News
Queen mother leads mobilisation in UWR
Queen mother (right) comissions healthcare facility in UWR
With support from USAID Office of Transitions Initiative (USAID/OTI), the Queen mother of Duong in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region, Pognaa Rosemary Bangzie on Thursday commissioned and handed over a facility to the Duong community to support healthcare delivery.
The facility comprised two-bedroom nurses’ apartment, adolescent health centre with consulting room, a store room and washrooms which were constructed with 80 percent of support from USAID/OTI and 20 percent support from the community and other benevolent individuals
She indicated that due to the problem, the delivery room at the only Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound in the community was converted into accommodation for a live-in midwife to enable her attend to emergency cases, especially at night.
She said the issue of staff accommodation came up at community meetings in January and she decided to take up the initiative of mobilising the community members and lobbying other benevolent individuals for support.
“I came out with the anthem “one bag of cement from every Duongbie” (natives of Duong) residing or outside the community strategy to start this project and was surprised to get more than 130 bags of cement in less than one week of appeal”, she stated.
She noted however that when the building was raised to lentil, there was no hope of getting support to complete the project until she met the USAID/OTI team and presented her proposal to them for assistance.
“Duong Community will forever remember the USAID/ OTI team for the great support; the total contribution of USAID/OTI to this project amounted to GH¢360,000.00 which is about 80 percent of the total cost of the entire project”, she highlighted.
As the Regional Focal Person for Adolescent Health, the Queen mother said her passion for adolescent health and girl-child empowerment led her to include an Adolescent Health Centre to provide privacy to teenagers seeking reproductive health services and guidance.
“As the saying goes “charity begins at home”, I want to start in my traditional area to help reduce teenage pregnancies by providing a platform for young people to seek education, counselling and the needed information for a healthy life”, she said.
Pognaa Bangzie appealed for additional support to furnish the facility, provide a kitchen and to also renovate the CHPS compound.
She reiterated her resolve to continue working with the community to lobby for support to help develop the community and also charged the nurses and community to take good care of the facility.
The handing over ceremony was attended by the Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, representatives from USAID/ OTI and some traditional authorities.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Duong
AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
