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Pedestrian knockdown on the increase in W/R
Pedestrian knockdowns continue to attract the attention of road safety managers as number of persons injured rose from 100 in 2020 to 135 in 2021 in the Western Region, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reports from January to September this year revealed.
Pedestrians killed, however, reduced from 42 to 32, a 23.8 percent decrease. But, the total number of reported cases on pedestrian knockdowns rose from 130 to 167, during the period.
The Western Regional Manager of NRSA, Nana Akua Ansaah,told The Spectator recently.
She explained that walkways were for use by pedestrians and but observed that in most communities in the region, they had become car parks.
This , Nana Ansaah added, was a headache creating injuries and deaths among pedestrians on theroads.
Again, she told The Spectator that slabs removed during clean-ups were not restored and remained uncovered for days, forcing pedestrians to enter the road to compete with vehicles for space.
Nana Ansaah stressed : “Humans are vulnerable and our bones cannot be compared with metals on vehicles and any collision, pedestrians die; it’s a worry. We plead with road contractors and our engineers, to create pedestrian lay- bys to forestall the injuries and deaths.
“We need to prevent people from dying when using the road.The pedestrian walkways also promote healthy lifestyles as people used them for exercises.”
She again indicated that males killed during the period below age 18 reduced from 10 to four while males above 18 killed rose from 61 to 71, an increase of +16.4 percent while females above 18, who died, also rose from four to nine.
Nana Ansaah told the Spectator that persons killed in the commercial vehicle category rose from 23 to 36 while those injured reduced from 287 to 188, with taxis topping with an increase from 137 to 158.
Trycycles cases also rose from 99 to 142 during the period,saying “it’s a worry, we are losing national human resources, people in productive age bracket are dying.”
The road safety manager advocated that parents and the society should encourage females to join the road transport business just as some haulage companies had started because, statistics showed that, females had the patience and discipline to maintain high safety standards.
Nana Ansaah said: “The men claim they have the experience but if you have the experience and people continue to die on our roads, then it means you need to improve upon your driving skills. We have to make our roads safe for all users.”
From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
