Editorial
Free sanitary pads distribution a game-changer
Dear Editor,
I wish to use your medium to commend the government of John Dramani Mahama for implementing the bold government policy to provide sanitary pads free of charge for girls.
The National Sanitary Pad Distribution Programme is one that will end the trend where young girls miss school during their menstruation periods because their parents cannot afford sanitary pads.
This is a clear interpretation of the president’s call to create and share the national resources.
The use of sanitary pads is seen in certain quarters as a preserve for the well-to-do in society. In some societies, it is pathetic seeing girls of menstruation age use old-fashioned methods to manage it.
For health and safety reasons, it is important to make sure that our girls are provided with decent material to manage their flows in comfortable and convenient ways.
The project marks an end to the era where mothers provide their daughters with cloth and tissue.
Without doubt, buying sanitary pads for two or three daughters or female relations staying with you can be very challenging sometimes due to the harsh economic conditions.
But this policy is a game-changer. What it means is that the cost has been taken by government.
For some of us parents, it is one of the ways to directly enjoy the little taxes we pay. I say well done to the government and hope that more of such social interventions would be rolled out to make life comfortable for the ordinary Ghanaian.
Lady Akushika,
Amanfrom
Editorial
Shedding light on Camara, a growing but overlooked suburb in Dansoman
Dear Editor,
I write to use your respected platform to bring attention to Camara, a small but growing suburb tucked within the Dansoman area of Accra.
For many, the name ‘Camara’ may not ring a bell and that is exactly the problem.
Though we are part of the vibrant Dansoman community, Camara is often forgotten when it comes to development, infrastructure, and public services.
This is a neighbourhood filled with potential: families, students, small businesses, and workers who contribute daily to Accra’s social and economic life.
Yet our roads remain untarred, streetlights and public facilities are few.
Security has become a growing concern, especially in the poorly lit areas.
Making Camara known is not about gaining attention for its own sake. It is about ensuring that we benefit from the development efforts enjoyed by other townships.
We need Proper street naming and signage to officially recognize the area, inclusion in municipal development plans, installation of streetlights and improved security patrols, road infrastructure and sanitation improvements, opportunities for youth engagement and education.
We deserve to be seen, heard, and supported. I appeal to urban planners, and the wider community to recognize Camara as part of the future of Dansoman.
Eugene Ampiaw,
Camara
Editorial
Take immediate action to end malnutrition
a development crisis and a public concern that requires immediate attention.
This is because hunger affects birth outcomes, maternal health, and child survival given that deficits in particular micronutrients pose a serious health burden and play a major role in childhood morbidity and death,
It is unfortunate that regional inequities and inadequate government funding for nutrition programmes still persist, despite continuous efforts to address the issue of malnutrition.
According to recent statistics from the 2022 Ghana Demographic Health Survey (GDHS) 18 percent of children under five are stunted, six percent are wasted, and 12 percent are underweight. Nearly half of these children also suffer from anaemia.
The statistics show that we must act immediately to prevent jeopardising the productivity and well-being of future generations.
These figures were revealed at a stakeholder engagement on malnutrition in Ghana which was organised by the Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed to empowering women and advancing gender equality in partnership with the Coalition of Public Health Actors (CAPHA).
The event served as the formal inauguration of the “Nourish Ghana; Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project,” one of WOMEC’s main advocacy efforts. The project’s goal is to increase public awareness of Ghana’s urgent malnutrition problem and its effects on development and health.
It established a forum for discussion aimed at bolstering national policy action on nutrition by promoting greater leadership, funding, and accountability, and particularly incorporating the media in the conversation.
In her statement, Mrs. Charity Binka, the executive director of WOMEC, stated that malnutrition costs Ghana roughly 6.4 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually and that, despite pledges, they are insufficient because the country continues to struggle with malnutrition.
With an emphasis on improving outcomes for women and children, WOMEC hopes the Nourish Ghana Project will address the ongoing problem of malnutrition and promote greater leadership, dedication, creativity, and investment in nutrition programmes.
It is also anticipated that the project will collaborate with lawmakers, policymakers, civil society organisations (CSOs), the media, and local stakeholders to promote long-lasting policy changes and boost funding for nutrition programmes through strategic advocacy, public awareness, and multi-sectoral engagement.
