News
NTC, GSA pledge to strengthen ties
The Ghana Science Association (GSA) on Tuesday called on the management of the New Times Corporation (NTC), to strengthen the relationship that exists between the two institutions.
The call was also to appreciate the corporation for sponsoring its 19th biennial workshop organised last year and presented a certificate to the management of the corporation.
Presenting the certificate, the Scientific Coordinator of GSA, Mr Forson Dzotor, said the association was a voluntary, non-profit and multidisciplinary association of scientists with membership made up of all scientists in public universities and research institutes across the country.
He said the mandate of the association include promotion of science, technology and mathematics and creating a platform for scientists, policy makers, industry and anyone interested in science.
He said such platforms offer opportunity to individuals to share ideas, interact and deliberate on topical issues that bother on national development and come with recommendations to government.
Mr Dzotor said a number of institutions had been formed through recommendations from scientists to the GSA and collaborations established with the private sector to improve science in the country.
According to Mr Dzotor, the association had collaborated with a number of institutions including media houses adding that “we had a good collaboration with The Ghanaian Times.”
The Acting Managing Director of NTC and Editor of The Spectator, Mrs Georgina Naa-Maku Quaittoo, expressed gratitude to GSA for recognising The Ghanaian Times, adding “ this is the beginning of the friendship between us.”
On his part, the Acting Editor of The Ghanaian Times, Alhaji Salifu Abdul- Rahaman, observed the evolving relationship between scientists and the media.
He recounted how scientists operated on their own from their laboratories and relied solely on publishing their journals to disseminate their findings with the notion that the media would struggle to comprehend their technical language, which could lead to misreporting and, therefore, kept their work from journalists.
He however acknowledged the gradual shift, where scientists now engage the media, and involve them in scientific work and research.
Emphasising the role of the media in simplifying scientific concepts for the public, Alhaji Abdul-Rahaman said: “We have the skills and knowledge to break down scientific terms into language that the everyday person can understand.”
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Seven-member team announced to plan National Economic Dialogue.
In fulfilment of his promise to convene a National Economic Dialogue as part of his 120-
day Social Contract with Ghanaians, President John Dramani Mahama has set up a
seven-member National Economic Dialogue Planning Committee chaired by Dr ishmael
Yamson.
The members are Dr K.Y. Amoako, Professor John Gatsi, Mohammed Samara, Nelly
Mireku, Anthony Sarpong and Ernest De-Graft Egyir.
The National Economic Dialogue (NED) will offer a platform for dialogue and
consultation on the country’s pressing development challenges.
It will also discuss policy trade-offs and build consensus on reforms needed to transform Ghana into a high-growth, inclusive, and resilient economy.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
Hot!
Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
