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Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation donates items to four institutions

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The Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, a Sister City collaboration, has donated various items to four institutions in the Winneba Municipality.
 
The beneficiary institutions included the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Effutu Municipal Government Hospital, Effutu Directorate of the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Police Command and the Staff Training College and the Winneba District Police Command.
 
Items donated include Security Operational materials and Medical equipment and consumables valued at US$200,000.
 
Presenting the items at sperate ceremonies at the premises of the beneficiary Institutions, former Mayor of Charlottesville, Mr Dave Norris, Executive Director of the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, applauded Awutu-Effutu Citizens’ Association in Southern California for sponsoring the shipment of the items meant to provide quality service delivery to the people.
 
Nana Acheampong Ghartey, a native of Effutu, based in Charlottesville and the liaison officer of the Foundation, said the donation was a result of a  Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  between the two Cities and expressed the hope it would strengthen the relationship for mutual benefits.
 
Mr Henry Asiedu, the Effutu Municipal Fire Officer, who received 100 Breathing Apparatus, some Gloves and Goggles and cylinders on behalf of the Service, thanked the Foundation for the support.
 
He appealed for a rapid response vehicle and other logistics to help them to quickly respond to emergencies and other related operations.
 
Mr Oman N. Mohammed, the Administrator of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, on behalf of the management expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the continuous support to the facility towards quality health care delivery.
 
Dr Akwesi Buta, the Medical Superintendent of Effutu Municipal Government Hospital, also expressed appreciation for the support.
 
Chief Superintendent Samuel Asiedu Okanta, the Officer in Charge of Winneba District Police Command, on behalf of the Service, received quantities of nose masks, helmets, belts, raincoat and bags.
 
He expressed appreciation to the donors, saying it would enhance their work.
 
Neenyi Ghartey VII, Paramount Chief of Effutu Traditional Area and President of the Traditional Council, commended members of the Foundation for the support and expressed the hope that the relationship would grow for the mutual benefit of both cities.
 
Mr John B. Ninson, Effutu Municipal Chief Executive, expressed appreciation to the donors.
 
By. J. K. Nabary

People with mental health conditions living in chains – Report

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Thousands of people with mental health conditions are chained around the world with some, as young as 10 years, confined for weeks, months and even years against their will, the Human Rights Watch Report has said.
 
   
The Report, which was launched virtually, ahead of this year’s World Mental Health Day on October 10, indicated that men, women, and children, were chained or locked in confined spaces in about 60 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
 
   
The 56-page Report, “Living in Chains: Shackling of People with Psychosocial Disabilities Worldwide,” examines how people with mental health conditions are often shackled by families in their own homes or in overcrowded and unsanitary institutions, against their will, due to widespread stigma and a lack of mental health services.
 
   
“Many are forced to eat, sleep, urinate, and defecate in the same tiny area,” it said.
 
   
“In state-run or private institutions, as well as traditional or religious healing centres, they are often forced to fast, take medications or herbal concoctions, and face physical and sexual violence.”
 
   
The Report includes field research and testimonies from Ghana, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Palestine, South Sudan, Yemen and the self-declared independent state of Somaliland.
 
   
“Shackling people with mental health conditions is a widespread brutal practice that is an open secret in many communities,” said Kriti Sharma, Senior Disability Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW) and author of the Report.
 
   
“People can spend years chained to a tree, locked in a cage or sheep shed because families struggle to cope and governments fail to provide adequate mental health services.”
 
 
 The Report said while a number of countries were paying greater attention to the issue of mental health, shackling remains largely out of sight.
 
   
It noted that there were no data or coordinated international or regional efforts to eradicate shackling.
 
   
The Report said in response, the HRW had been working with mental health advocates with live experiences, and human rights and anti-torture organisations around the world to launch a global #BreakTheChains campaign to end shackling of people with mental health conditions.
 
