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Family planning an economic intervention – NPC boss
Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, Executive Director of the National Population Council, has advised Ghanaians to see family planning as an economic intervention to societal hardship.
She gave this advice exclusively to The Spectator in an interview last week in her office in Accra.
She indicated that, the well-being of a society and a nation as a whole stemmed from family planning, which was the reliable way to get rid of unwanted pregnancies and pre-term babies.
According to the Medical Doctor, unwanted pregnancies which mostly resulted in pre-term babies incurred additional costs to cater for such babies by the state.
These babies, she said, mostly grew up to become deviants in the society since they never had good parental guidance to help them accomplish their dreams.
She added that society survived on “relevant education”, hence there was the need for quality formal education for every child, and “when such child is deprived of that, it breeds the grounds for a dangerous community”.
“If you keep children out of school, they do not harness their God-given talents and are full of ignorance, where ignorance is a disease which breeds poverty,” she noted.
Dr Adelaide Appiah stated that “giving birth is not a talent” and asked the young girls to focus on their education than becoming mothers at their tender age.
On her part, the growth and development of a nation hinge on family planning which is a progress for individual’s to have a harmonious living.
“In fact, good parenting helps children develop their social, emotional and academic skills, as these qualities are needed for sustainable individual, community, national and global development,” she stressed.
Dr Appiah said if individuals accepted family planning as an economic intervention, the community also became resilient leading to a resilient nation as well.
Occupying a statutory obligation as the Chief Advisor to the Government of Ghana on well and effective population management for the betterment of Ghanaians, Dr Appiah promised to deepen her commitments in tackling population issues in the country.
“National Population Council (NPC) would continue to educate and sensitise policy makers, policy implementers and the general public on the importance of effective population management; and to appreciate the need for improved and sustained quality of life,” the Executive Director reiterated.
According to her, “NPC constantly advocates and orchestrates effective population management that meets the socio-economic development of all, and this conscious effort starts with planning the family as the unit of societal progress.”
She further stated that, the success story of any nation hinged on good, responsible, disciplined, kind and stable parents.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
News
Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.
However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.
The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.
This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.
The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.
According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.
“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.
“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.
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Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms
The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.
He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential
Consumables amounting to about 35 items.
Among the items highlighted were
Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.
The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.
He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.
He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.
Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.
The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.
The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.
