USA Education Centre Holds Orientation Session For 2018 FAMU Beneficiaries

A Ghanaian faculty Advisor of Student Associations of Global Health at FAMU), Dr. Yussif Mijirah Dokurugu, has said that youth who decide to stay in America illegally undergo various grades of stress and fear in life.

“You going to the U.S and not coming back will make you go through a lot of stress and do the meaner jobs; you can make money, yet you cannot come  back home because you do not have documents to go back to the States again - which is an opportunity you have lost forever,” he said.

During an orientation session at the Education-USA office in Kumasi for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) students who will be embarking on an exchange programme to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Florida USA, Dr. Dokurugu - who is also an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, advised that “It is always good to travel and make sure to return home, and apply again when the need arises”.  

He urged participating students to take the exchange programme as an opportunity to explore and learn new health methods and practices which will help grow Ghana’s health systems after the they have returned home.

“I entreat all students and participants on the exchange programme to learn as much as they can of the new trends in health practices and come back to make a change in the lives of people and the entire society,” he said.

About 26 pharmacy students from the KNUST and four professional workers will be embarking on the second edition of the Advance Pharmacy Initiative in FAMU this year.

The exchange programme, which has been described as an ambitious agenda for deepening bilateral relations between Ghana and Florida, USA, through health education for university students, will be targetted at allowing students and participants to acquaint themselves with current trends in global health care systems.

It will focus on disease epidemics, modern pharmaceutical practices, cultural exchanges and environmental issues, and will be aimed at improving the knowledge capacity of the students about health systems to enable them give back to their country upon successful completion of the programme.

The lead initiator of the programme, FAMU’s  College of Pharmacy, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its sister university in Ghana - KNUST - to explore exchange programmes in the area of pharmacy education for students from both countries to study abroad, relating to academic and research affiliations.

Dr. Dukurugu, explaining about the initiative, confirmed that it is an ambitious agenda being explored by the school: “One that the college is tackling through an academic and cultural exchanges to broaden the horizons of the next generation of health care practitioners”.

He anticipates that the selected students from both sides will be offered the chance to get a better understanding of best practices and systems that are in place in both nations and allow them to bring back new ideas.

Dr. Dukurugu added: “Overseas study adventures provide students with distinct benefits, as they develop responsibility, initiative and accountability.

“I want them to learn as much as possible to be able to contribute positively to the health care delivery of every single person they may come across in their future practices back at home.”

He indicated that the engagement will explore various areas of collaboration, including student exchange programmes and partnerships with other celebrated health experts in the United States of America.

“As the Institute of Public Health within the College continues to grow, this internship programme will provide an opportunity for FAMU to cultivate to a diverse workforce of individuals to be able to analyse public health issues both at home and abroad,” said Dr. Dukurugu.

The programme, he said, has been designed to give the students first-hand experience in global health issues. It will also provide them with a spring-board to compete for jobs in the field.

“This will position participating students to be fully equipped for employment in their selected programmes, governmental and non-governmental agencies where a knowledge of international systems is pertinent to jobs, even in the USA,” he remarked.

Marilyn Owusu, Educational Advisor at the Education USA in Kumasi, said taking the students through various steps and documentation processes as part of preparation for the travelling visa application interview indicates that to apply for a student visa, applicants should have all the necessary documents like any other visa applicant.

She said: “One has to pay a visa fee of US$160 at any GT Bank branch  across the country, fill out the DS-160 form, schedule for a visa appointment online, and pay for Student Exchange Visitor Processing Fee (SEVIS).

By Georgina  Otoo

Gold Fields Ghana supports Prestea Huni -Valley with water

Gold Fields Ghana Limited,Damang Gold Mine has hinted that the managing trustees of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation have approved the rehabilitation of the Huni Valley Health Centre. The six-bed capacity center will be upgraded to 20 beds and will be done in 2018.

Mr. Abdel Razak Yakubu, Community Affairs and Stakeholder Relations said  the health care of the host communities remains a primary concern for the company, under the Foundation’s health intervention in the communities, the Abosso clinic will be provided with a sustainable source of water.

“Contract processes are underway to construct a mechanized borehole with an electric pump and overhead tanks to supply the facility with potable water all year round” he said.

Mr Yakubu speaking at the world malaria day as they marked this year’s day with a durbar and the distribution of insecticide treated bed nets to 300 women in the Damang community.

He entreated the communities within the company’s catchment area to keep the environment clean to prevent the breading of mosquitoes which carry the malaria parasites.

The 25th day of April is earmarked every year by the World Health Organization (WHO) as World malaria day. This year’s, day was observed on the theme “Get Ready to Beat Malaria”.

Dr. Ishmael Sackey, Gold Field Manager in charge of Health Services speaking at a durbar at Damang in the Prestea Huni-Valley District in the Western Region for the host communities, explained the causes of malaria, symptoms and the need for individuals to visit the hospital regularly to check their health status.

He pointed out that pregnant women and children below age five are the most vulnerable in contracting malaria and dispel some myths associated with malaria.

He urged the recipients of the insecticide treated nets to use them properly and regularly to avoid contracting the disease.

“The company, in 2012 commissioned a clinic for the Damang community. In 2014, another clinic was constructed and donated to the Bompieso community. Numerous nurses and doctors’ accommodation units have also been provided to the host communities over the years” he said.

