News
Tamale Central Hosp performs 540 fistula surgeries …out of 600 cases
The Tamale Central Hospital (TCH), in the Northern Regional capital has successfully carried out 540 Obstetric Fistula (OBF) surgeries, out of 600 cases over the past four years, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Mahamadu Mbiniwaya has disclosed.
He told the Ghanaian Times Thursday in Tamale that the surgery had saved the lives of the women and restored their dignity because they were objects of stigmatisation in their communities.
The cost of fistula surgery is $300 but the United Nations Population Fund (UNFA) supports the TCH, which is the main centre for fistula services for the six regions of the north, with logistics to carry out the surgery for free, he said.
OBF is a debilitating condition caused by obstructed labour, that creates a hole between the bladder and the vagina causing affected women to leak urine or faeces.
The incidence of OBF in Ghana is estimated at 1.8 per 1000 deliveries, according to a report on the burden of OBF in Ghana, authored by the UNFPA and Ghana Health Service in June, 2015.
The report says OBF remains a constant cause of misery to women because of the continuous leaking of urine or faeces and constant wetting of their clothes coupled with emitting of offensive smell.
Dr Mbiniwaya said that the condition was common with women in the rural areas who lacked access to healthcare during birth.
According to him about 90 per cent of women with OBF lose their babies during birth.
The renowned gynaecologist said he had been teaming up with other specialists from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to carry out the surgery to help restore the health and dignity of women.
He explained that the women suffered stigmatisation as a result of the condition adding, “They leak urine and smell badly when they are in the midst of other people, so they are shunned and stigmatised.”
Dr Mbiniwaya cited the case of a particular woman who had the condition and kept it to herself for over 30 years because of stigmatisation.
“We operate them, treat them and counsel them, they return to the communities to lead normal lives,” Dr Mbiniwaya said.
“One woman emotionally broke down and rendered her gratitude after she went through a successful fistula surgery,” he added.
He added that 20 women at Kpandai who had the condition were being prepared to undergo the surgery next month.
The TCH boss urged the women who had fistula to come forward for free surgery and treatment, and also encourage people not to stigmatise women with fistula.
Source: Ghanaian Times
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
