Friday, 3rd June, 20221

Page 8
The Food and Drugs
Authority (FDA) has
called for engagement
to explore culturally
acceptable alternatives
to tobacco use in Northern
Ghana.
The Authority identified
possible cultural impediments
to tobacco control in northern
Ghana, especially in the Upper
East Region, and said stakeholder
engagements on exploring
culturally acceptable alternatives
for tobacco use was needed.
Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
the FDA, in her address at the
launch of the World No Tobacco
Day celebration in Bolgatanga,
said “This year’s launch in
Bolgatanga was necessary after
identifying possible cultural
impediments to tobacco control
within the region.”
The launch, on the theme:
“Tobacco: Threat to our environment,”
was aimed to raise
awareness among members of
the public on the environmental
impact of tobacco.
Mrs Darko noted that over
the years, the World No Tobacco
Day celebration concentrated
on the effects of tobacco use on
the health of tobacco users and
those around them.
“This year’s focus is on the
often-overlooked effects which
the environment suffers because
of tobacco use, from its cultivation
and production to its distribution
and consumption.”
Health
DAILY ANALYST Friday, 3rd June, 2022
FDA advocates culturally accepted
alternative to tobacco use
That, she said would expose
the tobacco industry’s effort to
make its products more appealing
by marketing them as
environmentally friendly.
She said the environmental
effects of tobacco were evident
in the unexplained bush fires
and fire outbreaks at markets
and other public places, “This
fight against tobacco is a fight
against micro plastic and toxins
poisoning our water, soil and
aquatic life.”
She said with the campaign
for effective policies to reduce
tobacco consumption, governments
and policymakers
globally were tasked to step up
legislations and strengthen existing
schemes to make tobacco
producers responsible for the
environmental and economic
costs of dealing with tobacco
waste products.
The CEO said the World
Health Organization (WHO)
also recommended a complete
ban on tobacco advertisement,
promotion and sponsorship in
accordance with the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC).
Mrs Darko said Ghana’s
regulation of tobacco control
was backed by the provisions of
the Public Health Act, 2012 and
the Tobacco Control Regulations,
Nurses and midwives advised to be united
and improve quality health care delivery
2016 (L.I 2247), noting that measures
being enforced were aimed
at protecting minors from the
influence of the tobacco industry
and users as it limited the sale of
tobacco to persons above 18years.
She said Ghana’s progress in
working with the Ministry of
Health, WHO, Vision for Alternative
Development (VALD) and
other Civil Society Organizations
both locally and internationally
in tobacco control was remarkable.
Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu,
the Minister of Health, in a
speech read on his behalf, said
tobacco was not only dangerous
to the health of the citizenry, but
was a threat to the environment
through the release of noxious
chemicals present in the tobacco
smoke.
“Globally, smoking is known
to emit nearly 2.6 billion kilogrammes
of carbon dioxide and
5.2 billion kilogrammes of methane
into the atmosphere each
year. This gives a clear picture of
how smoking alone contributes
to climate change,” he said.
The Minister said the annual
celebration of the World No
Tobacco Day was a constant
reminder of the effort’s citizens
could put in the fight against
tobacco to ensure Ghana and the
world were free of tobacco.
Naba Sigri Bewong, the
Paramount Chief of the Sakoti
Traditional Area in the Nabdam
District of the Region, said
the Region’s House of Chiefs
had over the period convened
Traditional Council meetings on
tobacco and its related diseases,
and further pushed for the
removal of tobacco from dowry
requirements. “We are enjoined
by law to modify aspects of our
custom, which seem to be outmoded,”
he added.
Over 3,000 nurses have
migrated from Ghana for
greener pastures this year;
GRNMA blames government
Mr Clifford Veng,
the Sissalla
East Municipal
Director of
Health, has
advised nurses and midwives to
remain united and work hard
to improve quality health care
delivery.
He expressed worry over
the current fragmentations in
the rank and file of the nursing
front, which, he said, was
likely to weaken the nurses’
bargaining power for better
conditions of service.
Mr Veng made the remarks
during the Nurses and Midwives
Association’s Week celebration
of Zone D, comprising Sissala
East and West, held at Tumu.
He sensitised the staff on the
appraisals, study leave and Code
of Conduct of the Ghana Health
Service and urged them to be
abreast of them.
Mr Francis Bentor, the
Municipal Chairman of the
Association, said: “Investing
in nursing education,
infrastructure and welfare is the
surest way to securing global
health, as nurses and midwives
form a greater workforce in the
health care system”.
He suggested the need for
an engagement between the
employer and the universities
to establish a flexible modular
course for staff, which would not
interfere with service delivery.
The celebration commenced
with a clean-up exercise with
a float through the Tumu
Municipal Hospital to the
Sissala East Municipal Assembly,
National Health Insurance
Scheme Office, Municipal Health
Directorate, Community Centre
and finally converged at the
Municipal Hospital.
They carried placards,
some of which read: “Invest
in nursing and midwifery
education,” “Improve nurses and
midwives’ conditions of service,”
and “Respect the rights of nurses
and midwives”.
Mr Fuseini Batong Yakubu,
the Municipal Chief Executive,
commended the nurses and
midwives for their commitment
to duty, which had consecutively
won the Municipality the Best
Performing Municipality in
health in the region.
He encouraged them to stay
and work in the country since
Ghana remained one of the
peaceful countries.
Some deserving past
executives and the 2022
Municipal Best Nurse, Midwife,
Health Tutor, and Young
Achiever received certificates.
The International Nurses’
Day is celebrated annually
in memory of the founder of
nursing, Florence Nightingale,
and to honour nurses as an
invaluable resource, while
creating awareness on their
challenges.
The Ghana Registered
Nurses and Midwives
Association (GRNMA)
says over 3,000 nurses
and midwives have
left the country to seek greener
pastures since the beginning of
the year.
The Association attributes the
high rate of migration of health
professionals to unfair salary
scales and poor conditions of
service.
There are fears hospitals and
health centres in the county
would be hit with understaffing
in the next three to five years if
the trend is not reversed.
The Ghana Registered Nurses
and Midwives Association
says the government has over
the years failed to implement
collectively agreed conditions of
service.
Ashanti regional chairman,
Jones Afriyie Anto, says three
years ago they negotiated
incentives for personnel posted
to rural areas.
The government agreed on
mapping the rural areas to kickstart
implementation, but this
has not been done.
An agreement on teaching
and research allowances for
health tutors is also yet to be
implemented.
Mr. Afriyie Anto says these
challenges have forced many of
health workers to seek greener
pastures.
The association says the
government is aware of the
increasing number of nurses and
midwives leaving the country
but has done nothing to stem
the tide.
Meanwhile, the acting
President of the Offinso
Traditional Council, Nana Kwaku
Duah the second wants the
group to exhaust all avenues to
avoid a strike.