul Antwi, acknowledged the staffing challenges and assured residents that the Assembly is taking steps to make the district more attractive to health professionals.

According to him, one of the biggest obstacles to attracting doctors is the lack of decent accommodation.

To address the challenge, he said the Assembly has begun plans to construct residential accommodation for medical doctors and other heads of government institutions.

Mr Abdul Antwi expressed confidence that improving accommodation would encourage more health professionals to accept postings to the district and help strengthen healthcare delivery for residents.

The project, which goes beyond the Trust Fund’s initial appeal for support, will see the construction of a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre equipped with some of the most advanced medical imaging technologies available.

The new facility will house an MRI machine, CT scanner, mammography unit, X-ray machine and fluoroscopy equipment under one roof, improving access to specialist diagnostic care for thousands of patients.

The initiative follows the Ghana Medical Trust Fund’s call on Corporate Ghana on February 5, 2026, to support the retooling of Ridge Hospital with modern diagnostic equipment.

Responding to the appeal, KGL Group and the KGL Foundation committed to funding the construction of an entirely new diagnostic centre, representing one of the most significant private sector investments in Ghana’s healthcare system.

The project officially entered its implementation phase after Ghana Medical Trust Fund Administrator Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku and KGL Group Chief Executive Officer Alex Apau Dadey led their respective teams on a site inspection at Ridge Hospital on Thursday.

Once completed, the facility is expected to strengthen the hospital’s ability to diagnose and manage complex medical conditions by providing faster and more accurate diagnostic services.

It will also reduce the burden on patients who often face long waiting times or are referred elsewhere for advanced imaging services.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund described the partnership as a shining example of how collaboration between government and the private sector can deliver meaningful improvements in healthcare.

The Trust Fund expressed profound appreciation to KGL Group for what it described as an extraordinary commitment to improving healthcare delivery, noting that the company’s support far exceeded the original request for diagnostic equipment.

According to the Fund, the partnership reflects a shared vision of expanding access to quality healthcare and demonstrates the critical role Corporate Ghana can play in supporting the country’s healthcare transformation agenda.

The new diagnostic centre is expected to become a major referral hub for advanced medical imaging services, improving patient outcomes and strengthening Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure.

According to officials, the blood bank uses more than 100 pints of blood every day to meet the needs of patients, particularly accident victims and those requiring emergency medical care. They say maintaining an adequate reserve is critical to saving lives.

Speaking to Adom News during a blood donation exercise at Osei Tutu Senior High School, the Ashanti Zonal Organizer for Blood Donors, Kofi Adu Boateng, said the growing number of road crashes has significantly depleted the blood bank’s stock.

“We are appealing to churches, schools, corporate organizations, institutions and individuals to regularly donate blood to the Komfo Anokye Blood Bank. No one knows when they or a loved one may require an emergency blood transfusion, and a shortage could cost lives,” he said.

Mr. Boateng disclosed that the exercise at Osei Tutu Senior High School yielded about 300 pints of blood. However, he noted the quantity would last the facility for only about two days because of the high daily demand.

“This is the third blood donation exercise we have organized in schools. We appreciate the support we continue to receive from students, but it is still not enough. We are urging the general public to join the campaign by donating blood regularly to help save lives,” he added.

Some students who participated in the exercise expressed their willingness to continue donating blood whenever called upon.

One student recounted how his decision to become a blood donor was inspired by a personal experience. He said his mother was once in critical condition and survived after a stranger voluntarily donated blood to save her life.

“Since that day, I promised myself that I would become a blood donor. Today, I am happy to donate because I know I may also be helping to save someone’s life,” he said.

The student further urged the public to disregard misconceptions surrounding blood donation, stressing that donating blood is safe and remains one of the most meaningful ways to save lives.

As part of the exercise, the Ashanti Zonal Blood Donors Association presented a tabletop refrigerator to the Osei Tutu Senior High School in appreciation of the school’s consistent support and outstanding contribution to blood donation over the years.

The Headmaster of Osei Tutu Senior High School, Very Rev. Bright Yaw Osei, said the school remains committed to supporting the Komfo Anokye Blood Bank because blood donation plays a vital role in saving lives.

“Illnesses and emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. We do not know when we or our relatives may need blood. That is why our doors will always remain open to support this worthy cause and help save lives,” he stated.

Very Rev. Osei also encouraged other heads of senior high schools and educational institutions to partner with the blood bank by organizing regular blood donation exercises.

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They warned that inconsistencies in regulatory processes and challenges with procurement systems are limiting the potential of the herbal medicine industry.

The concerns were raised during the climax of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations, Okogye Abibiduro Nana Kwadwo Kobiri, called for the Ghana Standards Authority to develop a single standard procedure for herbal medicines that would guide the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and industry players.

He said a common regulatory framework would help address confusion caused by changing policies and create a more predictable environment for manufacturers.

“It is time the Ghana Standards Authority comes out with a standard procedure for herbal medicines so that the FDA, the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and industry all work with the same standard. The changing policies are creating confusion for industry,” he said.

Nana Kobiri also raised concerns about the implementation of Ghana’s Essential Herbal Medicines List, arguing that some public health facilities rely heavily on products from the Centre for Plant Medicine Research despite the availability of a wider list approved by the Ministry of Health.

He said the practice limits opportunities for other herbal medicine producers and practitioners to contribute to the healthcare system.

“Mampong has only a few products on the list. If hospitals purchase only those products, it does not represent the entire traditional medicine sector. The Centre is supposed to conduct research for the industry, not compete with it,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Professor Regina Appiah-Opong of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research called for increased investment in herbal medicine research and development.

She said adequate funding is needed to support scientific studies, including safety assessments, dosage determination, shelf-life testing and quality assurance, to improve confidence in Ghanaian herbal products.

According to her, Ghana’s herbal medicine industry remains underdeveloped compared to countries such as South Africa and Egypt due to limited funding for research and commercialisation.

“The first one, as we all know, is money. We need funds to do research. We have to ensure that every herbal medicine produced is carefully screened for dosage, shelf life and everything that makes that product standard for people to be confident in it, not only in Ghana but also abroad,” she said.

Prof. Appiah-Opong noted that although many herbal medicines have therapeutic value, the lack of scientific evidence and clinical trials continues to raise concerns about their safety and effectiveness.

“Many are struggling to accept herbal medicines because they ask, ‘Where’s the evidence that it works? Where’s the evidence that it’s safe?’ We know many of these medicines are useful, but we have to do the science,” she added.

The event, held under the theme “25 Years of Advancing Herbal Medicine Education: Strengthening Evidence-Based Practice for Global Health and Sustainable Development,” brought together traditional leaders, academics, researchers, policymakers, alumni and students to discuss ways of strengthening evidence-based herbal medicine practice and expanding the sector’s contribution to national development.

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Addressing Heads of State and Government on the second day of the African Union Extraordinary Summit, President Mahama said Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing agenda has moved beyond ambition and is now entering a phase of implementation.

He noted that the continent’s heavy reliance on imported essential medicines and health commodities continues to expose African countries to significant vulnerabilities, making it imperative to invest in local pharmaceutical production.

According to the President, strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity will improve access to essential medicines, enhance health security and support Africa’s broader industrialisation agenda.

He said developing the pharmaceutical industry would also contribute to economic transformation by creating employment opportunities for the continent’s growing youth population.

President Mahama further expressed concern about the decline in international development assistance for health, noting that many African countries continue to depend heavily on external funding to sustain their healthcare systems.

He described the situation as a defining moment for the continent, calling for bold, homegrown solutions that will make African health systems more resilient and self-sufficient.

The President emphasised that investment in healthcare should be regarded not only as a social responsibility but also as an economic strategy capable of driving sustainable growth, industrial development and job creation.

He urged African leaders, health ministers, policymakers and development partners to move beyond policy declarations and translate their commitments into concrete actions.

President Mahama stressed that the future of healthcare on the continent will depend on decisive leadership, sustained investment and a collective commitment to building a competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Africa.

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The rain kept pouring as the wedding car inched through knee-deep floodwaters to the church.

It was 22 July 2025 and Typhoon Wipha was battering the Philippines with 130km/h (80mph) winds. Jamaica Aguilar already knew it was flooded at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, an hour north of Manila, where her wedding was to take place.

