Author: Priscilla Akorfa Fomevor

By Donald Yaw Gaviston, Occupational Therapist Every year, World Parkinson’s Day reminds us not only of the need to understand Parkinson’s disease, but also of the importance of supporting families who care for loved ones living with this condition. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects movement, daily activities, and overall quality of life—impacting not just individuals, but entire households. Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine gradually become damaged or die. Dopamine helps control smooth and coordinated movement, and as its levels reduce, movement becomes slower and less controlled. According to the…

The Ghana National Fire Service has launched a nationwide capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening emergency response—an intervention expected to improve public health outcomes during fires and disasters. Chief Fire Officer Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sapong announced the move at the opening of the GNFSST 1-26 Fire Police “Train the Trainer” Course at the Fire Academy and Training School in Jamestown on April 20. She stressed that equipping Fire Police personnel with modern security, discipline, and protective skills is essential for managing emergency scenes and reducing injury and fatality risks. The training comes amid growing concerns over the impact of poorly coordinated…

Researchers have reported a significant breakthrough in the global fight against gonorrhoea, identifying a key protein that could lead to the development of both a new vaccine and a novel class of antibiotics. The study, published in PLOS Pathogens and shared with the Ghana News Agency, explains how the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae—responsible for gonorrhoea—evades the body’s natural immune system. The discovery provides scientists with a new and promising target for therapeutic intervention, especially as antibiotic resistance continues to rise. Gonorrhoea remains one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, with an estimated 78 million new infections recorded each year.…

Ghana closed a long-standing gap in its health system on Thursday, April 9, 2026, when the government officially launched the Maternal Mental Health Policy (MMHP). The Mental Health Authority led the launch in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and key national stakeholders. The authority also disseminated findings from a Maternal Mental Health Pilot Project implemented across five regions. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UKFCDO) provided funding support for the pilot. The launch brought together government officials, development partners, health professionals, academia, civil society, and the media. The gathering reflected a growing recognition of maternal mental health…

The Principal Midwifery Officer at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Felicia Martey Dodoo, issued a dire warning on the GTV Breakfast Show on Wednesday, April 15, 2026: hypertension during pregnancy often struck without obvious symptoms but could turn deadly in hours. She called on expectant mothers to monitor their blood pressure rigorously both before and after delivery. Ms. Martey Dodoo explained that while blood pressure fluctuations occurred naturally throughout pregnancy, abnormal levels silently triggered life-threatening complications for mother and child when left undetected. “Hypertension in pregnancy can be silent but deadly,” she declared. Ms. Martey Dodoo broke down the typical…

By Major Oteng Wiafe Edward, ENT SPECIALIST surgeon (otology) Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body modification, practiced for thousands of years across civilizations. From ancient Egyptian pharaohs who wore earrings as symbols of status to Persian soldiers depicted in Persepolis carvings, the practice has carried deep cultural significance. In many ancient societies, piercing was believed to offer spiritual protection—metal in the ears was thought to prevent evil spirits from entering the body. Today, ear piercing remains a widespread practice, with over 80% of Africans and Westerners, particularly African Americans, having pierced ears. In Ghana, piercing is…

Despite growing awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a persistent and harmful myth continues to circulate: that autism is a disease. Medical experts, researchers and autistic self-advocates are united in correcting this misconception, emphasizing that autism is not an illness to be cured but a neurodevelopmental variation to be understood and supported. So what exactly is autism? Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition characterized by differences in brain development that affect how a person communicates, processes sensory information, and interacts with the world. It is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder in diagnostic manuals—but crucially, a disorder is not the…

As global conversations around neurodevelopmental disorders gain momentum, Tanzania is scaling up its efforts to foster greater public understanding and social inclusion for individuals living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Health advocates and policymakers are pushing for a paradigm shift from mere awareness to tangible acceptance and support systems across the country. Autism, a complex condition characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication, remains widely misunderstood in many communities. In Tanzania, stigma and misinformation often lead to the isolation of affected individuals and their families. Recognizing this gap, local health organizations and government agencies are…

Health officials in the North East Region have raised alarms over a steady rise in maternal deaths, even as the area records remarkable progress in controlling malaria and tuberculosis. The concerning trend was revealed at the 2025 Annual Performance Review held in Nalerigu, where the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Godfred Kwabena Sarpong, presented data showing that institutional maternal mortality increased from 48 per 100,000 live births in 2024 to 60 per 100,000 live births in 2025. That rise translates to an increase from ten to fourteen reported cases over the period under review. Dr Sarpong was quick to…

Despite achieving its highest collection target in recent years, Ghana’s National Blood Service has revealed that the country still meets only about two-thirds of its annual blood requirement, leaving thousands of patients vulnerable to life-threatening delays in transfusion care. The Chief Executive Officer of the National Blood Service, Dr Shirley Owusu-Ofori, disclosed this troubling gap at the Service’s Annual Performance Review held in Accra on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. According to her presentation, the Service collected 204,000 units of blood in 2025, which exceeded its internal target of 200,000 units and improved the national blood collection index from 6.1 to…