News
Let’s stop stigmatisation of COVID-19 victims
Ghanaians have been cautioned against stigmatising victims and families affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as such attitude would inhibit efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, but it seems the advice has fallen on deaf ears.
Despite the numerous sensitisation, people continue to stigmatise and shun victims of the disease who had been declared negative through series of tests and also continue to label those who have returned from abroad as contracting the disease.
Such victims go through psychological trauma as those in the community, instead of showing love to them, rather refuse to get close for fear that they might contract the disease.
The Spectator is concerned about the attitude of some residents in the Kwaiebibirim Constituency in the Eastern Region, who called on the chiefs and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to evacuate a man from the community whom they suspected of contracting the COVID-19.
According to the residents, the man had returned from one of the countries that have been hard hit by the virus, so they would not stay with him in the same area.
The fact is, those who returned from abroad were quarantined for two weeks and they underwent series of tests to establish their status, whether positive or negative. It implies that this man might have tested negative or had recovered if he initially tested positive.
The fear is that if people are stigmatised, it would prevent those with symptoms of the virus from visiting the hospital for testing, and that means more people would be infected in case that person had contracted the virus but does not know his or her status.
It will pose more danger to the communities as the virus will keep spreading. Currently, the country has 5,408 cases with 514 recoveries and 24 deaths, but those who have died were said to have underlining health issues.
The earlier this issue of stigmatisation is addressed the better it would be for everybody because we are all at risk, no matter one’s status, whether rich or poor.
In fact, we all need to be knowledgeable and abreast of how the disease is contracted and what to do to prevent it, instead of allowing ourselves to be bombarded with rumours which will eventually cause emotional pain and make life unbearable for others.
The Spectator supports the advice of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency, Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo, and urge the public “to stop the stigmatisation of coronavirus patients and rather show love and care towards them to motivate others to quickly visit the hospital or go to the testing centres if they have acquired the virus”.
Indeed, the public needs more education on the coronavirus pandemic to take informed decisions in the best interest of all.
The Spectator is of the view that one major issue to stop the stigmatisation is to keep the privacy of those who may be part of the contact tracing and also those seeking health care.
Hopefully, a lot of people have recovered and Ghanaians have been informed by health experts that although there is no vaccine, the virus does not kill instantly.
The Ministry of Information (MoI) and the GHS should constantly sensitise people more in the local dialect to ensure that the citizenry are well-informed on the disease and what it means to declare a person as recovered.
Let us stop the stigmatisation against COVID-19 victims and rather show love to them to build their self-esteem and to prevent the spread of the disease.
Above all, let us adhere to the health protocols by washing our hands regularly with soap under running water, using hand sanitisers and wearing face masks among others.
News
Don’t insert foreign material into vagina

A Health expert has expressed concern about the nature of health issues that confronts women in adulthood and has since advised them to help themselves by prioritising vaginal health.
According to the Acting Programmes Manager of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commey, most of the issues that affect women were caused by some negative practices they indulge in at youthful ages.
Those practices, according to her lead to serious health implications and urged them to desist from them.
For instance, the insertion of foreign objects into the private parts was something women must avoid.
Dr Mary Efua Commey gave the caution last week during an interactive session with female staff of the New Times Corporation (Times Ladies) aimed to create awareness on cervical cancer, and the need to vaccinate and screen girls and women.
According to Dr Commey, some women insert white clay, popularly known as ‘ayilo’, naphthalene balls (camphor), cloves (pepre), herbs, vagina tightening creams and many other things into their private parts.
But in response to that, she told the women to “leave the vagina alone; use tap water to wash it, don’t insert your finger into the vagina.”
She underlined that the vagina naturally cleanses itself, hence, there was no need to use soap and other detergents to clean it.
Dr Commey explained that the position of the cervix makes it easier to trap infections, a situation that might create problems, adding that, “let us not create new problems because you don’t know how your body will react to these chemicals.”
