News
Put cleft care on NHIS to reduce reliance on donor support – Dr Ernest Konadu-Asiedu
DR Ernest Konadu-Asiedu, Head of the Medical and Dental Unit at the Ministry of Health, has underscored the need to embed cleft care into Ghana’s national health policy framework.
Speaking at the Partner Forum held at the Smile Train Leadership has supported more than two million procedures globally since its founding in 1999.
Centre in Kumasi, Dr Konadu-Asiedu emphasised that cleft lip and palate were not merely surgical conditions but public health and developmental challenges, often linked to nutrition, speech, stigma, and long-term functional limitations.
Currently, Smile Train—the world’s largest cleft-focused non-profit organisation—provides free surgeries and In Ghana alone, over 3,000 children have received primary cleft surgeries, generating an estimated $67 million in economic benefit since 2003.
Cleft refers to a split or division, like a cleft in a rock or a cleft palate (a birth condition affecting the roof of the mouth). In a broader sense, it describes a separation or fissure.
He noted that while Smile Train continues to provide free surgeries, long-term sustainability requires Ghana to take ownership of cleft services within its health system.
Financing is also critical, and embedding cleft services into the National Health Insurance Scheme and exploring the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would reduce reliance on donor support.
His vision is for cleft care to be fully institutionalised, locally led, and sustainably delivered through Ghana’s health system, ensuring that children born with cleft conditions can access comprehensive, life-changing care even beyond Smile Train’s support.
Ms Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO of Smile Train, lauded Ghana’s pioneering role in cleft care in Africa, describing the National Cleft Care Centre in Kumasi as ‘a beacon of hope’ for children and families across the continent.
She emphasised the urgency of tackling stigma and misinformation surrounding clefts, pointing out that one in 770 children in Ghana is born with the condition.
Without treatment, they struggle to breathe, eat, and speak, and too often face bullying and isolation. By encouraging families to seek free, safe, and high-quality care, she said, children are given the chance to thrive, to smile, and to contribute to building the nation.
Prof. Solomon Obiri-Yeboah, Head of the National Cleft Care Centre, also noted that one in 770 children has cleft condition.
He celebrated the resilience of families and children living with clefts, describing them as an inspiration.
The six storey centre, the first of its kind in Africa, was fully sponsored with equipment by Smile Train at a cost of over $2 million and is located within the precincts of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
GOLD Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF), has organised a sensitisation programme at Mile 10, one of its catchment communities in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality to raise awareness about childhood cancer.
The programme formed part of activities to observe this year’s World Childhood Cancer Day which falls on February 15 every year.
Speaking at the event, Dr Magdalene Bakari, the Lead specialist for health services for Gold Fields Ghana (GFG), said as part of their commitment to improve upon the health and lives of the people that they worked with, they decided to spend time with the residents of Mile 10.
She said one of the things they did was to focus on schooling the community about childhood cancers because such cancers were affecting their young ones, who were the country’s future leaders.
“We wanted to reinforce the education on childhood cancer, so people could identify the early signs, get treatment on time, and go on to live productive lives” Dr Bakari stated.
The lead specialist explained that GFG have a large catchment area, and over the years, they have tried to get to each community, adding that last year, they visited Subri, and earlier covered Koduakrom, Pepesa, and Huniso.
“In Mile 10 community, we noticed, it’s a community where poverty levels are high, and they also have a very youthful population with a high fertility rate. So, we wanted to bring this message to them as well” she indicated.
Dr Bakari reiterated that with so many children around, they felt it was important to educate the community to help parents and caregivers to pick up some of the issues early and further support them to have access to healthcare when needed.
Mr Abdel-Razak Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the GFGF, said hundreds of residents were registered free of charge with the National Health Insurance programme to enable them have access to affordable health care.
He said staff from the National Health Insurance guided and showed residents how to renew subscription on their mobile phones when they expired, so they would not have to travel down to their office in Tarkwa for renewal.
Nana Obaatanpa Kojo Etroo I, Odikro of Mile 10 community, praised GFGF for selecting his community for the impactful health programme, stressing that, though the Mine would be leaving them, they would remember their efforts.
Maame Abena Owusu-Ansah, a mother of six expressed appreciation to the GFGF for facilitating her children’s NHI registration. -GNA
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
AN Accra High Court has sentenced Richard Appiah, a footballer, to life imprisonment for the murder of two boys at Abesim in the Bono Region.
The convict was found guilty by a seven-member jury on two counts of murder.
The court heard that on August 20, 2021, Appiah murdered Stephen Sarpong, 15, and Louis Agyemang, 12, at his residence in Abesim.
The case began at the Kaneshie District Court, now the Adabraka District Court, where committal proceedings were held before it was transferred to the High Court in Accra.
The prosecution, led by Nana Ama Adinkra, a Senior State Attorney, called five witnesses, while the defence team, led by Mr Faustinus Yirilabuo, called two witnesses.
According to the prosecution, the complainant, a driver and father of Louis Agyemang, resided in the same community as the accused.
On the day of the incident, Appiah allegedly lured Louis Agyemang, his half-brother, to his residence. When the boy could not be found later in the evening, a relative, Mr Akwasi Boateng, questioned the accused about his whereabouts.
The accused joined in the search, after which a report was made to the police. Mr Boateng later went to the accused’s residence and, through a window, saw the victim lying motionless in his room. The police were alerted and forced open the locked room, where they made further discoveries.
The remains of both victims were subsequently conveyed to the Police Hospital for preservation and investigation.
During investigations, the accused led police to another location where additional evidence was retrieved. A brown envelope containing GH¢7,960 was also found in his room.
Appiah was charged with two counts of murder and pleaded not guilty.
In his defence, he expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and claimed he was suffering from severe depression and hallucinations at the time of the incident. His lawyers urged the jury to return a verdict of guilty but insane, arguing that he was mentally unstable and, therefore, not criminally responsible.
The defence maintained that their client acted under delusion and did not have the mental capacity to appreciate the consequences of his actions.
However, the prosecution argued that the accused was aware of his actions and took steps to conceal evidence, indicating that he knew the difference between right and wrong. The State further argued that insanity was an exception to criminal responsibility and must be strictly proven.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Following the judgment, defence counsel, Mr Theophilus K. Dzimegah, indicated that the legal team would appeal the decision in the coming days.
-GNA
