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Eat healthily, rest well to avoid diabetes, hypertension- Endocrinologist
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The Head of the Department of Medicine at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Cecilia Kootin-Sanwu, has called for urgent lifestyle changes and early screening to curb the rising cases of diabetes and hypertension in Ghana.
Dr. Kootin-Sanwu, an Endocrinologist and Senior Physician Specialist, described Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes as ‘silent killers’ that can go unnoticed for years until complications set in.
She explained that while there are different types of diabetes, about 90 per cent of cases seen are Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, she said, mostly occurs in children but can also occur in adults.
“Type 1 and 2 at times start in a very subtle way, and so it can go for years without giving you many symptoms, and by the time the patient goes to the hospital, he or she might have already developed some complications,” she said.
According to her, patients may urinate more frequently, drink a lot of water, and experience blurred vision, signs many, especially men, dismiss as ageing until vital organs are affected.
She noted that other warning signs include wounds that take long to heal and recurring candidiasis (white) in women, which should prompt immediate medical attention.
On hypertension, Dr Kootin-Sanwu said it is difficult to detect without measuring blood pressure because it often presents no symptoms, but occasionally headaches and blurred vision.
“Without knowing the numbers, you may not know whether something is happening. The typical Ghanaian is not the type that will just go for a checkup when well. We wait for something very serious,” she noted.
She further added that “for many, the first sign may be a stroke or heart attack, which can kill immediately, but that person might have had high blood pressure for a long time.”
Linking Ghanaian diets to the rising trend, she said staples like fufu, banku, and rice among others contain heavy carbohydrates consumed in large portions.
“When you have eaten all these things, your body breaks them down into sugar. It goes into the blood and becomes fuel. The body produces insulin to send the glucose to the cells. When you expose yourself to such high carbohydrate at once, the pancreas overworks, gets tired, and is not able to produce enough insulin. The sugar in the blood goes up and gradually starts destroying organs,” she explained.
“So we need to cut down on the amount of fat we like to see on our foods. Soups with a lot of oil on top, we do our Kontomire stew, we put a lot of oil on top. All these are excess energies that the body doesn’t need,” she cautioned.
Dr Kootin-Sanwu advised Ghanaians to incorporate more local vegetables such as garden eggs and okro, among others to reduce carbohydrates and fats, as well as engage in 30 minutes of walking daily or at least five times a week to reduce diabetes risk.
For hypertension, she urged people to cut down on salt and high-sodium spices.
She also stressed the importance of rest, noting that stress raises cortisol levels, which increases blood sugar, while lack of sleep keeps blood pressure high.
“Six to eight hours of sleep in adults affects blood sugar and pressure a lot,” she said.
The medical specialist further noted that the old perception that diabetes and hypertension are diseases of the elderly has changed. While these conditions were previously common in people aged 50 and above, stroke cases are now being recorded in people as young as 30, 35 and 40.
She also disclosed that even children are now being diagnosed with adult-type diabetes, which was not the case in the past due to sedentary lifestyle and ultra-processed foods among other causes.
“They are consuming ultra-processed foods and drinks, and on top of that, they live sedentary lifestyles. They sit in air-conditioned cars, stay indoors behind gadgets, and get little to no physical activity. Unfortunately, in an attempt to give their children a good life, parents end up contributing to obesity,” she disclosed.
Dr Kootin-Sanwu further called on policymakers to prioritse prevention by strengthening primary healthcare to include routine screening covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme, arguing that early detection was cheaper than treatment.
She also called for sustained public education through the media to enlighten Ghanaians on the prevalence and dangers of diabetes and hypertension as well as prevention.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Having successfully led the way as a good shepherd and ensured that prison inmates feel dignified, loved and cared for, the International Prison Chaplains Association, IPCA Ghana, has every reason to celebrate its tenth anniversary in paying gratitude to God.
The programme which was held at the Ghana National Association of Teachers, (GNAT Hall) in Accra, was under the theme,
“Breaking Chains, Building Hope – ten years of transforming lives.”
It brought together IPCA members from Ghana, representatives from Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Congo and Gabon, with the International Vice President of IPCA Worldwide, Hon Rev Jean Didier Mboyo, and IPCA Denmark Chair, Chaplain, Mrs Louise Lysholm in attendance.
