News
‘Misinformation undermines trust in health systems, endangers lives’
An International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) impact award recipient in partnership with Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Mr Kelvin Odonkor, has identified health misinformation as one of the biggest health threats facing the country.
He noted that health misinformation had undermined trust in health systems and endangered many lives.
He said this at a training workshop in Accra to equip community health workers and health trainees with essential tools to combat false health narratives in their communities.
The workshop empowered health workers and young professionals with the awareness and tools needed to combat falsehoods in their communities.”
The event spearheaded by Mr Odonkor was in partnership with CHAG, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Public Health Nursing School, Korle Bu, FactCheck Ghana, DUBAWA and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with Meridian International Centre as the implementing partner.
The workshop was also aimed at enhancing participant’s ability to identify and verify misleading health information. Attendees included frontline community health workers, representatives from non-governmental organisation and health trainees.
Topics treated included understanding the distinction between misinformation (unintentional falsehoods) and disinformation (deliberate falsehoods), practical exercises in utilising fact-checking tools and techniques for verifying health-related information, and strategies for engaging with communities to correct misinformation and ensure accurate health communication.
According to Mr Odonkor, health misinformation poses a significant challenges particularly in underserved areas, leading to issues like vaccine hesitancy and the spread of harmful practices at home that could have otherwise been avoided with accurate information.
He further mentioned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana experienced a surge in health-related misinformation, which contributed to widespread confusion about the virus and vaccines.
At the end of the training works, participants were able to use fact-checking tools effectively to debunk health myths as well as formed a network of health misinformation fact-checkers and ambassadors committed to promoting accurate health information in Ghana.
Sharing their thoughts after the event, a public health nurse, Rabbi Braimah, said, “This workshop has enabled us to understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation. It has equipped me with the tools to ensure that the information I share or use is accurate.”
She also expressed her satisfaction for the programme, recommending that, “the training should nsot be limited to only the targeted audience but should be extended to religious groups and community leaders.
By Abigail Annoh
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
