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Trump threatens to permanently freeze US funding to WHO

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to permanently cut off the nation’s funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) if the body does not commit to what he called “substantive improvements within the next 30 days”.

In a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a copy of which was published by Trump on Twitter, the president added that he could reconsider the US membership in the organisation.

The threat came as the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 4.8 million people globally and killed over 318,000.

The United States alone has reported more than 1.5 million infections and over 90,000 deaths as of 4:03 pm (2003 GMT), according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. Both figures are far higher than those in any other country or region. 

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Trump announced in mid-April that his administration would halt US funding to the WHO, a roundly-criticised move that many experts have said was trying to shift blames and would be counterproductive to addressing the public health crisis.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that time had been wasted in the US response. 

“It’s heartbreaking to think how much fear, how much loss, how much agony could have been avoided if the president hadn’t wasted so much time and taken responsibility,” Biden told a virtual event. “We got denials, delays, distraction.”

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations for international public health, which has played a crucial role in coordinating the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. 

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During the ongoing World Health Assembly, many world leaders have strongly defended the WHO and voiced their support for the organisation to continue its leading in the coronavirus battle. 

Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), praised the WHO in April.

“WHO has been a long-term and still is a great partner for us. We’re going to continue to do all we can together to try to limit this,” Redfield said. “We’ve worked together to fight health crises all around the world. We continue to do that.” -Xinhua

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 Intake of ‘Gobe’ can prevent heart diseases —Nutritionists

Gari and beans is good for the heart
Gari and beans is good for the heart

Nutritionists have advised Ghanaians to eat more beans-based meals, including the popular local dish, gari and beans, also known as ‘Gobe’ to prevent heart diseases. They said incidenc­es of obesity and cancer could be minimised with the regular intake of beans meals.

At a programme in Accra to mark the World Pulses ( Beans) Day on Monday, Mr Wise Chukudi Letsa, Nu­tritionist and Dietician, who spoke on the topic: ‘Beans: The Super Food for Healthy Living and Healthy Farmlands,’ admonished Ghanaians to include beans in their diets.

Mr Letsa said beans was rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, miner­als, irons and other nutrients and contained just a little fat. Mr Letsa, a Nutritionist with Lets Consult, stated that the presence of those nutrients in beans explained why its intake could prevent heart diseases and other ailments, hence the need to consume it regularly.

The event, dubbed: ‘Meatless Monday’ was organised by the Com­munications Initiative for Change (CIC), a Ghanaian non-profit organ­isation.

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The ‘Meatless Monday’ is an initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to reduce their intake of meat by taking in more beans-based meals on every Monday of a week.

It was launched after the United Nations in 2019, set aside Febru­ary 10 to celebrate and encourage the consumption of pulses (beans) worldwide. This year’s celebration was hinged on the theme: ‘Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems.’

Mr Peter Agbovi, National Secre­tary, Chefs Association of Ghana, said a variety of meals could be prepared with beans, which include Waakye (rice and beans), Kose (beans paste made into cakes), Ayikple, Aboboi, Tuo Zaafi, Akyeke, and kakro.

He encouraged Ghanaians to con­sume more of those foods to stay healthy.

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Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Ex­ecutive Director, CIC, indicated that even if people could not eat beans-based meals regularly, efforts should be made to consume them every Monday.

He said that was the essence of the introduction of the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative. -GNA

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 Restore beauty of Kwame Nkrumah Circle area / State of Kwame Nkrumah Circle an eyesore!

A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks
A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks

Small size quarry stones fixed at open spac­es under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was to leave the place open and free from activities of beggars and other activities of the homeless.

By the way the stones were fixed, it makes the area, particularly the VIP and Neoplan Station stretch of the Interchange, inhabit­able by the destitute.

But a walk through the area currently suggest the opposite.

At the median where pavement blocks have been taken over by these home­less and destitute, the area has been turned into a hotel where a number of these unfortunate ones have com­fortably laid their mattress­es and other stuff to rest from the day’s activities.

They have crossed over to the SSNIT and Kaneshie Station area with their activ­ities and have removed the quarry stones which were to ward them off the place to enable them find spaces to sleep comfortably.

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The pavement blocks re­moved from different loca­tions under the interchange now serves as foundations on which beds were laid and in some cases, mosquito nets erected.

Their continued pres­ence is not only creating a nuisance for commuters but marring the beauty and serenity of the place.

Sadly, the activities of these deprived fellows have been ignored while the numbers keep increasing day by day.

The Spectator finds the development very worrying and calls on the responsible authorities to clear the area to restore the beauty and serenity of the area.

 By Victor A. Buxton

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