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Ghana’s COVID-19 cases rise to 6,269 —GHS
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The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed 173 more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) to put the total number of cases at 6,269.
The number of recoveries has also shot up by 144 from the last update of 1,754.
This means Ghana now has 1,898 recoveries but its death toll has remained at 31 over the last four days.
According to the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the new infections had come from five out of the 16 regions in the country with the Greater Accra Region still leading the chart with 46 more cases.
The Western Region has recorded 59 more cases putting its total case count at 170, Ashanti, 35 more cases, Central 27 and Eastern Region recording six new cases.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye disclosed that so far 31 patients have been managed under intensive care unit (ICU), with two, put on ventilators.
“Six mortalities have been recorded, 16 have been discharged home and currently we have eight in ICU; four at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, two at the Ga East Hospital, one at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and one at the Ho Government Hospital.”
The Director-General indicated that so far over 187,000 tests have been conducted, of which 1,920 tested positive during general surveillance and 4,349 from enhanced contact tracing.
The Greater Accra Region, he said, accounted for 20 out of the 31 deaths recorded in the country, of which 17 are males and three, females.
“Twenty-eight of the persons who died have co-morbidity issues and three have no underlying issue so we can confirm they died of COVID-19,” he said.
On decentralising treatment for the disease, Dr Kuma-Aboagye made it known that a total of 71 treatment and isolation centres have been identified across the country with nine testing sites on hand to ramp up testing of COVID-19.
“All 16 regions have so far been able to identify and set up at least one regional level and two other treatment centres and isolation facilities and with the number of cases reducing by the day, we do not expect to be overwhelmed with the cases,” he stated.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye who used the opportunity to clarify payment of contact tracers, noted that the GHS had strengthened its systems to respond and contain further spread of the virus as it targeted hotspots for better management of cases.
“All contact tracers have been paid and currently because the number of cases are reducing, we are relying more on our staff instead of the volunteers to do the contact tracing.
“With the 50 per cent allowance for frontline staff, the Ministry of Health is working on it and they will be paid.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
African leaders have been urged to strengthen political commitment and domestic investment to end preventable maternal deaths and AIDS by 2030.
The call comes as African health ministers and policymakers meet in Accra to deliberate on health financing, health security and universal health coverage across the continent.
Mr Edouard Bizimana, Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the African Union’s (AU) 25th Extraordinary Summit on Health in Accra.
He said Africa needed increased domestic investment to build resilient health systems as it continued to grapple with infectious diseases and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Mr Bizimana, who is also Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, said although Africa accounted for nearly 17 per cent of the world’s population, it bore 24 per cent of the global disease burden while having less than three per cent of the global health workforce and only one per cent of global health expenditure.
“Despite maternal mortality declining by nearly 40 per cent since 2000, Africa still accounts for about 70 per cent of maternal deaths globally, while almost two-thirds of people living with HIV reside on the continent,” he said.
Mr Bizimana said the growing burden of NCDs was placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.
“These figures are not merely statistics. They represent painful human realities, preventable losses and unacceptable inequalities, they remind us that health is not an expense it is a strategic investment and a prerequisite for our sovereignty and development. “he said.
Mr Bizimana said recent global health emergencies had exposed Africa’s vulnerability and underscored the need to expand local production of medicines and vaccines, strengthen the health workforce and improve emergency preparedness.
“Our citizens expect resilient health systems where every mother can give birth safely, every child has access to essential healthcare and every African enjoys quality health services regardless of where they live,” he said.
The two-day summit, being held ahead of the 20th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, has brought together health ministers, policymakers and health stakeholders to identify solutions to Africa’s health financing and security challenges.
Madam Florence Samizi, Tanzania’s Deputy Health Minister, called for stronger collaboration among AU Member States to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
The summit is being held on the theme: “Advancing Justice, Equality and Universal Health Coverage: Ending AIDS, Tuberculosis, Improving Maternal Health, Addressing Endemic Non-Communicable and Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa.”
The meeting is expected to adopt the Accra Declaration, a roadmap to strengthen Africa’s health systems and advance health sovereignty by 2030. -GNA
Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato says the imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will have little meaning unless it leads to a broader crackdown on illegal mining.
In a post on his Facebook page on the July 21, 2026, Dr. Zaato said the judgment should mark the beginning of efforts to completely eradicate galamsey and hold all those involved accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
He said the country must work towards restoring polluted rivers, protecting forests and ensuring that people implicated in illegal mining activities are prosecuted.
According to him, those the President has publicly acknowledged to be involved in galamsey should face prosecution.
He called for the prosecution of district chief executives (DCEs), members of Parliament (MPs) and senior political party officials who have been accused of engaging in or supporting illegal mining.
Dr. Zaato further urged the government to take decisive action to end the destruction of the country’s forests caused by galamsey.
He maintained that the imprisonment of Chairman Wontumi would only have a lasting impact if it results in a comprehensive and impartial fight against illegal mining across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