The Founding Chairman of lPCA Ghana, Rev. Steve Mensah, said since getting involved in prison ministry satisfied the demands of Jesus Christ in the Bible, the task must be carried out with the cheerfulness it deserved.
He said Jesus Christ identified with prisoners because their conditions were likened to a state of hopelessness.
He said some of the achievements made by IPCA Ghana over the period included, the establishment of a medical support for the inmates in the various prisons, facilitated educational initiatives for them, assisted in their nutritional needs, provided TV sets and dishes during the COVID 19 pandemic which enabled the inmates to listen to the gospel and other educational programmes, among others.
IPCA Denmark Chair, Chaplain, Mrs Louise Lysholm, who shared strategies to reduce recidivism and conditions which prevail in prisons in Denmark, said since it was damaging for people to be convicted, the Prison Service tried to work on the conscience of the inmates when they were brought in.
The Director- General of the Ghana Prison Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe- Bonnie in a speech read on her behalf by the Director of Health and Community Service, Mrs Fofo Tachie Otoo, commended the leadership and members of IPCA Ghana, for being a dependable and supportive partner. She said it was gratifying to note that when many people, including some Christians, shunned the company of prisoners, IPCA Ghana, solidly stepped in to lend its support.
A leading member of IPCA Ghana, Dcns Dr Mrs Angela Tena Mensah, coordinated the presentation of awards to the Founding Chair of IPCA Ghana, Rev. Steve Mensah, the Director-General of Ghana Prison Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe – Bonnie, Hon Rev. Jean Didier Mboyo, pioneer leaders and some individuals for their outstanding roles in the growth of the association.
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The National Film Authority (NFA) is preparing to roll out a new initiative, dubbed ‘Cinema Train,’ to expand the exhibition of Ghanaian films beyond Accra and provide filmmakers with access to more screening venues across the country.
The initiative is being developed in partnership with the National Commission on Culture (NCC), which has facilities in nine of the former 10 regions of Ghana.
The Executive Secretary of the NFA, Ms Kafui Danku-Pitcher, said the Authority was currently scouting for suitable locations across the country as part of preparations for the programme.
She said the project was intended to address the shortage of exhibition spaces available to filmmakers and create opportunities for Ghanaian films to reach audiences outside the capital.
Ms Danku-Pitcher said the NFA was working with the NCC to identify existing facilities that could be converted into suitable venues for film exhibition.
She explained that some of the identified facilities required facelifts and technical improvements before they could meet the standards required for film screenings.
The upgrades, she said, would help improve the aesthetic appeal, comfort and technical capacity of the venues.
Ms Danku-Pitcher said the ‘Cinema Train’ would also provide a platform for the NFA to work with actors, filmmakers and other industry stakeholders on film distribution and exhibition.
She said the programme would be launched soon, adding that the initiative was expected to formalise the use of the identified spaces for film-related activities.
The Acting Executive Director of the NCC, Mr Wakefield Ackuaku, said the Commission’s network of cultural facilities provided an opportunity to support the initiative.
He said the facilities, which were located in nine of the former 10 regions, could be used by filmmakers and other creative industry practitioners.
Mr Ackuaku said the NCC was prepared to make the facilities available not only for film screenings but also for activities involving musicians, performers and other creatives.
He said the Commission did not require large financial deposits for programmes that were consistent with its mandate to preserve, promote and develop Ghanaian culture.
The arrangement, he said, was intended to encourage creatives to use the facilities and create more activities at the Centres for National Culture.
Mr Ackuaku said the initiative would help revive the use of the facilities, particularly beyond normal working hours, when many of the centres were not being fully utilised.
The partnership between the NFA and NCC is expected to create a network of venues that can support film exhibition across the country.
The ‘Cinema Train’ is also expected to give filmmakers opportunities to take their productions to new audiences while strengthening the distribution and exhibition side of Ghana’s film industry.
The initiative comes as stakeholders in the creative sector continue to explore ways of improving access to infrastructure and creating more avenues for locally produced films to reach the public.
The success of the project will depend on the upgrading of identified facilities and the establishment of a workable system for filmmakers and other creatives to use the spaces.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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