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Children with cleft not cursed – CEO of Korle-Bu
Some of the parents with their children cured of cleft condition
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, has asked Ghanaians to disregard myths and misconceptions surrounding children born with cleft, insisting that such children are not cursed.
According to him, cleft was a medical condition that can be corrected by surgery within 45 minutes.
However, due to stigmatisation, parents of such children often hide them at home, denying them opportunity to receive treatment which later affect them in life.
Dr Ampomah made the disclosure last week at a press conference to mark the cleft awareness week observed on August 26-29, 2024.
Operation Smile is a global nonprofit service organisation that bridges the gap in access to essential surgeries and health care, starting with cleft surgery and comprehensive care.
It also provides medical expertise, training, mentorship, research and care through its dedicated staff and volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits and health systems, and supported by generous donors and corporate partner
The period was one the Operation Smile team will educate Ghanaians on various media platforms.
According Dr Ampomah most children with cleft were often said to have been stroked by an evil spirit, cursed, or were children born out of adultery or facing punishment from God.
But he indicated that “cleft is not a curse, it is a medical condition that is surgically correctable in a 45 minute surgery.”
He explained that cleft was a condition that occurs in the early stages of pregnancy, resulting the cleft lip or cleft palate.
Cleft lip is an opening or split in the upper lip that occurs when developing facial structures in an unborn baby do not close completely.
A cleft palate is an opening or split in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the tissue does not fuse together during development in the womb.
He said a child with cleft condition finds it difficult to breast feed, hear or speak and mostly produce nasal sounds when they speak.
Dr Ampomah, who is also the Medical Director for Operation Smile said the condition was caused genetically while there were also environmental factors that could cause it.
Some of the environmental factors, he said, were alcohol use, smoking, drug abuse and lack of vitamin B (folic acid) during pregnancy.
He said heavy metals and toxin from galamsey sites which pollute water bodies could result in cleft problems, adding that “with the ‘galamsey’ activities, I will not be surprised if there are increases in the cleft conditions, we do not have to wait for it to happen.”
Dr Ampomah said Operation Smile was the largest provider of cleft care in Ghana since it started operation in 2011, adding that it provides free and safe surgeries to both children and adults.
He advised women to stop taking unprescribed drugs and visit the hospital when there are challenges to avoid such conditions.
Mr Henry Quist, the Acting Country Manager of Operation Smile-Ghana, encouraged parents and guardians with cleft children to take advantage of their outreaches to correct the condition.
According to him, surgery could be performed on babies with cleft lip from three to six months and for those with palate, between nine and 12 months of birth.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has held a strategic engagement with leadership of the Queen Mothers Association drawn from all sixteen regions of Ghana.
The delegation, led by its President, Nana Otubea II, outlined the formation and purpose of the Association, noting that it brings together gazetted queen mothers across the country to promote inclusivity, community development and participation in national decision-making process. The Association also reaffirmed its commitment to partnering government in advancing development initiatives within their traditional areas.
They highlighted their advocacy efforts which contributed to the passage of the Affirmative Action Act, and expressed appreciation to the Minister for her leadership, while calling for stronger collaboration and inclusion in governance structures.
In her response, the Minister expressed gratitude for the visit and reaffirmed government’s commitment to inclusive development. She emphasised that sustainable national development requires the active involvement of all stakeholders, particularly traditional leaders such as queen mothers, who play critical role at community level.
She noted that the Ministry remains committed to ensuring that “no one is left behind,” aligning with the broader national development agenda.
Touching on policy implementation, the Minister indicated that the Affirmative Action Act, passed in 2024 and launched in 2025 is currently at the implementation stage, with a Secretariat established to drive its roll out. She added that the Ministry continues to implement targeted social interventions through programmes such as LEAP, the Ghana School Feeding Programmes.
As part of the engagement, the Minister presented copies of the Affirmative Action Act, the Social Protection Act and documents on the LEAP reassessment onboarding process to the Association to support their advocacy and community outreach efforts.
The Minister further underscored the indispensable role of queen mothers in addressing critical social issues, including teenage pregnancy, child welfare, caregiving and community sensitisation.
She tasked the Queen Mothers to actively support and encourage more women to contest in the upcoming District Assembly elections, stressing that their involvement is crucial to achieving gender parity in local governance.
The meeting reinforced the importance of partnership between the Ministry and traditional leaders in advancing gender equality and social development at the community level.
Miniser for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has revealed a major shake up at Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following recent power outages.
In a post on Facebook, Felix Kwakye Ofosu disclosed that Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor has asked the CEO of GRIDCo to step aside pending investigations into fire incident at Akosombo power control center.
Also, he further noted that there has been a major shake up in the leadership of the ECG in the Ashanti Region.
“At 2pm tomorrow, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon John Jinapor, will hold a major briefing on recent developments in electricity distribution,” he concluded.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
