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Stop toying with the lives of our babies and infants!
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Historically, Ghana has had the full range of childhood diseases that are endemic to a sub-Saharan country. There are six target diseases of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). These are measles, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, and tuberculosis. In recent times, hepatitis B and pneumonia have been added to the list of childhood killer diseases in Ghana.
And as the medical experts will put it, pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death among children under five years old, killing approximately 700,000 children a year in many parts of the world. A child dies from pneumonia every minute, even though the disease is entirely preventable and can be managed early with antibiotics.
ROUTINE VACCINES
From eight weeks of age, your child needs to be offered routine vaccines to protect him or her against the most common infectious diseases, such as polio, whooping cough, measles, tetanus, and hepatitis B, among others. Other vaccines, which include BCG, are offered to babies who are considered to be at high risk of catching certain diseases. This will protect them against tuberculosis, the flu, and hepatitis B.
For my readers and other patrons who may not be familiar with the six childhood killer diseases, their causes, and symptoms, I will like to take them down memory lane with some of these diseases from the research I have conducted as a journalist to show them how deadly they can be to children and infants so that when people are toying with their lives, they can easily speak out.
MEASLES
Measles is a highly infectious disease and spreads when someone with the disease sneezes or coughs. It starts like a bad cold, with a rash appearing after three days. The disease can lead to ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, and convulsions (seizures or fits). In rare cases, the disease can cause inflammation of the brain. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection of the chest and throat. It spreads when someone with the disease sneezes or coughs. The symptoms include a thick, white coating on the throat and breathing difficulties. A severe case can cause damage to the heart and nervous system or even be fatal.
TETANUS
Tetanus, sometimes called lockjaw tetanus, can cause painful muscle spasms and stiffness. The disease can be fatal if not treated. The bacteria that causes tetanus is found in soil and animal manure and can enter the body through a cut, wound, or burn. Tetanus can also get into the body through animal bites, body piercings, and tattoos. Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease. It spread through coughing and sneezing. It starts like a cold, but the coughing spasms with a distinctive “whoop” become severe. Babies and young children are most at risk of developing complications such as pneumonia, vomiting, dehydration, weight loss, and, rarely, brain damage and subsequent death.
POLIOMYELITIS
Although the majority of people who catch polio are able to fight it off without noticing any symptoms, more serious complications can happen. In about one per cent of cases, the virus attacks the nerve tissue in the brain and the spinal cord, which can cause temporary and sometimes permanent paralysis. Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by hepatitis viruses that can lead to serious liver disease in later life. It can be caught from infected blood and passed from mother to baby at birth. People can carry the virus in their blood without being aware of it.
MENINGITIS
Meningococcal bacteria are the cause of meningitis and blood poisoning (septicaemia). The bacteria have several strains, and this vaccination is against most B strains. Meningitis is a serious illness that can cause long-term damage to the brain and nervous system and even be fatal. Flu is another disease cause by infectious virus and can be treated with antibiotics. Children are more likely to have the flu during the winter season. The symptoms are similar to a cold but also include a fever, aching muscles and joints, a dry cough, a runny nose, diarrhea, and vomiting.
SIDE EFFECTS OF VACCINES
All medicines, including immunisation, can cause some mild side effects, even the safest ones. It may help to know what to expect, just in case your child does experience side effects.
The issue that has brought about this piece of education was the recent report in the Daily Graphic over the widespread shortage of vaccines used for the routine immunisation of babies from birth to 18 months, including those for polio, hepatitis B, measles, and tuberculosis.
REASONS FOR SHORTAGE
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) attributed the shortage to the depreciation of the cedi vis-à-vis the importation of vaccines abroad and assured the general public that efforts were underway to resolve the problem within weeks. However, the Pediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) has warned that the childhood diseases could quickly spread if the vaccines are not made available in good time.
It is worthy of note that for about six months now, nursing mothers have been complaining of the shortage of vaccines meant for babies from birth to at least 18 months. The situation became worse in February this year after major health facilities in 10 out of the 16 administrative regions of Ghana, kept turning nursing mothers away due to the erratic supply of vaccines. Hear one of these nursing mothers speak to the Voice of America (VOA) in an interview: “My baby girl missed one of the key vaccines last month, and the situation has not changed after combing three health centers on Monday. It has been frustrating moving from one hospital to another”.
UNICEF’S OBSERVATION
According to the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), timely vaccination of children has been proven as a method for saving lives from vaccine-preventable diseases. It can also help attain some targets, like UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. It noted that the UNICEF Ghana office had seen a significant fall in deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. For example, since 2003, there have been no deaths caused by measles, while in 2011, Ghana was certified as having attained elimination status for maternal and neonatal tetanus.
PAEDIATRIC SOCIETY OF GHANA
Meanwhile, Dr. Agyeiwaa Bomedie, a member of the Paediatric Society of Ghana, has urged the government to act now in order not to erode the gains made so far. “It’s the first time I am hearing of such widespread shortages. We do have shortages from time to time; however, those are in very limited circumstances. The problem this time is that it has gone on for several months. This should actually be a thing of the past. The government should be encouraged to do what we call ring-fenced funding so that budgetary allocations for vaccines are actually protected no matter what other dire or pressing needs the country has; the children should be secured in that light,” she pointed out.
Health Minister Before Parliament
Realizing the seriousness of the shortage of these childhood vaccines and how it is affecting babies and infants, who are the most vulnerable in the country, Parliament recently summoned the Health Minister, Kwaku Manu-Agyeman, to appear before the House to answer questions concerning the shortage and how best his ministry and, for that matter, the government are doing to remedy the situation. In his reaction, the minister allayed the fears of Ghanaians and promised that the vaccines would start arriving in a few weeks, stressing that “no child has died yet as a result of the shortage.” Indeed, the country has received a first shipment of the vaccines, which we are told are being distributed throughout the country.
POOR SHOW BY GOVERNMENT
Honestly, the government has not done well with the handling of this shortage of childhood vaccines in the country. How can we sit down and allow the vaccines to finish completely before taking steps to tackle the situation? We were told that the country has been in debt to its suppliers since 2022, and we should have settled this debt in order to plan ahead.
It was time our leaders placed the interests of the people above their personal interests and stopped investing money in winning elections because it was the people who put them in positions of trust. We are interested in spending money to issue voter’s and national identity cards, but we do not want to provide the needed funds to procure childhood vaccines. What kind of behaviour is this?
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By Chales Neequaye
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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