According to Dr Commey, women were expected to be screened once every three years but most sexually active women do not get screened after all.
She mentioned that one of the reasons some women shy away from screening was because they do not have the permission of their husbands.
Furthermore, she recounted a few instances where some men acts as impediment on the way of their wives because they do not understand what it means for their wives to be screened for cervical cancer.
She said the death rate for cervical cancer was unacceptably high as the GHS was trying to reduce the number.
She again indicated that over 3,000 cases of cervical cancer was recorded every year with more than half death cases.
Dr Commey mentioned that screening rate among women in Ghana was extremely low with only 3.6 per cent women screening for the disease in 2023.
Moreover, mentioning some of the risk factors of the disease, she said women with family history, multiple sex partners, personal history of abnormal screening results, women with persistent HPV infection, and smoking were prone to it.
She said signs and symptoms of cervical cancer include bleeding during or after sex or between periods, post-menopausal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pain during sex and lower back pain.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Silence box fighting violence, forced marriages in Nanumba North District

Aisha, a 16-year-old girl’s prefect of Nabuli Junior High School in the Numumba North district of the Northern region, is among hundreds of girls in rural communities, where a simple metal box kept in a safe room in their school is offering a lifeline for many innocent girls.
To the untrained eye, it looks ordinary. It’s just a box with a narrow slit at the top, but to the teenage girls, it is a silent witness and a keeper of secrets. “This is the Violence Reporting Box.
In Nabuli, violence was once an unspoken norm for decades, where issues of domestic abuse, child marriage, and gender-based violence were swept under the carpet.
The victims bore their pain in silence, fearing banishment when such issues were reported to powerful community elders.
It was installed as part of a community driven initiative, spearheaded by ActionAid and implemented by songtaba, a local base NGO.
Madam Hamida Kukuna, the Community Officer for Songtaba at Nabuli said the box does not judge, but only listen, trying to address your issue if you have been wronged.
She indicated that every week, trained volunteers discreetly emptied the box, forwarding reports to a team of social workers and law enforcement officers stationed in the district capital, after victims of violence anonymously slip handwritten notes into the box.
“At first, the box was a curiosity, where children giggled as they looked at it, and villagers questioned its purpose”, she said.
Ms Hamida continue that for weeks it remained empty, then after one rainy evening, she saw a footprint towards the box so she opened it and saw a piece of paper inside.
It stated “He comes every night when my mother is away. I am only 12, Please help me.”
The volunteers acted swiftly and that led to the identification of the girl and rescued her from her abusive uncle, who was later arrested.
The news spread quickly, and for the first time, the people of Nabuli realised the power of this silent box.
Soon, more notes followed, as a wife who had been battered for years sought help and a father reported his daughter’s forced marriage to a much older man.
According to Hamida, the box became a beacon of hope, an outlet for the voiceless.
Moreover, she said within a year the box has facilitated the rescue of over 30 individuals from abusive situations.
“It has also triggered critical conversations about violence, gender roles, and justice in the community, she added.
Mrs Beatrice Yanman Biije, a Programmes Officer at ActionAid Ghana at the Tamale office stated that village council, once complicit in silencing victims, began working with the authorities in creating a safe place for the teenagers.
She said one of the most remarkable transformations was when a 26-year-old mother of two, after years of beatings from her husband, wrote a note to the box with the help of a teacher.
“Her story inspired the creation of a women’s cooperative, offering skills training and support to survivors of abuse,” she said.
She added that, the initiative faced hurdles, where some villagers accused the box of encouraging rebellion and breaking families apart, said an elder in the community.
“Others tried to sabotage it, spreading rumors and threatening volunteers, but the tide was turning with each life saved, the community’s support grew stronger”, she added.
The success of the violence reporting box in Nabuli caught the attention of many schools in the communities around who are working on getting a metal box.
The box stands as a testament to what happens when silence is broken, when whispers become voices, and when justice is given a chance to thrive, even in the most unlikely places.
From Geoffrey Buta, Nabuli