Many Ghanaian Women risk death through unsafe abortion

In Ghana abortion is widespread and, because it is technically illegal, mainly unregulated.
It is estimated that as many as two-thirds of all terminations are unsafe and large numbers of women are dying.

Gloria is 22 and lives in a village in eastern Ghana.
She has had two abortions in two years and has not told her family as she is afraid she will be thrown out.

Her village is governed by traditional tribal customs.
Both abortion and contraception are frowned upon and children are seen as precious.
But Gloria does not want children yet - she wants to continue her schooling.
So, with the help of a friend she resorted to self-abortion. But it all went badly wrong.
"The first method I used were the leaves of the bush plant mixed with kawa, a local stone," she told BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents.

"We ground them together and inserted it into the uterus."
But that method did not work and in a small, quavering voice, Gloria said: "Then we inserted the branch of the bush plant and the blood started coming in 15 minutes."
Broken bottle

Gloria's second abortion was only four months ago.
First her friend gave her melted sugar with Guinness. No effect.
I bled and bled and bled for more than five days
GloriaThen 10 paracetemol tablets ground up with local gin. Still nothing.

"Finally, we tried a broken bottle ground up with seawater and "Blue", a washing detergent, which we soaked in a cotton cloth and inserted into my womanhood," she confessed.
"By doing that the foetus came. I bled and bled and bled for more than five days."
Gloria is today in constant pain and too afraid to see a doctor.

She has refused to tell even her mother, who is a midwife.
"If I informed my mother, she would tell my father and that would be the end of me," she explained.

Infertility fear
Other women in both rural Ghana and the cities echo these fears.
In the capital Accra, Gracie, Betty and Debbie spoke about their abortions.
They are all young, single mothers, abandoned by their men and struggling as low-paid market traders.

Betty is just 26.
"Nobody knows, not even my friends. I thought I'd get in big trouble," she said.
Since my abortion I've not been able to get pregnant again
Betty
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The abortion cost 300,000 cedis (about £16), which she said was a lot of money for someone like her.

She continued: "Since my abortion I've not been able to get pregnant again. That was five years ago.
"But I am fortunate because a friend of mine died after hers."
Money was also a big issue for Debbie.
Her boyfriend got her pregnant and then left her.

But her brother gave her money after she lied, saying she needed it because she had malaria.
At the hospital the doctor told her an abortion would cost 500,000 cedis (about £28) but she had only 400,000.

However she pleaded with him and the operation went ahead.
"But that night," Debbie related, "I had terrible pains. I went back to the hospital. The doctor had left part of the foetus in my womb."
Serious infection
And finally, Gracie's story.

When I sit down my leg shakes. I can't sleep
GracieHer abortion also took place in a hospital and was also botched.
The doctor who operated on her was not a gynaecologist.
He used dirty instruments and she got a serious infection.
She nearly lost her right leg.

"When I sit down my leg shakes. I can't sleep," she said.
In Africa, Ghana's abortion law is considered relatively liberal.
Technically it is illegal but there are three broad and flexible exceptions which mean women can demand legal terminations.
They are: if she gets pregnant as a result of rape, incest or reduced mental ability; if the pregnancy poses a risk to her physical or mental health, and if the unborn child might suffer an abnormality or disease.
But that is if they know the law at all and that is a major problem.
Women and girls, doctors, quacks, the police, even judges, have all been shown to be ignorant of Ghana's law, or have wilfully broken it knowing they will not be caught.
Lucrative trade

I often say the female pelvis is a goldmine
Dr Joe Taylor, gynaecologistGynaecologist Dr Joe Taylor - an advisor on reproductive health to the government - often treats women after botched abortions.
"I've seen many, many, women dying and what is most tragic is that those who don't die suffer disabilities that are life-long and painful," he said.
"Abortion is carried out in this clandestine and dangerous way because most people perceive it to be criminal and illegal."

Ignorance and greed are the main reasons illegal abortion thrives, he said.
No-one knows the exact figures. Statistics are rare in Ghana.
The quacks and the charlatans can charge high fees, even from poor women.
"I often say the female pelvis is a goldmine. And if you're a miner you can make big money," Dr Taylor concluded.

The criminalisation of abortion along with traditional values, social perceptions and religious teachings have created a crisis in Ghana.
And across most of Africa, where it has been estimated that four million females a year undergo unsafe abortions, 30,000 of them die as a result.
One expert has called abortion "a killing field".
And there is little evidence to suggest that the situation will change soon.

Source: BBC

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday sent a message of congratulation to Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, the newly appointed Ghanaian Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

A statement signed by Mr Dan Osman, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry said, "Dr Asamoa-Baah has indeed made both the Ministry and the country very proud by his appointment as the number two man of the World Health Organisation.

" It said the Ministry was not surprised at Dr Asamoa-Baah's appointment since records showed that he qualified as a Medical Doctor from the Ghana Medical School in 1984 and worked at the Offinso Government Hospital in the Ashanti Region and later acted briefly as the Senior Medical Officer of the same hospital.

