Daily Graphic. Pg 11, Tues. June 30
Story: Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
KWANSEMA was 36 years old when she had her third child. She was diagnosed a few days later with postpartum depression, a mental disorder which affects some women after delivery.
Efforts to get her cured immediately with orthodox medicine proved futile and her husband abandoned her to her fate when her family took her to a prayer camp for deliverance. The family believed that she had either been bewitched or she was a witch.
At the camp, her right as a human being was abused . She was chained to a tree to prevent her from exhibiting wild behaviours and she was also physically and sexually abused.
Presently, Kwansema, like many other women in the country who experience mental disorders one way or the other, do not have any protection from the current Mental Health Law operating under the National Revolutionary Council Decree (NRCD) 30 of 1972.
The law does not mention human rights issues to enable such people to seek redress but only mentions that women with such conditions should be given separate accommodation.
Also, the law does not make any reference to mental patients outside the psychiatric hospital and therefore such patients are left to their fate either at the hands of traditional healers or pastors.
It is for this reason that the acting Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Akwasi Osei, together with some other health personnel, advocates and well meaning Ghanaians are advocating for the law on mental health to be passed as soon as possible.
At a forum on ‘Women’s right and mental health in Ghana’, organised by the Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) in Accra, Dr Osei said the law was drafted three years ago but was yet to be considered by the Minister of Health.
He said the law had specific provisions for women and children who were considered as vulnerable groups, saying that the law specifically criminalises stigma, discrimination and other human rights abuses.
According to him, the law criminalises forced marriage, forced labour and sexual abuse at prayer camps and decriminalises suicide, explaining that most suicide cases were a result of depression which he said was a mental condition and therefore under the law such people would be treated and counselled instead of imprisoned.
Also, he said the law would ensure that people like Kwansema could maintain their marriage, or at least would not be disadvantaged in marriage on grounds of mental illness. Added to this, they could exercise their franchise to vote as determined by their psychiatrists.
Dr Osei said the new law would also overhaul mental health care and de-emphasise institutionalisation by ensuring that people with mental cases were rehabilitated in their communities.
He said the law would also help to decentralise mental health care by ensuring that regional and district hospitals have psychiatric units attached to them.
The law, he said, would also regulate the activities of pastors and prayer camps to help curtail the numerous abuse of human rights in such camps which also serve as rehabilitation centres for some mental patients.
He said the law would also ensure that more mental health workers are put in the system saying that presently, the country had only seven psychiatrists made up of five permanent doctors of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and two retired ones of which one is a private doctor.
The law, he said, would also ensure that adequate resources were made available to the psychiatric institutions so that they would be able to give better health care to their patients.
According to him, the time had come for the country to take the issue of mental health care in the country seriously saying that it was a condition that could affect anybody at any time.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Food suppliers cut credit to mental homes
Daily Graphic. Pg. 55 Thurs. June 25/09
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
FOOD suppliers have cut supplies on credit to the three mental health institutions in the country until a debt of GH¢3 million owed them is paid.
The amount is for food supplied to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH), the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital (PPH) and the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital over the last four years.
The situation has resulted in the inmates of the APH sometimes having to take porridge without sugar and bread.
The acting Head of the APH, Dr Akwasi Osei, who made this known during a public forum on ‘Women’s Right and mental health in Ghana’, said the hospitals had resorted to using two-thirds of their allocations to service their debt, thereby leaving them with little money to take care of the inmates.
According to Dr. Osei, who is a Chief Psychiatrist of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the 60Gp a day allocated to the inmates was inadequate to sustain them and, therefore, called on the government to increase the amount.
He also called on the government to expedite action on the passage of the Mental Health Bill which, according to him, had, for the past three years, been shelved at the Ministry of Health.
Dr Osei said the APH recorded more female mental health patients than men and attributed that to a number of factors, including the biological make-up of women, differences in physiological responses to stress, hormonal factors as in menses, pregnancy, menopause, mood and behavioural changes associated with fluctuations in sex hormones and the adverse effects of inferior status accorded women generally by society.
He said in 2005 the APH recorded an outpatient attendance of 23,692 females as against 20,519 males; 23,334 females in 2006 as against 19,628 males, and 22,430 females in 2007 as against 18,224 males.
