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Health worker cries out over crumbling infrastructure in Nkwanta North

A health professional in the Nkwanta North District, Edmond Amos Ameamu, is concerned over he says is “deteriorating infrastructure” that is crippling healthcare delivery in the area.

He is calling for urgent intervention from government and stakeholders to address the crisis.

Mr. Ameamu, who has served in the district for over 14 years, says persistent power outages and low voltage are severely affecting critical services, especially the storage of vaccines and the safe delivery of babies at night.

“Midwives running night shifts have to depend on torchlights to conduct deliveries, putting the lives of both mother and child at risk,” he stated in an open letter to stakeholders.

He revealed that the absence of backup generators is undermining the district’s cold chain system, raising serious concerns about vaccine potency.

“Refrigerators, fans, and even bulbs cannot function efficiently. Food preservation has become nearly impossible,” he added.

Mr. Ameamu also lamented the deplorable state of roads in the district, particularly the Nkwanta to Kpassa stretch.

He explained that poor road conditions are delaying emergency responses and putting patients at further risk.

“A journey that should take 20 minutes now takes more than an hour,” he said.

The health worker further decried poor telecommunication services, noting that weak network connectivity hampers coordination among health professionals and affects timely communication with patients during emergencies.

He is appealing to authorities to invest in renewable energy solutions, fix the road network, and upgrade telecommunication infrastructure to ensure that residents of Nkwanta North have access to reliable and efficient healthcare.

Mr. Ameamu’s call underscores the urgent need for systemic improvements to protect lives and support frontline health workers in the district.

Read his letter below;

OPEN LETTER TO STAKEHOLDERS IN NKWANTA NORTH

Dear Friends and Stakeholders,

As a dedicated health professional and convener serving the people of Nkwanta North in the Oti Region for the past 14 years, I’m writing to share the daily struggles we face in delivering quality healthcare. Electricity, water, a good road network and security are basic needs for every citizen in Ghana, including health professionals. Undeniably, all these basic needs mentioned in the district are either deficient or not available. Frequent power outages and low current supply are crippling our efforts and must be looked at immediately.

Our cold chain system where potency of Vaccines heavily depends on is highly questioned in the absence of backup generators. Midwives running night shift have to depend on flashlights (touch lights) to conduct delivery, putting the lives of both baby and mother at a preventable risk. You can imagine what these mothers go through travelling on these roads with a term pregnancy and on arrival at the health facilities, faced with different sets of challenges because of power outages and low voltage. Means of food preservation using refrigerators are things of the past because the light that is given in a few minutes cannot efficiently power bulbs, talkless of powering refrigerators. Poor telecommunication challenges are better not touched on.

The Human Impact

Imagine being unable to store life-saving vaccines because our refrigerators can’t function without reliable power. Picture emergency responders struggling to reach patients in time due to potholed roads that slow them down. Imagine you losing your baby because that midwife becomes so helpless due to a sudden blackout during the second stage of labour. This isn’t just about equipment or infrastructure; it’s about people’s lives. What of that healthcare professional who is struggling to rest after a long day, stressed because of the inconveniences caused? Will she be able to think straight the next day to render satisfying services to the lives she is assigned to serve? As the saying goes, “a sound mind in a sound body”, there is no doubt that these professionals may not be able to effectively serve the citizenry because they are not sound in the kind of environment they find themselves in. To reiterate, most of these professionals are no longer using their refrigerators, fans, televisions and other gadgets that require sufficient power to operate them.

Our Challenges

•⁠ ⁠Power Outages: Unstable power supply is affecting our medical equipment, vaccine storage, personal lives at homes and overall ability to provide care under this hot scotching sun.

•⁠ ⁠Poor Telecommunication: Network issues are delaying communication with patients and colleagues, slowing down our response times to attend to emergency issues.

•⁠ ⁠Road Network: The condition of our roads is a major obstacle for emergency responders and patients alike. A distance that should be covered in 20minutes is now covered in more than an hour. More especially with the Nkwanta to Kpassa road.

A Call to Action

I appeal and urge the authorities and stakeholders to prioritise solutions. Investing in renewable energy, upgrading our telecommunication infrastructure, and improving our roads would make a huge difference. It’s time for us to work together to create a healthcare system that truly serves our community.

Colleagues working in urban areas and other rural settings that have the above-mentioned challenges receive same training and salary as those in the Nkwanta North districts and other districts faced with similar challenges. We plead that these will be given the urgent attention to enable the professionals to render the services that are required of them.