   
The HRW interviewed more than 350 people with psychosocial disabilities, including children, and 430 family members, staff working in institutions, mental health professionals, faith healers, government officials, and disability rights advocates.
 
   
Based on a study of 110 countries, HRW found evidence of shackling of people with mental health conditions across age groups, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic strata, and urban and rural areas in about 60 countries.
 
   
It said globally, an estimated 792 million people, or one in 10, including one in five children, had a mental health condition.
 
   
“Yet governments spend less than two per cent of their health budgets on mental health.”
 
   
The report said even when mental health services were free or subsidized, distance and transport costs were a significant barrier.
 
   
It said in the absence of proper mental health support and lack of awareness, many families felt they had no option but to shackle their relatives; stating that they were often worried that the person might run away or hurt themselves or others.
 
   
The report urged national governments to act urgently to ban shackling, reduce stigma, and develop quality, accessibility and affordable community mental health services.
 
   
Governments should immediately order inspections and regular monitoring of state-run and private institutions and take appropriate actions against abusive facilities, the Report said.
 
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Round two of Oral Polio Vaccination takes off October 8

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The Ministry of Health is set to begin the second round of the oral polio vaccination from  Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 October 2020 across the country.
 
In the Western Region, a total of 442,932 infants in the 14 districts of the region are expected to be immunized.
 
   
Mr Kofi Asemanyi-Mensah, the Deputy Western Regional Public Health Director, who made this known during a press briefing in Takoradi, appealed to parents to patronize the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) exercise in the second round as they did in the first round.
 
 
He explained that the dosage given in round two is an additional dose and stressed that every child under five years should receive it even if they had already been immunized.
 
 
Mr Asemanyi-Mensah indicated that repeated doses of the polio vaccine was safe and provided additional protection for children.
 
 
He said children from six months to five years would receive vitamin A supplement during the second round, adding that, Vitamin A makes children strong and healthy.
 
   
Mr Asemanyi-Mensah urged parents to continue with the routine immunization of their children after the campaign if they had not completed them.
 
   
The Deputy Regional Public Health Director called on parents to allow their children to receive the vaccine and shun the notion that the vaccine was contaminated and dangerous to children’s health.
 
   
He stressed that the vaccines had passed through rigorous processes and approved by the Food and Drugs Authority.
 
   
Mr Asemanyi-Mensah said Ghana recorded three events of non-wild poliovirus outbreak in July and August last year.
 
He explained that nine out of the 16 regions have so far recorded 30 cases, hence the need for the supplementary immunization campaign (mOPV2) to vaccinate children against the poliovirus and to contain the spread of the virus to other parts of the country.
 
The Deputy Director said the polio vaccination was to raise the population’s immunity against poliovirus and break the transmission of non-wild poliovirus, strengthen surveillance on polio disease and prevent further polio outbreak.
 
Mr Asemanyi-Mensah said the oral PolioVaccine(OPV) was extremely safe and effective at protecting children against lifelong polio paralysis.
 
He, therefore, advised parents that children under 15 years who may develop sudden paralysis (weakness of the limbs) should report to the nearest health centre within 24 hours.
 
Mr Asemanyi-Mensah said the immunization volunteers would visit homes, churches, mosques, and markets to administer the vaccine in line with the COVID-19 safety protocols, noting that volunteers were equipped with the appropriate tools.

Meet the CPP running mate and inventor of Mechanical Cassava Harvester

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Professor Emmanuel Yaovi Hunnuor Bobobee, the inventor of the Mechanical Cassava Harvester, is the running mate to Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, 2020 flag bearer of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP).
 
The Inventor, Engineer, Professor and Politician, until his appointment, lectured and researched at the Department of Agricultural and Bio-systems Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
 
He had his Ordinary level education at Sogakope Senior High School in 1975 and Advanced Level education at Mawuli School in 1977. He won a Ghana Government Scholarship to KNUST where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Agricultural Engineering in 1981.
 