Mr. Francis Toku Aubynn, Assembly member for Damang electoral area was full of praise for Gold Fields. Mr. Aubynn called on the community to always avail themselves for communal activities especially those geared toward sanitation.

By: Georgina  Otoo 

Global Funds Allots more Funds to Ghana to Fight three Diseases

The Global Fund (GF) has allotted to Ghana $200 million to fight HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria from this year, 2018 to 2020.

The fund would help in assisting community systems to build up strong and resilient health systems to deal with disease outbreak should they occur.

The GF as a global financier of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria Programmes, has disbursed more than $37 billion in over 100 countries since 2002.

Mrs Cecilia Senoo, Executive Director of Hope for Future Generation (HFFG) made this known at the ongoing five-day Anglophone Africa Community Rights and Gender Meeting in Accra.

It being co-hosted by HFFG and the Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS Service Organisation (EANNASO) both Nongovernmental organisations, attracted over 24 countries including Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and others.

FThe third Anglophone Regional Platform meeting seeks to review and discuss civil society engagement in the GF with increased focus on human rights and the development of gender responsive instruments for vulnerable population in terms HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

It also aims at strengthening the capacity of civil society and community based groups to identify and adequately access technical support at the various stages of funding for monitoring and evaluating their respective projects.

Mrs Senoo noted that as countries were faced with the issue of withdrawal of donor funding from projects, it was proper to strengthen Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) engagement in terms of accessing funds from the Global Fund as well as address matter relating social accountability.

Ms Olive Numba, Executive Director of EANNASO said the meeting brought together CSO’s to engage them on how to effectively develop skills and knowledge to mobilise their constituencies and ensure that fund investments adequately reflected their priorities.

Dr Gemma Oberth, an Independent Consultant told the participants that the GF gave more to CSO’s that developed proactive and peer-led community engagements.

He however said CSO’s that did not verify whether there were technical partners in a particular region and were providing similar work, were also rejected by the GF.

Dr Victor Bampoe, Director and Coordinator, Fast Track Implementation Programme, UNAIDS, on his part, said there had been a decline in HIV infection rates but emphasised that there was the need to step up efforts in controlling it.

Ms Ann Ithubi, an official with Aidspan, a Kenyan based non-governmental organisation, the GF had provided various amount of money towards the eradication of .

She said HIV and AIDs received $18 million, while $6 million was allotted for TB, Malaria received $10.7 million, TB/HIV received $1.3million and other ailment received $ 750,000.

Ms Ithubi cited the lack of understanding of GF policies, processes and guidelines and exclusion of key and vulnerable population in GF process as challenges confronting countries and regional levels from accessing the fund.

GNA 

Ghanaians Called to Help Eradicate Malaria

Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service,  Badu Sarkodie, has called for the support of the citizenry in the fight against malaria, as Ghana joined the rest of the world to observe World Malaria Day (WMD).

He said Ghana had the potential to eliminate malaria, and called for the maximum support and collaboration of stakeholders and individuals to reach that goal.

"The idea is not just to put malaria down but to end it forever," he said at an outreach service to mark the WMD at Ashaiman, a cosmopolitan community near the port city of Tema, 38 km east of the national capital.

The WMD is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control.

Has Ghana is ready for the smooth pilot of the world's first malaria vaccine later in the year, officials said.

Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will be the first African countries to try out the MosquirixTM vaccine, which acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally, and the most prevalent in Africa.

Specifically, the pilot implementation program will evaluate the feasibility of delivering the required four doses of the vaccine, impact of the vaccine on lives saved, and the safety of the vaccine in the context of routine use.

The vaccine is being considered as a complementary malaria control tool in Ghana that could potentially be added to and not replace the core package of proven malaria preventive, diagnostic and treatment interventions such as bed nets and indoor spraying with insecticides.

Kezia Malm, Manager of the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), said Ghana was selected for the trial because of its high malaria burden and well-functioning malaria and immunization programs.

Malaria is a dreaded disease which kills more children than any other disease and is the leading cause of miscarriage and stillbirths in pregnant women in Ghana.

In Ghana, malaria occurs every year with varying transmission intensity throughout the year, affecting all ages, with children under-five and pregnant women being the most vulnerable.

In 2017, Ghana recorded approximately 10.2 million suspected malaria cases in the out-patient department (OPD) in a population of some 30 million people, representing a 23 percent decrease over OPD malaria cases reported in 2016.

Malaria deaths also reduced from 1,264 in 2016 to 599 in 2017, representing a decrease of 52.6 percent.

"Although the figure from 2016 represents an improvement over that of 2015, we recognize that a lot of work has to be done in reducing prevalence of malaria to the barest minimum," Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said at a Malaria Summit in London recently.

Ghana has set the target to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality by 75 percent by the year 2020.

Ghana's goal, through the national strategic plan for malaria control, is to achieve and sustain near-zero malaria deaths and ultimately a malaria-free nation.

Key interventions of this plan include integrated vector management; malaria case management, seasonal malaria chemoprevention; integrated support systems; surveillance; and the strengthening of health systems.

Malm said if stakeholders lost focus, Ghana risked losing giant strides made in the fight against malaria over the past decades, calling on all to put in more efforts to beat malaria.

By: Georgina Ama Otoo