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Health minister launches Ghana Medical Cares Trust Fund Taskforce
The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has officially inaugurated the Ghana Medical Care Trust Fund (MahamaCares) Taskforce to oversee the successful implementation of the initiative.
MahamaCares, an initiative of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, aims to provide dedicated financial support to individuals suffering from chronic and debilitating illnesses.
The initiative is designed to ensure fairness in healthcare access, particularly for those facing financial barriers to treatment.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Akandoh highlighted that while the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has improved medical coverage, it does not completely ease the financial burden of treating chronic diseases.
He stated, “The Ghana Medical Trust Fund is a bold response to this challenge. It’s purpose is clear: no Ghanaian should choose between their health and financial ruin.”
He noted that the taskforce has been tasked with developing a strong policy and legal framework to establish MahamaCares as a statutory entity.
In addition, the team will be responsible for designing a sustainable funding model to ensure the long-term viability of the fund, setting clear eligibility and disbursement criteria to guarantee fairness, and evaluating Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure to recommend improvements for better accessibility.
Rev. Prof. Emeritus Seth Aryeetey, Chairman of the nine-member taskforce, expressed his immerse gratitude to the President and the Minister for the opportunity to serve.
He assured that the taskforce would work diligently to ensure the success of the MahamaCares initiative and deliver on its mandate effectively.
Other members of the taskforce include; Prof. Emeritus Binka – former Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Margaret Kweku – Public Health Consultant, Dr Alfred Doku – Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Radolph Nsor-Ambala – financial expert, Dr Anthony Gingong – representative of the National Health Insurance Trust Fund, Dr. Anthony Seddoh – Health Policy and financing expert, Anna Pearl Akiwumi Siriboe – lawyer and the Attorney General’s representative for the committee and Dr Belinda Afriyie – Public Health Consultant Secretary for the Taskforce.
The spokesperson for Okuapehene, Ohenenana B.S. Opoku, has dismissed social media reports that there is insecurity in Okuapemam and for that matter an indefinite ban has been placed on the celebration of this year’s annual Odwira Festival.
Ohenenana Opoku, who is also a member of the Odwira Festival Planning Committee, said Odwira would be celebrated and all the necessary arrangements have been made for a peaceful celebration.
According to him, there is no merit in all the allegations on the media space because there has not been any chieftaincy dispute in any of the divisional heads in the area.
“There is absolute peace in Okuapeman, therefore, all Okuapeman citizens living in Ghana and abroad should come home to celebrate the Odwira Festival.”
In a press briefing at the Okuapeman Palace in Akropong on Friday, Ohenenana Opoku described the allegations as false, stating that all the divisional chiefs have been gazetted and recognised in Ghana’s Chieftaincy records.
He said Okuapemam has been celebrating Odwira Festival for the past five years under the leadership of Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III without any dispute.
He emphasised that Okuapeman constitutes 17 major towns with their own chiefs under Okuapemanhene and that nobody has the right to ban or stop any chief from celebrating it.
Ohenenana Opoku appealed to the people of Ghana to come and enjoy the Akuapem Odwira Festival which is one of the best cultures in Ghana.
In view of that, the Yagbonwura, Bii-Kunuto Jewu Saole, has accepted to grace the festival as the special guest of honour.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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Childdren and pregnant women in Ghana are unknowingly being exposed to toxic levels of lead in everyday products, a new study by UNICEF and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has revealed.
The nationwide study, which covered all 16 regions, found dangerous levels of lead contamination in items such as cosmetics, food, and household products, posing significant threat to public health, particularly to children and women of childbearing age.
A statement on the report copied to The Spectator in Accra on Monday explained that several commonly used items contained alarmingly high concentrations of lead.
Lead, a heavy metal used in batteries, paints, ceramics, and other industrial materials, is highly toxic even in small quantities.
Experts warn that it can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems in children.
The study stressed that there were no safe levels of lead in the human body.
Traditional eyeliners known locally as kaji kaji or kholi, which many mothers use to brighten their children’s eyes, had contamination levels tens of thousands exceeding permissible limits.
White baked clay, called shire, ayilor, or farinkasa and commonly consumed by pregnant women to ease nausea, also tested positive for lead contamination in about 25 per cent of samples, with the highest rates recorded in the North East and Greater Accra regions.
Ground turmeric, a staple spice used across Ghana, was found to be contaminated in 42 per cent of samples, with particularly high levels in the Greater Accra (84 per cent), Central (75 per cent), and Bono (60 per cent) regions.
Similarly, locally prepared corn-based cereal (Tom Brown) showed lead contamination in 4.4 per cent of samples, mostly from the Eastern Region.
Old plumbing systems and certain cookware were also identified as possible sources of exposure, as lead can leak into drinking water or food during cooking.
The health impacts are severe. Lead exposure can cause anaemia, stunted growth, hearing loss, seizures, and pregnancy complications such as low birth weight and miscarriage.
UNICEF has, therefore, called for immediate national action to address the crisis, calling for public awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement of product safety standards, and routine screening for lead exposure, especially among vulnerable groups.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Government of Ghana and relevant partners to eliminate lead exposure and safeguard the health of every woman and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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