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Know sickle cell status before falling in love – Sickle cell advocate
Prof. Otchere Addo
Young adults with intention to marry in future have been advised to check and know their sickle cell status before falling in love.
The Founder of the Sickle Cell Condition Advocates (SICCA), Ms Charlotte Owusu, who gave the advice said this was crucial to prevent people from marrying partners who have the sickle cell in their genes.
That, she noted, would expose them to the life-threatening implications of the Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
“Some of the experiences SCD patients go through can be harrowing. We are advocating prevention of sickle cell which is the best. It is to know your status so that you don’t marry someone of the same status.
The religious bodies have a huge role to play. They are the people would-be couples to go for marriage counselling and when they detect sickle cell, they ask them not to marry but is that the right time? We must educate the people to screen before falling in love and disclose early in the relationship before it gets deep and difficult to pull out,” she explained.
Ms Owusu shared the advice with The Spectator at the launch of a National SCD policy to improve comprehensive and coordinated healthcare services for patients across the country.
The Founder, who shared her existed experience of the condition, having given birth to two SCD children, lost one and suffered a failed marriage, advised Ghanaians, especially the youth not to downplay the condition which poses health, economic and social burden.
“Prevention is key even though treatment like hydroxyurea, penicillin, folic acid and bone marrow transplant, among others are available,” she said.
One in four Ghanaians is to have the haemoglobin S or C gene, which indicates carriage of the sickle cell trait.
According to national estimates, nine out of 10 people in Ghana are unaware of their SCD status.
Meanwhile, about 15,000 to 20,000 babies are born with SCD in Ghana every year, representing two per cent of all live births.
One in every 50 children born in Ghana would have a sickle cell disease with 50 to 90 per cent of them dying before their fifth birthday
By Abigail Annoh
Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has confirmed that former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, is in prison and serving her jail term.
Speaking in an interview on Joy news, Mr. Muntaka dismissed claims that the former MASLOC boss was being held in a private location.
He said she has been in the custody of the state since she returned to Ghana.
“From the day Sedina came, she has been with us, and she’s serving her time,” he said.
The minister explained that the public is not usually told the specific prison where inmates, especially high-profile persons, are being held for security reasons.
He said even judges who sentence offenders do not necessarily know the specific prison where they are sent.
“If you want to visit her, you can write to the Prisons Service. They will talk to her, and if she is interested in you coming, she will let you come,” Mr. Muntaka stated.
According to him, disclosing the location of high-profile inmates could put their lives at risk, adding that some developed countries also keep such information confidential for security purposes.
His comments come amid public speculation over the whereabouts of Ms. Tamakloe Attionu following reports that she had returned to Ghana to begin serving her prison sentence.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Western Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), ACFO I Cecil Addo, has completed a familiarization tour of major corporate and industrial institutions across the Western Region to strengthen partnerships and enhance fire safety preparedness.
The tour covered key organizations including the Bank of Ghana, GOIL PLC, Ghanstock, Western Terminals, Zen Terminal, Keda Ceramics, Takoradi International Company (TICO), Volta River Authority (VRA), Harlequin Oil and Gas, and Western Serene Atlantic Hotel.
During the engagements, the Regional Commander encouraged management of the institutions to prioritize proactive fire prevention measures by incorporating strict safety protocols into their daily operations.
Discussions also focused on improving fire readiness and strengthening collaboration between GNFS and the corporate sector.
As part of the initiative, GNFS presented firefighting equipment, including Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) extinguishers, as well as Fire Extinguishing Balls, to support workplace safety.
The institutions expressed appreciation for the outreach and pledged to support regular safety audits, joint emergency drills, and potential Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships with the Service.
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