Editorial
COVID-19 is real; let’s be up and doing
The world today has been plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic which has threatened the lives of people on earth and destroyed various forms of businesses, making it difficult for the entire world to move on peacefully as expected.
It is in the light of this that various pieces of advice have been thrown out to people in this country to know that the pandemic is not imaginary but real.
Many people have died from it as a result of negligence or accidental contact with infected persons.
The Spectator is, therefore, of the view that the time has come to intensify the campaign against the disease, so as to minimise its effect on people in this country.
By so doing, we will be enjoying life better than what can be enjoyed under the ‘atrocities’ of the pandemic.
Ghanaians and the rest of the world have been informed about contraction of the disease by Most Reverend Palmer Buckle, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast. This man of God wants all Ghanaians in the world to know that COVID-19 is real for which reason we should all be up and doing.
Being up and doing simply means that we should know that the disease is real and can affect us when we come in contact with people who have been infected.
It is a well-known fact that Ghana has been hit with the second wave of the pandemic, leading to a surge in the positive cases being recorded.
This explains why day in day out our health professionals keep advising us to observe all the safety protocols as a way of helping to contain the disease or bringing it under control.
Even though the entire country needs to be protected from the pandemic, we are told that certain parts of the country are endangered with more positive cases than others. The Greater Accra Region leads in the case counts with the Ashanti Region coming second.
What this means for the whole country is that everyone must seriously observe the health safety protocols in order to avoid infection.
The dangers associated with contracting the disease is such that, we need to bring the disease under total control to ensure that, we are kept safe at all times. We do not have to panic, but be very conscious and avoid negligence, so as to avoid coming in contact with the disease.
This is important because even for those who have been infected and subsequently recovered from the disease, their systems have been affected adversely in one way or the other such that, some of them may not be as healthy as they used to be. Rigid observance of all the safety protocols is, therefore, non-negotiable.
Another issue that must not be overlooked is self-medication. Here, self-medication is dangerous so people should desist from that since it adds to risks of COVID-19 mobility.
The acting Director of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC), Dr Joseph Adjetey Oliver Commey, has advised the public against self-medication and rather seek early medication to help avert the rise in the rate of fatalities from the COVID-19.
This advice must be complied with to avoid worsening situations for anyone in the country.
The time to be serious about the disease is now, so we all need to contribute our quota in ensuring that COVID-19 is really brought under control in the interest of the nation.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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