News
Elizabeth Amoaa, the changemaker in women’s health
In the global conversation around health equity, few voices resonate as powerfully as that of Elizabeth Amoaa.
Her work transcends advocacy; it is a live commitment to ensuring that women and girls around the world are not left behind when it comes to reproductive health and education.
Elizabeth’s journey began not in a boardroom or a conference hall, but within the deeply personal landscape of her own medical challenges.
Living with uterus didelphys, a rare condition where a woman is born with two wombs, sometimes two cervixes and rarely two vagina canals, Elizabeth faced years of medical misunderstanding, misdiagnosis and silence.
Her eventual diagnoses of endometriosis and fibroids came only in her thirties, after years of suffering in silence.
Rather than retreat into bitterness or despair, Elizabeth found clarity in purpose.
That purpose would grow into Special Lady Awareness in Ghana and Special Lady Awareness Global Charity in UK, an initiative she launched to break long-held taboos surrounding gynaecological health.
With chapters in both the UK and Ghana, her organisations have become a lifeline for thousands of women and girls, offering education, advocacy and practical support in spaces where reproductive health is still whispered about, if acknowledged at all.
Through health forums and medical partnerships, Elizabeth has taken a once-private struggle and transformed it into a movement.
In the UK, she collaborates with civic leaders and medical professionals to host community education sessions, shining a light on complex conditions like endometriosis, fibroids etc.
In Ghana, her impact is felt directly through the donation of medical supplies, menstrual hygiene products and health workshops that reach deep into underserved communities.
Her leadership goes beyond logistics. It’s in the storytelling, the courage to write books like The Unspoken Identity – The Woman with Two Vaginas, now used as an educational tool in schools across continents.
It’s in her policy engagement, as she contributes to research projects like the UK’s Endo1000 project initiative and in her service roles, including past president of the Rotary Global Hub, now direct membership of Rotary Great Britain and Ireland.
But above all, Elizabeth’s influence lies in her refusal to let any woman feel alone in her health journey.
Her story reminds us that healthcare justice is not just about clinical access but it’s about dignity, representation and truth.
By confronting cultural stigma and empowering others to speak up, Elizabeth has shifted narratives and opened doors that had long been closed to countless women.
Her work invites us all to consider: What if reproductive health education were truly inclusive? What if access to basic supplies like sanitary pads didn’t depend on social background? What if every girl grew up understanding her body without fear or shame?
Elizabeth Amoaa is not just asking these questions rather, she’s building the answers.
Every voice counts. Every step forward matters. And in the movement that Elizabeth leads, there is space for everyone willing to stand for change.
Let us stand together and create a world where reproductive health is not hidden in whispers, but embraced with compassion, knowledge and support.
A world where women are seen, heard and healed.
News
Prioritise affordable treatment of sickle cell treatment —Health Expert
Health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) as advanced, but costly curative therapies remain out of reach.
SCD, an inherited blood disorder, affects about three in every 100 newborns in Ghana.
Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disease causes severe complications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, strokes and organ damage, often leading to shortened life expectancy.
In recent years, gene therapy has been developed as a potential cure.
However, its cost—running into millions of dollars per patient—makes it financially and technically inaccessible in Ghana.
According to Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Childhood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must instead focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea”, a decades-old cancer drug proven to reduce painful episodes, hospitalisation and life- threatening complications in SCD patients”.
Taken orally, the medicine improves red blood cell function and is considered safe and effective.
“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hanging fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably.” he urged.
In a chat with The Spectator here, he said to create awareness on the disease, the expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana.”
Stressing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”
Moreover, he argued that scaling up access would provide immediate relief while the country builds the infrastructure, trains specialists and secures funding needed to support curative therapies in the future.
With an estimated 15,000 babies born with sickle cell disease annually in Ghana, Dr Osei Tutu cautioned that “failure to improve access to effective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Hot!
Let’s reintroduce Cultural Studies to complement educational reforms — Tourism Minister
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasised the importance of reintroducing Cultural Studies in schools as part of Ghana’s broader educational reform agenda.
She said Cultural Studies would complement existing efforts to reposition Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital literacy and expand Creative Arts education.
Speaking at the 2025 Homowo Festival of the people of Ningo-Prampram, held on the theme: “Education: The Best Legacy for our Children,” Madam Gomashie said cultural education was critical to national identity and development.
She noted that the festival’s theme aligned with the Government’s vision to transform education in Ghana and encouraged the youth to embrace it not only as a means of personal development but also as a way of preserving traditional values.
These values, including patience, wisdom, and hard work, were at the core of the Homowo celebration, the Minister said.
“Cultural festivals like Homowo are vital instruments for strengthening cultural identity, preserving historical memory, and fostering national unity. Additionally, festivals serve as platforms for educating the youth through storytelling, music, dance, and other traditional practices, while also providing opportunities for community engagement.”
Madam Gomashie highlighted the strong foundation that Ghana’s tourism was built on, which included culture, traditions, and the creative industry, collectively contributing to over GH¢4.8 billion to the economy.
“Festivals give tourists reasons to visit our country. Therefore, with the right infrastructure and the development of all the domains, the sector can do more than what has been recorded,” she added.
Mr Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended the community for their vibrant participation in the festival. He announced plans for the construction of a new nursing training school in Ningo, aimed at expanding access to healthcare education in the area.
Nene Osroagbo Djangmah XII, Paramount Chief of Great Ningo Traditional Area; King Dr Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse; Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area; Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area; Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen Mother of Great Ningo; and Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Envoy on Religion and Inter-Faith Affairs, who represented the Chief of Staff, were among dignitaries at the festival. -GNA