“I remember praying and asking, please stop raining just for today so we can enjoy this,” Aguilar recalls, nearly a year later. “And luckily, it stopped when I [stepped] outside the car.”

The make-up staff had warned her there would news crews, but she had brushed them off, incredulous and nervous. Now she could see them. Stepping out of the car, she spread the train of her dress outside the church, as the media lined up.

“I was just nervous, and thinking to myself, this is it, this is the one,” said Aguilar. “Although this is not how I planned it, there it is.”

It’s love in the middle of a disaster – Aaron Favila

Aaron Favila, a photojournalist with the Associated Press, captured the moment, and his photos immediately exploded online. In April 2026, he won a prestigious prize at the World Press Photo 2026 for the images.

Fossil fuel emissions are driving up climate extremes. In practice, what this means is that the scene captured by Favila is likely to become more common: a bride having to walk down the aisle barefoot and through floodwaters, while almost 10 million people in her country reel from the impact of a tropical storm. The Philippines has a long history of dealing with and managing floods, but climate change is now rigging the game.

The night before

Aguilar and her fiancé Jade Rick Verdillo had attended a mass at Barasoian Church on the eve of their wedding.

Halfway through, it started raining heavily. Floodwaters moved through the wooden benches, covering the church floor. “We were watching the news non-stop, and it was saying [the rain] might get heavier,” Verdillo says.

The couple stayed up until 03:00 reading forecasts and texting the wedding planners, the church and their guests. Would the storm wane? Should they cancel the wedding? Would guests be able to make it?

The planners and the church offered to reschedule, but not their party venue. “I jokingly said to them that as long as there’s food for the guests, it’s OK not to have the tables,” says Verdillo.

In the end, they decided to push through: whatever the next day would bring, they were determined that the wedding would go ahead.  

The wedding day

Favila almost missed capturing the wedding. He was 50km (31 miles) away in Manila, having lunch after putting together a breaking news package about flood-hit communities.

He heard about the flooded wedding just one hour before its scheduled start.

When he got the tip, he didn’t hesitate. As the only photographer in the Manila bureau, he has covered many extreme weather events, “but never a wedding in floods”.

Favila jumped into his company’s car, but waist-deep floodwaters soon blocked it, so he left the driver and hitched a lift in a large rescue truck. When he saw the white gown in front of the church, he leaped off, but the bride’s pre-ceremony photo session had ended.

“They were actually finished,” he recalls. “The wedding organisers were waiting at the door.”

Still, he managed to catch Aguilar’s attention and directed her for a final few shots before she walked down the aisle.

“It’s love in the middle of a disaster,” he said. “You see the floods, and it’s not a happy picture. So, it’s a mixture of happy and sad and resilience. I think people connected with the photo because of that.”

Down the aisle

Before the wedding, the couple had scrolled through dozens of “bride reveal” videos on TikTok. The moment when the groom and the bride see each other was special for them.

On their wedding day, it didn’t work. “I was laughing inside my head because I couldn’t see him because of the reporters in the middle of the church,” Aguilar says.

Unable to see her fiancé, she focused on her steps. She was barefoot to improve her grip.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything except, ‘Please don’t fall, please don’t trip’, because the tiles were getting slippery as I went deeper and deeper into the church,” she says.

Still, there was a benefit of having so many TV cameras and photographers in the church, says Verdillo. Nearly half of the 100 guests couldn’t make it through the flooded roads.

“If the [media] weren’t there, I think our venue would have felt quite empty,” he says.

Throughout the wedding, the waters kept rising. From the altar, the couple could see that many benches were misaligned, nudged by the currents. 

As the ceremony wrapped up, they lined up for photos. It was impossible for them, however, to know which camera belonged to the official wedding photographer and which were media. “So we were just smiling at everyone’s cameras,” says Verdillo.

Shortly after the ceremony, the couple took doxycycline pills to prevent flood-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, and asked their guests to do the same.

The aftermath

That evening, Favila filed the photos and went to bed as the newlyweds partied with their guests (after Aguilar had changed out of her soaked, heavy dress). The next morning, the couple and the photographer found themselves at the heart of a viral story. Other weddings in the Philippines had been disrupted by floods, but did not receive the same international attention.

“His photos were what went viral,” says Aguilar. “Especially the one of me outside the church. That’s the one that got everybody’s attention.”

Favila kept getting tagged on social media. Strangers sent the couple photos of them on the front page of US newspapers. Someone compared their wedding to a scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, in which one of Singapore’s richest brides marches through a pool of water.

Verdillo believes people found their story fascinating because it is relatable. “Problems are there. You cannot escape them. But what you can do is face them and move on with your life,” he says.

Saffron O’Neill, a researcher at the University of Exeter in the UK who studies climate visuals, says she wasn’t surprised the photos caught the world’s attention.

“These photos are so unexpected in how they pair the usual visual signals we expect to see in wedding photography (the couple, the white dress, the church, gathered friends and family) in a totally unexpected situation – standing knee-deep in floodwaters,” says O’Neill.

Favila believes his job as a photojournalist is to show people that climate change is happening now. “It’s not like before when people said, ‘Oh, in 10 years we will have great climate change effects’,” he says. “I think the effects of climate change are happening now.”

But the couple’s story is not only about resilience. Flooding became a heavily political issue in the Philippines during the 2025 storm season, following massive protests about a mismanaged $9.2bn (£6.9bn) fund for flood defences. Government inquiries identified hundreds of “ghost projects”, leading protestors to complain about backroom deals between politicians and companies. Senators, ministers and congresspeople have resigned or been fired in the aftermath.

Investment in flood defences is critical as the Philippines is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to typhoons and climate change is making these stronger. Warmer ocean temperatures due to global warming cause typhoons to become stronger and more damaging. Every decade since 2000 has seen a 17% to 19% increase in typhoon-related rainfall in the country.

Aguilar and Verdillo live in Navotas, a coastal area in northwest Manila, an area which is highly vulnerable to extreme weather and flooding. “They are slowly developing projects against flooding, but the rise of the sea level in Navotas is much faster than the effort the government is putting in,” says Verdillo.

After the couple furnished their house in 2025, their first typhoon season together took a darker turn. After water entered their house, their new refrigerator and washing machine broke down and their sofa and bed were completely soaked.

This year, they have added additional precautions, like raising the refrigerator up higher. Looking back at his childhood, Verdillo realises he had normalised flooding, but he says this is not tenable. “Now that I’m older,” he says. “I don’t want my children to experience the same thing.”

When they look back on their wedding day, Aguilar and Verdillo see it as a special moment.

“If you had told me beforehand that my wedding was going to be flooded, I would have said ‘no way’,” says Verdillo. “But now, honestly, I wouldn’t change anything about that day.”

The beneficiaries, selected through the academic competition initiated by the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, are expected to return home to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system.

The achievement marks a major milestone for the competition, which has grown beyond an academic contest into a platform that creates life-changing educational and career opportunities for young people.

The students earned scholarships to study medicine in Cuba after distinguishing themselves in the Kingsley Quiz Competition. Following years of rigorous training, they have successfully completed their studies and qualified as medical doctors.

The initiative forms part of Dr Agyemang’s vision to identify brilliant but needy students in the constituency and support them to pursue higher education and professional careers.

The return of the newly qualified doctors is expected to boost healthcare delivery while addressing the country’s growing demand for medical professionals.

Their success also highlights the transformative impact of academic competitions in discovering talent, nurturing potential and opening doors to opportunities that change lives.

Over the years, the Kingsley Quiz Competition has inspired hundreds of students across Abuakwa South to strive for academic excellence, with outstanding performers receiving opportunities to further their education and build careers in critical sectors.

The graduation of the 20 Cuba-trained doctors stands as one of the competition’s biggest success stories and underscores the long-term value of investing in education, talent development and human capital.

Speaking at this year’s event, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang reaffirmed his commitment to investing in the future of the youth in the constituency.

“Even if it is my last breath, I will dedicate it to education in this municipality because I believe in the pupils and students,” he said.

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Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed this while presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23.