Dr Asamoa-Baah pursued further studies in the UK where he obtained postgraduate qualifications in community health, health planning, health economics and health policy analysis. He returned home and continued to work with the Ministry of Health until he was appointed Acting Director of the newly created Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) Division of the Ministry.

The statement said Dr Asamoa-Baah has been instrumental in reforms in the health sector, in the civil service and in budget and financial systems in the wider public service. He has also served on a number of inter-sectoral committees and taught part time at the Ghana Medical School and the School of Public Health.

The Ministry thus urged all health professionals to see the appointment of Dr Asamoa-Baah as the WHO Deputy Director General as a motivation as well as a challenge to work harder than before.GNA

Night cleaning of Accra begins

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, in collaboration with the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) on Monday began an exercise for daily night cleaning of the Central Business District of Accra.A workforce of 1,000 people, drawn from the NYEP, are to undertake the cleaning, ensure that drains in the District become litter-free, and arrest people who throw refuse into the drains.

The clean-up exercise, which started Monday evening at the Accra Rawlings Park, formed part of an exercise to rid the city of litter. The exercise, meant to enhance the sanitation situation in the city, is part of making the city spick and span for Ghana's Golden Jubilee Celebrations.

Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, who was present at the beginning of the exercise, said the exercise would not be a nine-day wonder as in previous exercises.It would be sustained after the celebration, and there would be constant supervision to ensure that refuse did not go back into the drains.

The exercise went into gear under lights provided by big trucks of Zoomlion, a private waste collection company in Accra. Young men and women, holding brooms and other shovels went into action. They swept the streets, opened slabs and de-silted gutters and emptied filled mini litterbins into large trucks.Mr Asamoah Boateng told journalists that the exercise was being done in the night so that it would not interfere with free flow of traffic and commercial activities during the day.

He said the Ministry was organizing an extensive public education along the clean-up exercise, adding that a change in legislation was being pursued to update penalty for sanitation offences.Mr Asamoah Boateng said 40 people had been trained in legal procedures for sanitation offences since the re-introduction of the arrest and punishment to household sanitary offences, popularly christened "Asaman sama" which took off in Techiman last December.

The Minister said recruitment of sanitary officers was underway in all the 10 regions, and was expected to be completed by February. He said waste segregation and recycling programmes would be pursued.
Source:GNA

German President Horst Kohler arrives in Accra for a four-day official visit to the country on Thursday, January 11. To be accompanied by the wife Eva, he would hold bilateral talks with President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu; pay a courtesy call on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, at his Manhyia Palace and visit the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to discuss issues on the brain drain with the students.

President Kohler would also participate in the second conference of the "Partnership with Africa" from the January 12 to January 14 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Teshie Accra, on the theme: "Two Generations-One Future." The conference is a sequel to the first Africa Conference the German President convened in Bonn in November 2005, where he launched the Africa Partnership Initiative. President Kufuor and President Kohler are programmed to interact with about 50 young leaders from Germany and Africa at the Conference.

Some other African leaders including President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria; Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; President Festus Mogae of Bostwana; Mr Alpha Oumar Konare, President of the African Union and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, President of the ECOWAS Commission, would also be attending. Mr Andrews Awuni, President Kufuor’s Press Secretary, told a Castle press briefing on Tuesday that issues to be deliberated on would involve the environment and management of the natural world; armed conflict and everyday violence; educational opportunities and employment prospects and democratic participation.

Bilateral relations between Ghana and Germany have always been good. In June 2002 President Kufuor paid a four-day official visit to Germany. The then German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, also made a reciprocal visit to Ghana. Mr Awuni used the occasion to convey President Kufuor's gratefulness to the Chief Imam, the entire Muslim community and Christian Congregations in Ghana, for their prayers for the country and the Jubilee anniversary.

He appealed to all, who called on the name of God to pray earnestly and fervently that the Jubilee year would also mark the country's time of rest from her labour.GNA

Upper West NDC MPs condemns youth employment programme

All the seven Upper West NDC members of parliament on Tuesday accused the government of using the Youth in Employment Programme to create jobs for only members of the NPP and other party sympathizers. "It is nothing short of an NPP youth recruitment drive.

If one does not bear an NPP card and is not ready to register as a member of the party, one is automatically disqualified from obtaining employment under the programme". Mr. Edward Salia, Member of Parliament for Jirapa, announced these at Wa during an NDC News conference organized to climax their five-day tour of all the 10 constituencies of the Upper Western Region.




The Members who were at the conference included; Alban Bagbin, Minority leader, Mathias Puozah, Nadowli East, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Wa West, Rashid Pelpuo, Wa Central, Benjamin Kumbour, Lawra/Nandom, Edward Salia, Jirapa and Mrs. Alice Boon, Jirapa. Mr. Salia, who is also the chairman of the Upper West Parliamentary caucus said come 2008, Ghanaians were going to return their votes to the NDC after having gone through myriads of hardships under the NPP regime.




He said their studies on the ground proved that Ghanaians were bent on returning NDC to power because of the leadership qualities they saw in Professor John Atta-Mills and urged all party loyalists to keep campaigning so as to win more members for the 2008 general elections.




