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CEHDAR express worry over increasing sexting in Ghana
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The President of Centre For Health Development and Research (CEHDAR), Dr Jemima Dennis-Antwi, has expressed worry about the increasing number of children lured into the act of sexting in the country.
According to her, sexting is becoming common in our society, as young girls are engaged in photographic literatures on their phones, by some recalcitrants men to lure them into the act, which may end up jeopardizing their future through sexual abuse.
Speaking in an interview with spectator.com.gh yesterday in Accra, Dr Dennis-Antwi said, parents should be concerned about what their children used their phones for, especially those who allowed their children to go on the internet.
CHEDAR is a non-governmental organisation that promote health system strengthening, and policy advocacy.
Dr Dennis- Antwi added that, sexting makes girls sexually inclined, and urged parents to protect their girls from these recalcitrants, to prevent them from being sexually abused.
She appealed stakeholders, especially religious bodies and educational institutions, to train the youth to have some sort of positive distraction, that allows girls seek for their future, to enable them become better persons whose contributions would impact positively in our society.
Dr Dennis-Antwi called on the government to strengthen institutions such as the Ghana Police Service , the Judiciary, and other relevant institutions with the needed logistics, for them to provide justice for victims of sexual abuse.
She explained that, if the law does not put measures to protect girls whose future could be compromised through sexting, these children would one day become pregnant, and becomes a burden to society.
” When a girl have a baby which is she not ready for, and the baby cannot get the protection he or she needs to able the baby grow into responsible adulthood.It means that we are breeding people who will become a burden to society, and at the same time, the girl may carry a huge physiological burden which affects their social development and health” Dr Dennis-Antwi said.
She added that, when girl are not ready to have babies, it creates danger for them, as some lose their lives through delivery, and others who cannot afford to take care of themselves financially, also get themselves into indecent lifestyles such as prostitution.
“Institutions such as the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, the Department of Social Welfare, the Legal Aid Scheme, and others, should also be supported to provide justice for sexually abused girls and women,” she said.
Acorsing to her, “If we fail as stakeholders to protect these children, we are undermining the future of these girls who may someday becomes the future leaders of our country.”
“It is also important to say that, children, especially girls need to focus on their future and education, and desist themselves from any behaviors that may jeopardize their vision,” Dr Dennis-Antwi said.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN.
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