He said government remains committed to ensuring that every Ghanaian has access to quality primary healthcare regardless of their income or location.

According to Dr Forson, the Free Primary Healthcare Policy, which was launched in April 2026, is aimed at expanding healthcare access, particularly for communities with limited medical facilities.

He told Parliament that government has so far distributed more than 24,000 pieces of medical equipment to strengthen diagnostic services, emergency care, and maternal and neonatal healthcare delivery.

The Finance Minister added that motorbikes, tricycles and mobile outreach equipment have also been deployed to improve healthcare services in hard-to-reach communities.

Dr Forson said government has expanded community screening programmes for hypertension, diabetes, cancers and other non-communicable diseases as part of measures to promote early detection and prevention.

He further noted that work is ongoing on the establishment of health kiosks, container-based health posts and the upgrading of existing primary healthcare facilities.

The initiative, he said, forms part of government’s broader commitment to strengthening the primary healthcare system and ensuring equitable access to essential health services nationwide.

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Just two years after the MTN Ghana Foundation commissioned a modern 60-bed Maternity and Child Health Block at the Keta Municipal Hospital, the facility has not only transformed healthcare delivery but has also restored confidence among expectant mothers, leading to a sharp rise in hospital deliveries.

A JoyNews visit to the hospital revealed a remarkable shift in maternal healthcare, with hospital authorities crediting the facility for increased antenatal attendance, improved patient outcomes and the highest number of deliveries recorded in the Volta Region in 2025.

The GH¢15.2 million project, completed in March 2024 under the MTN Foundation’s corporate social responsibility programme, was designed to bridge the hospital’s infrastructure gap and improve maternal and neonatal care.

The complex houses a 40-bed maternity ward with emergency rooms, delivery suites, recovery and lying-in wards, two operating theatres, consulting rooms, a neonatal intensive care unit, laboratory, pharmacy, outpatient department, mothers’ hostel and other support services, allowing patients to receive comprehensive care in one location.

For Hospital Administrator Faruk Iddrissu, the facility represents a complete turnaround from the difficult conditions that once confronted both patients and healthcare workers.

“We used to operate from a very small maternity ward, making it difficult to provide quality care. Sometimes women had to be managed on the floor because there simply wasn’t enough space,” he recalled.

According to him, the impact of the new maternity block has been immediate and measurable.

Over the past two years, the hospital has recorded approximately 25,000 antenatal care visits and admitted more than 6,000 pregnant women for delivery and maternal care.

He said the increased patronage reflects renewed public confidence in the hospital’s services, while improvements in maternal health indicators point to better quality care.

“The facility has improved access to quality healthcare for mothers and newborns. Today, more women are choosing to deliver here because they know they will receive safe and dignified care,” he said.

Inside the maternity block, the transformation is evident not only in the infrastructure but also in the morale of healthcare workers.

Maternity Ward In-Charge Grace Gunu, who has served at the hospital for seven years, said the facility has fundamentally changed the way maternal healthcare is delivered.

“This is more than a building. It has transformed the way we work and the care we provide. Staff now have a conducive environment, and mothers have access to comprehensive services under one roof,” she explained.

She said the integrated design of the complex, which includes the labour ward, postnatal ward, theatres, neonatal intensive care unit, pharmacy, laboratory and other support units, has reduced delays in treatment and improved patient experience.

According to her, the confidence inspired by the facility is reflected in the growing number of expectant mothers choosing the hospital.

“Since this maternity block was opened, attendance and deliveries have increased significantly. In 2025, Keta Municipal Hospital recorded the highest number of births in the Volta Region. That achievement speaks volumes about the impact this investment has made.”

For many mothers, the difference is deeply personal.

Women who delivered at the hospital told JoyNews that the modern facility offered them comfort, privacy and peace of mind throughout labour and delivery.

They praised the clean environment, spacious wards and dedication of the medical staff, describing the experience as a significant improvement over what many had previously encountered.

Several expressed gratitude to the MTN Foundation, saying the project has given mothers in Keta and neighbouring communities access to safer, more dignified maternity care.

Beyond the impressive infrastructure and rising statistics, the story unfolding at the Keta Municipal Hospital is ultimately about trust — trust that mothers can deliver in safe conditions, trust that newborns can receive prompt specialised care, and trust that when strategic investments are made in healthcare, communities reap lasting benefits.

Two years after its commissioning, the maternity block is not simply easing pressure on a hospital; it is helping rewrite the story of childbirth in Keta, one safe delivery at a time.

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The equipment, donated by Rikair Company Limited, is expected to significantly improve oxygen support for premature babies and critically ill newborns admitted to the hospital’s NICU.

According to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, the five oxygen concentrators will enhance the unit’s existing capacity to care for infants requiring oxygen therapy, while the mobile oxygen concentrator will play a crucial role during emergencies and in the safe transfer of patients within the hospital.

The Fund noted that the donation comes at a time when demand for neonatal critical care services continues to increase, making access to reliable oxygen support essential for improving survival rates among vulnerable newborns.

“Contributions like these strengthen the hospital’s ability to respond when every minute matters, ensuring that more patients receive timely, lifesaving oxygen therapy,” the Fund said.

The Ghana Medical Trust Fund expressed appreciation to Rikair Company Limited for supporting efforts to improve healthcare delivery, particularly for newborns in northern Ghana.

“We are sincerely grateful to Rikair for this generous donation. Thank you for partnering with us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Ghana’s youngest and most vulnerable patients up North,” the Fund stated.

The donation forms part of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund’s ongoing efforts to mobilise resources and partner with the private sector to improve healthcare infrastructure and expand access to quality medical care across the country.

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Speaking ahead of the faculty’s 65th anniversary celebration, Prof. Ayensu urged the public to seek professional medical advice before taking medications, stressing that the misuse of drugs could have long-term consequences on the country’s health outcomes.

“Every drug that you take is a potential poison. Drugs must be rationalised and should target specific conditions that people are suffering from. A lot of people take medication because they believe they understand their conditions, but it is important that we visit the pharmacy and seek medical advice when we are unwell,” he cautioned.

He explained that while pharmacists play an important role in guiding patients on the appropriate use of medicines, individuals must avoid self-diagnosis and ensure they receive proper prescriptions and medical guidance before taking any medication.

Prof. Ayensu warned that continued misuse of drugs could negatively affect the future wellbeing of the country if urgent steps are not taken to address the situation.

He also highlighted challenges confronting the faculty, particularly inadequate laboratory infrastructure, which he said is affecting the practical training of pharmacy students.

According to him, the increasing number of students admitted annually has outgrown the available facilities required for hands-on training.

“At the moment, what really is the issue is that the growing number of students admitted each year would need a certain calibre of training which goes beyond the ordinary classroom. That means they have to be accommodated within laboratories that are able to take a large number of students at a time,” he stated.

He noted that the current laboratory facilities cannot accommodate the growing student population, forcing the faculty to ration practical sessions.

“If we can have a laboratory which is big enough to accommodate more than 50 or 100 students at a time, it will be a wonderful exposure where they are able to gain a lot of experience that they need,” he added.

The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the pioneer pharmacy school in Ghana, is commemorating its 65th anniversary through activities organised by the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (GPSA)-KNUST.

The grand durbar served as the official opening ceremony of the celebration week, which is being held under the theme: “65 Years of Leadership: Consolidating Gains, Inspiring Generations.”

President of GPSA-KNUST, Albert Kobina Yalley, said the increasing student population continues to put pressure on the association’s resources and operations.

“The growing membership of GPSA-KNUST continues to increase the needs of student pharmacists, thereby stretching our available resources and expertise in implementing impactful programmes for students,” he stated.

Despite the challenges, Mr Yalley expressed optimism about the future, saying: “Our vision is that within the next five years, GPSA-KNUST students will be recognised as leaders, pioneers and pillars of Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry.”

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The closures followed a nationwide enforcement exercise conducted by the Authority to ensure that food businesses adhere to approved safety standards.

During inspections in the Ga East and Ga West Municipalities on Wednesday, July 22, the FDA identified several unlicensed facilities operating under unhygienic conditions. Some operators were also found to be manufacturing food products without the required regulatory approval.