Thank you

Sincerely,

AMEAMU EDMOND AMOS
Convener, Health Professional
Nkwanta North, Oti Region
amosameamu@gmail.com

“We were never taught to talk about it” – Jahara Osman pushes for national mental health awakening

Jahara Osman was a child with questions no one could answer. Restless in school and misunderstood at home. She was not disobedient. She was just different. But like many Ghanaian children navigating undiagnosed conditions, she was never given the words to understand what was happening in her mind.

Now, as founder of the Premier Rehabilitation Centre and a passionate mental health advocate, Jahara is working to ensure that other children, parents and adults do not remain silent in their suffering.

“As someone who grew up in an environment where mental health was never spoken about, my parents had no idea what or how to define my behaviour or how I approached life. It was a general treatment amongst all my siblings.”

“So I find passion in educating parents, especially parents with children that are on the spectrum – autism, ADHD, bipolar, and all other mental health conditions – on how to go about understanding the behaviour, picking up the little clues, because you would know more than any practitioner or doctor would, because you spend more time with your child than any doctor. So you being able to identify it would be the initial step to making your child’s life a lot easier,” she indicated.

That silence, she says, is costing lives and dignity.

On Saturday, 31st May, 2025, Jahara will host The Mental Health Forum, a nationwide gathering at the Accra International Conference Centre, aimed at breaking that silence once and for all. The event will feature panels with doctors, religious leaders, mental health survivors and wellness professionals. But more than that, it will open the floor for everyday Ghanaians to speak their truths.

“So I think that the government needs to put in a lot more. I know they’re trying. Just like I thought a year and a half ago, we had the National Health Insurance include mental health and psychology in the insurance, free insurance for people, which is a wonderful job. But I think we need to do more because access to psychologists and therapy is very, very difficult and expensive, especially for people who cannot afford it. We really need to bridge a gap where we have easy access to therapy and psychological or psychiatric help,” Jahara Osman said.

Jahara’s advocacy is deeply personal. Diagnosed later in life with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder, she spent years navigating a system that did not understand her. That experience fuelled her commitment to support those who do not fit into society’s ‘normal’ boxes.

“I think we understand that we have a mental health crisis. For us to have speciality hospitals that are dedicated to mental health means that we are aware of the situation. I understand that we are actually also struggling with funds in different aspects of the medical facilities and hospitals we deal with.”

“But what we have to understand is that mental health is the core foundation of every disease. If you’re not mentally stable, you can get any sickness from just not being mentally stable. It’s like the base of everything. So let’s focus on getting our own brain, our own functions, to a stable level, and we will find out that a lot of these diseases we suffer from will just eliminate themselves.”

The forum, which is free and open to the public, will also kick off a new campaign: bringing mental health education to churches, classrooms and company boardrooms across Ghana.

The initiative comes at a time when mental health issues are rising globally, and Ghana is not immune. From exam-related stress among teens to burnout among professionals and trauma among survivors of abuse, the spectrum is wide and growing. But access to care remains low and stigma his igh.

Support for Jahara’s work is coming from all corners – including the Ministry of Health, the Mental Health Authority and private foundations invested in youth development and public wellness.

The forum will be broadcast live on JoyNews at 12 noon.

If you have ever felt overwhelmed, confused or emotionally stuck, this forum is for you.

‘Mental health is the foundation of all health’ – Jahara Osman rallies nation ahead of major forum

Mental health advocate and founder of the Premier Rehabilitation Centre, Jahara Osman, is calling on Ghanaians to prioritise their mental wellbeing as she prepares to host a major forum in Accra on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

The event, dubbed: ‘The Mental Health Forum’, is expected to bring together policymakers, health professionals, faith leaders and everyday citizens to confront Ghana’s growing mental health crisis – a subject Jahara says has long been silenced in homes, workplaces and churches.

“What we have to understand is that mental health is the core foundation of every disease. If you’re not mentally stable, you can get any sickness from just not being mentally stable. It’s like the base of everything. So let’s focus on getting our own brain, our own functions, to a stable level, and we will find out that a lot of these diseases we suffer from will just eliminate themselves.”

“We’re talking about adults who go through midlife crises and experience certain hormonal changes or neurological changes, and they find it hard to understand how they feel or how to manage the symptoms of what is causing their disorder. We are here to focus on all these issues and also provide a support line for suicide – if you have any thoughts of suicide, we would provide you with someone to speak to on a hotline,” she said.

The forum will feature panel discussions, breakout sessions and first-person testimonies aimed at demystifying mental illness, debunking stigma and offering real tools for healing.

