The Tema General Hospital, in collaboration with the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate (TMHD), has embarked on a float to create awareness about HIV/AIDS in commemoration of World AIDS Day.  

The float, which involved health promotion officers from Tema General Hospital, coordinators from the Tema Metro Health Directorate, and dedicated volunteers, had the goal of educating and motivating community members to undergo testing while promoting preventive measures against the disease.  

Ms. Cordial Eyram Adega, a Health Promotion Officer, indicated that in celebration of World AIDS Day on December 1st, the Tema General Hospital will host a free HIV/AIDS screening from 09:00 hours to 03:00 hours. 

She emphasised preventive measures like practising safe sex, getting tested, and using clean needles or sterilised needles, highlighting the risk associated with multiple partners and the importance of using personal tools at the barbershops.  

She mentioned that the screening included obtaining blood samples through finger pricking, with health officials conducting the tests, ensuring confidentiality, and providing free treatment for those testing positive.  

Ms. Joanna Anorkor Lartey, Tema Metro HIV/TB Coordinator, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, also emphasised the campaign focused on fostering a supportive environment for individuals with HIV by addressing stigma and discrimination.  

She said the initiative included sensitization efforts to combat self-stigmatisation and promoted the use of easily accessible self-test kits. 

Ms. Lartey highlighted the comprehensive approach to testing and treatment challenges with self-test kits, which are available at various facilities and potentially at pharmacy shops.  

In a call to action, Ms. Lartey encouraged individuals to utilise screenings and self-test kits, emphasising life after a positive diagnosis and urged the community to unite against HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination. 

The Northern Regional office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has said the National Health Insurance Scheme mobile application has exceeded 50,000 downloads within the first year of its launch. 

Mr Isaac Gideon Akonde, the Claims Processing Centre Director of the Northern Regional NHIA, who gave the figure, said getting such numbers within a year proved public interest in the application and services under the Scheme.  

He was speaking after a float undertaken by the NHIS as part of activities to mark its 20th anniversary celebration. 

The float mainly engaged residents of Tamale on the processes involved in downloading and using the “MYNHIS” application, which is available on the Google and Apple play stores. 

Mr Akonde said the application was introduced to draw the NHIS closer to subscribers where all necessary information on the scheme would be handy. 

He said the application outlined the services and drugs covered by the scheme adding that its usage could prevent clients from being cheated at health care facilities. 

He said, “People are disadvantaged at hospitals because they do not know what they are entitled to, however this App has drug and service lists to prevent such cases.” 

He indicated that the application featured a comprehensive list of health care centres with proximity indicators empowering users to conveniently select options based on their proximity as well as a module to communicate with staff of the NHIA. 

The number of downloads was expected to increase given the depth of sensitisation extended to the public about the application, he said. 

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has engaged stakeholders in the clinical trials industry in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, as part of its efforts to attain maturity level four as a regulatory body. 

Presently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) uses Global Benchmark Tools (GBT) to objectively evaluate national regulatory systems to ensure the quality and safety of medical products to determine the maturity of a country’s system on the scale of one to four. 

In April 2020, the FDA became the second regulatory authority in Africa to attain maturity level three following an assessment by the WHO. 

To attain maturity level four, the Authority is taking steps to maintain and continuously improve on this stable, well-functioning and integrated regulatory system for medical products. 

It is for this reason that the Authority has engaged stakeholders in clinical trials in the region on the updated regulatory requirements. 

The meeting, which provided a common platform to discuss current regulatory procedure and policies, also sought to explore the best ways to apply the needed reforms to enhance compliance with local regulatory requirements, while meeting international standards. 

It was attended by stakeholders drawn from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), and the Agogo Malaria Research Centre. 

Dr Yvonne Adu-Boahen, the Head of Clinical Trials, FDA, said it was important to periodically engage their stakeholders to update and also remind them of the requirements they needed to work with. 

She said one of the goals for the engagement was to discuss the public assessment report which was a benchmarking tool for the WHO in assessing the FDA in attaining maturity level four, especially in clinical trials.  

“It is good that this information is not just coming from the regulator but also the researchers so that we all work together to be able to publish for transparency to attain the level that we all desire,” she noted. 

She said years of engagements with stakeholders had made them understand the rule of the game, making the work of both parties easier. 

The FDA, she said, was always open to the public to ensure collective protection of public health and safety. 

Dr Joseph Bonney, a participant from KCCR, said clinical trials depended largely on the work of FDA and that the engagement would strengthen the collaboration between the regulator and the institutions. 

He said this would go a long way to improve their clinical research to improve the trials and ecosystem in the country, to promote and invite more of such activities.