In 1985, with a British Government Scholarship, he graduated from Cranfield University, UK with a Master of Science in Agricultural Machinery Engineering. He won a World Bank scholarship to pursue a PhD in Agriculture Engineering at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) Uppsala, Sweden in 2007.
 
Professor Bobobee’s area of interest includes Agricultural Mechanisation, Food Security, Renewable Energy and Conservation Agriculture.
 
He told Journalists at his nomination on Tuesday that he was born into CPP and his father taught him politics.
 
He was honoured and awarded by the Ghana Institution of Engineers in 2014 with 1st Engineering Excellence Awards, shortlisted for the African Price for Engineering Innovation (APEI) by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in 2015, in the same year won the 3rd Prize for Pitch Presentation, Newton Leadership Innovation Fund (LIF/RAEng) amongst others.
 
His research projects include; ‘Cassava Starch Bio-Fuel Gel for Light, Draught Animal Technology for increased productivity amongst small scale farmers, development of Tek-Groundnut Craker, development of Jab-planters for conservation agricultural crop establishment.

Two schools benefit from one million per constituency initiative

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The two schools benefiting from the one million per constituency initiative are Asaam M/A basic schools and Mampong Experimental Basic School.
 
 
Each of them is benefiting from a six-unit classroom block with staff room, computer laboratory and offices as well as water and sanitation facilities.
 
     
Mr Thomas Appiah Kubi, the Municipal Chief Executive, together with Mr Kwaku Ampratwum, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, cut the sod for works to commence on the projects.
 
     
Mr Appiah Kubi at the ceremony said the government was committed to rehabilitate and build new classrooms blocks to help improve infrastructure to support quality education delivery at the basic levels.
 
     
He said the one million dollars per constituency was not a political gimmick but an initiative to speed up the provision of basic infrastructural amenities in local communities to help improve the living conditions of the people.
 
     
Mr Appiah Kubi commended the chiefs and people in the Municipality for their collective efforts to promote quality education delivery in their communities and said the new facilities would strengthen education in the beneficiary communities.
 
     
Mr Kwaku Ampratwum said the commencement of the project was delayed because he was seeking for additional facilities to make them complete to enhance educational delivery.
 
     
He said the mechanized borehole and sanitary facilities would not only help to provide potable water for the people but would also improve sanitation in the school and the community at large.
 
     
Nana Yaw Ansah, chief of Asaam, commended the MCE and the MP for their strenuous efforts to get the facilities for the community and pleaded for the inclusion of kindergarten and nursery for the school.
 
     
Mrs Gladys Mensah, Headmistress of Mampong Experimental Basic School, thanked the district assembly for the project and said it would help increase enrolment and improve delivery in the school.
 
By Vitus Doozie

President inspects completed Namoligo dam

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday inspected the completed Namoligo Dam in the Talensi Constituency in the Upper East Region.
 
The Namoligo Dam, one of ten small dams which have been completed by government through the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDAl) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was constructed under the “One-Village-One-Dam” project in fulfilment of the 2016 manifesto pledge of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to build a dam in every constituency to boost agriculture.
 
The project, which costs GHS2.5 million, has a water storage capacity of 145,300 cubic meters, and has a minimum dam life of 40 years, will facilitate water access for irrigation in Namoligo and ten other surrounding communities.
 
 
The President who is on a two-day working visit to the region, was told by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, who accompanied him, that irrigation facility would increase the cropping area for vegetables by some 50 hectares, with optimum yields, since crops would always get the needed water throughout the growth stages.
 
 
He urged members of the community to take very good care of the dam, and hoped that the Namoligo community and the other 10 communities, that were beneficiaries of the dams, would use them for their own benefit.
 
 
Since 2017, the Government in its bid to fulfil the 1-village-1-dam policy, has constructed a number of small-earth dams for water storage, irrigation, and for use by livestock. This is the largest stock of such small earth dams provided since independence.
 
