News
Smoke from wood fuel harmful to pregnant women
A woman smoking fish the traditional way
The Sekyere South District Health Promotion Officer, Ashanti Region, Mr Joseph Asore, has warned that wood fuel smoke poses significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups like pregnant women.
He said prolonged exposure to smoke from charcoal and firewood could increase the risk of low birth weight and infant mortality.
It could also exacerbate underlying health conditions such as asthma and lead to respiratory tract infections, reduced lung function and even heart failure.
Speaking at the National Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) awareness and sensitisation campaign in Jamasi, Mr Asore said,” pregnant women are particularly at high risk, putting their lives and their unborn children at risk.”
”In most cases, it affects babies to the extent that it becomes visible in their weight. The normal weight of a newborn starts from 2.5kg, but due to these risks, some children are born weighing less, which has lasting implications for them from an early stage,“ he explained.
The national campaign, being executed in collaboration with the Oil Sustainability Programme (OSP), an initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Energy, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and Digicraft Advertising/Brand Management, includes market sensitisation, community durbar and town-hall meetings.
A community durbar was held at the Jamasi Community Centre, where participants were urged to support the initiative.
Speaking at the event, the Assistant Headmaster of Administration at Adu Gyamfi Senior High School and Chairman of the occasion, Mr Emmanuel Eshun, praised the NPA’s CRM, calling it a valuable opportunity.
“This initiative allows you to easily exchange your old cylinder for a new filled cylinder at an exchange point, making it a hassle-free process that benefits everyone.”
He said smoke from wood fuel was harmful to pregnant women, calling on all to use LPG.
The Twafohene of Jamasi, Nana Kofi, expressed his appreciation to the NPA and partners for bringing the awareness to Jamasi and its environs.
“We thank all of you for bringing this durbar to Jamasi. Our forests have been severely damaged by fires, and we welcome the introduction of gas as a safer alternative for cooking, which I believe will help protect our forests and environment,” he added.
In a presentation on CRM, a Supervisor from the Gas Directorate of the NPA, Johnson Gbagbo Jnr, gave comprehensive insights into CRM and shed more light on the policy.
Addressing the challenge of accessing gas refilling stations in Jamasi and why CRM was necessary, he said “since there’s no gas refilling station in Jamasi, people travel to Agona to refill their cylinders and incur transportation cost.
The NPA and, by extension, the government has introduced this scheme to bring gas closer to you all. Under this scheme, the exchange points will be at various strategic centres for you to have easy access to gas without spending much or no money at all on transport.”
A short drama was performed to highlight the health risks associated with continuous inhalation of smoke and the need for residents to take immediate action in embracing the CRM and adopting the safe use of LPG.
The Ghana National Fire Service conducted a demonstration on the appropriate actions to take in the event of an LPG-related incident.
The team concluded the regional campaign with a town-hall meeting in Bekwai and interacted with vendors, drivers, and residents in the Kumasi Metropolis, emphasising the importance of safe LPG use and the essence of the CRM.
Addressing consumers at a town-hall meeting in Bekwai, Head of Consumer Services at the NPA, Mrs Eunice Budu Nyarko, urged the public to regularly check the cylinder rubber seals (washers) around the valves and the connecting hoses to see if they were worn out or damaged.
The hoses serve as the gas distribution line between the cylinder and the cooker.
She encouraged consumers not to repair damaged hoses and rubber seals (washers) by themselves but rather take the cylinders to nearest LPG dealers for a safety check and replacement.
Additionally, hoses should be secured with proper hose clips.
Mrs Nyarko urged the public to keep liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders outside the kitchen to prevent explosion and resultant injury, death and property damage.
She said the cylinders should be placed on wooden platforms with roofs to prevent foot ring rusting or damaged from direct sunlight, rain and tampering. –GNA
News
Involve men in breast cancer conversations …Breast cancer advocate
Raisa
A Journalist and breast cancer advocate, Ms Raissa Sambou, has called for the inclusion of men in breast cancer conversations.
She said men play a crucial role in breast cancer conversations, not only because they can be affected by the disease themselves but also because they can help their partners detect early signs.
