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AngloGold Ashanti marks Africa Day … pledges to sustain fight against COVID-19
AngloGold Ashanti marked this year’s Africa Day with a commitment to help sustain efforts to fight COVID-19 pandemic on the continent.
The company made the pledge when it joined more than 1.2 billion Africans across the continent and in the diaspora on Monday, to mark Africa Day, at a time the African Union (AU) was spearheading several initiatives aimed to combat the spread of COVID-19 and ensure Africa’s economic resilience.
The Chief Operating Officer for Africa, Sicelo Ntuli, in a statement released to the Ghanaian Times, said: “AngloGold Ashanti is committed to supporting the AU in its response strategy and is working in cooperation with the respective government programmes and stakeholders to roll out a series of hygiene and educational interventions at its sites and across communities.”
The theme for this year’s Africa Day, “Silencing the guns; Creating a conducive environment for Africa’s development”, in part, provided the relevant framework to all stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to join forces in the fight against the pandemic, ensuring that livelihoods were protected and economic activity kept alive.
In March, this year, Africa’s leaders met and developed a comprehensive, continent-wide response strategy to COVID-19.
This is to enhance collaboration and communication on the pandemic by member states and partners, including Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC), which specialises in efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, prevention and control of diseases in AU member states.
Mr Ntuli said: “AngloGold Ashanti aims to support the countries in which we operate to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The company continues to work closely with governments and communities and has rolled out a number of interventions to keep people safe.”
He congratulated all Africans on the occasion of Africa Day and pledged that AngloGold would continue to work to support governments and communities where it operates.
Mr Ntuli said the company had introduced measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including stepping-up screening and surveillance of employees, banning non-essential travel, instituting clear self-quarantine measures and increasing hygiene awareness and facilities.
He mentioned that in Ghana, AngloGold Ashanti Malaria Control has disinfected health centres, markets and carried out education campaign on COVID-19 in the Obuasi municipality.
Mr Ntuli said the Obuasi and Iduapriem Mines had donated funds through the Ghana Chamber of Mines, which had provided US$2million to the government of Ghana to fight COVID-19.
He said Iduapriem had created an isolation centre in Tarkwa, developed a comprehensive COVID-19 education campaign and increased the number of hand-washing facilities at site and in host communities. It had, also provided medical equipment and PPE. “
He said about US$1 million would be spent on reducing the effects of COVID-19, at Iduapriem.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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