He mentioned some of the frequent ailments that were recorded at the hospital as depression, acute psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, neurosis, epilepsy, substance abuse, mania schizo-affect disorder, alcohol depression and dementia.
He mentioned some of the causes of mental illness in women as marital problems such as divorce and separation, maltreatment within marriage, polygamy, battering, emotional and financial withdrawal, widowhood issues and relationship problems.
Others are the aftermath of childbirth, menopause, rape and defilement, financial burden, domestic problems, drug abuse and genetics.
A clinical psychologist, Dr. Angela Ofori-Atta, who spoke on the topic, 'Understanding women's mental illness in Ghana', said poverty was one of the major causes of mental disorders among most women in the country.
She said women with low or medium income were more susceptible to mental disorder than rich women, saying that depression also accounted for one-third of mental disorders in the country.
The Policy Research Officer of Basic Needs, a non-governmental organisation based in the northern part of the country, Ms Truelove Antwi-Bekoe, who gave a situational report on women's mental health in Ghana and its challenges for advocacy, said women's mental health could be adequately tackled if the government put in more effort at addressing some of the problems being faced in that direction.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, the Convenor of NETRIGHT, organisers of the forum, said the forum was necessitated by the fact that the rights of most women with mental disorders were being trampled upon by society because there was no law protecting them.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
FOOD suppliers have cut supplies on credit to the three mental health institutions in the country until a debt of GH¢3 million owed them is paid.
The amount is for food supplied to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH), the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital (PPH) and the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital over the last four years.
The situation has resulted in the inmates of the APH sometimes having to take porridge without sugar and bread.
The acting Head of the APH, Dr Akwasi Osei, who made this known during a public forum on ‘Women’s Right and mental health in Ghana’, said the hospitals had resorted to using two-thirds of their allocations to service their debt, thereby leaving them with little money to take care of the inmates.
According to Dr. Osei, who is a Chief Psychiatrist of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the 60Gp a day allocated to the inmates was inadequate to sustain them and, therefore, called on the government to increase the amount.
He also called on the government to expedite action on the passage of the Mental Health Bill which, according to him, had, for the past three years, been shelved at the Ministry of Health.
Dr Osei said the APH recorded more female mental health patients than men and attributed that to a number of factors, including the biological make-up of women, differences in physiological responses to stress, hormonal factors as in menses, pregnancy, menopause, mood and behavioural changes associated with fluctuations in sex hormones and the adverse effects of inferior status accorded women generally by society.
He said in 2005 the APH recorded an outpatient attendance of 23,692 females as against 20,519 males; 23,334 females in 2006 as against 19,628 males, and 22,430 females in 2007 as against 18,224 males.
He mentioned some of the frequent ailments that were recorded at the hospital as depression, acute psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, neurosis, epilepsy, substance abuse, mania schizo-affect disorder, alcohol depression and dementia.
He mentioned some of the causes of mental illness in women as marital problems such as divorce and separation, maltreatment within marriage, polygamy, battering, emotional and financial withdrawal, widowhood issues and relationship problems.
Others are the aftermath of childbirth, menopause, rape and defilement, financial burden, domestic problems, drug abuse and genetics.
A clinical psychologist, Dr. Angela Ofori-Atta, who spoke on the topic, 'Understanding women's mental illness in Ghana', said poverty was one of the major causes of mental disorders among most women in the country.
She said women with low or medium income were more susceptible to mental disorder than rich women, saying that depression also accounted for one-third of mental disorders in the country.
The Policy Research Officer of Basic Needs, a non-governmental organisation based in the northern part of the country, Ms Truelove Antwi-Bekoe, who gave a situational report on women's mental health in Ghana and its challenges for advocacy, said women's mental health could be adequately tackled if the government put in more effort at addressing some of the problems being faced in that direction.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, the Convenor of NETRIGHT, organisers of the forum, said the forum was necessitated by the fact that the rights of most women with mental disorders were being trampled upon by society because there was no law protecting them.
‘Promote gender-equitable governance’
Daily Graphic. Pg11. Thurs. June 25/09
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
A Gender consultant, Mrs Dede Bedu-Addo, has called on the media to promote a gender-equitable governance and elections that will be globally adjudged as free and fair.
