Author: Priscilla Akorfa Fomevor

Healthcare access remains one of the defining challenges across Africa, particularly for patients requiring highly specialised treatment, advanced diagnostics, complex surgeries, or second medical opinions. Addressing this critical gap was central to a presentation delivered by Essence Referral Doctor, Dr. Paulina Denteh, during the 2026 China–West Africa Medical Summit & Expo All Partners Briefing & Stakeholders Engagement Meeting, organised by the Health Community of West Africa under the theme “Advancing Healthcare Innovation, Investment & Partnerships Between China and West Africa.” On Thursday, 27th May, 2026 at the Health Community of West Africa Association – La, Trade fair. Dr. Denteh’s presentation…

The drive to deepen China–West Africa healthcare cooperation received a major boost on Tuesday, May 19th 2026, as Ghana’s Ambassador to China, His Excellency Kojo Bonsu, together with his delegation, paid a strategic visit to the headquarters of the Health Community of West Africa Association in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where they held special talks with ten leading Chinese medical enterprises. Held at the Third Medical Innovation Center Phase IV of the Wenjiang District Electronic Science and Technology Valley, the meeting served as a strategic platform for dialogue on healthcare investment, market access and industrial cooperation between China and West Africa.…

Traditional Chinese Medicine is expected to take centre stage at the upcoming 2026 China–West Africa Medical & Health Industry Expo Featuring AI Diagnosis & Project Cooperation Summit as healthcare stakeholders continue exploring the growing role of integrative and alternative medicine in Africa’s healthcare development. Organised by the Health Community of West Africa Association, the Expo, scheduled for August 19–21, 2026, in Accra, is expected to bring together traditional medicine practitioners, researchers, policymakers, healthcare investors and medical professionals from across Africa and China to deepen collaboration and explore traditional and modern healthcare systems. A major driving force behind the growing prominence…

The partnership between the Health Community of West Africa Association and the Ghana Health Service continues to gain momentum as both institutions intensify preparations toward the 2026 China–West Africa Medical & Health Industry Expo Featuring AI Diagnosis & Project Cooperation Summit scheduled for August in Accra. The collaboration reflects a growing commitment by both organisations to strengthen healthcare delivery, promote medical innovation and position Ghana as a leading hub for healthcare transformation and international medical cooperation in West Africa. Over the years, the Ghana Health Service has played a critical role in improving healthcare delivery across Ghana through disease prevention…

The Health Community of West Africa Association is set to once again host one of the region’s biggest healthcare industry gatherings; the 2026 China–West Africa Medical & Health Industry Expo featuring AI Diagnosis & Project Cooperation Summit in Accra. Known for its remarkable success over the past few years, this year’s edition is bringing together over 300 exhibitors in medical innovation from China, 1,500 merchants and industry stakeholders, as well as over 60,000 health professionals, distributors, researchers and participants from across 16 West African countries and 20 more nations worldwide highlighting the event’s growing international relevance. The Ghana International Mall,…

By Nelson Bedi, Registered Nurse at the Emergency Department, The Bank Hospital Severe malaria remains one of the most life-threatening medical emergencies, particularly in regions where the disease is endemic. While medical treatment protocols are well established, the role of the nurse is often the decisive factor between recovery and rapid deterioration. From the moment a patient arrives, every second counts—and every action must be deliberate. At the core of effective management is rapid assessment and stabilization. Nurses are trained to immediately prioritize the ABCs: airway, breathing, and circulation. An unconscious patient, for instance, presents an immediate airway risk, while…

Malaria remains one of the most persistent and deadly infectious diseases globally, with a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium species and transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Despite being preventable and treatable, malaria continues to pose a major threat to public health, particularly among children and pregnant women. There are five species of Plasmodium known to infect humans, and understanding them helps explain why malaria presents differently across regions. Plasmodium falciparum is the most dangerous and the most common in Africa, responsible for the majority of severe cases and…

The fever breaks. The antibiotics work. The hospital sends you home. But for thousands of meningitis survivors, the battle is not over. Meningitis does not stop at inflaming the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. It often pushes deeper, invading brain tissue itself. The result leaves survivors struggling with cognitive deficits that mimic traumatic brain injury, yet too few receive the rehabilitation they desperately need. The biological mechanism follows a destructive path. Meningitis triggers a powerful inflammatory response throughout the central nervous system. That inflammation damages neurons, disrupts neural circuits and in severe cases, causes small areas of…

Many people walk out of a doctor’s office believing one dangerous falsehood. They think their vaccination against meningitis closes the door on every possible cause of the disease. That belief could prove deadly. The myth states that vaccines protect against all types of meningitis. The fact tells a different story. Vaccines offer the strongest defense medicine can provide, but they do not cover every strain of bacteria, virus or fungus that leads to meningitis. Here is what every parent, traveler and young adult needs to understand. Scientists have developed highly effective vaccines for specific high-risk pathogens. One set targets meningococcal…

Bernice Boateng, Public health Nurse at Oda Government Hospital Intro: Meningitis is inflammation around the brain and spinal cord. The three main types—bacterial, viral, and fungal—differ in how fast they start, how sick a person becomes, who is at risk, and what treatment is needed. This interview with Nurse Bernice Boateng seeks to explain those differences in simple, practical terms so one can understand what causes them, how fast they come on, what symptoms to expect, and why some are much more dangerous than others. Q1: What exactly causes bacterial meningitis, and viral meningitis? Are they contagious in the same…