News
It’s getting murkier, we must sit up!
It has been nearly three months since the country recorded its first coronavirus case on March 13, 2020. Since then, the numbers kept trickling in with over 17,741 infections recorded as of Monday June, 30 2020.
The recoveries which stand around 13,000 sound encouraging but the increasing number of new cases, almost on a daily basis, is still causing some anxiety in the country.
A major concern which keeps popping up, however, is that of frontline health workers who lament over the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and inadequate testing kits.
According to the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), results of patients sometimes arrive between seven to 10 days after samples are taken — a situation which the association admits, does not augur well for case management.
Our country’s death rate compared with those reported in other jurisdictions is relatively low. But the fact remains that a significant number of committed health workers across the country continue to lose their lives in the line of duty.
As we battle the active cases, sections of the public believe that there could be more positive cases in the population apart from the figures so far confirmed.
Despite the dangers posed by COVID-19 pandemic, citizens are still going about their normal duties along with political acclamations and other activities geared towards election 2020. Some individuals are complacent and, therefore, decide where and when to wear their face masks.
Presently, with about 117 recorded deaths, the pandemic has proven that it is no respecter of persons. Our hearts go out to families who have lost their loved ones in these trying times.
In view of the fact that majority of the populace seem to have thrown caution to the wind, The Spectator wishes to call for the imposition of more stringent measures to ensure the mandatory wearing of nose and face masks.
We believe this would instill discipline in certain areas, especially in the Greater Accra Region where the cases keep rising.
It is also pertinent to protect the lives of our frontline health workers and all individuals actively involved in the fight against COVID-19. Those in charge should, as a matter of urgency, release PPE to the health facilities for a “stitch in time saves nine”.
Factories that are producing the equipment need to set up their game. If we must open additional testing centres across the country to fast-track the release of test results, the better it would be for us.
While at it, authorities must go the extra mile to enforce social distancing at the voter registration centres as the crowd-control measures witnessed recently leave much to be desired.
We pray that an antidote to the pandemic is found soon as the nation gears up for the polls in December 7, amidst COVID-19.
Everything points to the fact that our version of the coronavirus pandemic is getting murkier, but if we keep playing the ostrich, the reality of the disease will expose us all.
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