The inclusion of men in the conversation has dominated discussion on the disease during an ongoing door-to-door campaign to raise awareness on breast cancer in rural communities, focusing on both men and women who often lack access to healthcare information and treatment.
Ms Sambou, a breast cancer survivor, told The Spectator that her campaign aims to educate people in an underserved areas on early detection and prevention.
According to Ms Sambou, by encouraging and reminding women to perform regular self-breast examinations, men can support early detection, which is key to successful treatment.
“Unfortunately, there have been instances where men have distanced themselves from their wives or engaged in infidelity following breast cancer treatments, particularly when it involves the loss of a breast.
“Through education, these situations can be minimised, as men learn to be more empathetic and supportive, understanding the physical and emotional toll the disease takes on their partners,” she explained.
Educating men on these issues fosters stronger familial bonds and helps reduce stigma and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer.
“Men should not be excluded from breast cancer conversations because they can also be affected by the disease,” she said.
Additionally, she noted that when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the entire family is impacted, hence the need for men to be educated on how they can provide emotional and practical support during such difficult times.
Through her initiative, dubbed ‘The Raissa Child Protection Initiative,’ the award winning journalist advocates for the wellbeing of children by empowering their parents to take better care of them.
“If parents are not healthy, they cannot care for their children,” she noted, stressing the importance of health in child protection efforts.
She revealed that the campaign, which began in Tomefa, a fishing community in the Ga South Municipality, also seeks to dispel the misconceptions surrounding breast cancer in rural areas, where fear and stigma often prevent early treatment.
Ms Sambou states that the initiative was to expand to parts of the Eastern and Central regions, with the goal of improving awareness and saving lives in areas where access to healthcare is limited.
She also underscored the importance of adopting a preventive approach to managing chronic health issues, especially given the limited resources at many healthcare facilities in Ghana.
She also expressed concern that rural residents often have to travel long distances across regions to access basic medical services like mammograms and CT scans.
This, Ms Sambou noted, contributes to the high number of undiagnosed cancers and late-stage diagnoses, which severely impact treatment outcomes.
She further lamented that even in cases of early detection, the lack of adequate cancer treatment equipment in the country often hampers patient survival.
At the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nation’s largest referral centre, she explained that only two radiotherapy machines serve hundreds of patients, forcing many to wait for months before receiving treatment.
“My campaign is not only focused on awareness but also on advocacy for improved healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural communities, to ensure that early detection leads to timely and effective treatment,” she added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Women urged to pursue dreams with determination at ‘She Triumph Conference 2024’
Ms Ibrahim.
Young women have been urged to pursue their dreams with determination and self-awareness at the second edition of ‘She Triumph Conference 2024’.
The conference which was held in Accra last Saturday on the theme: “Resilience and determination of womanhood,” featured keynote speakers from various fields, including business, arts and science.
Participants at the conference.
The speakers urged the over 650 young women present at the conference to showcase their unique talents while advocating for women’s empowerment.
The Marketing Manager of Electroland Ghana Limited, Hajia Adiza Ibrahim, urged young women not to feel pressured by societal expectations but instead focus on self-discovery.
“Identify who you are and what you possess; it’s not a competition, but you want to be recognised for your individuality,” she said.
Drawing from her personal journey, she highlighted the importance of building a personal brand grounded in authenticity and hard work, saying, “I have built my reputation with truth and passion.”
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Kuburah Diamonds Foundation acknowledged the challenges women face in today’s fast-paced, competitive world, urging attendees to cultivate their own identities and strive for excellence.
Ms Ibrahim, popularly known as ‘Kuburah Diamond’, stressed the need to prove oneself in various spheres, whether in academia or professional environments, urging them to exceed expectations when given the opportunity.
According to the founder of ‘She Triumph Conference’, Mrs Deborah Borketey-Tackie, the event was to train young women to gain skills to enable them become entrepreneurs and create employment opportunities for the youth.
These skills, she said included photography, beading, wig making, makeup artistry, balloon decoration and baking among others.
She indicated that 18 students who were trained in these skills had graduated and awarded at the conference.
Mrs Borketey-Tackie said the first and second runner-ups received GH¢10,000 and GH¢5,000 respectively from Omanye Royals Kingdom based in Canada.
By Cecilia Lagba Yada
