High cost of health care pushes families into poverty

      A ceremony has been held in Kumasi to mark the universal health coverage day with a call to governments to take steps to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable. This comes against the background that globally in excess of 400 million people, 17 per cent of them in low and middle-income countries, […]

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A ceremony has been held in Kumasi to mark the universal health coverage day with a call to governments to take steps to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable.

This comes against the background that globally in excess of 400 million people, 17 per cent of them in low and middle-income countries, reportedly lack the most basic life-saving health care.

Mr. Christopher Dapaah, Ashanti Regional Chairman of Coalition of NGOs in Health, said that had trapped many families and nations in poverty.

He indicated that up to one-third of households in many African countries borrowed money or sold assets to pay for health care.

The day has been set aside by the World Health Organization (WHO) to remind nations of the need to provide affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere.

This year’s event, funded by Global Health Strategies with focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), was on the theme, “Health for all, right, smart and overdue”.

Mr. Dapaah said when heath care was made affordable and accessible, families could send their children to school and also save for emergencies.

It was therefore important to put in place realistic and workable policies to assure everybody of access to improved health care, he added.

Mr. Felix Frimpong, a Health Promotion Officer of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) identified non-communicable diseases as a major health worry, killing many across the world.

He said these were not only a health problem but also a development challenge as most of these diseases were chronic – affecting finances of the patients.

He stated that these were, however, largely preventable through proactive interventions and the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Dr. Awudzi Yeboah, Ashanti Regional Deputy Director of Health in charge of Public Health, urged everybody to step back from tobacco use, alcoholism and other unhealthy lifestyles.

Source: GNA

 

Ghanaians urged to pray for the in-coming government

Pastor Joseph Quansah, the Senior Pastor at the Revival Fortress Ministry at Sowutuom in Accra, has urged Christians to pray for the incoming administration so it would rule the nation in the fear and knowledge of God.

He said without God’s help, nobody could succeed and so the new government would need the prayers of all to succeed.

While commending the outgoing government for nobly accepting the outcome of the election, Pastor Quansah said the election victory was for all Ghanaians.

He, however, advised the people, especially Christians, to put their trust only in God to provide for their needs.

“You can believe in man but you do not have to rely on man to provide for you. It is only God that can be your great helper,” Pastor Quansah said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

Meanwhile, more people continue to express their joy over the success of the December 7 elections with others being in high hopes that the incoming government would build upon what the outgoing administration had started for Ghana.

Some of the Christians who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said all they prayed for was for God to ensure that the country remained intact after the elections and that was what God had done for the nation.

Mr Emmanuel Ofori, an organist and Church Administrator at Revival Fortress Ministry, said: “I am very happy at this moment because God has really listened to our prayers. All we wanted was a free and fair election and that is what God has granted us”.

Mrs Betty Quansah, Leader of the Women Ministry, Revival Fortress Ministry, said: “Ghana has won in the elections and we women and our children can go about our duties in peace”.

Meanwhile, Pastor Isaac Obed Asamoah, the Head Pastor of the Gospel Faith Ministry at A-Lang in Accra, has cautioned Ghanaians to celebrate the election victory with decorum so as not to mar its beauty.

“We need to celebrate what God has done for Ghana but it should be in modesty. We are all one people and one nation so we need not hurt one another with our actions,” Rev Asamoah said.

Source: GNA

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