Author: Gloria Addo

The Kingdom of Eswatini is grappling with a significant shortage of health practitioners, with the health labor report highlighting the need for at least 20,272 health workers in 2022, yet the available workforce is only 10,531 short, causing a significant gap in the healthcare system. The Health Labour Market Analysis Report, conducted by the government in partnership with the World Health Organization, highlights the urgent need for strategic intervention to address the shortage of health workers in Eswatini, projected to reach 26,563 by 2032. The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Susan Tembo, Minister of Health, Mduduzi Matsebula, and…

The human ear, a marvel of biological engineering, is our gateway to the world of sound. These organs, which extend from either side of the head, are directly over your temporal lobe, the part of your brain responsible for hearing, speech, memory, and some emotions. Ears are fascinating organs that are a complex part of an even more complex sensory system that not only enables us to hear but also maintains our balance. This intricate organ is composed of three main parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Each part plays a specific role in the…

Whereas tongue twisters, lollipops, and pulling faces at your siblings and friends may lead you to believe that tongues are only for fun, did you also know that tongues are organs? The tongue is an important sensory organ that helps us talk, taste, digest, and eat. Often the strongest muscle, it is the only one in the body that functions without help from your skeleton. This unique organ located in the oral cavity is anchored inside your mouth by webs of strong tissue, and it’s covered by mucosa (a moist, pink lining that covers certain organs and body cavities). Your…

Self-proclaimed “dentists” are fitting braces, which are used by dentists to align, straighten, and properly position teeth on the streets and in kiosks. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and they even fit braces for those who don’t need them or have never seen a dentist in person. Using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, young vendors are advertising their new trade of fitting braces with adhesives that have been colored and mixed with other materials while ignoring health considerations. A US-based Ghanaian orthodontist, Dr. Abraham Musah, touched on allergic reactions. Dr. Musah said some…

The Cleveland Clinic, USA has found that the widely used replacement for sugar, erythritol, has alarming cardiovascular effects when compared to typical sugar, raising concerns about its safety. The study raises some concerns that the usual amount of a food or beverage sweetened with erythritol may temporarily induce a direct clot-forming impact. According to the researchers, erythritol increases the activity of blood platelets, which can result in blood clots. Erythritol is a low-calorie sweetener that is roughly 70% sweeter than sugar. Manufacturers synthesize erythritol from corn, and various fruits naturally contain it. The body also made it in extremely small…

The Food and Drug Administration of the USA has discovered that sterile tattoo and makeup ink bottles contain dangerous bacteria, potentially causing infections, sepsis, and even death. In the study published in Applied and Environmental Biology on bacterial contamination in tattoo and permanent cosmetic inks, researchers evaluated 75 samples from 14 manufacturers and discovered that 26 were infected with 34 different types of bacteria, 19 of which can cause diseases. Dr. Pauline Gacheri, a consultant dermatologist, explained that dichromate salts, cobalt (Co), cadmium, and mercury, considered bases for the colors green, blue, yellow, and red; and iron oxide, titanium dioxide,…

The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called for holistic support to improve exclusive and equal access to breastfeeding support as the world marks World Breastfeeding Awareness Week. Celebrated annually from August 1 to August 7, this year’s campaign, themed “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All,” emphasizes the importance of enhancing breastfeeding support to ensure the health and well-being of mothers and babies. A statement published by Catherine Russell (UNICEF Executive Director) and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO Director-General) reads that an estimated 4.5 billion people, or more than half of the world’s population, do…

A clinical trial conducted in South Africa and Uganda found that a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug (PrEP) provides young women between the ages of 16 and 25 with complete protection against HIV infection. The New England Journal of Medicine published a confirmation of the study, which indicated that positive findings resulted in an earlier-than-expected conclusion of the experiment. UNAIDS reported 1.3 million new HIV infections globally last year, falling short of the 2025 target and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. This development raises the prospect of an extremely effective HIV preventive tool with great potential. For a young…

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is preparing to introduce a free health screening program for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly hypertension and diabetes, to combat its high mortality rates in Ghana. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, pose serious international public health issues. Every year, around the world, NCDs claim the lives of 17 million people before they reach the age of 70, and it is possible to prevent 86 percent of these deaths. However, NCDs accounted for 41 million of the 55 million fatalities in 2019, accounting for 74% of deaths…

UNICEF in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched a project to improve healthcare in HIV Services for possible mother-to-child transmission cases. The project dubbed Point of Care Test, is the use of a technology to significantly reduce turnaround times for HIV test results in babies, enhancing their chances of survival and reducing maternal anxiety. Speaking on the project, Chief of Health & Nutrition -UNICEF Ghana, Emmanuel Dewiz, stated that the idea is innovative as it allows infected babies to be treated as soon as possible thereby increasing their chances of surviving. “The Point of Care Test initiative…