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ELECTION FEVER, TODAY’S FEVER & OTHER FEVERS
The dust has almost settled in the USA after their historic election that scored many firsts. I choose to say no more lest I am misquoted again so let me dwell on where my vote counts. Now, the eyes of the whole world is focused on a much smaller country on the coast of West Africa, a country that has a great potential to be a super-power in its own right, a country that is a haven of peace in a chaotic region.
Ghana continues to baffle the world with our own rendition of democracy and despite all the hue and cry before elections, we always stand out tall after the exercise. There is anxiety, expectation and mixed emotions as we approach Election Day. I can bet on my last Ghana pesewa that some people have developed diarrhoea that does not seem to resolve with medication, others have known no sleep for weeks and a few others jump out of bed daily with a galloping heart and drenched in sweat. This is election fever and I doubt the thermometer will be of any help when it comes to this type of fever.
These days people who had never held a thermometer in their hands suddenly hold the mandate to give you access into a facility or not. Sometimes they obviously have no idea what they are doing but COVID-19 has made it necessary that screening may include temperature checking to determine if one has a fever. Fever is one of the first symptoms/signs that heralded the new era of COVID.
There is the other fever that is extremely common and “lives” with us all year round. This fever does not occur once every four years neither did it just explode unto the scene unannounced, instead it is one of the commonest complaints that healthcare professionals are faced with daily. Let me make one point crystal clear; fever is NOT a synonym for malaria and neither are all fevers due to malaria even if you live in a malaria endemic area like ours.
A fever also referred to as pyrexia means the body temperature is above the normal of 37 degrees Celsius. It is a warning that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body. Though fever in an adult may be uncomfortable, it is usually not dangerous unless it is extremely high but for young children and infants, a slightly elevated temperature may indicate a serious condition. In newborns and elderly, temperatures below normal should also be of concern.
Our temperature may vary due to our clothing, menstrual cycle, meals, level of activity and time of day, being lowest in the morning. Some of us may find that we are often slightly warmer than others. The degree of fever does not indicate the seriousness of the underlying condition. Sometimes a serious illness may cause a low fever whereas a condition of no significance may cause a high fever. This point has a lot in common with election fever where some people who appear most excited and do all the shouting may not even be registered voters.
Remember that you may take your temperature in different parts of your body such as your armpit, mouth, ears, anus and forehead and the temperatures vary slightly at each point.
CAUSES OF FEVER
You may be gripped by election fever for different reasons; some people love the power, others a desire to be on the winning team, a few have a genuine interest to help the country and hopefully the majority of people suffering from election fever want to see a change for the better. In the same vein “medical” fever may be caused by many conditions including:
- Infections
- Viruses such as those causing the common cold or bacteria causing throat, ear infections and diarrhoea. Malaria and HIV are also culprits. You do not need any prompting to remember that the novel corona virus may also cause a fever.
- Medication
- Antibiotics, blood pressure medications and drugs for treating seizures are examples. These may cause “drug fever” due to adverse reactions, withdrawal or by the drug’s design.
- Trauma or Injury
- Heart attack, stroke and burns fall into this broad category
- Immunisation
- Others
- Gout, osteoarthritis (wear and tear disease), thyroid disease and certain cancers.
Fever may be associated with sweating, shivering, headache, muscle aches and when the fever is extremely high one may develop hallucinations, confusion, convulsion and dehydration.
HEAD FOR THE HOSPITAL
If a baby has a temperature of 38.3 degrees Celsius or above, refuses food and drinks, is irritable and unresponsive you have no business staying at home.
An adult with a fever associated with severe headache, stiff painful neck, confusion, unusual sensitivity to light should be talking to a healthcare professional.
In this day if you have a fever with a headache and cough and any of the other symptoms that may point to COVID-19, do stay at home and seek the necessary assistance first by telephone. If that is not available to you then go to the nearest health facility.
Your doctor will ask you questions about your fever, examine you, probably request for some tests and then give you medication if required.
Sometimes your fever may last for more than 3 weeks and your doctor may not be able to determine the cause after extensive evaluation. This condition is referred to as pyrexia or fever of unknown origin (PUO).
LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS
- Drink plenty of fluids, it will control the associated risk of dehydration
- Rest – this will help you recover while the reduced physical activity also reduces the chance of increasing your temperature further
- Stay cool by dressing in light clothing and avoid hot areas
- Soak yourself in lukewarm water. This reduces the fever. Using cold water could cause shivering raising your temperature even higher.
- Reduce incidence of fever; by living a healthy lifestyle, keeping your surroundings clean and washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water (often), you will reduce the incidence of contracting some of the common causes of fever.
- Do not forget the other Ws; Wear your mask and Watch your distance (physical distancing) wherever you go especially as you go to cast your vote.
Remember no matter how high your election fever may be, only PEACE can ensure good health and development.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Mobissel/St. Andrews Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week –“fever persisting for more than three days may need a health professional’s care. Do not assume it is malaria.”
Note that ELECTION CAMPAIGNS & VOTING; NOT AN EXCUSE TO ABANDON COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Reference:
- www.mayoclinic.com
- What is fever? By Peter Crosta for Medical News Today
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
