Editorial
Maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid kidney disease
A startling 13.5 percent of people in the Ashanti region suffer from chronic kidney disease, Dr. Suleiman Suabil, a physician specialist at the Obuasi AngloGold Hospital, has revealed.
As a result, 17.6 percent of patients in the area need dialysis.
What makes it so worrying is that despite the fact that the disease is a silent killer, many people do not know their kidney status until it is too late.
“Most people admitted to medical wards have chronic kidney disease, but only one out of ten people are aware of their kidney status,” he stated at the World Kidney Day celebration hosted by AngloGold Ashanti in the Obuasi.
He revealed that between 10 and 14 percent of people worldwide suffer from kidney disease, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 14 percent and Ghana for 13.5 percent.
Fortunately, some significant causes of kidney illness have been established, in contrast to breast cancer, the cause of which medical experts are still trying to determine.
The most prevalent causes of chronic kidney disease, according to specialists, are diabetes and high blood pressure, but other factors that have been linked to the condition include poor lifestyle choices, excessive alcohol use, smoking, poor food, misuse of herbal medications, inactivity, and excessive weight gain.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed therefore to address this, preventive healthcare interventions must be prioritised.
In order to prevent kidney disease, which is on the rise in Ghana, we as individuals should be health conscious, refrain from abusing herbal medications, get regular checkups, control blood pressure, manage blood sugar, eat a healthy diet, exercise frequently, stop smoking if you do, and refrain from abusing painkillers.
Furthermore, health institutions must regularly plan outreach programmes to provide people with the knowledge they need to safeguard their health, seek medical attention when necessary, and guarantee that communities receive high-quality healthcare at their doorsteps.
Live a healthy lifestyle to extend your life because kidney disease is a silent killer.
Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