Participants will hear from psychiatrists, trauma counsellors, pastors and people with experience navigating disorders such as depression, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder and anxiety.

Growing up undiagnosed with ADHD and later learning she is on the autism spectrum, Jahara says her early struggles with identity and misunderstanding sparked a deep desire to help others navigate similar challenges.

“As someone who grew up in an environment where mental health was never spoken about, my parents had no idea what or how to define my behaviour or how I approached life. It was a general treatment amongst all my siblings.”

“So I find passion in educating parents, especially parents with children that are on the spectrum – autism, ADHD, bipolar, and all other mental health conditions – on how to go about understanding the behaviour, picking up the little clues, because you would know more than any practitioner or doctor would, because you spend more time with your child than any doctor. So you being able to identify it would be the initial step to making your child’s life a lot easier,” the mental health advocate added.

Through her centre and the upcoming forum, Jahara is hoping to equip communities with those tools. The forum will tackle issues ranging from neurodivergence in children to stress and trauma among adults. It will also launch a national outreach campaign targeting churches, schools and workplaces.

In many households, mental health is still considered taboo, often hidden behind silence or misunderstood as a spiritual affliction. Jahara wants to change that narrative and shift the conversation from fear to care and from judgement to empathy.

“So we’re doing outreach programmes from after the month of May, from June to next year April, we’re partnering with schools and communities. We’re going to the outskirts, to the northern regions of Ghana, to the middle Ashanti Region. We’re partnering with schools. If you are a church or a work environment and you need someone to speak to your employees, your church, or a foundation about understanding mental health, this is the time to reach out to us,” Ms. Jahara Osman revealed.

The outreach campaign will include church-based support groups, school awareness programmes and workplace wellness initiatives. Jahara and her team are also working to establish a toll-free hotline and regional wellness hubs to serve as safe spaces for people in emotional distress.

With support from the Ministry of Health, the Mental Health Authority and several development partners, the mental health forum is open to the public and free of charge.

It will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre and broadcast live on JoyNews at noon.

Mental health experts say Ghana is long overdue for a sustained national dialogue on mental wellness. According to the Mental Health Authority, thousands of Ghanaians suffer in silence – many without ever seeking professional help due to stigma, lack of access or fear of being shunned by family and faith communities.

Ghana scales up fight against obstetric fistula with free surgeries in five hospitals

In a move to restore dignity to women living with obstetric fistula, Ghana has launched a nationwide initiative offering free surgeries in five major hospitals.

The initiative, led by the Partnership to End Fistula in Ghana (PEFIC), aims to eliminate one of the most debilitating childbirth-related conditions by providing comprehensive care and reintegration support to survivors.

The designated hospitals now offering free fistula repairs include Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Kumasi), Ho Teaching Hospital (Volta Region), Tamale West Hospital (Northern Region), Mercy Women Catholic Hospital (Central Region), and Upper West Regional Hospital.

The announcement was made by Dr. Wilfred Ochan, Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), during a commemorative event on May 23 at Ho Teaching Hospital marking the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.

“This year, we decided to take the conversation out of the conference rooms and into clinics and communities,” Dr. Ochan emphasized, underscoring the need to confront the stigma and isolation that fistula survivors endure.

Obstetric fistula, caused primarily by prolonged or obstructed labour, results in a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, leading to uncontrollable leakage of urine or faeces.

Beyond the physical trauma, affected women often suffer severe psychological and social rejection ,many lose their babies, are abandoned by spouses, and are excluded from basic social activities.

Restoring Hope, One Surgery at a Time

PEFIC, officially launched in December 2023 by former First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has rapidly grown from seven founding partners to 18 institutions.

These include ministries, health facilities, international organizations like WHO and WFP, and private sector players such as Fidelity Bank, Access Bank, and AT (formerly AirtelTigo).

Non-governmental organizations such as Qatar Charity and MCAM are also contributing significantly to the campaign.

Qatar Charity is building a shelter for fistula patients in Yendi, providing a safe space for recovery and reintegration.

At the same time, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is constructing a new surgical theatre in Tamale to support the increased demand for repairs and improve access to quality care in the Northern Region.

The estimated cost per patient around $700 covers transportation, surgery, and two weeks of recovery care.

While the Ghana Health Service provides the clinical workforce and infrastructure, other partners support with logistics, public education, and infrastructure projects.

“It’s not just about performing the surgery,” Dr. Ochan noted. “We must ensure each woman is transported safely, given a place to heal, and supported to rejoin her family and community.”

