AFRICA TRADITIONAL MEDICINE DAY

Today is Africa Traditional Medicine Day. The theme for marking the Day is “A Decade of Traditional Medicine Development: What Are the Impacts?”

Ghana has since 1991 followed a consistent policy of developing aspects of traditional medicine that has the potential of contributing immensely to healthcare in the country. The policy is backed by in-country needs as well as international health related policies such as the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978, the Ouagadougou Declaration on Primary Healthcare of 2001, at which community health seeking behaviours were to become key components in healthcare planning at the primary level. Traditional medicine constitutes some of the healthcare practices at the community level.

 In a press statement signed by the Alban Sumani Bagbin, Minister of Health to commemorate this day, he noted that for the past decade, Ghana has made some modest gains in its quest to develop traditional medicine.

Among these gains are the establishment of Council for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM) in 1975 which has since developed 35 well-researched products.

And KNUST which has since 2005 produced 150 BSc. Herbal Medicine graduates who are physicians’ Assistants with special knowledge in herbal medicine and designated as Medical Herbalists.

Hon. Alban Gbagbin added that the Ministry of Health is aware of the efficacy of herbal medicines the potential dangers that can arise from misapplication or abuse of herbal medicines. For this reason, a strong code of ethics of “do-no-harm” has been instituted to prevent excesses and hazardous practices that characterized unregulated forms of practice in the past and nothing would be done to jeopardize the beliefs, rights, businesses and health of individuals or any group under the pilot projects in the hospitals.

 He however implore all citizens, at their own will or when necessary, to call at the accredited hospitals for assessment check-up, counseling and education on what the new Herbal Medicine Unit stands for. The hospitals and their locations are as follows:

12 YR OLD BOY STARTS CAMPAIGN TO RAISE 100,000 PINTS OF BLOOD. FOR HOSPITALS IN ACCRA.

 

Andrew Adansi Bonnah, currently (12 years of age) and initiator of the Save Somali Children from Hunger Project that caused a ‘Global Stir’ in Africa and the world will on Thursday 23^rd of August 2012 has launched a national blood donation exercise at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.  

According to the young Ambassador for Girl Child Education in Africa, his new project will afford regional and district hospitals across the country adequate blood supply all year round to ensure emergency services are met timely.

“In this case, accident victims, maternal care, anemic patients and surgery activities would be undertaken without any difficulty” Andrew has stated

Andrew who is currently touring the Metropolitan City of Accra to ensure all is set for the take off of the national exercise has pledged to bring a new era of hope to the Ghanaian people as he did for the children and people of Somalia.

Andrew, who recently attended the funeral ceremony of Ghana’s All Time Statesman, and the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and the President of the Republic of Ghana, the late President Mills, said the late President was willing to work with him to make this project a success. According to Andrew, “the late President Mills was very passionate about maternal care” he remarked.

Andrew is supported by the National Blood Bank, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defense, Regional and District Hospitals across Ghana, GBC, Alias Hotel, the Country Awards Council Ghana, Universal Hospitals Group and other media partners.

The first phase of the exercise is expected to take place across 45 centres in Ghana within the next four (4) months.