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Step up efforts to address Africa’s health, social challenges —First Lady
Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has urged fellow First Ladies to step up efforts in addressing Africa’s health and social challenges through collaboration, compassion, and innovation.
She said this at the 2025 Merck Foundation Africa First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI) Platform in Dubai on Wednesday.
According to her, African leaders needed to combine passion with expertise and forge strong public-private partnerships to build healthier and more inclusive societies across the continent.
“Africa must aspire to greatness by uniting public and private efforts, combining passion with expertise, and ensuring that every life, no matter how remote or marginalised, can flourish,” she emphasised.
Mrs Mahama highlighted the positive impact of the Merck Foundation Talent Programme in Ghana, which has empowered 110 young people in the creative sector including music, ICT, filmmaking, and fashion.
group photograph
flanked by the Ghanaian team
plesantries with one of the first lady
CEO of Merck Foundation
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej
She noted that such initiatives help the youth discover their potential and pursue excellence.
Expressing deep appreciation to the Merck Foundation, she commended its 30 years of support, describing it as a legacy of empowering communities to “heal, dream, and rise.”
She pledged continued collaboration through the Lordina Foundation in order to improve healthcare, promote education, and combat stigma in Ghana. “Our partnership with you will deliver a lot to the benefit of our people,” she affirmed.
Joined by 16 other African First Ladies, Mrs Mahama praised the Foundation’s efforts in transforming public health, advancing girls’ education, and strengthening media across the continent. “We must raise our voices and break the silence so that every woman recognises her worth and every child grows in dignity and health,” she urged.
The Merck Foundation CEO, Senator Rasha Kelej, shared that over 2,270 scholarships had been awarded to doctors from 52 countries in 44 underserved specialties.
These include oncology, fertility, diabetes, hypertension, internal medicine, reproductive health, pediatric emergency care, critical care, rheumatology, urology, psychiatry, ophthalmology, trauma and orthopedics, dermatology and palliative care, among others.
ACCORDING to Senator Kelej, many of the recipients have become the first specialists in their countries, serving patients who previously had no access to such expertise.
Additionally, about 1,000 girls have benefited from scholarships across 17 countries in partnership with African First Ladies.
Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, cited a World Health Organisation (WHO) report showing Africa’s 24 per cent of the global disease burden but has only 2.91 healthcare workers per 1,000 people.
He noted that Merck Foundation’s programmes have helped close the gap, particularly in critical areas such as oncology and fertility care, where many countries previously had no specialists.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
News
Prioritise affordable treatment of sickle cell treatment —Health Expert
Health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) as advanced, but costly curative therapies remain out of reach.
SCD, an inherited blood disorder, affects about three in every 100 newborns in Ghana.
Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disease causes severe complications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, strokes and organ damage, often leading to shortened life expectancy.
In recent years, gene therapy has been developed as a potential cure.
However, its cost—running into millions of dollars per patient—makes it financially and technically inaccessible in Ghana.
According to Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Childhood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must instead focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea”, a decades-old cancer drug proven to reduce painful episodes, hospitalisation and life- threatening complications in SCD patients”.
Taken orally, the medicine improves red blood cell function and is considered safe and effective.
“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hanging fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably.” he urged.
In a chat with The Spectator here, he said to create awareness on the disease, the expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana.”
Stressing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”
Moreover, he argued that scaling up access would provide immediate relief while the country builds the infrastructure, trains specialists and secures funding needed to support curative therapies in the future.
With an estimated 15,000 babies born with sickle cell disease annually in Ghana, Dr Osei Tutu cautioned that “failure to improve access to effective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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Let’s reintroduce Cultural Studies to complement educational reforms — Tourism Minister
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasised the importance of reintroducing Cultural Studies in schools as part of Ghana’s broader educational reform agenda.
She said Cultural Studies would complement existing efforts to reposition Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital literacy and expand Creative Arts education.
Speaking at the 2025 Homowo Festival of the people of Ningo-Prampram, held on the theme: “Education: The Best Legacy for our Children,” Madam Gomashie said cultural education was critical to national identity and development.
She noted that the festival’s theme aligned with the Government’s vision to transform education in Ghana and encouraged the youth to embrace it not only as a means of personal development but also as a way of preserving traditional values.
These values, including patience, wisdom, and hard work, were at the core of the Homowo celebration, the Minister said.
“Cultural festivals like Homowo are vital instruments for strengthening cultural identity, preserving historical memory, and fostering national unity. Additionally, festivals serve as platforms for educating the youth through storytelling, music, dance, and other traditional practices, while also providing opportunities for community engagement.”
Madam Gomashie highlighted the strong foundation that Ghana’s tourism was built on, which included culture, traditions, and the creative industry, collectively contributing to over GH¢4.8 billion to the economy.
“Festivals give tourists reasons to visit our country. Therefore, with the right infrastructure and the development of all the domains, the sector can do more than what has been recorded,” she added.
Mr Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended the community for their vibrant participation in the festival. He announced plans for the construction of a new nursing training school in Ningo, aimed at expanding access to healthcare education in the area.
Nene Osroagbo Djangmah XII, Paramount Chief of Great Ningo Traditional Area; King Dr Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse; Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area; Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area; Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen Mother of Great Ningo; and Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Envoy on Religion and Inter-Faith Affairs, who represented the Chief of Staff, were among dignitaries at the festival. -GNA