Speaking to the media after the exercise, FDA Head of Communications, Mrs Rhoda Ewurabena Appiah, said the Authority would continue to enforce food safety regulations to protect public health and ensure that only licensed businesses operate in the country.

“Several facilities have been closed down,” she said, adding that the FDA remains committed to safeguarding consumers by taking firm action against businesses that violate food safety laws.

As part of the enforcement exercise, the FDA also closed down Virgen Natural Mineral Water, a sachet water production facility at Ashongman in the Ga East Municipality, after it was found to be operating without the required licence.

The Authority has urged all food manufacturers to comply with regulatory requirements or risk sanctions, including the closure of their facilities.

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Hospital officials say some critically ill patients must be transported by wheelchair before receiving treatment, but the limited supply has often delayed the timely movement of patients to consulting rooms and treatment areas.

The disclosure was made by Mercy Telly, Chief Nursing Officer and Nurse Manager of the Family Medicine Directorate, during a donation from Premier Health Insurance to help ease some of the challenges facing the facility.

“The number of patients we receive here every day is overwhelming. In some cases, we have to prioritize who gets a wheelchair because we simply do not have enough,” she said. “This sometimes affects how quickly patients can be moved for assessment and treatment.”

Ms. Telly who is the Acting Deputy Director of Nursing Services noted that while the staff are committed to delivering quality care, logistical challenges such as the wheelchair shortage add to the strain on health workers in the unit.

To mark its 15th anniversary, the health insurance provider donated 20 wheelchairs to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency unit to improve patient care and reduce pressure on the emergency unit.

She expressed appreciation to Premier Health Insurance for their intervention, describing it as timely and a much-needed boost to patient care at the hospital.

Ms. Telly further urged other health insurance providers to emulate Premier Health Insurance and come to the aid of the hospital, stressing that collective support is needed to bridge the resource gaps in the facility.

Chief Executive Officer of Premier Health Insurance, Percy Asare Ansah, revealed that the company responded to the hospital’s appeal after learning about the growing demand for wheelchairs, driven by the high volume of emergency cases handled daily.

He noted that the donation forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to support health facilities that serve large numbers of Ghanaians.

“As a health insurance provider, we understand the pressure on public health facilities. When we heard about the challenges with mobility equipment, we felt it was necessary to step in and provide support,” Mr. Ansah said.

He added that Premier Health Insurance remains committed to partnering with hospitals and clinics across the country to improve patient care and reduce the burden on healthcare workers.

“This is just the beginning. We will continue to identify areas where we can make a meaningful impact in the health sector. As part of our 15th anniversary celebrations, we are donating about 150 wheelchairs to public health facilities across the region,” he stated.

Percy Asare Ansah also made a passionate appeal to corporate institutions, philanthropists, and other stakeholders to come to the aid of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, noting that support from all sectors is critical to improving healthcare delivery at the facility.

“The hospital serves thousands of patients, and it will take a collective effort to address some of the challenges we are facing,” he said.

KATH remains the main referral hospital for the Ashanti Region and beyond, and its A&E Unit is often the first point of call for accident victims and emergency cases from across the middle and northern parts of the country.

Health experts have called for more support from government, corporate institutions, and individuals to help address resource gaps in major referral hospitals.

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She said Africa’s long-term health security will depend on its ability to finance its own priorities and build resilient health institutions capable of responding to emerging challenges.

Speaking on behalf of Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang at a High-Level Interactive Policy Dialogue in Accra on July 20, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah urged African governments to strengthen domestic health financing as global development assistance becomes increasingly uncertain.

The dialogue, organised by the African Renaissance Trust and the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit, focused on advancing domestic health financing, accountability and strategic innovation across the continent.

Reflecting on the Abuja Declaration, under which African countries pledged 25 years ago to allocate at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to health, the Deputy Minister said the continent must critically assess its progress in light of changing global financing realities.

“Official development assistance is less certain. Long-standing funding models are changing. Programmes that many health systems have relied on can no longer be taken for granted,” she said.

“That reality means Africa must strengthen its ability to finance its own priorities, build enduring institutions and invest in health not as a recurring expense, but as a foundation for economic growth and human development.”

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said Ghana is pursuing universal health coverage through policies aimed at expanding access to quality healthcare, improving health outcomes and reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

She highlighted the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, and the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative as two flagship programmes introduced to address financing gaps and improve healthcare delivery.

According to her, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund provides financial support for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of chronic non-communicable diseases that are either inadequately covered or not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

She said the fund also supports specialist healthcare by investing in medical infrastructure, equipment, research and specialist training.

On the Free Primary Healthcare Initiative, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah explained that the programme complements the NHIS by expanding access to essential primary healthcare services, with a strong focus on disease prevention and early detection.

She said every Ghanaian will be entitled to routine health screening for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers, as well as maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, treatment of common illnesses, community outreach, home visits and public health education.

The initiative, she noted, is being rolled out in phases, beginning with 150 underserved districts before nationwide implementation over the next few years.

The Deputy Minister also announced that the government has committed an initial investment of US$50 million to establish the National Vaccine Institute to boost local vaccine production and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

She said the investment builds on Ghana’s growing regulatory capacity, including the Food and Drugs Authority’s attainment of the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 status and ongoing efforts to commercialise locally manufactured anti-snake venom.

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah welcomed the launch of the African Renaissance Health Financing Insights Dashboard, describing it as an important accountability tool that will help governments monitor health financing commitments and measure progress across the continent.

She stressed that building resilient health systems requires more than financing, calling for greater investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, innovation, workforce development and stronger continental health institutions.

Concluding her remarks, the Deputy Minister urged African governments to move beyond policy commitments and deliver tangible improvements in healthcare.

“Our declarations must be translated into measurable progress in the lives of our people,” she said.

She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with the African Union, regional institutions and development partners to build stronger, more resilient and self-reliant health systems across Africa.

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According to the President, more than 90 million Africans living with hepatitis B or C remain undiagnosed, while malaria continues to place a significant burden on health systems across the continent.

Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra, where Heads of State and Government met to adopt a fully costed continental roadmap aimed at ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, President Mahama urged African leaders to work together to transform healthcare delivery.

He also highlighted the growing threat of non-communicable diseases, noting that they account for more than two million deaths each year among Africans under the age of 70.

In his opening address, President Mahama said Africa must move beyond traditional approaches to healthcare and embrace innovative, long-term solutions capable of addressing the continent’s complex health needs.

“Neglected tropical diseases still blind, disfigure and stigmatise our people, and if you are observant you will notice that most accounts of the global infectious diseases burden present a uniquely depressing African perspective,” he said.

The President stressed that Africa must reduce its dependence on external assistance and build resilient health systems capable of responding to the continent’s own priorities.

“Africa now stands at a crossroads defined by its appetite for total health transformation. It can no longer allow itself to be pushed to the periphery and cast as the destitute beneficiary of the largesse of some distant global health systems,” he stated.

President Mahama further emphasised that the commitments made at the summit must translate into concrete action rather than remain as declarations.

He called for sustained political will, increased investment in healthcare and stronger health systems to improve access to quality healthcare and effectively combat both infectious and non-communicable diseases across the continent.

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The joint medical mission, estimated to have cost GH₵2 million, brought together healthcare specialists from the United States and Ghana, combining international expertise with local medical professionals to deliver life-saving treatment to patients from across the country.

The five-day mission focused on advanced cardiac electrophysiology procedures, providing critical interventions for patients who would otherwise have struggled to afford the treatment.

During a debriefing session at the end of the mission, Director of the NCTC, Dr. Kow Entsua-Mensah, said the success of the exercise was made possible through seamless multidisciplinary collaboration.

He explained that the mission brought together cardiac surgeons, cardiologist-electrophysiologists, anesthesiologists, cathlab, operating room, ward and ICU nurses, radiographers, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and support staff.

According to him, the coordinated effort enabled the team to overcome technical challenges while ensuring all patients recovered well and were ready for discharge by the end of the mission.

Dr. Entsua-Mensah added that both the Ghanaian and US medical teams see the success of the mission as the beginning of a long-term partnership aimed at strengthening advanced cardiac electrophysiology care in Ghana through direct patient care, knowledge transfer and local capacity building.

