Hot!
Health crisis looms as Global Fund suspends shipments to Ghana
Ghana faces a potential health crisis after the Global Fund suspended shipments of essential medical supplies due to delays in clearing previous donations stuck at Tema Port.
This includes vital antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients.
The Africa Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis (ACHPR&A) expressed grave concern over the government’s inaction in expediting the release of these donated supplies.
Dr. Thomas Anaba, Executive Director of the Africa Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis, minced no words in a Citi News interview criticising the government’s lackadaisical approach to clearing vital health commodities.
He emphasised the urgency of the situation, highlighting the visit of a Global Fund delegation that yielded no progress.
The delays have also alarmed the Ghana AIDS Commission and a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) focusing on HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The CSOs have announced a protest on April 17, over the prolonged detention of essential medical supplies.
“A 12-member delegation from the Global Fund paid a working visit to this country to follow up on the locked-up commodities. In spite of all their efforts, they did not make any headway and the commodities still remain uncleared at the ports,” he said.
According to him, “They have therefore indicated that Ghana risks losing all Global Fund Support if the government fails to act on the matter. To start with, they have already suspended all commodity shipments to the country until the ones at the ports are cleared.”
“This development has dire consequences for the hundreds of thousands of our compatriots on free medications donated by Global Fund,” he added.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Hot!
Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
Hot!
NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
