Editorial
Let’s have hope in our Black Stars
In a few days, the World Cup will begin in Qatar, and looking at all the teams that are taking part in the competition, many Ghanaians are wondering whether the Black Stars will be able to live up to expectations.
It is important for every Ghanaian to note that the players for Ghana are world-class players who are prepared to die for their country. For this reason, Ghanaians need hope to support the team.
Massive support for the Black Stars is what we need at this time. It is only Ghanaians themselves who can support the players, wish them well, and pray for their victory. All 31 million Ghanaians cannot go to Qatar to play in the World Cup. What can be done is for each of us to pray for the Black Stars and their technical team and wish them well so they can give us the victory we need.
It will be good if Ghana emerges the most successful African team in the competition, moving from the group stages and successfully going through the one-sixteenth stage and also a quarter final and moving on further into the semi finals and getting to the grand finale.
What a wonderful achievement it will be for Ghanaians and all Africans! It may sound like an impossible dream, but in this world, every achievement is possible if you plan well.
Ghana has a team that can pull a surprise at the tournament based on the calibre of members of the technical team as well as individual Black Star players. They will face Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in the group stages. These are tough teams that are likely to put fear into any African team.
What the Black Stars need to do is not entertain fear for any of the competing teams, irrespective of the FIFA ranking they are given. They can remain composed and approach each match with seriousness and strategy.
The Black Stars must do all they can then win their first match against Portugal, irrespective of how difficult it may be, so as to open the opportunity for them to win their remaining matches and qualify for the next stage of the competition.
After winning against Portugal, they can then prepare well and win the matches against Uruguay and South Korea.
This feat can be achieved, so the Black Stars and their technical team must work toward it and make it come to pass.
Everything is possible in this world. In light of this, the team must be courageous enough to overcome all the challenges that they may face. If they are able to do this, the Black Stars of Africa will be placed higher during the tournament.
We also need to pray for the Stars, as has already been pointed out, so that every possible blessing and good luck can come their way. During such tournaments, the decisions of referees and confrontations by the opposing teams during matches are also important, which explains why the blessings of the Almighty God (Allah) will be needed for the Black Stars.
As we enter the tournament, let all Ghanaians go down on their knees and pray for the team so that we can do better for the nation.
This is our goal, and we must do all we can to achieve what is unimaginable for the country.
Dear Editor,
The recent shooting to death of Javits Frimpong, a 15 year old Ghanaian student in Bronx, USA, is a heartbreaking reminder that bullying should never be dismissed as a normal part of growing up.
Reports indicate that the teenager had allegedly been subjected to bullying at school before he was fatally shot on his way to class.
While investigations continue and the exact motive yet to be officially established, the circumstances surrounding this tragedy have raised serious concerns about the impact of not checking bullying.
What makes this loss even more painful is that Javits Frimpong, had moved from Ghana to the United States with hopes of a brighter future through education. Instead, his life was cut short at an age when he should have been pursuing his dreams and preparing for adulthood.
Bullying is often viewed as harmless teasing, but its effects can be severe and long-lasting. Victims may suffer emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, and, in extreme cases, become entangled in violence.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call to schools everywhere. Complaints of bullying must be taken seriously, investigated promptly, and addressed decisively before situations escalate.
Parents, teachers, school authorities, and community leaders all share a responsibility to create safe environments for young people.
Open communication, counselling services, anti-bullying education, and effective disciplinary measures can help protect vulnerable students.
Equally important is teaching young people respect, empathy, and peaceful conflict resolution.
As we mourn the loss of Javits Frimpong, let us also commit ourselves to ensuring that no other child loses their life because warning signs were ignored. The fight against bullying is not merely a school issue; it is a societal responsibility.
Yours faithfully,
Dansoman
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The recent report that 294 teenage girls in the Ayawaso West Municipality failed to receive their Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a depressing reminder of the gap between medical progress and public trust.
In a focused campaign with 997 girls the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal Health Directorate reached a 70 percent coverage rate. Our public health professionals deserve praise for reaching 703 girls, but the remaining 30 percent pose a serious threat.
This shortfall is not due to a lack of institutional effort, logistics, or resources. The directorate had sufficient logistics, as highlighted by Public Health Nurse Patience Adoli Kporxah. Rather, the barrier was completely human: a lack of parental approval.
In Ghana, one of the top causes of cancer-related mortality for women is still cervical cancer. Ironically, it is also one of the most avoidable. The HPV vaccine is widely acknowledged as a safe, highly effective barrier that, when given early, can prevent up to 90 percent of cervical cancers.
Parents are unknowingly leaving their daughters vulnerable to a virus that they will probably come into contact with in the future by withholding approval.
This initiative was not initiated in secret by the health directorate. They coordinated with churches, mosques, and media outlets, spoke at Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, and sent letters to schools as part of their broad public outreach efforts. However, around 300 parents continued to withhold their signatures in spite of these multi-dimensional approaches.
Why is this resistance still present? Fear, cultural taboos, and false information about vaccines and reproductive health on the internet are the main causes of vaccine hesitation rather than an intent to hurt a child. When a vaccination is administered to young teenagers in schools, it may cause unjustified concerns about fertility and sexuality.
Our public health initiatives need to change in order to close this gap before the November and December phases.
Letters and the mass media are important, but they are unable to provide precise, worried answers. During PTA meetings, health staff could think about holding direct question and answer sessions so parents may express their worries without fear of being judged.
In order to normalise the vaccine, community elders, religious leaders, and reputable local physicians must do more than simply impart knowledge; they must openly support it.
We must present the HPV vaccine as a standard, life-saving cancer prevention tool that is now completely incorporated into Ghana’s regular immunisation programme.
The entrance is still open, according to public health officials. Daughters who did not participate in the school-based activity can still get the vaccination at no cost by taking them to any government health institution.
We must work together to prevent cervical cancer in the future generation. The infrastructure, education, and dosages have been supplied by public health teams. The trust must now be provided by the parents of Ayawaso West and Ghana as a whole.
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