He further noted that patients who were unable to attend the procedures during the mission would still receive treatment at the National Cardiothoracic Centre when they were ready.

Among the beneficiaries was Juliet Asabea Awuku, who had been living with heart failure secondary to peripartum cardiomyopathy. She was given a second chance at life after undergoing a successful Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) device procedure.

“The immense financial relief of this procedure means everything to us,” she shared. “My family and I are profoundly grateful to the dedicated local medical team here in Ghana, as well as the diaspora specialists who traveled to support us. May God richly bless you all for your gift of health and hope.”

Dr. Kamel Addo, a Cardiologist-Electrophysiologist and team lead from the Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio, said the partnership with the National Cardiothoracic Centre made it possible to perform complex electrophysiology procedures, including Cardiac Resynchronization Therapies (CRTs), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), and left bundle branch area pacing for under-resourced patients with severe heart rhythm disorders.

He also praised the professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by the staff at the Cardio Centre.

“The partnership with the Cardio Centre aided in tackling intricate electrophysiology procedures; specifically Cardiac Resynchronization Therapies (CRTs), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and left bundle branch area pacing, focusing on under-resourced patients suffering from severe heart rhythm abnormalities.”

He further commended the team’s discipline, skill and professionalism, saying it enabled the successful treatment of all 22 patients within the five-day period.

“Beyond the clinical expertise, the mission was sponsored by the Mount Carmel Foundation which helped lessen the financial burden of the devices and procedures, ensuring that high-level cardiac care was fully accessible to patients who otherwise could not afford these life-saving interventions.”

Deputy Director of Programmes at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Derick Oppong-Agyare, disclosed this on Adom TV’s current affairs programme, The Big Agenda, where he said the Commission’s interventions over the years have helped prevent the figure from rising further.

He said the data reflects the reality of HIV in the country and urged stakeholders to intensify efforts in testing, treatment and prevention to help achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

According to Mr Oppong-Agyare, three areas in Greater Accra currently record the highest HIV burden — Korle-Klottey, Tema and Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

Explaining the 2025 HIV prevalence rate, he said 14 out of every 1,000 people are living with HIV, which translates to 140 out of every 10,000 people or 1,400 out of every 100,000 people.

He noted that abstinence, which formed part of the Commission’s ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful, Condom use) campaign, has become less effective as a standalone prevention approach.

“You can be living with HIV for 14 years and not show any symptom,” Mr Oppong-Agyare said.

He further disclosed that a significant proportion of people living with HIV are between the ages of 15 and 24, stressing the need for increased awareness, testing and access to treatment among young people.

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The initiative seeks to ensure that 40 million people living with HIV are on antiretroviral treatment (ART) with suppressed viral loads, while 20 million people at risk of HIV infection have access to ARV-based prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectables.

Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Akanbong, said Ghana’s commitment was expressed during the United Nations General Assembly and will be reaffirmed at an upcoming African Union summit in Accra.

The “40+20” target complements the existing 95-95-95 goals but expands the focus beyond people living with HIV to include prevention services for those at risk.

With Ghana currently recording 337,435 people living with HIV, Dr Akanbong said achieving the milestone is critical to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

He explained that the roadmap focuses on increasing access to HIV testing, ensuring rapid linkage to treatment, expanding PrEP services for key populations, improving viral load suppression through adherence support, reducing stigma and discrimination, strengthening domestic financing and sustaining community-led interventions.

“The UNAIDS 40+20 milestone is the world’s new roadmap to ending AIDS by 2030,” Dr Akanbong stated.

The UNAIDS Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031 identifies the “40+20” milestone as a central component of efforts to accelerate progress towards ending AIDS. Unlike the 95-95-95 targets, which primarily focus on people already living with HIV, the new framework combines treatment and prevention goals while emphasising rights-based and stigma-free access to services.

African leaders are expected to gather in Accra for an African Union summit aimed at declaring a continental commitment to ending HIV/AIDS and other non-communicable diseases as public health threats by 2030.

A further declaration on inclusion by African countries is also expected at a United Nations meeting in September.

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The three-month pilot, supported by D-Prize, a global organisation that funds early-stage ventures addressing poverty-related challenges, seeks to improve immunization completion among more than 300 children at Juaben Government Hospital, Achiase Health Centre and Bomfa Health Centre.

The platform digitises immunization follow-up by allowing nurses to electronically register children at the point of care. It then sends automated appointment reminders and health education messages to caregivers in their preferred local language while providing community health workers with real-time updates on missed appointments.

The initiative is aimed at addressing a persistent challenge in Ghana’s immunization programme, where dropout between early and later childhood vaccine doses can reach 50 per cent due to missed appointments, inadequate reminders and dependence on paper-based record systems.

Co-founder and Lead at Synchora Health, Shadrach Tetteh Boyetey, said the platform was developed to strengthen follow-up systems without adding to the workload of health workers.

“Missed appointments and poor follow-up don’t just affect one visit; they compound. A missed childhood vaccine dose today becomes a preventable illness or deformity tomorrow. We built Synchora Health because closing that gap shouldn’t require more staff or more paperwork, just better coordination,” he said.

Health officials involved in the pilot believe the system could improve immunization coverage while reducing administrative burdens on frontline workers.

Emmanuel Amankwa, Municipal Disease Control and Public Health Officer at the Juaben Municipal Health Directorate, said the platform would help identify children who miss scheduled vaccinations.

“We know it’s going to help us to reduce missed children and other missed opportunities, and also help to increase our immunization coverage. We want it to cascade to the other facilities for everyone to enjoy, and then scale to other districts,” he said.

Principal Community Health Nurse at Juaben Government Hospital, Bempah Philip Bonsu, said digitising records would reduce paperwork for health workers.

“At first we used to do handwriting. In this case there wouldn’t be much writing because we are going to take this data on a machine or on our phones. It’s going to limit our workload,” he said.

The Juaben deployment is Synchora Health’s first field implementation since receiving support through D-Prize’s Child Immunization Challenge.

The pilot will assess whether low-cost digital communication tools can improve vaccine completion rates within Ghana’s public health system.

Synchora Health is a Ghanaian social enterprise developing digital solutions to improve outpatient care coordination, including immunization follow-up, chronic disease management, and maternal and child health services in resource-constrained settings.

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She said sustainable healthcare on the continent can only be achieved if governments take greater responsibility for funding the sector instead of relying heavily on foreign assistance, which she described as increasingly unpredictable.

Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit in Accra on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Ambassador Twum-Amoah acknowledged the value of international partnerships but stressed that external support should complement, not replace, national investment in healthcare.

“We must transform health financing. Africa cannot build sustainable health systems on unpredictable and declining external assistance,” she said.

She called on African governments to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and ensure healthcare remains a key priority in national budgets.

The AU Health Commissioner also urged countries to safeguard health sector allocations, improve the management of public funds and address inefficiencies that reduce the impact of available resources.

Ambassador Twum-Amoah further renewed calls for African nations to honour the Abuja Declaration by allocating at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to the health sector.

She, however, noted that increasing funding alone would not be enough, stressing that governments must also ensure resources are used efficiently to improve health outcomes.

“This is not simply about spending more. It is about spending better, prioritising prevention, primary healthcare, health workers, essential medicines, and services for those furthest behind,” she added.

According to her, investing in preventive healthcare, strengthening the frontline health workforce and improving access to essential medicines will be crucial to tackling the continent’s persistent health challenges and building stronger, more resilient health systems.

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The interdenominational musical group made the donation as part of its commitment to giving back to society and fulfilling a pledge made during its recent concert dubbed “Total Praise Concert” held in Kumasi.

A total of GH¢32,000 was raised during the concert to support cancer care, particularly among children.

“We are also deeply grateful to our patron, Nana Afia Achiaa Deiwaa, Queenmother of Asanteman in Sweden, whose generous contribution of an additional GH¢11,000 helped facilitate the discharge of patients who were unable to settle their medical bills,” the group stated.

The choir expressed appreciation to stakeholders who contributed to making the donation possible.

“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our patrons, partners, sponsors, supporters, and cherished fans. Your prayers, generosity, encouragement and presence made this initiative possible.

Every ticket purchased, every donation made and every act of support contributed to bringing hope and relief to children and families in need,” the choral group added.

