Entertainment
Reducing high blood pressure… GHS urges restaurants, chop bar owners, others
Food vendors, restaurants owners, and chop bar operators have been urged to halt the practice where salt is placed on dining tables for use by patrons dissatisfied with the taste of the food.
Equally, parents have also been admonished not to encourage that practice at home.
This is considered as a measure to reduce excessive salt intake in a bid to prevent or control the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr Wallace Odiko-Ollennu, Programme Manager, Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), made the call at a community engagement organised by Communication Initiatives for Change (CIC)–Meatless Monday Ghana, in collaboration with the leadership of the Muslim community in Ghana.
The engagement was aimed at working with Muslim leaders to co-create a social and behavioural change communication programme to guide the creation and dissemination of healthy eating for healthy living messages based on the principles and practice of the Meatless Monday public health initiative.
The programme seeks to combine faith-based teachings, community values and scientific knowledge to encourage healthier food choices and lifestyles among individuals, families and communities.
Addressing the participants, Dr Odiko-Ollennu said making salt less readily available at the dining table could force people to reduce the amount they consume.
In his view, salty sauces and additional salt should only be provided when requested by customers, rather than being placed automatically on tables.
According to him, the practice could help people to gradually adjust to eating less salt and contribute to healthier eating habits.
Dr Odiko-Ollennu also urged Ghanaians to reduce their consumption of meat, particularly red and processed meat, and increase their intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.
He said food choices played an important role in the prevention and management of lifestyle-related diseases, stressing that people needed to take greater responsibility for what they consumed.
He further encouraged regular physical activity, saying people did not necessarily need expensive equipment or facilities to remain active.
According to him, walking, active household chores and other forms of regular movement could contribute to healthier living.
Dr Odiko-Ollennu also stressed the importance of regular health screening, particularly for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, which could remain undetected until they became serious.
He urged faith and community organisations to encourage their members to undergo routine health checks and seek medical attention when necessary.
The Executive Director of CIC, Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, said the initiative was being developed in response to the growing threat of NCDs and the need to use faith-based platforms to influence healthier behaviours.
He said scientific evidence had shown that eating habits could significantly affect people’s health and that simple changes in diet could reduce the risk of NCDs.
Mr Fiagbey explained that the workshop would identify different audiences within Muslim communities and examine cultural beliefs, values and other barriers that could prevent people from adopting healthy eating practices.
Participants would then work together to develop appropriate health messages, identify suitable communication materials and channels, and mobilise Muslim leaders to disseminate the messages in their communities.
He said the programme would also encourage people to reduce meat consumption and eat more plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Mr Fiagbey explained that Meatless Monday did not mean people had to completely stop eating meat, but encouraged them to choose at least one day each week to eat meals without meat.
The initiative is intended to encourage healthier food choices while also promoting greater awareness of the relationship between diet, health and the environment.
The organisers said the collaboration with Muslim leaders was important because religious leaders had strong connections with their communities and could help translate health messages into practices that were culturally and religiously relevant.
They expressed the hope that the programme would empower families, food vendors, mosques and community institutions to promote healthier eating habits and contribute to the prevention of NCDs in Ghana.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Okyeame Kwame’s long-held dream and advocacy for the honouring of Ghanaian heroes has come to pass following the Bank of Ghana’s unveiling of new cedi notes honouring some of the country’s outstanding heroines.
The rapper has consistently argued that a nation that does not honour her heroes will have no, or few, young heroes.
The new notes, which feature prominent men and women, honour three distinguished Ghanaian women:
Agnes Oforiwa Tagoe-Quarcoopome (GH¢1 Note), a pioneering textile trader and market queen from Makola Market who inspired generations of women entrepreneurs and built early confidence in formal banking.
Justice Annie Ruth Jiagge (GH¢10 Note), Ghana’s first female High Court judge in 1961, former President of the Court of Appeal, and a global human rights campaigner who helped draft the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
Theodosia Okoh (GH¢50 Note), The iconic designer of Ghana’s national flag.
Seeing the honour done to the heroines, Okyeame Kwame said he felt fulfilled with his advocacy.
The musician appears to be on a trajectory to show gratitude to others through his music. Earlier this year, he released “Clap,” a family-friendly reggae song with the chorus, “learn to clap for others, Pa Pa Pa.”
He followed it with a new song, “Ayekoo (Big Up),” released on September 21, which also marked Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday.
Ayekoo in the Akan language means congratulations. On the song, Okyeame Kwame rides a dancehall beat with lyrics and cadence that eulogise great men and women who have contributed to Ghana’s national development.
The personalities celebrated are drawn from politics, sports, entertainment and traditional leadership, among others.
The combination of wordplay and metaphoric delivery shows how seasoned the rapper is without having to say it. The song was produced by legendary producer Gomez Beats.
The chorus is a smooth yet attention-grabbing melody that drives home the message through repetition: “big up, big up, big up, bibibibi, big up, big up, big up,” calling on the listener to reply, “Ayekooo.”
Jah Lead, the Afro-dancehall artiste who captured the hearts of Ghanaians with his hit song “Lonely,” was carefully picked to deliver the chorus, as Okyeame Kwame explained in an interview.
The song goes beyond entertainment. It is a culturally relevant audio-visual piece that is expected to capture many hearts.
Okyeame Kwame’s values are drawn from the ethos of his environment, but what stood out in the song was the recognition of five women who contributed to Ghana’s fight during the struggle for independence and others who became formidable leaders post-independence.
Names like Naa Dedei Aryeetey, Mabel Dove Danquah, Susanna Al-Hassan, Ama Nkrumah and Theodosia Okoh were mentioned and praised appropriately.
He has also released a video which serves as an augmented reality of the whole experience, with colourful culture on full display.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Ghana’s singing prophet, Joseph Atarah, has released his much-anticipated gospel single titled ‘Formula’ to motivate believers not to give up on God regardless of their circumstances in life.
The song was produced by Dan Bassey, while the music video was directed and shot by Skyweb.
Speaking on the message behind the song, Prophet Atarah, who is the leader of Believers Grace Crown Ministry International said life’s circumstances can sometimes make a person question God’s plan for their life.
He said, however, that in God’s own time, He makes all things beautiful, often beyond human imagination.
“God’s blessings don’t follow a formula,” he said.
“You can’t copy someone else’s prayer, someone else’s fasting, someone else’s giving, someone else’s timeline, and expect the same result. What worked for them was for them,” he added.
Prophet Atarah noted that God deals with each person individually, knowing their story, struggles, timing and heart.
“Sometimes He blesses you through hard work. Sometimes through a closed door. Sometimes through waiting. Sometimes through a person you least expected. Sometimes He blesses you when you did everything right. Sometimes He blesses you even when you did everything wrong, just because of grace,” he said.
He urged believers not to compare their journeys with others, stressing that God’s blessings do not follow any formula and are often unpredictable.
“His plan for you is not a copy of another man’s plan. It is tailor-made. And when it comes, it will make sense why it didn’t come earlier, why it didn’t come like theirs, and why it had to come like this,” he said.
‘Formula’ is available on all digital music stores.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
