A health promotion and disease prevention campaign was yesterday launched in Accra, by Impact 360 International, in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The campaign, which begins in March on the theme, ‘The Media Health Train’ would seek to offer free health screening for journalists and media practitioners as well as create awareness about the prevention of chronic and life-threatening diseases in the co
Mr Affail Monney,GJA President
untry.
Mr Affail Monney, president of the GJA, said the deaths of journalists and media practitioners in the country were alarming, thus the need to take their health care seriously.
Mr Monney noted that over the past few years, the journalism fraternity had lost some seasoned journalists and media practitioners to chronic and stress related diseases that could be avoided with the right interventions.
“In 2014, we lost our international journalist, Komla Dumor, to cardiac arrest in London, while in November 18, 2017, another broadcaster of the Multi Group, Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong, popularly known as ‘Kaba’, died from diabetes, according to medical reports,” he recalled.
He stated that the exercise would ensure journalists and media practitioners across the country were free from chronic, life-threatening and transmissible diseases that might be hidden in the body as they busily move about searching for news to inform, educate and entertain the masses.
Mr Monney noted that journalists and media practitioners would be screened for diseases such as high blood pressure, kidney problems, HIV/AIDS, cardio diseases, diabetes, cervical cancer, malaria, eye, brain and spinal problems and breast cancer.
Mr Clifford Ladzekpo, the Chief Executive Officer of Impact 360 International, stated that the initiative would enable media professionals and journalists in the country to improve their health status through the health promotion and disease prevention campaign.
He indicated that a group of health professionals would embark on a working tour of major media institutions in the country to facilitate the screening activity.
Mr Ladzekpo added that there was the need to conscientise media professionals on health screening, to prevent chronic and life-threatening diseases.
He disclosed that any journalist and media practitioner diagnosed of any disease would, as part of the campaign, receive free medical care and attention.
Mrs Grace Kafui Annan, Director of Health Promotions of the Ghana Health Service, urged the general public and media practitioners to take advantage of the initiative and know their health status.
She asked journalists to regularly visit health centres for checkups on their health conditions and keep records of it.
BY EVANGEL KELVIN AINOO
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