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In a press release, the Ministry said the publication, attributed to South African broadcaster SABC, does not reflect the country’s public health situation and should be disregarded.

“The Ministry wishes to state unequivocally that Ghana has not recorded any case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The figures being circulated are false, misleading, and should be disregarded,” the statement said.

The Ministry urged the public to remain calm and rely only on verified information from official sources, warning that the spread of unverified reports could create unnecessary fear and panic.

It also disclosed that the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, recently visited Ghana’s points of entry, laboratories and treatment facilities as part of routine preparedness efforts to strengthen the country’s readiness to prevent and respond to any potential public health emergency.

According to the Ministry, these precautionary measures should not be interpreted as evidence of an Ebola outbreak in Ghana but form part of ongoing efforts to maintain the country’s emergency response capacity.

The Ministry further appealed to the public to avoid sharing unverified information and instead seek updates from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service on matters relating to public health.

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Hospital officials say some critically ill patients require wheelchairs to be moved before receiving treatment, but the limited supply often delays the timely transfer of patients to consulting rooms and treatment areas.

The concern was raised by Mercy Telly, Chief Nursing Officer and Nurse Manager of the Family Medicine Directorate, during a donation from Premier Health Insurance aimed at easing some of the challenges facing the facility.

“The number of patients we receive here every day is overwhelming. In some cases, we have to prioritise who gets a wheelchair because we simply do not have enough. This sometimes affects how quickly patients can be moved for assessment and treatment,” she said.

Ms Telly, who is also the Acting Deputy Director of Nursing Services, noted that while staff remain committed to delivering quality care, logistical challenges such as the wheelchair shortage add to the pressure on health workers in the unit.

To mark its 15th anniversary, Premier Health Insurance donated 20 wheelchairs to the hospital to improve patient care and reduce pressure on the emergency unit.

She expressed appreciation to Premier Health Insurance for the intervention, describing it as timely and a much-needed boost to patient care at the hospital.

Ms Telly further urged other health insurance providers to emulate Premier Health Insurance and support the hospital, stressing that collective efforts are needed to bridge resource gaps in the facility.

Chief Executive Officer of Premier Health Insurance, Percy Asare Ansah, said the company responded to the hospital’s appeal after learning about the growing demand for wheelchairs due to the high volume of emergency cases handled daily.

He noted that the donation forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts to support health facilities that serve large numbers of Ghanaians.

“As a health insurance provider, we understand the pressure on public health facilities. When we heard about the challenges with mobility equipment, we felt it was necessary to step in and provide support,” Mr Ansah said.

He added that Premier Health Insurance remains committed to partnering with hospitals and clinics across the country to improve patient care and reduce the burden on healthcare workers.

“This is just the beginning. We will continue to identify areas where we can make a meaningful impact in the health sector. As part of our 15th anniversary celebrations, we are donating about 150 wheelchairs to public health facilities across the region,” he stated.

Mr Ansah also appealed to corporate institutions, philanthropists and other stakeholders to support the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, noting that collective action is critical to improving healthcare delivery.

“The hospital serves thousands of patients, and it will take a collective effort to address some of the challenges we are facing,” he said.

KATH remains the main referral hospital for the Ashanti Region and beyond, with its Accident and Emergency Unit serving as a key point of care for accident victims and emergency cases from across the middle and northern parts of the country.

Health experts have called for increased support from government, corporate institutions and individuals to help address resource gaps in major referral hospitals.

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The 2025 National HIV Estimates and Projections report by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) indicates that new HIV infections reduced from 16,189 in 2024 to 13,951 in 2025.

AIDS-related deaths also declined from 13,429 to 12,051 within the same period, representing nearly a 14% reduction.

Presenting the report in Accra on Monday, July 20, the Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Isaiah Doe Kwao, attributed the improvement to sustained investments in HIV testing, treatment and care services.

“Ghana’s HIV response is making progress, but we still have more work to do to reach epidemic control and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

The estimates show that about 337,435 people of all ages are currently living with HIV in Ghana.

Out of this number, 315,513 are adults aged 15 years and above, while 21,922 are children below 15 years.

The report further indicates that 19,528 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 are living with HIV, with young people aged 15 to 24 years accounting for 33,317 cases.

Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Akanbong, said preventing new infections remains central to Ghana’s strategy to end AIDS as a public health threat.

He explained that every new infection increases the number of people who require lifelong treatment and care.

“Epidemic control means new infections and AIDS deaths must continue to come down. There should ideally be no new infections, although that is difficult to achieve. The objective is to reduce them to the lowest possible level,” Dr Akanbong said.

According to him, Ghana could further reduce new HIV infections from 13,951 in 2025 to about 6,430 by 2030 if prevention programmes, testing services and treatment coverage continue to improve.

AIDS-related deaths are also projected to decline from 12,051 in 2025 to approximately 4,893 by 2030.

The report noted that adult HIV prevalence among persons aged 15 to 49 years has declined from 1.79% in 2015 to 1.40% in 2025, with projections indicating a further reduction to 1.18% by 2030.

Dr Akanbong attributed the decline in prevalence to increased access to antiretroviral medicines, early initiation of treatment and improved retention of patients in HIV care.

However, he cautioned that challenges remain, particularly in identifying people who are unaware of their HIV status, expanding testing services and ensuring a consistent supply of medicines.

He called for stronger collaboration between government agencies, development partners, healthcare workers and communities to sustain the gains made in the HIV response.

The Ghana AIDS Commission said continued investment in prevention, testing and treatment services will be critical as the country works towards achieving the global target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

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The summit will be held under the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equity and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, TB, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases and Conditions in Africa.”

A statement from the Presidency, signed by the Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the meeting will bring together African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health, Finance and Foreign Affairs, the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, development partners, civil society organisations, youth representatives and private sector actors.

The summit is expected to focus on strengthening Africa’s health systems and accelerating the achievement of Universal Health Coverage across the continent.

According to the statement, the meeting will be held in two phases.

On July 21, experts from member states will meet to lay the technical foundation for discussions by ministers and Heads of State.

The following day, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government will meet to deliberate on and adopt key decisions on Africa’s health priorities, including a declaration aimed at accelerating the implementation of the African Union Roadmap to 2030.

The Presidency said Ghana’s hosting of the summit reflects President Mahama’s commitment to improving access to healthcare and advancing health reforms across Africa.

It highlighted government initiatives including the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care Programme, the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to expand access to essential services, and the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) to support Universal Health Coverage.

The statement added that government is investing in health infrastructure, workforce development, emergency preparedness and local pharmaceutical manufacturing to strengthen Ghana’s health system while contributing to continental efforts to end AIDS and tuberculosis and reduce maternal mortality.

A major side event of the summit will be a Call to Action on Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Survival, led by the African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, in partnership with the Accra Reset initiative.

The government said it looks forward to welcoming Heads of State, delegates and stakeholders to Accra and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with the African Union and member states to advance Universal Health Coverage across Africa.

The warning comes amid growing concerns over deteriorating air quality across the country, with pollution levels in several communities exceeding national and international safety limits.

Researchers and public health experts are urging stricter enforcement of vehicle emission regulations, improved urban planning, and greater public awareness to curb pollution and prevent thousands of avoidable deaths linked to respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer-related illnesses.

Air pollution has increasingly become a major public health challenge in Ghana due to rapid urbanisation, rising vehicle numbers, open waste burning, industrial activities, and widespread use of biomass fuels.

According to the latest study conducted by PSS Urbania Consult with support from the Clean Air Fund, pollution-related illnesses now account for more deaths annually than malaria, HIV/AIDS, and road traffic accidents combined, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated action by government, local authorities, and the public.

Speaking on the issue, Dr. Kwadwo Ansong, Deputy Director at CSIR-SARI, warned that car exhaust contains polycyclic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are classified as carcinogenic by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

“The smoke from cars contains polycyclic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, that can cause cancer. In Germany, there is a company called TÜV that checks cars with smoky exhaust. I urge the DVLA to put stringent measures in place to reduce the smoke in the air.”

He also advised the public to take responsibility for maintaining their vehicle engines to prevent excessive smoke.