From Donor Dependency to National Ownership

What began with a modest $60,000 in donor support has evolved into a nationally-owned, multi-sectoral campaign.

Ghana’s move toward self-sufficiency is a beacon of hope for countries battling similar maternal health challenges.

With skilled delivery care now covering 87-88% of births in health facilities, the nation is making visible strides but challenges remain.

Ghana’s maternal mortality rate stands at approximately 310 deaths per 100,000 live births, and for every death, about 20 women suffer serious complications many of which are preventable, like obstetric fistula.

How to Access the Free Surgery

Women in need of fistula repair can contact the following hospitals:

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Kumasi) – 057 020 2800

Ho Teaching Hospital (Volta Region) – 027 939 0179

Tamale West Hospital (Northern Region) – 027 701 3270

Mercy Women Catholic Hospital (Central Region) – 027 523 2127

Upper West Regional Hospital – 055 849 6307

A Future Free of Fistula

With this new campaign, Ghana is not only treating a condition it is restoring dignity, empowering women, and setting a global example.

“We’ve moved from dependency to sustainability,” said Dr. Ochan. “This is what national commitment to maternal health looks like.”

As the country accelerates efforts to eradicate obstetric fistula by 2030, the collaboration between government, civil society, the private sector, and international agencies marks a hopeful turning point in the lives of thousands of women.

CEO of Margins ID Group highlights Ghana Card’s role in healthcare at ID4Africa Summit

The CEO of Margins ID Group, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jr., has outlined the impact of Ghana’s national biometric ID system—the Ghana Card—on the country’s healthcare sector.

Speaking at the ID4Africa 2025 summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during a session focused on digital identity and public service delivery, Mr. Baiden described how the Ghana Card is being used to improve efficiency and reduce costs in healthcare.

According to Baiden, the integration of the Ghana Card into the healthcare system has allowed the government to eliminate the need for separate National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards. This consolidation, he said, is saving the government millions of dollars annually by streamlining identity verification and reducing instances of healthcare fraud.

The Ghana Card, a legally mandated biometric identity document, has now been issued to over 98% of the adult population, with efforts ongoing to register children. Baiden said that more than 200 million biometric verifications have been processed through the system so far.

Margins ID Group, a private Ghanaian company, was one of only two African firms represented at this year’s summit. Through its subsidiaries, Identity Management Systems (IMS) and Intelligent Card Production Systems (ICPS), it partnered with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to develop and roll out the card.

In his address, Baiden argued that a single, integrated identity system is essential for digital governance and development. He pointed to the card’s application beyond healthcare, including its use in banking, education, and government services, as evidence of its broader value.

He also called for greater inclusion of African-developed digital identity solutions in global discussions, stating that Africa should not be seen only as a market but also as a source of innovation.

The ID4Africa summit, held annually, brings together identity authorities, technology providers, and policymakers from across the continent. As African countries work toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.9—to provide legal identity for all by 2030—Ghana’s experience with the Ghana Card was presented as one possible model for others to examine.

Baiden stressed that the success of identity systems should be measured not just by technical achievements but by their ability to deliver tangible benefits to society.

People with lived experience of NCDs applaud Mahama’s NCD initiative

The Ghana NCD Alliance, in partnership with People Living with NCDs and Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, has commended President John Mahama for launching the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares).

They are particularly excited about his decision to donate six months of his salary as seed funding for the initiative and for directing all government appointees to donate one month of their salaries to the fund.

At the official launch on 29th April 2025, the President addressed the growing public health threat posed by NCDs – such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney and heart diseases, and stroke – urging corporate Ghana to align their corporate social responsibility strategies with this critical national priority.

Some individuals living with NCDs highlighted the dangers of such diseases and commended the President’s initiative.

“When a former President, now President of Ghana, openly shares his personal journey with chronic illness, it turns statistics into stories—reminding us that NCDs are not distant threats but a present reality,” said Martha Coffie, a person living with multiple NCDs.

“We are thankful to the President, Mr John Mahama, for initiating a fund to support us and showing that we are not alone. However, we would like to remind His Excellency to prioritise NCD prevention, which is a cornerstone of a meaningful response to non-communicable diseases,” stated Essel Francis Cudjoe, another person living with diabetes.

The Ghana NCD Alliance also reiterated the financial burdens imposed by NCDs and made several recommendations for the effective operation of the President’s initiative.

