FEBRUARY 8

Inside FEBRUARY 8, 2019.qxp_Layout 1 2/7/19 8:48 PM Page 6
Tips for preventing acne
Keep your face clean
Whether or not you have acne,
it's important to wash your face
twice daily to remove impurities,
dead skin cells, and extra oil from
your skin's surface. Use warm, not
hot, water and a mild facial cleanser.
Moisturize
Many acne products contain ingredients
that dry the skin, so always
use a moisturizer that minimizes dryness
and skin peeling. There are
moisturizers made for oily, dry, or
combination skin.
Try an over-the-counter
acne product
These acne products don't need a
prescription. They may have ingredients
such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic
acid, glycolic acid, or lactic acid,
which curb bacteria and dry the skin.
Start with a small amount at first.
Use these products with caution if
you have sensitive skin.
Use makeup sparingly
During a breakout, avoid wearing
foundation, powder, or blush. If
you do wear makeup, wash it off at
the end of the day. If possible,
choose oil-free cosmetics without
added dyes and chemicals. Read the
ingredients list on the product label
before buying.
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019
&Env.
Increase campaigns against
FGM - Otiko Djaba
THE EXECUTIVE Director
of Henry Djaba Memorial
Foundation and
former Gender Minister,
Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba has
called on the government,
traditional authorities and civil society organisations
in the country to implement
concrete actions and increase awareness
campaigns against Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM).
Condemning the practice of FGM in
Ghana, Ms Djaba said women have the
right to their sexuality and shouldn’t be
allowed to be subjected to risky, lifethreatening
and inhuman act which can
ruin them completely.
Celebrating this year’s International
Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, Henry
Djaba Memorial Foundation, in a press
release, urged security agencies and the
judiciary to enforce the law and make
sure people who flout the law against
FGM face the full rigours of the law to
serve as a deterrent to others.
Read below the full statement:
PRESS STATEMENT BY HENRY
DJABA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
ON THE OCCASION OF THE IN-
TERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO
TOLERANCE FOR FEMALE GENI-
TAL MUTILATION (FGM) ON 6TH
FEBRUARY, 2019
Today, 6th of February, marks the International
Day of Zero Tolerance for
Female Genital Mutilation. This day was
set aside by the United Nations as part we realize that it impacts negatively on
of its efforts to eradicate Female Genital the people, it can change with time.
Mutilation.
Therefore, •Okoene a healthy and positive culture
Female Genital Mutilation is one of Chinenye should be Cynthia a catalyst for development.
the ancient cultures which have been We do not intend to condemn or undermine
practised in Africa and other parts of the
the culture of other people.
world for decades. History has it that the However, culture that violates the rights
practice of FGM came from neighboring of the people is not worth practising.
countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, The practice of FGM has serious implications
Niger and Togo into Ghana.
for the health of women and
In Ghana, some parts of the Northern,
girls.
Upper East, Upper West, Brong Friends of the Media, its implications
Ahafo, the Volta Regions and the Zongo for maternal health are huge on the individual
communities in certain urban centres of
and the nation as a whole. The
the country are notable places where the practice of FGM has no health benefits
practice still goes on. It is clear that the for girls and women but rather exposes
adoption of that culture has not served them to health hazards and psychological
any good purpose in our country. Culture
trauma. It causes severe bleeding, prob-
is what makes us a unique people lems in urinating which can develop into
and makes others identify who we are. cysts, infections, as well as complications
Culture is dynamic and where and when in children and increased risk of newborn
deaths, fistula in women during
childbirth and maternal death.
Ladies and Gentlemen, FGM is recognized
internationally as a human rights
violation of girls and women and further
reflects a deep-rooted inequality between
the sexes, which constitute an extreme
form of discrimination against women.
It violates the right to health, physical integrity,
the right to be free from torture
and cruelty, inhumane treatment and
right to live where it results to death.
Studies show that an estimated 100
to 140 million girls and women in the
world today have undergone some form
of FGM and two million girls are at risk
from the practice each year.
Although the current national prevalence
stands at about 3.8%, prevalence in
the Upper East stands at 27.8%, which is
far higher than the national prevalence.
This increase could be attributed to the
cross-border practice where people in
the Upper East move into neighbouring
countries to perpetuate this crime.
Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation,
with its vision of contributing towards
the creation of an equal and equitable
society, which respects the rights and interests
of all persons irrespective of gender,
social class, religious persuasion or
ethnic origins, wishes to mark this day
with a clarion call on the Government,
traditional authorities, civil society organizations
and all involved parties to implement
concrete actions and increase
awareness campaigns against FGM.
First Lady calls for proper cancer-financing mechanism
•Female Genital Mutilation is violation of human rights
FIRST LADY,Mrs Rebecca Akufo-
Addo says Ghana needs to boldly confront
the financing of cancer treatment
in the country to help provide quality
care for patients who suffer from the
disease.
She emphasised the importance of
creating awareness of cancers to aid
screening and promote early detection
in Ghana and in Africa as a whole.
"We must begin to think of, and
treat cancers as we treat diseases like
malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.’’
“Both the public and private sectors
must support our people to have
unhindered access to cancer care,” Mrs
Akufo-Addo said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a cancer conference in
Accra, Mrs Akufo-Addo called on
both the private and public health insurance
players to cover as many cancers
as possible in their benefit packages,
since the cost of treatment was a
big burden to most sufferers.
She said the country also needed to
invest in financing and the training of
more healthcare professionals to acquire
the needed skills to manage cancer
patients.
The conference was organised by
the Association of Representatives of
Ethical Pharmaceutical Industries
(AREPI), a body of multinational
pharmaceutical companies operating in
Ghana, in collaboration with the
Union for International Cancer Control
(UICC), the biggest global cancer
fighting organisation.
The Access Accelerated, made up
of biopharmaceutical companies committed
to tackling the growing burden
of non-communicable diseases in low
and middle-income countries, also supported
in organising the conference.
The conference forms part of activities
marking this year’s World Cancer
Day, observed on February 4
annually, and was attended by Princess
Dina Mired, Princess of Jordan and
President of UICC.
A 2018 publication by the International
Agency for Research on Cancer
states that almost 23,000 cases of new
cancers are recorded annually in
Ghana.Out of the number, more than
15,000 people die every year.
The First Lady described the numbers
as alarming, since she said those
were just the officially recorded numbers.
“Imagine the numbers that go unreported
and undocumented,” she
asked.
Another major hindrance to cancer
care is the limited awareness amongst
the general public about the disease.
She said although cancer, when detected
early and access to appropriate
treatment provided, has a better recovery
success rate and outcome, people
still waited and sought hospital care
when the disease was in its advanced
stages, compromising their chances of
securing a positive outcome.
She, therefore, urged people to seek
early medical care to improve their
chances of the desired outcomes.
Princess Dina Mired, on her part,
expressed regret that for some countries
including Ghana, cancers meant
The Foundation condemns and
frowns against the practice of FGM in
Ghana. We cannot afford to allow our
women and girls to be subjected to this
risky, life threatening, inhuman, degrading
and shameful practice in this country.
Women and girls have a right to their
sexuality and must be allowed to be who
they want to be.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,
the law against FGM Act 741 of the Parliament
of the Republic of Ghana entitled
Criminal Code (Amendment) Act
2007 provides for imprisonment
and/or fines for both the circumciser
and those who request, incite or promote
excision by providing money, goods or
moral support. The person commits an
offence and is liable on summary conviction
to imprisonment for a term of not
less than five years and not more than 10
years. The Foundation, on this occasion,
urges the security agencies and the Judiciary
to enforce the law and ensure that
people who flout the law against FGM
face the full rigours of the law to serve
as deterrent to others.
We want to encourage the media to
use their tools for communication to create
more awareness, increased reporting
and to let the public know that the practice
of FGM is a crime in Ghana
Thank you.
Otiko Afisah Djaba
Execuitve Director
Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation
deaths while in other countries there
were no deaths with cancers.
She emphasised that access to quality
care as well as prevention and
awareness creation were critical measures
needed to stop cancer deaths.
Dr Joel Yarney, a Radiation Oncologists
of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital,
Accra, said five per cent of
Ghana’s population was now suffering
from all forms of cancers, which were
part of non-communicable diseases
that had been increasing among
Ghanaians lately.
He, therefore, advised Ghanaians
to live healthy lives, eat well and go for
regular medical check-ups to help them
live long and healthy. GNA