The study identified major sources of pollution to include vehicular emissions, open waste burning, use of firewood, pesticides from farming activities, and dust from road construction.

The data confirmed the dire state of air quality in the capital region.

Senior Urban Planner and Managing Partner of PSS Urbania Consult Ltd. Joseph Ayitio in an interview with Adom News, advised Municipal Assemblies to implement measures designed to reduce air pollution.

Public Health Director for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, AMA, Mrs. Florence Kuukyi said the Assembly has put measures in place to address the situation.

“We have gotten support to mount low-cost sensors in Accra to monitor the level of air pollution and intervene where necessary. We are also putting down measures to decongest traders selling close to the roadside. This causes traffic and increases emissions. We are working to reduce that.”

Experts say without urgent intervention, the health and economic burden of air pollution will continue to rise.

This report was produced in collaboration with New Narratives with funding from the Clean Air Fund.

Some surveys suggest very high levels of anxiety and distrust of fillings and drillings, leading to people skipping routine cleaning and care trips to the dentist. Upwards of 70% of adults fear going to the dentist.

Yet, nearly every day, biochemist Hannele Ruohola-Baker gets an email from someone begging to undergo bizarre dentistry experiments that go beyond the routine pains resulting from most dentist visits – they want her to help them regrow their teeth.

That’s because Ruohola-Baker is part of a growing number of scientists worldwide harnessing the power of regenerative medicine to replace traditional dental procedures for the millions of people who are missing teeth and managing tooth pain.

If their vision becomes reality, a visit to the dentist could one day involve regrowing damaged teeth tissue or even an entire tooth, rather than repairing it with synthetic materials or yanking it out – an appealing prospect not only because of its novelty, but also because teeth play a greater role in health and well-being than many may realise.

“When we first began, one thing became very clear to me,” says Ruohola-Baker, who is the associate director of the University of Washington Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine in the US. “People are ready for something new in dentistry.”

Open wide

Teeth are “your window to the world,” says Pamela Yelick, a professor at the Tufts School of Dental Medicine in the US. “If you’re afraid to open your mouth or can’t eat properly, it’s a very downward spiral.”

Historically, it was underappreciated that “oral health is key to good systemic health,” says Yelick. Now, it’s increasingly understood that dental issues, like bacteria from gum disease, can increase the risk of heart disease and respiratory infections. They have even been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Tooth loss, meanwhile, is associated with more illness and earlier death. It affects the ability to eat, chew, and smile, and can harm social and emotional well-being – an insidious cycle that can begin in childhood.

Dentists have many tools to help counteract this. They can repair cavities by removing what’s damaged and filling the space with a man-made material, such as a resin composite. And they can use fillings to fix minor chips and cracks.

But these are imperfect solutions. For instance, there’s a lot of variability in the durability of fillings, which can last anywhere from about five to 20 years. It’s also not uncommon for people to have to go through “repeated interventions” with procedures like these, says Anne George, a professor of oral biology at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in the US.

That’s because these fixes primarily focus on “repairing damage, rather than restoring biological function,” says George. Instead, “regenerative dentistry can be a paradigm shift,” says George. “It emphasises healing.”

Self-filling cavities

Cavities, for one, are “the most common thing that destroys the tooth,” says George. 

Teeth have four main layers: enamel, dentine, cementum, and tooth pulp. Cavities develop when dental plaque bacteria feed on sugars and produce acids that gradually dissolve that first layer of tooth enamel. Dentine is beneath enamel and is softer and less resistant to decay, and when enamel is lost and dentine becomes exposed, cavity risk further increases.

George researches the proteins that help dentine grow, mineralise, and repair itself. She was also part of a team that cloned one of the genes that helps build dentine, understanding more about the inner workings of how teeth create and maintain this tissue in the first place. This knowledge could lead to new treatments that stimulate damaged teeth to repair cavity damage with new dentine on their own, says George, ending the need for traditional fillings to plug the holes instead.

Ruhola-Baker and her team are also working on “living fillings” – but ones rooted more in enamel, rather than in dentine. After researching donated wisdom teeth, the scientist found that the special cells that make enamel, called ameloblasts, die after a human tooth erupts so they cannot be stimulated once the tooth breaks through.

Instead, the team used chemical signals to coax some stem cells into ameloblasts, and induced other stem cells to become odontoblasts, which are cells that make dentine. Combined in a dish, these ingredients produced a tooth organoid that secretes enamel proteins on its own.

Ruohla-Baker can see a future in which these enamel proteins are used to make fillings or painted onto cracked teeth. But her long-term goal is a whole lab-grown tooth: eventually, she wants to embed the engineered cells necessary to build a tooth in a patient’s mouth and let “nature take care of the rest,” she says.

How to farm a tooth

If a tooth has many cavities and decay, the best and easiest treatment may be to pull it out and place an implant – a combination of a screw-like post, an artificial crown, and a connector of the two. 

But implants don’t contain nerves that help you feel while you chew, so it’s possible to unintentionally bite down too hard and crack the implant. Bacteria can attach to the implant, leading to a condition that can affect the remaining healthy teeth. Artificial crowns need replacement after about 15 years and can cost thousands of dollars, depending on your insurance.

Entirely lab-grown teeth, instead, could be a more durable solution than implants, says Ana Angelova Volponi, director of regenerative dentistry at King’s College London, in the UK.

“Rather than just trying to patch what has been damaged, we could use a biological replacement,” says Volponi, who is also creating an organoid capable of developing into a replacement tooth. 

Even if a pig is harvested for food, there are tooth buds that are in the jaw getting ready to form another tooth – Pamela Yelick

Volponi’s team found that cells taken from adult human gum tissue, combined with tooth-forming cells from mice, could produce a hybrid human-mouse “tooth structure” with viable, developing roots. She’s now working on ways to recreate the instructions that guide such tooth formation, along with engineered biomaterials that might help those cells assemble into a structured, functional tooth.

Unfortunately, this does not happen naturally.

Unlike some other animals, humans can’t continuously grow new teeth once something happens to their adult set. Sharks, instead, have an endless supply of teeth, regenerating them in a continuous conveyor-belt-like manner. Kangaroos get multiple sets of molars, as do elephants.

Pigs also have a biological quirk: their jaws contain multiple sets of unerupted adult tooth buds. It’s because of this eccentricity that Yelick was able to grow human-like teeth in adult Yucatan minipigs using a combination of human and pig tooth cells.

The team collected cells capable of forming dentine from human teeth and cells that form enamel from unerupted teeth in discarded pig jaws from a butcher. “Even if a pig is harvested for food, there are tooth buds that are in the jaw getting ready to form another tooth,” says Yelick.

After growing the cells in a laboratory, the researchers combined them on a bioengineered scaffold designed to mimic the environment of a developing tooth. After three months, tooth-like structures developed at a rate close to that of natural pig teeth.

“It was a proof of principle that this could really work… many, many people reached out who were desperate to fix their own tooth problems,” says Yelick, who is now looking to do the experiment over a longer period of time, and directly inside a pig jaw. Eventually, Yelick and her team want to prompt cells to grow teeth in a person’s mouth without any pig cells involved.

From the lab to the dentist’s chair

Despite the demand, we’re still years away from the first person to get self-filling cavities or a lab-grown tooth replacement. Before “we can begin to talk about” studying humans, experiments with non-human primates have to happen first, says Ruohola-Baker. That will take more research, time, and money. Plus, to get lab-grown teeth into human mouths, researchers need to create improved environments for tooth development.

In the meantime, the lessons learned in regenerative dentistry could help broader efforts to reproduce various parts of the body, such as organs and bones. Because teeth are “highly sophisticated living organs,” says Yelick, efforts to replicate them in labs are teaching scientists how hard and soft tissues work together on a very basic level.

While it may not happen soon, Volponi is confident that safe, sustainable regenerative dental solutions will eventually be available to the public. “That’s where I see the future,” she says. “It’s not very clear, but it’s hopeful.”

Addressing Parliament’s Majority Caucus Retreat in Ho in the Volta Region, the Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund said the Trust Fund has laid a solid institutional foundation and is already delivering on its mandate to provide financial relief for patients living with chronic non-communicable diseases while strengthening Ghana’s healthcare system.