According to her, “media critics feel that the media have not effectively taken up their responsibility to promote women's political participation”.
Mrs Bedu-Addo made the call at a two-day media sensitisation workshop in Accra which was organised by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) and supported by ABANTU for development with sponsorship from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
It was on the theme “Promoting greater visibility for women in leadership”.
Mrs Bedu-Addo said that “just as the media have assisted male politicians to gain popularity, they should do the same for women”.
She said the media must recognise the enormity of their assignment and handle it with dexterity and seriousness .
She observed that cultural inhibitions had contributed immensely to women not participating in politics and that gender roles put women at a disadvantage where very often a woman's voting right is subjected to external influences, constraints and domination. Sometimes she is intimidated by her spouse to vote for particular candidates or parties.
She said this was one area where good public awareness and public education could help diffuse some of these inhibitions and reduce the undue domination of women by their male relatives and colleagues.
She observed that generally, African politics placed a lot of emphasis on individual connections and affiliations at the expense of ability and qualification and therefore called on the media to take up its responsibility as 'the fourth estate of the realm' or 'the fourth arm of government'.
She said the media should be at the front pushing for both legislative and constitutional reforms that would give credence to women's participation in politics, without the usual cronyism and nepotism that kept women out.
She also advised women politicians to maintain their contacts with media houses which assisted in their campaign during the 2008 elections.
Mrs Bedu-Addo called on women politicians and the media to also foster a relationship that would be sustained till the next election, and beyond, “if we are to see increased participation of Ghanaian women in governance”.
On increasing women's participation in decision-making through Affirmative Action, Mrs Bedu-Addo said targets had been set for governments which could aid them in addressing the gender imbalance in politics.
Such targets, he said, included the United Nation's 30 per cent representation of women in politics by 2005, government setting up a system of monitoring and evaluating women's participation in politics and decision-making and the development of structures and systems that gave more opportunities to women to be represented in politics.
Other measures she said were making funds accessible to women and persons from marginalised sectors who want to participate in politics, as well as instituting measures that would eliminate structural constraints and ensure a safe and violence-free environment for all women aspiring for public office.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
A Gender consultant, Mrs Dede Bedu-Addo, has called on the media to promote a gender-equitable governance and elections that will be globally adjudged as free and fair.
According to her, “media critics feel that the media have not effectively taken up their responsibility to promote women's political participation”.
Mrs Bedu-Addo made the call at a two-day media sensitisation workshop in Accra which was organised by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) and supported by ABANTU for development with sponsorship from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
It was on the theme “Promoting greater visibility for women in leadership”.
Mrs Bedu-Addo said that “just as the media have assisted male politicians to gain popularity, they should do the same for women”.
She said the media must recognise the enormity of their assignment and handle it with dexterity and seriousness .
She observed that cultural inhibitions had contributed immensely to women not participating in politics and that gender roles put women at a disadvantage where very often a woman's voting right is subjected to external influences, constraints and domination. Sometimes she is intimidated by her spouse to vote for particular candidates or parties.
She said this was one area where good public awareness and public education could help diffuse some of these inhibitions and reduce the undue domination of women by their male relatives and colleagues.
She observed that generally, African politics placed a lot of emphasis on individual connections and affiliations at the expense of ability and qualification and therefore called on the media to take up its responsibility as 'the fourth estate of the realm' or 'the fourth arm of government'.
She said the media should be at the front pushing for both legislative and constitutional reforms that would give credence to women's participation in politics, without the usual cronyism and nepotism that kept women out.
She also advised women politicians to maintain their contacts with media houses which assisted in their campaign during the 2008 elections.
Mrs Bedu-Addo called on women politicians and the media to also foster a relationship that would be sustained till the next election, and beyond, “if we are to see increased participation of Ghanaian women in governance”.
On increasing women's participation in decision-making through Affirmative Action, Mrs Bedu-Addo said targets had been set for governments which could aid them in addressing the gender imbalance in politics.
Such targets, he said, included the United Nation's 30 per cent representation of women in politics by 2005, government setting up a system of monitoring and evaluating women's participation in politics and decision-making and the development of structures and systems that gave more opportunities to women to be represented in politics.
