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‘Excessive exposure of children to screens can cause autism’
Dr Yvonne NanaAma Brew speaking to the media
Prolonged exposure of children below five years to television sets and tablets put them at high risk of developing autism.
“This is because excessive screen time affects the brain development of a child, a situation that could cause growth disorders including autism.”
This came to light at the 3rd Annual Autism Workshop and Consultations in Accra on Tuesday.
A Resource Person, Dr Yvonne Nana Ama Brew, a Neurodevelopment Pediatrician at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH), explained that exposing the youngsters to those screens time could be very devastating.
According to her, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that children below two years must have zero screen time while those above three years, should have only one hour of screen time daily.
She said autism has become prevalent in Ghana over the past five years with a lot of children reporting to health facilities with signs of the disorder.
“At the GARH, only 10 per cent of the children coming into the facility had communication challenges in 2016 but subsequently, it has increased with 30 per cent of the children screened having communication issues.”
She recommended early developmental screening to help correct the disorder.
“If we are able to pick up the children early, then we would be able to put up some interventions,” she stated.
She also advised parents to have personal interactions with children and not leave them with tablets and phones.
Parents, she said, have the responsibility to decide which school they take their children, however, it was important to know that pre-schools and day-care centers must encourage outdoor plays and toys not screens.
The five-day workshop brought together doctors and experts to interact and share ideas with parents and teachers on autism.
The Managing Director of GTBank, organisers of the workshop, Mr Thomas John, said the bank decided to host the third edition this year following the success and impact of previous editions.
In his keynote address, Ag Director, Technical Coordination, Ministry of Health, Dr Hafez Adam Taher commended GTBank for the initiative, adding that it was important for the private sector to collaborate with the government to raise awareness on autism.
He said the government was finalising guidelines on disability inclusion so that children with special needs would thrive and given the support to grow and contribute to national development
Michael D. Abayateye
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Hohoe Municipality Command, has conducted fire safety inspections and public education at selected fuel filling stations within the municipality.
The exercise, held from July 3, 2026 to July 5, 2025 was led by the Municipal Commander, DO III Bismark Hosu-Porbley.
During the inspection, the team assessed the fire safety preparedness of the facilities. Staff were also educated on fire prevention, emergency response procedures, and the proper use of firefighting equipment.
Management of the affected fuel stations expressed appreciation for the exercise and pledged to comply with the recommended safety measures.
The GNFS said the exercise reaffirms its commitment to continuous fire safety awareness and risk reduction to safeguard lives and property.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
