News
Let’s educate public on infertility issues — GJA vice president urges media
Over the years Infertility has been a sensitive and complex issue that affects couples worldwide and the media must be actively involved in educating the public to change that perception.
Vice President of the Ghana Jour¬nalists Association (GJA), Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei has advised.
According to her infertility issues have the tendency to make a person behave in unacceptable ways that may cause inconvenience to the per¬son trying to conceive.
She expressed these concerns at a community awareness online video conference programme organised by the Merck Foundation on health for the Media.
It was in partnership with Mrs Re¬becca Akufo-Addo, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana and Ambassador of Merck Foundation “More than a moth¬er “ campaign and the GJA.
Mrs Asante-Agyei was speaking on the topic, “the role of the media in reaching out to communities at the grassroot levels raising awareness on health and social issues.”
She observed that this was large¬ly due to the importance attached to the role of motherhood, and the inability of a woman to meet this expectation which incurs the displea¬sure and unfavourable attitudes from society.
Mrs Asante Agyei noted that the development sadly, affected childless couples noting that the ultimate pur¬pose of marriage was procreation-to produce children who will continue the heritage and name of the family.
She said sometimes the pressure compelled childless women to even isolate themselves to avoid any con¬frontation from others thus maintain their mental health.
“Women who are battling infertil¬ity usually suffer serious stigmatisa¬tion.
“However, those with high edu¬cation living in urban cities feel less stigmatised while women in rural communities feel more stigmatised, Mrs Asante-Agyei noted.
To address this challenge of in¬fertility stig¬matisation, she called on the media to extend educa¬tion to rural communities for more people to be educated.
She was of the view that the more infertile women were exposed to knowledge about the subject, the more likely they would be to live a lifestyle that would increase their chances of becoming fertile.
Mrs Asante-Agyei reminded soci¬ety that although motherhood was considered a major role of women there were other roles they played in building society which should be re¬spected, therefore, their roles should not only be limited to child-bearing.
The Vice President also advised men to seek medical care since of infertility could also be from the men.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
The Ghana Highway Authority has announced a temporary traffic management arrangement on sections of the Accra Tema Motorway and the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange as construction work continues on the motorway expansion project.
In a public announcement issued on March 5, the Authority explained that the arrangement forms part of ongoing construction works under the Accra Tema Motorway and Extension Projects.
It noted that the traffic adjustment is required to allow contractors carry out T beam launching works for the expansion of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange Bridge on the N1 highway.
Under the arrangement, lanes on the N4 northbound carriageway, which serves traffic moving from Accra to Madina, will be temporarily closed.
Meanwhile, the southbound carriageway from Madina to Accra, which currently has four lanes, will be reconfigured into two lanes in each direction to accommodate traffic moving both ways.
The Authority indicated that the temporary traffic changes will take effect from Monday, March 9, 2026 and are expected to last for four months.
According to the statement, the lane reduction is necessary to create a safe working space for construction personnel and to ensure the safety of motorists using the road.
The Authority therefore advised drivers to be cautious, obey traffic signs and cooperate with traffic management officials throughout the construction period.
It encouraged members of the public who require further information to contact its Public Affairs Division through WhatsApp on 0551622244.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Chief Imam, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has congratulated the Government and people of Ghana as the country marks its 69th Independence Day, urging citizens to renew their commitment to national unity and democratic values.
In a statement to commemorate the celebration on March 6, he encouraged Ghanaians to use the occasion to strengthen their dedication to constitutional democracy, economic progress, interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence.
He observed that the world was currently facing several challenges, including the rise of authoritarian governments and increasing military conflicts among nations.
According to him, humanity was experiencing turbulent times, with genocidal attitudes and violent extremism becoming more widespread in different parts of the world.
The Chief Imam explained that such global developments should inspire Ghanaians to come together and deepen their commitment to nation building while embracing unity in diversity.
He noted that although colonialism left a painful mark on the country’s history, Ghanaians could take comfort in their collective determination to overcome colonial subjugation and build a free nation.
Reflecting on the country’s independence struggle, he indicated that Ghanaians now remembered the victory for liberty rather than the hardship endured during the fight against tyranny.
The National Chief Imam offered prayers for divine guidance and blessings for the President, John Dramani Mahama, the Government and the people of Ghana.
By: Jacob Aggrey