Other measures she said were making funds accessible to women and persons from marginalised sectors who want to participate in politics, as well as instituting measures that would eliminate structural constraints and ensure a safe and violence-free environment for all women aspiring for public office.
Effective diagnosis training on malaria starts
Daily Graphic, Pg 20. Mon. June 22/09
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
A training programme to ensure that doctors request for laboratory tests from patients with fevers for the effective diagnosis and treatment of malaria has begun at Dodowa.
The programme has become necessary because of the tendency among some health professionals to treat all fever cases as malaria, making it difficult for the health authorities to know the actual cases of malaria in the country.
Already, selected doctors from the northern sector have completed a training-of-trainers programme to enhance their skills and competencies in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
This was made known by the Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, at a two days stakeholders’ meeting of the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Anti-malarials in Africa (INESS) in Accra.
She said the aim of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was to roll out an effective educational system for doctors on malaria diagnosis and treatment.
The meeting, which brought together stakeholders from the Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo Health Research centres, was aimed at briefing them on the INESS project which is aimed at researching into the safety and efficacy of malaria drugs in Ghana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Mozambique.
Dr Bart-Plange said there was the need for the introduction of easier methods of diagnosing, such as the use of the Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit, as well as the development of a manual for laboratory technicians.
Giving an overview of the INESS project, the Project Manager, Dr Aziza Mwisongo, said it was intended to provide national, regional and international health policy makers with independent and objective evidence on the safety and effectiveness of new anti-malarial drugs.
She said such evidence could provide the basis for the formulation and implementation of malaria treatment policies.
For his part, the Executive Director of the project, Dr Osman Sankoh, said the mission was to harness the collective potential of the world's surveillance initiatives in resource constrained countries to provide a better understanding of health and social issues and to apply the knowledge to solve health and social challenges.
In a presentation, the Communications and External Relations Manager of INDEPTH, Mr Samuel Mikenga, said INDEPTH was well placed to contribute to further advancing research and developing and testing solutions to health problems for those in the world’s poorest countries.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
A training programme to ensure that doctors request for laboratory tests from patients with fevers for the effective diagnosis and treatment of malaria has begun at Dodowa.
The programme has become necessary because of the tendency among some health professionals to treat all fever cases as malaria, making it difficult for the health authorities to know the actual cases of malaria in the country.
Already, selected doctors from the northern sector have completed a training-of-trainers programme to enhance their skills and competencies in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
This was made known by the Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Dr Constance Bart-Plange, at a two days stakeholders’ meeting of the INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Anti-malarials in Africa (INESS) in Accra.
She said the aim of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was to roll out an effective educational system for doctors on malaria diagnosis and treatment.
The meeting, which brought together stakeholders from the Dodowa, Kintampo and Navrongo Health Research centres, was aimed at briefing them on the INESS project which is aimed at researching into the safety and efficacy of malaria drugs in Ghana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Mozambique.
Dr Bart-Plange said there was the need for the introduction of easier methods of diagnosing, such as the use of the Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit, as well as the development of a manual for laboratory technicians.
Giving an overview of the INESS project, the Project Manager, Dr Aziza Mwisongo, said it was intended to provide national, regional and international health policy makers with independent and objective evidence on the safety and effectiveness of new anti-malarial drugs.
She said such evidence could provide the basis for the formulation and implementation of malaria treatment policies.
For his part, the Executive Director of the project, Dr Osman Sankoh, said the mission was to harness the collective potential of the world's surveillance initiatives in resource constrained countries to provide a better understanding of health and social issues and to apply the knowledge to solve health and social challenges.
In a presentation, the Communications and External Relations Manager of INDEPTH, Mr Samuel Mikenga, said INDEPTH was well placed to contribute to further advancing research and developing and testing solutions to health problems for those in the world’s poorest countries.
Children calls for more commitment from government
Daily Graphic. pg.11 Thurs. June 18/09
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE tradition where children are seen but not heard and adults allowed to make decisions on their behalf was reversed last Tuesday when representatives of children from across the country handed over a communiqué to Parliament.