“For years, we have witnessed the crippling financial burdens imposed by NCDs, with many Ghanaians facing insurmountable healthcare costs and limited access to treatment. While MahamaCares represents a landmark moment in Ghana’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage, we stress the importance of ensuring this initiative does not focus solely on curative care.

As the initiative gains momentum, we humbly recommend the inclusion of preventive measures—ranging from public education on the risk factors of NCDs, such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity, to regular health screening for early diagnosis and referral.

Preventive actions such as increased pricing on health-harming products, marketing restrictions, and health warning labels on food items, among others, will reduce pressure on the fund and lower the number of NCD cases reported at hospitals in the medium to long term.

We also call on the government to implement policies that will create a sustainable and equitable funding pipeline. These interventions will alleviate long-term pressure on the fund by reducing disease incidence and the associated treatment costs.”

The Ghana NCD Alliance further urged for public inclusivity to facilitate the programme:

“As the global community prepares for the upcoming 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health in September 2025, Ghana’s proactive stance through MahamaCares could serve as a model of national leadership and multisectoral commitment towards the achievement of global NCD targets.

“We call on all citizens to unite behind this initiative, promote its mission, and raise awareness about the critical need for early detection, prevention, and treatment of NCDs.”

Trust Hospital, AztraZeneca urge greater access to inhaled treatment

…as World Asthma Day is marked

The Trust Hospital has called for better access to inhaled medications for asthma patients in Ghana, joining the global observance of World Asthma Day 2025 with a renewed focus on equitable respiratory care.

At an event held at the hospital’s Premium Centre in Accra, medical professionals, patients, health advocates, and stakeholders gathered under the global theme: ‘Make Inhaled Treatment Accessible to All’. The occasion served as both a moment of awareness and a platform to advocate for systemic improvements in asthma management.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Juliana Oye Ameh, Chief Executive Officer of Trust Hospital, described asthma as a pressing public health challenge, not only in Ghana but also across the developing world.“Asthma is not only a personal health concern; it is a public health challenge. Over 96 percent of asthma-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to essential life-saving inhalers is often limited or completely unavailable,” she said.

Asthma currently affects more than 262 million people globally and causes over 455,000 deaths each year. In Ghana, the disease remains a significant factor in hospital admissions and mortality, particularly among children and adults living in underserved communities.

Dr. Ameh mentioned that the hospital has a dedicated asthma clinic designed to provide patients with targeted support through personalized care plans and education. She shared the story of a mother whose child, previously struggling with recurrent asthma attacks, now thrives in school after receiving regular care from the clinic.

In her remarks, she further emphasised the need for collective action to reverse the current trend.The situation in Ghana is no different, as asthma remains a significant cause of illness. We must change the narrative,” she noted. This year’s event was supported by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, whose partnership with Trust Hospital emphasises a shared commitment to enhancing access to asthma care.“Together, we commit to ensuring that everyone in Ghana can access proper asthma treatment. Their vision aligns closely with our own goals,” Dr. Ameh added.

Representing AstraZeneca, Mrs.  Dorothy Arthur delivered a presentation on asthma management techniques, emphasising the proper use of inhaler devices. She advocated for the Turbuhaler, an easy-to-use device designed to provide more consistent medication doses.“Proper inhaler technique is crucial for ensuring that patients receive the full benefits of their medication,” she explained.

Speaking on asthma treatment, Dr. Allen Steele-Dadzie, a senior specialist in family medicine and asthma care, emphasized that while asthma is manageable, it is not curable. He advocated for early diagnosis and highlighted the importance of enrolling in asthma clinics to ensure proper monitoring and timely initiation of the right medications.

Supporting the data-driven approach, Dr Selassie Amegashie of the asthma clinic shared insights from a case study that highlighted the measurable benefits of targeting asthma care and the need for continued public education and patient support.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nana Ama Abankwah, Chief of Medical Staff at Trust Hospital, addressed the broader implications of asthma as a non-communicable disease, highlighting the rising prevalence of adult-onset asthma.The increasing prevalence of adult-onset asthma and the underestimation of asthma deaths in third-world countries are alarming. We must prioritize better diagnosis and treatment to reduce asthma-related fatalities,” she said.

The session concluded with an open Q&A, providing attendees the opportunity to engage directly with clinicians and learn more about asthma-related conditions and their management.The Trust Hospital used the occasion to issue a wider appeal to all stakeholders in the health sector, urging collaboration to improve outcomes for asthma patients across the country.

Dr. Ameh added, “Together, we can prevent unnecessary deaths, enhance the quality of life, and offer hope to millions affected by asthma in Ghana and worldwide.”