Thus far, 439 small-earth dams are under construction, and 375 have been completed, and 64 are between 90-100 percent complete. Each dam provides water for up to five hectares of farmland.
 
Under the Akufo-Addo Government, the Tono irrigation dam has been rehabilitated as rehabilitation projects on both the left and right banks of Kpong are also in progress.

Airtel selects Ericsson to modernize its 4G network in Kenya

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Airtel Africa has expanded its strategic partnership with Ericsson to enable 4G coverage in Kenya. With Ericsson’s Radio Access Network (RAN) and packet core products for 4G, Airtel subscribers will experience enhanced quality of voice and data.

The network modernization deal, signed in August 2020, is in line with the ‘Kenyan Digital Economy Blueprint Vision 2030’ which aims to provide robust connectivity in rural areas and facilitate e-commerce platforms. The modernization deal will simplifiy and upgrade the existing network while future-proofing it for the anticipated and rapid expansion of mobile connectivity in the country.

With Ericsson Radio System and Packet Core solutions, Airtel Kenya’s network will have 4G coverage, while driving enhanced use cases in both the consumer and the enterprise segments. Ericsson technology will also get the network in Kenya ready for 5G deployment.

Prasanta Das Sarma, CEO at Airtel Kenya said: ”Robust and secure communications are an essential component of a digital society in Kenya. We are firmly anchored to the strategy of delivering reliable connections across the country and are looking forward to expanding the high-quality mobile broadband services to our subscribers.”

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: ”Together with Airtel, we will implement this project and establish an advanced LTE network in Kenya, providing Airtel’s customers with an enriched experience, both in the consumer and business segments. Through this partnership, we reaffirm our ambition to set ‘Africa in motion’ by partnering with Airtel to grow and support an increasingly digitalized society in Kenya.”

As part of this project, Ericsson will deploy its Kathrein Mobile Communication Antenna portfolio which will provide additional enhancement´s to the network. The technologically advanced network management system, Ericsson Network Manager, will also be utilized to support Airtel in seamlessly managing the network by integrating various network elements into a single platform.

www.ericsson.com

MTN launches rewards scheme targeting loyal customers

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Pan African telecommunication company MTN has unveiled YelloBucks, a new loyalty points currency that is set to heap more benefits and value on MTN customers through the invigorated MyMTN Rewards programme. YelloBucks will unlock incredible value, discounts and rewards for customers, just for being on the MTN network.

With competition fierce in the loyalty space, MTN is taking this step to drive value across its entire customer base – no matter which price plan or segment a customer is in – to brighten more lives in these demanding times. 

The new MyMTN Rewards programme will compete with the best-in-class loyalty programmes, with existing customers earning up to 200 YelloBucks just for registering for MyMTN Rewards on the MTN app, which is the primary channel for the rewards programme.

New customers simply need to download the MTN app and register for MyMTN Rewards within seven days to be allocated an additional YelloBucks bonus – 2000 YelloBucks for post-paid customers and 100 YelloBucks for prepaid customers.

“We know South Africans have had to face many challenges this year and we are consistently looking to find ways to increase the value we give to our customers. In doing so, we want to help ease the burden on the cash-strapped, particularly as we head into summer and the year-end holidays,” says Mapula Bodibe, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN South Africa.

“As tough economic conditions continue to impact the prices of goods and services everywhere, more South African consumers are looking to rewards to stay ahead. We want to ensure our loyal customers can enjoy additional opportunities to save and benefit from our wide catalogue of offers. The foundation of the programme has an easy to understand catalogue that explains how to earn and redeem points, allowing customers to work towards exciting redemption options,” says Bodibe.

Customers can receive savings on more than 300 catalogued products and offerings from as many as 31 partners, with a combination of attainable, relevant and aspirational redemption choices giving members the option to spend now or save up for that special reward later on.

To ensure a broader reach, supporting redemption channels will be available on USSD with a bespoke platform for feature phones. Customers need to simply dial *234# on their feature phones to access MyMTN Rewards.