The communiqué was developed by some of these children with sponsorship from UNICEF and the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs as part of this year’s celebration of the AU Day of the African child on the theme “Africa fit for children: Call for accelerated action towards their survival”, It is being observed on June 16 of every year.
The day was declared by the AU in commemoration of the 1976 massacre of schoolchildren in Soweto, South Africa.
The communiqué, which was presented to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Children, Mr Sampson Ahi, among other things, called on the government to make the issue of children a top priority.
According to the representative of children from the northern part of the country, they needed good educational infrastructure and electricity to enable them learn education on child labour, trafficking and migration effectively, and called for an effective collaboration among all stakeholders to reduce child mortality.
From the middle belt, the children called for more spacious classrooms, ICT and science equipment, recreational centres, more health facilities, awareness on child rights and security for children.
From the southern zone, the children called for good educational infrastructure, science and computer laboratories, good learning environments, education on human rights, resources to meet the need of street children, stricter punishments for child traffickers, more national platforms for children’s views, good water supply, salary increment for parents and a stop to illegal mining.
For their part, members of the committee advised the children to ensure that they learnt harder to make the nation and their parents proud.
Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a member of the committee, called on the children to ensure that they were always obedient to their elders.
She also reminded them that although the 1992 Constitution granted them freedom to their rights, they should also remember that the freedom would come with responsibilities.
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway said although children of Ghana were more privileged than many of their counterparts in other African countries, she called on them to ensure that they cherished what they had.
Ms Botchway called on the children to use the little that they had to achieve higher laurels in future, saying that they should work harder to become better and responsible citizens.
The Chief of the Child Protection Unit of the UNICEF, Ms Sheema Sen Gupta, in a brief remarks, said two representatives each from all the 10 regions of Ghana were drawn to come out with the communiqué, saying that the process would be continued over the years to inspire children to bring out their best for their future.
She said UNICEF was doing this in collaboration with the Children’s Department of the ministry as a means of promoting child participation and of creating awareness and promoting children’s right to survival.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE tradition where children are seen but not heard and adults allowed to make decisions on their behalf was reversed last Tuesday when representatives of children from across the country handed over a communiqué to Parliament.
The communiqué was developed by some of these children with sponsorship from UNICEF and the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs as part of this year’s celebration of the AU Day of the African child on the theme “Africa fit for children: Call for accelerated action towards their survival”, It is being observed on June 16 of every year.
The day was declared by the AU in commemoration of the 1976 massacre of schoolchildren in Soweto, South Africa.
The communiqué, which was presented to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Children, Mr Sampson Ahi, among other things, called on the government to make the issue of children a top priority.
According to the representative of children from the northern part of the country, they needed good educational infrastructure and electricity to enable them learn education on child labour, trafficking and migration effectively, and called for an effective collaboration among all stakeholders to reduce child mortality.
From the middle belt, the children called for more spacious classrooms, ICT and science equipment, recreational centres, more health facilities, awareness on child rights and security for children.
From the southern zone, the children called for good educational infrastructure, science and computer laboratories, good learning environments, education on human rights, resources to meet the need of street children, stricter punishments for child traffickers, more national platforms for children’s views, good water supply, salary increment for parents and a stop to illegal mining.
For their part, members of the committee advised the children to ensure that they learnt harder to make the nation and their parents proud.
Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, a member of the committee, called on the children to ensure that they were always obedient to their elders.
She also reminded them that although the 1992 Constitution granted them freedom to their rights, they should also remember that the freedom would come with responsibilities.
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway said although children of Ghana were more privileged than many of their counterparts in other African countries, she called on them to ensure that they cherished what they had.
Ms Botchway called on the children to use the little that they had to achieve higher laurels in future, saying that they should work harder to become better and responsible citizens.
The Chief of the Child Protection Unit of the UNICEF, Ms Sheema Sen Gupta, in a brief remarks, said two representatives each from all the 10 regions of Ghana were drawn to come out with the communiqué, saying that the process would be continued over the years to inspire children to bring out their best for their future.
She said UNICEF was doing this in collaboration with the Children’s Department of the ministry as a means of promoting child participation and of creating awareness and promoting children’s right to survival.
