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WFP donates food to GHS towards COVID-19 combat
The United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) has donated 10,800 bags of specialised nutritious food worth GH¢300,000 to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to complement their efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 in the country.
The food was meant for supply to 4,000 patients at various isolation facilities in the country.
The WFP Representative and Country Director in Ghana, Ms Rukia Yacoub making the presentation in Accra yesterday said, one of WFP’s prioritised interventions under the COVID-19 pandemic was the nutrition programme it supported the GHS to implement in the Northern and Ashanti regions.
“The intervention is helping to prevent stunting among children and micronutrient deficiencies such as anaemia among pregnant, nursing mothers and adolescent girls” she added.
The Country Director said WFP had also provided hand washing stations in all the participating health centers and retailers shops among others.
She indicated the food were made of blended cereals and soy flour, mixed with mineral and vitamins, formulated to meet the body’s protein, energy and micro nutrient requirement for growth.
“We are pleased we can provide some support to government during these challenging times by donating this specialised nutritious food Maizoya which has excellent quality, highly nutritious made in Ghana product which the WFP has helped to developed and market”, she added.
Ms Yacoub commended the frontliners in the fight against the fight against the COVID-19 in the country and assured of their continuous support to help them achieve their goals.
The Director General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye in receiving the items said currently there were 500 patients at the isolation centers in Accra who needed to be fed, adding that the donation would go a long way to assist in boosting their immune system.
He said the GHS was wrapping up their tests to ensure there were more recoveries, adding that their focus was on the active cases.
Dr Kuma-Aboagye commended the WFP for the support and assured that they would be used for its intended purpose.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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