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Stay away from rickety bill boards -AAG
The onset of heavy rains has sparked conversations about the safety and structural integrity of advertising panels and billboards scattered around major capital cities across the country.
This follows the annual ritual of damages often caused to vehicles and properties during rainfalls accompanied by strong winds.
With heavy rains predicted for 2026, starting with the February mix of normal and above-normal rainfall, residents are growing concerned about the stability and placement of such billboards.
A visit to some areas by The Spectator after the last rainfall revealed a few destructions to properties.
For instance, The Spectator team spotted a medium-sized billboard on Oxford Street in Osu that had fallen onto a closely parked car.
Despite the low number of incidents, the Executive Director of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), Mr Isaac Cudjoe, has warned owners of vehicles to be mindful of where they park them.
That, he said, would go a long way to avert some of these unfortunate situations.
“This is an annual occurrence so I wish to advise owners of vehicles to stay away from rickety billboards. They become dangerous in such bad weather situations,” he indicated.
The danger, however, according to The Spectator enquiries is that there are quite a huge number of advertising agencies that operates without licenses from the AAG, making it difficult to regulate their activities.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Cudjoe stated that the AAG cannot be held responsible for the state of every billboard sited in the community because some the owners are not members of the Association.
As a result, activities of these advertising agencies were expected to be monitored and regulated by the local assemblies.
“Since these agencies are not our members, their activities are supposed to be monitored by the local assemblies. In fact, they have to inspect the location of these boards, check the soil texture, base and concrete works but the persistence of these problems suggests that some of these things are not done well,” he said.
Mr Cudjoe disclosed that AAG ensures that every member adhere strictly to standards set out by the Ghana Standards Authority; all in a bid to ensure quality of work and safety in times like the rainy season.
The AAG Executive Director disclosed that the Association was pushing for a bill through the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry to make it mandatory for all advertising agencies to be licensed by the AAG as was the case in other countries.
“This is the case in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. It will go a long way to ensure that all agencies would operate under the same regulations. It will also empower the AAG to stretch its supervisory role in all advertising operations,” he stated.
This will also empower the AAG to control and regulate the rise of advertisement on social media and published by content creators, adding that, “This would ensure that the advertisement seen on the social media space meets the required standards.”
By Andrew Nortey
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IN a significant boost to local healthcare delivery, Underground Mining Alliance (UMA) has presented three modern vein finders to the AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation (AGAHF) in Obuasi. The donation forms part of UMA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of the communities in which it operates.
A vein finder is a high-tech medical device that uses infrared technology to map peripheral veins on the skin’s surface, significantly improving the accuracy of blood draws and IV insertions—particularly for children, the elderly, and patients requiring frequent intravenous access, such as those at the sickle cell unit.
Mr Oscar Van Ehen, UMA’s Operations Manager for Ghana, speaking at the presentation, said the company views its presence in Ghana not merely as a business venture, but as a partnership with the people.
“Supporting the AGA Health Foundation allows us to touch lives beyond the mine. We are proud to provide equipment that enhances the comfort and care of patients,” he stated.
Dr Bernice Kyerewaa Karikari Apawu, a Paediatric Specialist at AGA Health Foundation, who received the items, expressed appreciation, describing the donation as timely. She said the devices would significantly reduce the distress often associated with “difficult sticks” during clinical procedures, thereby improving the overall patient experience at the facility.
This gesture reinforces the collaborative spirit between UMA and healthcare providers in Obuasi. By equipping the AGA Health Foundation with advanced medical technology, UMA is helping to ensure that the community continues to access modern, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare services.
The total cost involved in the procurement of the three vein finders is Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢50,000.00).
-GNA
THE Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has called for bold African-led innovation and stronger bilateral partnerships to eliminate malaria.
She made the remarks at a regional workshop organised by Sora Technology in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) in Accra last week. The event was held under the theme: “From Mapping to Action: Tech-enabled LSM for Malaria Elimination.”
The two-day workshop brought together participants from 13 African countries to share experiences and leverage best practices to eliminate malaria in the region. The countries represented were Ghana, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Benin, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah emphasised the need for Africa to shift from aid dependency to health sovereignty, stating:
“Behind every statistic is a child missing school, a family losing income, and a health worker managing a preventable emergency.”
She highlighted that malaria remains a major global public health threat, claiming 610,000 lives in 2024, with a $5.4 billion annual funding gap for malaria control—only 42 per cent of required resources are currently available. She warned that declining international assistance underscores the urgency for domestic resource mobilisation.
At the national level, Ghana recorded 74 malaria-related deaths in 2024, down from 146 the previous year, surpassing its target of 95 deaths. Since 2012, malaria mortality has declined by 97 per cent. Under the National Malaria Strategic Plan (2024–2028), Ghana aims to reduce malaria deaths by 90 per cent, cut incidence by 50 per cent, and eliminate the disease in 21 districts within Greater Accra.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, in a speech read on his behalf, described the event as a “transformative moment” in Ghana’s malaria response. Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), he noted that 282 million malaria cases were recorded globally in 2024, with Africa bearing 95 per cent of the burden.
Although investments since 2000 have averted an estimated 2.3 billion cases and 14 million deaths, Dr Akoriyea expressed concern that progress has slowed, with global incidence still far above the 2025 target. He also warned about the detection in 2023 of the invasive Anopheles stephensi mosquito in Accra, cautioning that up to 126 million additional Africans could be at risk if it spreads further.
He emphasised that malaria elimination is not only a public health priority but also an economic imperative, noting estimates from the RBM Partnership to End Malaria that eradicating malaria could boost Africa’s GDP by up to $127 billion.
“This is about our children’s future and our collective capacity to confront shared challenges,” the Service stated.
Central to discussions was the resurgence of Larval Source Management (LSM), now strengthened by drone mapping and artificial intelligence (AI). A pilot project in Kwabirem District, conducted with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and SORA Technology, showed that drone-assisted mapping identified more than three times the breeding sites found through conventional methods, while AI classification reduced field verification needs by over 50 per cent.
Cost comparisons presented at the forum indicated that LSM could protect individuals at between 24 and 44 cents per person, compared to about $6.70 per person for indoor residual spraying.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