Ensure development of children
Daily Graphic, Pg 31. Wed. June 17/09
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, has called on African leaders to make the survival and development of children the focus of their development programmes and agenda.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament to mark this year’s Day of the African Child in Accra yesterday, Ms Dansua said heightened insecurity on the African continent had thwarted efforts at promoting the development of the African child.
She said hostile environments such as the displacement of families and communities being experienced on the continent had hindered the development and growth of the African child.
The Day of the African Child falls on June 16 every year. The day is being celebrated across the continent on the theme, “Africa fit for children: Call for accelerated action towards their survival”, and, according to the minister, “the African child is also faced with diseases and hunger, both of which negatively impact on his survival and participation in national progress”.
Ms Dansua said her ministry would use this year's celebration to focus on awareness creation on the major challenges of child survival, such as irresponsible parenting, child mortality, malnutrition, education, as well as vulnerable situations and child protection issues such as child labour, child trafficking, effects of conflicts on children, violence against and abuse of children, among others.
She, however, said despite all the challenges that bedevilled the African child, “the continent is making progress towards improving the situation of children”.
She cited good governance, the rule of law and due process as some of the measures used in promoting democracy, peace and security on the continent.
Ms Dansua said one peculiar feature of the day was child participation, saying that the concept was a right enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1998 Children's Act of Ghana.
She said child protection and development would be a mirage if society did not create the platform for children to participate in matters affecting their welfare.
Contributing to the statement on the Floor of the House, other Members of Parliament (MPs) pledged their commitment to ensure that children in Ghana were better protected.
The MP for Amenfi East, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, in a submission, said children were into social vices such as illegal mining, pottering and street hawking because policies had not been put in place to see to their welfare.
He said if nothing was done about the plight of deprived children in the country, their future would be destroyed, as they would not have any training and employable skills.
The MP for Wa West, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, in his contribution, called on his colleague MPs to encourage their various district assemblies to build children’s clubs that would engage the children to prevent them from engaging in social vices.
The MP for Evalue/Gwira, Mrs Catherine Afeku, in a contribution, called on people to celebrate the positive aspects of the African child, saying that children in Africa were intelligent but had been overshadowed by problems such as poverty, hunger and diseases.
She called on society to embrace children with disability, saying that such children should not be discriminated against but rather encouraged to come out with their best.
The Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, also called on parents to reproduce responsibly and lay solid foundations for their children's future.
Later, selected children from all the 10 regions interacted with members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Children. The children also presented a communiqué which outlined some of their needs, such as improved educational facilities, good healthcare systems, provision of electricity, spacious classrooms, provision of ICT and science resource centres, recreational centres and good water supply.
They also called for an end to child abuse, child trafficking, child mortality and illegal mining by children.
Story Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
THE Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua, has called on African leaders to make the survival and development of children the focus of their development programmes and agenda.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament to mark this year’s Day of the African Child in Accra yesterday, Ms Dansua said heightened insecurity on the African continent had thwarted efforts at promoting the development of the African child.
She said hostile environments such as the displacement of families and communities being experienced on the continent had hindered the development and growth of the African child.
The Day of the African Child falls on June 16 every year. The day is being celebrated across the continent on the theme, “Africa fit for children: Call for accelerated action towards their survival”, and, according to the minister, “the African child is also faced with diseases and hunger, both of which negatively impact on his survival and participation in national progress”.
Ms Dansua said her ministry would use this year's celebration to focus on awareness creation on the major challenges of child survival, such as irresponsible parenting, child mortality, malnutrition, education, as well as vulnerable situations and child protection issues such as child labour, child trafficking, effects of conflicts on children, violence against and abuse of children, among others.
She, however, said despite all the challenges that bedevilled the African child, “the continent is making progress towards improving the situation of children”.
She cited good governance, the rule of law and due process as some of the measures used in promoting democracy, peace and security on the continent.
Ms Dansua said one peculiar feature of the day was child participation, saying that the concept was a right enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1998 Children's Act of Ghana.
She said child protection and development would be a mirage if society did not create the platform for children to participate in matters affecting their welfare.
Contributing to the statement on the Floor of the House, other Members of Parliament (MPs) pledged their commitment to ensure that children in Ghana were better protected.
The MP for Amenfi East, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, in a submission, said children were into social vices such as illegal mining, pottering and street hawking because policies had not been put in place to see to their welfare.