Key MyMTN Rewards features are being introduced in a staggered approach, as they are developed. Current benefits include expanded offers for redemption in the MyMTN Rewards catalogue – including music streaming, video and entertainment offers, ability to redeem YelloBucks for social bundles – YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, multiproduct bonuses and milestone rewards , gifting and Games. 

“South Africa has been through an incredibly difficult few months and now is the time for a little brightness. We would like to encourage all our customers to sign up today and start doing more of what they love by redeeming their YelloBucks on the MTN app or USSD string. With greater benefits just around the corner, we look forward to welcoming many of our customers to MyMTN Rewards in the weeks ahead so that they can benefit from what we have in store,” concludes Bodibe.

www.mtn.com

Russia successfully tests new hypersonic Tsirkon missile

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Russia says it has successfully tested a new hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile in a move hailed by President Vladimir Putin as a “great event” for the country.

The military said on Wednesday that the Tsirkon missile was fired from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea on Tuesday morning in the Russian Arctic and successfully hit its target.

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, told Putin – who turned 68 on Wednesday – that it was the first time the missile had successfully struck a target at sea.

“The tasks of the launch were carried out. The test-fire was successful,” he told Putin. Gerasimov said the missile hit its target 450 kilometres (280 miles) away in the Barents Sea and reached a speed of Mach 8 – eight times the speed of sound.

 

Russia has in the last years touted the development of futuristic new weapons it hopes will give it the edge in any arms race with the United States at a time of growing tensions with the West.

Putin said the test-firing of Tsirkon was a “great event not just in the life of our armed forces but for all of Russia”.

He said such weapons, which he claimed are unequalled worldwide, “will without doubt in the long term boost the defence capabilities of our state”.

 

The defence ministry said that the plan was to equip both warships and submarines with the Tsirkon.

Putin had revealed the development of the new weapon in a state of the nation address in February 2019, saying it could hit targets at sea and on land with a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and a speed of Mach 9.

Russia boasts of developing a number of “invincible” weapons that surpass existing systems and include Sarmat intercontinental missiles and Burevestnik cruise missiles.

The first Avangard hypersonic missiles were put into service in December last year.

The programme is not without risks and seven people were killed in an explosion at a missile test site in August 2019. Western experts linked the blast to work on the Burevestnik.

 
SOURCE : Aljazeera

Armstrong, Tierney & Christie out after positive Covid test

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Stuart Armstrong, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie will all miss Scotland’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel on Thursday after the former tested positive for Covid-19.

Armstrong was the only member of the squad to return a positive test.

But Arsenal defender Tierney and Celtic attacker Christie must self-isolate for 14 days from Tuesday after being identified as close contacts.

They will also miss Nations League ties with Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Manager Steve Clarke also revealed that defenders Scott McKenna and Liam Palmer, and attacker Oliver Burke, will be absent for all three matches through injury.

Furthermore, Christie will be unavailable for Celtic’s Old Firm meeting with Rangers on 17 October, while Tierney will miss Arsenal’s visit to Manchester City the same day.

Southampton midfielder Armstrong tested negative after arriving at the Scotland camp on Monday.

However, a subsequent Uefa test came back positive, meaning he must self-isolate for 10 days from Tuesday.

“While this is obviously disappointing news the most important thing is the health and safety of the individuals involved and the wider group,” said Scotland manager Clarke.

“We have informed the respective clubs from whom we have borrowed the players and backroom staff and we now have to prepare for a huge match ahead tomorrow [Thursday].”

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell confirmed that the rest of the squad have “returned two rounds of negative tests” and will continue to prepare for the upcoming matches, with Slovakia visiting Hampden on Sunday and the Czechs on Wednesday.

A team masseur and a physiotherapist are also self-isolating after being deemed as close contacts by the Lothian Health Protection Team.

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