Nutrition
Media must be passionate about NCDs , mental health issues – Dr Mavis Sakyi
Dr Mavis Sakyi, the Acting Head of Public Health and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health, has urged the media to be passionate on issues of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health to create platforms for financial support for awareness creation.
She said NCD rates such as cancers, respiratory disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, among others, and mental health were becoming alarming and could lead to the next pandemic in the country.
She stated that about 54 per cent of deaths were caused by NCDs and there was the need for agenda setting on the issue by the media in the print, online, social media, television, and radio for financial dialogue to support awareness creation.
Dr Sakyi advised at a day’s capacity-building seminar for media professionals and members of civil society organisations on NCD and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on the theme: “Accelerating UHC through the 2 Global Financial Dialogue on NCDs and Mental Health”.
Mr Labram Musah, the National Coordinator of the Ghana NCD Alliance in a presentation called on the government to earmark a percentage of the excise tax revenue for NCDs and mental healthcare.
He said more than 60 per cent of people living with NCDs face a financial burden, which results from out-of-pocket payment costs of medicine, outpatient visits, and hospitalisation, among others.
“This had led persons, families and communities into poverty,” he stated.
Mr Musah entreated the government to remove subsidies on harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans-fats, and the rest to prevent diseases.
He said; “It is estimated that 3.1 million Ghanaians are living with mental health issues, and globally, it is estimated that 15 million lives a year will be ended prematurely because of NCD and mental health.
“Treatment costs also increase exponentially in the case of multi-morbidities, which is becoming more of a norm rather than an exception,” he stated, saying; “NCD is cross-cutting and has dire consequences on many communicable diseases.
He said the catastrophic spending on the diseases had contributed to many households adopting negative coping mechanisms that included reduced spending on other health costs, food, education, and the rest. – GNA
Nutrition
Meat Pie
Meat pie
Meat Pie is a West African pastry that is stuffed with meat. It can serve as an appetizer at restaurants, parties, etc.
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups of flour
1 cup of butter
1 tablespoonful of salt
1/2 cup of water
2 eggs for coating
Meat Pie filling
1 pound of meat (You can substitute it with ground beef, chicken breast or tuna)
1large onion
1 tablespoonful of Adobo seasoning or seasoned salt
1.5 tablespoonful of olive oil
Instructions
Crust
Combine the crust ingredients:
flour, butter, salt and water in a large bowl
Mix and knead it until a dough forms
Set aside in a freezer for 10 minutes
Filling
Pour oil in a frying pan and put it on medium heat
Add the meat and seasoning and let it cook for 10 minutes
Add onions to meat and let it cook for another five minutes
After the filling is done, roll the dough with a rolling pin.
Cut a piece of the dough into a square or circle, you can choose to make it large or small.
Add some meat to each pie and fold in half and seal it. Use a fork to close the edges so the meat does not fall out.
7.Coat pies with egg wash so you get that golden brown look.
Nutrition
Akotonshi (Stuffed crab)
Akotonshi
Akotonshi is a delicious stuffed crab dish that is associated with feasting in Ghana.
The dish is sprinkled with breadcrumbs and placed under a broiler. When served, akotonshi is usually garnished with chopped parsley.
Ingredients
5 large whole crabs or cooked crabbed meat
2 large fresh ginger
3 tablespoonfuls of cooking oil
2 large onion minced
1 tablespoonful of ginger ground
2 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 tablespoonful of tomato paste
1 large green bell peppers finely chopped
1 tablespoonful of ground nut meg
1 tablespoonful of cloves ground
1 tablespoonful of dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup of dried shrimp
1 cup of plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoonfuls of salt
Preparation
-When cooking crabs, clean them and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-Add in the ginger, cloves and the crab, cook for 15 minutes. Remove crabs and meat, keep shells for plating.
-If using just crab meat mix crab meat with ¼ cup water that has been boiled with the ginger piece and cloves for 15 minutes. Drain water, flake the meat and set aside.
-In a heavy pot, heat oil to medium temperature and add other ingredients in the following sequence, stirring for a minute or so between each: onions, ground ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, cumin, nutmeg, thyme, grains of paradise, paprika, mashed peppers, and dried shrimp.
-Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until vegetables are cooked.
-Add crab meat and stir another couple of minutes to heat it through. Then spoon the mixture into clean crab shells or ramekins (small individual baking dishes).
-Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each crab and toast under an oven broiler, being careful not to let the crumbs scorch. —Source: Pulse.gh