He said if nothing was done about the plight of deprived children in the country, their future would be destroyed, as they would not have any training and employable skills.
The MP for Wa West, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, in his contribution, called on his colleague MPs to encourage their various district assemblies to build children’s clubs that would engage the children to prevent them from engaging in social vices.
The MP for Evalue/Gwira, Mrs Catherine Afeku, in a contribution, called on people to celebrate the positive aspects of the African child, saying that children in Africa were intelligent but had been overshadowed by problems such as poverty, hunger and diseases.
She called on society to embrace children with disability, saying that such children should not be discriminated against but rather encouraged to come out with their best.
The Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, also called on parents to reproduce responsibly and lay solid foundations for their children's future.
Later, selected children from all the 10 regions interacted with members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Children. The children also presented a communiqué which outlined some of their needs, such as improved educational facilities, good healthcare systems, provision of electricity, spacious classrooms, provision of ICT and science resource centres, recreational centres and good water supply.
They also called for an end to child abuse, child trafficking, child mortality and illegal mining by children.
Africa marks Day of the African Child
Daily Graphic, Pg. 11. Tues. June 16/09
By Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
TODAY, June 16, is being commemorated as the 'Day of the African Child'. It is a day marked across Africa every year to seek the welfare of children who most often end up being the worst affected whenever there is civil unrest, famine or bad economic situations.
The day is being celebrated on the theme ,“Africa, Fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival”.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was promulgated in November 1999, is the first regional treaty on the human rights of children. However, children in Africa continue to suffer various abuses of their rights. These take the form of child labour, child soldiers, trafficking, etc.
Statistics from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals that over 40 per cent of the children in Africa are working. They are mainly working as slaves in private households, apart from other industries.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in 1989 by the UN General Assembly, and in it, Article 32 asserts children’s right not be engaged in work deemed to be "hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health".
The issue of child trafficking in Africa has also gained growing international recognition as a serious violation of children's rights - rights affirmed by important international human rights treaties dating back to the 1956 UN Convention on the abolition of slavery, slave trading and institutions and practices similar to slavery.
The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), its general principles and its specific provisions, particularly Article 35, calls on State parties to “take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any form” - and Article 32 recognises the child's right “to be protected from economic exploitation”.
Also, Convention 182 of the ILO on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999), in Article 3 (a) recognises child trafficking as one of the worst forms of child labour and calls for action by Member States to eliminate them.
Another abuse that children in Africa need to be rescued from is the issue of child soldiers. It is estimated that more than 500,000 children under 18 have been recruited into state and non-state armed groups in over 85 countries worldwide, according to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
Most child soldiers are between the ages of 15 and 18 years, but some are as young as seven. The recruitment and use of these children for combat is outlawed by various measures of international human rights law, humanitarian law, labour law and criminal law but a chasm exists between these standards and their application.
Up to half of the world's child soldiers are in Africa, despite the coming into force- in 1999 - of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; the only regional treaty in the world that prohibits the use of child soldiers. The charter forbids member states from recruiting or using children in a participatory role in any acts of war or internal conflicts.
On violence against children in Africa, many forms of violence meted out to children are linked to specific economic, social and cultural contexts. It rarely occurs as an isolated event but is more likely a result of a combination of factors that increase the vulnerability of children and triggers behaviour that results in others preying on this vulnerability in a number of ways, including through violent acts.
Many countries, especially in West and Central Africa, face the challenges of poverty, increasing urbanisation, disease and conflict, and these increase children's vulnerability and deviant social behaviours.
Some cultural traditions also contribute to violence against children. All these factors act as catalysts for violence against children, as do the significant gender disparities across the region, which allow hierarchies of power that put women and girls at particular risk in many circumstances. Some cultural, traditional and religious practices also foster power dynamics that can result in violence being inflicted on those who are seen as weaker or subservient.
Currently, what is being done to stop violence against children is that all countries in West and Central Africa have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the over-arching international agreement that children have rights, including the right to a life free of violence, abuse and exploitation.
Also, some countries have taken some steps, in accordance with the CRC, to bring national laws in line with the provisions of the convention.