"Upper Westerners have only one request: that we salvage them from neglect, discrimination and suffering" He added The caucus chairman also accused the NPP government of not doing enough for a smooth pilgrimage for Muslims in the country and called on the President and the Vice President to apologize to all pilgrims and Ghanaians in general, adding that, it was only the NDC leadership that visited the stranded pilgrims at the Kotoka International Airport.





On the Millenium Challenge Account, the MPs said it was a testimony to the fact that the NPP government had neglected the North by not including the Upper East and West Regions in the programme. The NDC members also criticized the government for not speeding up the rural electrification programme in the Region.



'The NDC is worried about the neglect of the rural electrification programme." The News conference was also attended by regional and constituency executive members, and other loyal members of the party.GNA

State-Owned Media get new Boards

The National Media Commission (NMC) has reconstituted the Board of Directors for State-Owned Media organisations in consultation with President John Agyekum Kufuor. A release signed by Joseph E. T. Dottey, for the Executive Secretary of NMC, said the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Board is chaired by Mr Rex Owusu-Ansah; with Dr A.B.K. Anane; Mr Abdulai Musah; Mrs Gina Blay; Mrs Agartha Gaisie Nketia; Dr Kofi Oti Adinkra and the General Manager, Nana Appau Duah as members.

The New Times Corporation Board is chaired by Professor Kwesi Yankah; with Togbe Avudzega Soga; Mrs. Harriet Armah; Mr Anthony Edow Dadzie; Mr J. Derby Amissah-Arthur; Mr Eddie Adiin Yansah; Mrs Genevieve H. Haruna; Squadron Leader De-Graft Elllionah and the Managing Director, Nanabanyin Pratt as members.

The Board for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has Reverend Dr Asante-Antwi as chairman; with Mr A. K. Bonney; Dr Audrey Gadzekpo; Mr Robert Ahomka Lindsay; Mrs Stella Amegashie; Mr Ben Batabe Assorow; Ms Georgette Francois; Mr F.K.D Frimpong and the Director-General as members.

The Board for Graphic Communications Groups Limited has Nana Kwasi Offei Agyeman as chairman; with Mr Kafui Asem; Mr Mike Adjei; Mrs Esther Nakai Mensah; Mrs Rose Fosu; Mr Michael M. Asigri; Mr Akwasi Agyeman; Mr E.M. Boye and the Managing Director as members.

The statement said the GNA Board would be inaugurated on January 16, 2007; New Times Corporation on January 17; Ghana Broadcasting Corporation January 18 and that of Graphic Communications Group on January 19, 2007. The inaugurations would take place at the respective offices of the Media Houses.GNA

African Soil Scientists meet in Accra

The achievement of food security and the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 would still remain the main challenges for Africa if innovative approaches were not developed to solve the soil degradation and land use problems.

"Degradation of land and water resources increasingly threatens national and households’ food security in many parts of Africa. In these countries, degradation reduces the options for attaining their future food security targets and that of the next generation." Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Minister of Education Science and Sports, said this in Accra when he opened a six-day Fourth African Soil Science Society International Conference on the theme: "Impact of Climate Change; Global Trade; Urbanisation and Biotechnology on Land Use in Africa.

" The conference, attended by about 150 participants is discussing the dynamics of land use; local market; global trade and land use patterns; climate change; land management and biodiversity among other topics. Papa Owusu-Ankomah noted that land use changes associated with agriculture could disrupt the natural balance between the production of biomass and the release of carbon by soil respiration. He envisaged that the development and implementation of sustainable land and water management practices would contribute significantly to the attainment of food security and environmental health.

"The development of sustainable land management practices should take into account the consequences of the requirements of international trade with its binding conditions; the impact of climate change with potential increase in natural disasters and the prospects of biotechnologies on land use systems and land management techniques.

" He asked soil scientists to be vocal and to participate actively in policy formation; norms and standard setting; good agricultural practices with respect to soil science and related issues. "There is the need for African Soil Science Society to position itself, as a regional broker for land issues within the civil society in Africa and to develop active collaboration particularly with international institutes and networks dealing with soil and land issues and strong lobbying for public and donor's support for more investment in sustainable land management.

” Papa Owsu-Ankomah called on Soil Scientists to play a key role in advising decision makers and various stakeholders for the realisation of the African Green Revolution given the strategic importance of fertilizers in achieving the African Green Revolution to end hunger. The African Union Member States have declared fertilizers both inorganic and organic as strategic goods and have resolved to increase the use of fertilizer from the current average of eight kilograms per hectare to an average of at least 50 kilograms per hectare by 2015.

Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, expressed concern about the gap created between researchers, policy makers and end users and noted the importance to bridge the gap for national development. He explained that research was essential and urged research scientists to ensure that they worked not only in their shells but also in collaboration with end users of their findings.

Prof. Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), who chaired the function, said the issue of land use and its implications had become topical and the climate change; global trade; urbanisation and biotechnology were at the core in ensuring sustainable development.

He said the challenges of agriculture in the 21st century required systemic integration of the environmental, social and economic pillars of development to meet the needs of the present generation without sacrificing their livelihood for the future. He called for the formulation of a comprehensive land use plan to ensure that prime agricultural land and other natural resources such as soil, water and forests were protected.GNA