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Menstruation is natural, normal phase of life …School children told on Menstrual Hygiene Day
Naa Amaley Tesaa (I) addressing the audience
Four institutions have collaborated to mark this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day with a short celebration at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Accra.
These are the Ga Mantse Foundation, Adwinsa Publications and the Father Campell SVD Foundation under the auspices of His Royal Majesty (HRM) King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse and President of the Ga Traditional Council.
It was celebrated under the theme ‘Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030.’
The Day, which falls on May 28, is to break taboos and increase public understanding of the value of proper management of menstrual hygiene (MHM).
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Ga Mantse, Queen Mother Naa Ameley Tesaa I of the Teiko Tsuru We Abola emphasised that menstruation is a normal and natural part of life and should never be a barrier to one’s goals, aspirations, or education. She also advised the young girls to accept this stage of life with dignity.
She added that the Ga Mantse Foundation was dedicated to raising awareness and education to empower young women and girls.
“I want to urge each and every one of you to learn about menstrual hygiene, support one another and advocate for gender equality. Your understanding and support will pave the way for a healthier and well informed community,” she said.
Dr. Evelyn Tawiah, a retired medical professional, said that eradicating the stigma associated with menstruation was imperative, and that menstrual hygiene day should be observed.
“It is time to make menstruation normal so that it will not be like when one is menstruating, she cannot go to school or go somewhere,” the speaker continued, adding that it was time to normalise menstruation as a part of daily life.
According to Ms. Joyce Akyere Adu, a representative of Adwinsa Publications, a company that supports children’s education, menstruation was taboo in the community and rarely discussed.
She added that the company has been sponsoring such programmes for the past six years and felt compelled to support the celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day.
She urged young people, parents in particular, to stay in strong relationships with their children and teach them self-care techniques instead of allowing their wards to feel that having a period is a social taboo.
Offering her perspective, Ms. Heritage 2023 Francisca Agama advised the teenagers on self-care, saying, “If you do not like bathing, ensure to bathe at least twice in a day when you are menstruating.”
She also reminded them to properly dispose of their used pads by packing them in a polythene bag rather than flushing them down the toilet.
She advised the young girls to get enough of exercise, eat a lot of fruits, drink lots of water, and get adequate sleep when they experience menstrual cramps.
By Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
