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Decline in vulture population poses danger to society – Wildlife Researcher
• Vultures are nature’s garbage collectors
The decline in population of vultures known in the local parlance as ‘pete or kokosakyi’ to a staggering 97 per cent predisposes society to diseases like cholera, rabies, botulism (food poisoning caused by bacteria) among others, which are mainly transmitted from infected wild and domestic animals.
Vultures which are nature’s garbage collectors are at a “very high risk” of extinction and their natural role of clearing carcasses and other organic waste found in the environment would not be felt.
Research and Project Officer of the Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), Mr Joseph Kwesi Afrifa disclosed this alarming situation to this reporter to commemorate the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) which falls today, September 3, 2022.
He said “Without vultures, decomposing dead and decaying matter will litter our environment and pose high risk to public health reminiscing a case in Indian 1994 Surat plague where carcasses left unattended among other sanitary problems, led to the spread of deadly diseases.”
This year’s (IVAD) theme “Vultures, our garbage crew” is to among other things highlight the importance of these birds, create awareness on the danger they face and garner support for their conservation.
On the importance of vultures, Mr Afrifa cited a recent research which said that up to about 70 per cent of carcasses left after the migration of wild beast from the Mara to the Serengeti in Tanzania were removed by vultures alone without any human intervention.
Vultures play significant ecological and economic roles in our environment, yet human activities such as non-selective poisoning, use of parts of vultures for rituals, trade in vulture parts for use in traditional medicines, persecution and habitat loss threaten their existence.
According to Mr Afrifa “another threat to vulture existence is when, some poachers, intentionally target the scavengers to cover up their activities so that they don’t hover to alert forest guards of the location of their crimes”.
The Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), therefore, calls for vigorous education and adoption of the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) nationwide, to sensitise the public to conservation of vultures to keep “our garbage crew” alive for future generations.
He said robust scientific research and technologies in monitoring vulture population with collaborative international conservation efforts would also go a long way in conserving vultures.
Mr Afrifa said that Hooded vultures were the most common vultures in Ghana, with others like the White-backed, White-headed, Rüppell’s and Egyptian vulture which had been recorded in different locations in the country.
“So anytime you see a vulture remember they are the ones keeping our environment clean from decomposing dead and decaying matter, they are environmental heroes not witches as some misconstrue”, he emphasised.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