The Administrator commended Parliament for passing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Act, describing it as a historic decision that has given hope to thousands of Ghanaians who previously struggled to afford life-saving treatment.

Rather than rushing implementation, the Trust Fund focused on building transparent governance systems, recruiting technical personnel and developing operational structures capable of sustaining the programme for generations. A nationwide needs assessment followed, taking officials to teaching hospitals, regional hospitals and specialist facilities across Ghana to identify critical equipment and infrastructure gaps.

The Administrator revealed that the Fund completed a pilot programme under which 50 patients suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases received life-saving financial support. The exercise enabled the Trust Fund to test patient enrolment, claims processing, provider payments and digital systems before the nationwide rollout.

Beyond supporting patients, the Trust Fund has also intensified efforts to modernise healthcare infrastructure through partnerships with corporate institutions and development partners. These collaborations have resulted in the donation of essential medical equipment and consumables to hospitals based on identified needs rather than political considerations.

Highlighting one of the Trust Fund’s flagship achievements, the Administrator pointed to the commissioning of the reconstructed and expanded Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Within just two days of its inauguration, specialist teams had begun performing complex cardiac procedures, with 30 patients expected to benefit by the end of the week.

The Administrator also announced that two additional Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital are expected to be commissioned before the end of the year, while future facilities are planned for Ho Teaching Hospital and the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, as has been announced by the President to decentralise access to specialist cardiac care.

On human resource development, the Trust Fund has invested heavily in specialist training through partnerships with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, and the Ghana College of Pharmacists.

It has also supported the commencement of training for 500 post-basic nurse specialists, with the long-term vision of ensuring every region has at least ten specialists capable of managing chronic diseases.

The Administrator said the fourth pillar of the Fund focuses on research to ensure healthcare policies and investments are driven by evidence and tailored to Ghana’s disease burden.

Concluding the address, the Administrator declared that the Ghana Medical Trust Fund is no longer merely an Act of Parliament but “a functioning institution already saving lives,” calling on Members of Parliament to continue supporting the initiative to ensure no Ghanaian is denied specialised healthcare because of cost, geography or circumstance.

Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, revealed hospital bed occupancy currently stands at about 60 percent, meaning a significant number of beds remain available across the country’s health facilities.

Appearing before Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, she argued that the real problem is not a shortage of beds but the absence of an efficient bed management system capable of coordinating available capacity across facilities.

According to Dr Ayensu-Danquah, having real-time information on bed availability across hospitals would allow emergency teams to direct patients to facilities with the appropriate capacity, rather than patients being turned away despite beds being open elsewhere.

“If we have more beds, why are we having no-bed syndrome? I believe the occupancy rate is 60%. So with 100 beds in a hospital, 60 of them are occupied; 40 are open. So now why does somebody come and have a no-bed syndrome?” she questioned.

She explained that a coordinated system tracking available beds — including specialised units such as intensive care, maternity and orthopaedic wards — would help eliminate the delays currently experienced in admitting patients.

“We believe that if we have a proper management system that tells you that, for instance, in real time, Ridge Hospital has one ICU bed, two maternal beds and one orthopaedic bed, when the ambulance is coming, we can know where to take the patient,” she said.

The Deputy Minister maintained that the evidence available to the Ministry shows beds do exist in health facilities, but that weaknesses in coordination and information-sharing are what lead to situations where patients are turned away.

She stressed that improving hospital bed management would be central to ensuring patients receive timely care and to reducing complaints over unavailable beds.

The Association says the delay in implementing the migration amounts to a breach of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, which requires that accountants in certain public institutions have their salaries determined by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.

National President of HASAG, Samsudeen Mohammed, said members of the Association are being treated unfairly compared to accountants in other sectors already covered under the Act.

“By the PFM Act, 2016, we are supposed to be managed by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, but that has not been done. We want the Controller to perform the role as stated by the PFM Act. Even though the Controller is aware of this, we are reminding them of the plight of our members,” he said.

He made the remarks at the Annual Retreat of the Ashanti Regional Chapter of the Health Accounting Staff Association of Ghana, held under the theme: “Strengthening Financial Management, Improving Audit Performance to Improve Healthcare Delivery in Ghana.”

Mr Mohammed argued that the disparity in remuneration among accountants in the public sector violates the principle of equal pay for equal work.

“Under the International Labour Convention, equal work deserves equal pay. If an accountant at the Ghana Health Service is not paid like colleagues in other public sector institutions, then we are being treated unfairly,” he added.

The Association has already petitioned the Controller and Accountant General’s Department on the matter but is yet to receive a response.

The Ashanti Regional retreat focused on strengthening financial management practices within Ghana Health Service facilities, with participants receiving training on modern accounting and auditing approaches to improve financial management in health institutions.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr Fred Adomako, highlighted the critical role of accounting staff in the management of the country’s health system.

He said effective healthcare delivery requires efficiency from all stakeholders, including proper management of resources and the prevention of wastage.

“It is easy for us to list the staff and machinery we need and attach costs to them, but accountants can help us correlate all these costs with the expected outcomes,” Dr Adomako stated.

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The initiative targeted market women, traders, associations, food vendors, schools, communities, traditional and religious leaders with hygiene demonstrations, safe-water handling advice and prompt reporting mechanisms to nip potential outbreaks in the bud.

The exercise aimed to reduce cholera transmission by educating those who influence community behaviour and environmental conditions.

The stakeholders were to align resources, improves rapid response capacity and builds trust so communities adopt and sustain preventive behaviours, ultimately lowering cases and saving lives.

Dr Joseph Kizzie-Hayford, Deputy Director at the University of Cape Coast Hospital, who facilitated the engagement said it was prompted by the recurring cholera outbreaks, more urgently due to the recent floods in the region, which had devastating effects on residents, including loss of life.

He explained that cholera was a disease that caused diarrhoea, often described as cloudy “rice water.”

He said a person could contract cholera by swallowing cholera germs picked up from surfaces or objects contaminated with faeces or vomit from an infected person.

He added that key risk factors included contaminated water, poor sanitation and unsafe food practices.

Dr Kizzie-Hayford stressed that sustained public education remained essential to raising awareness of the risks and promoting simple preventive actions, such as drinking treated or boiled water, practicing good hand hygiene, using safe sanitation facilities and ensuring food was handled and cooked safely.

He warned that diarrhoea caused rapid loss of fluid and salts from the body causing severe dehydration that could lead to death within hours if not treated promptly.

On cholera prevention, he advised drinking and using only safe water from bottled water with an unbroken seal, water that has been boiled, or water treated with chlorine tablets like AquaTabs.

He advocated thorough hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and clean running water particularly after using the toilet, before preparing or eating food and after handling soiled items.

Foods like seafood and others must be thoroughly cooked, food must be eaten hot, and cooked food kept well covered and, where appropriate, fruits and vegetables before eating.

Dr Kizzie-Hayford, stressed the need to maintain a clean environment keep kitchens, bathing areas, and laundry areas clean, dispose of garbage promptly and protect water sources from contamination.

“Use latrines located at least 30 metres from water sources and ensure they are properly maintained,” he advised.

Also, he encouraged prompt reporting of diarrhoea illness for immediate treatment as early rehydration, medical care and vaccination could reduce transmission and save lives.

Contributing to the forum, some stakeholders including Mr Isaac Arkoh of the Ghana News Agency urged the GHS to intensify media reporting on cholera, promote inter-agency collaboration particularly between the Ghana Water Company and district assemblies to drive timely prevention and response.

Nana Yaw Kwarko Gyimah II, Ankobeahene of Assin Bereku, urged traditional and religious leaders to collaborate with the District Assemblies to mobilise community members to enforce sanitation bylaws and work with health teams and ensure clean water, proper waste disposal and rapid action when cases were reported.

Mr Abubakar Adams, speaking for Muslims in Agona West, called on religious and community leaders to model and teach handwashing, safe food handling, and keep the environment n good sanitary conditions.

Others largely encouraged hygiene at home, distribution of educational videos and reading materials and warned that cholera could be contracted within households so families must keep water and kitchens safe.

Also read:

• Santasi residents fear cholera outbreak as refuse dump overflows

• GHS confirms no cholera outbreak after floods, urges continued preventive measures