However, the enforcement of these laws remains seriously inadequate and there is a huge gap between the intent as embodied in the law and the reality of children's daily lives.
One problem is that in this region, national laws often co-exist with customary or religious laws. Most frequently, the law gives authority to customary law in certain areas and even codifies customary practices in some instances (for example, in laws relating to succession) even if they are contrary to international norms.
There is a real need for a recognised framework based on human rights in all countries of the region that acknowledges the rights and responsibilities of all sectors of society and encourages the protection of children as an overriding objective.
Governments, international agencies and national NGOs have been active in programmes aimed at child protection in recent years, but as we celebrate the Day of the African Child today, what is needed is a massive turn-around in the mindset of people in the region who tolerate violence against children and view it as part and parcel of everyday life.
By Rebecca Quaicoe-Duho
TODAY, June 16, is being commemorated as the 'Day of the African Child'. It is a day marked across Africa every year to seek the welfare of children who most often end up being the worst affected whenever there is civil unrest, famine or bad economic situations.
The day is being celebrated on the theme ,“Africa, Fit for Children: Call for Accelerated Action towards their Survival”.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which was promulgated in November 1999, is the first regional treaty on the human rights of children. However, children in Africa continue to suffer various abuses of their rights. These take the form of child labour, child soldiers, trafficking, etc.
Statistics from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals that over 40 per cent of the children in Africa are working. They are mainly working as slaves in private households, apart from other industries.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in 1989 by the UN General Assembly, and in it, Article 32 asserts children’s right not be engaged in work deemed to be "hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health".
The issue of child trafficking in Africa has also gained growing international recognition as a serious violation of children's rights - rights affirmed by important international human rights treaties dating back to the 1956 UN Convention on the abolition of slavery, slave trading and institutions and practices similar to slavery.
The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), its general principles and its specific provisions, particularly Article 35, calls on State parties to “take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any form” - and Article 32 recognises the child's right “to be protected from economic exploitation”.
Also, Convention 182 of the ILO on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999), in Article 3 (a) recognises child trafficking as one of the worst forms of child labour and calls for action by Member States to eliminate them.
Another abuse that children in Africa need to be rescued from is the issue of child soldiers. It is estimated that more than 500,000 children under 18 have been recruited into state and non-state armed groups in over 85 countries worldwide, according to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
Most child soldiers are between the ages of 15 and 18 years, but some are as young as seven. The recruitment and use of these children for combat is outlawed by various measures of international human rights law, humanitarian law, labour law and criminal law but a chasm exists between these standards and their application.
Up to half of the world's child soldiers are in Africa, despite the coming into force- in 1999 - of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; the only regional treaty in the world that prohibits the use of child soldiers. The charter forbids member states from recruiting or using children in a participatory role in any acts of war or internal conflicts.
On violence against children in Africa, many forms of violence meted out to children are linked to specific economic, social and cultural contexts. It rarely occurs as an isolated event but is more likely a result of a combination of factors that increase the vulnerability of children and triggers behaviour that results in others preying on this vulnerability in a number of ways, including through violent acts.
Many countries, especially in West and Central Africa, face the challenges of poverty, increasing urbanisation, disease and conflict, and these increase children's vulnerability and deviant social behaviours.
Some cultural traditions also contribute to violence against children. All these factors act as catalysts for violence against children, as do the significant gender disparities across the region, which allow hierarchies of power that put women and girls at particular risk in many circumstances. Some cultural, traditional and religious practices also foster power dynamics that can result in violence being inflicted on those who are seen as weaker or subservient.
Currently, what is being done to stop violence against children is that all countries in West and Central Africa have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the over-arching international agreement that children have rights, including the right to a life free of violence, abuse and exploitation.
Also, some countries have taken some steps, in accordance with the CRC, to bring national laws in line with the provisions of the convention.
However, the enforcement of these laws remains seriously inadequate and there is a huge gap between the intent as embodied in the law and the reality of children's daily lives.
One problem is that in this region, national laws often co-exist with customary or religious laws. Most frequently, the law gives authority to customary law in certain areas and even codifies customary practices in some instances (for example, in laws relating to succession) even if they are contrary to international norms.
There is a real need for a recognised framework based on human rights in all countries of the region that acknowledges the rights and responsibilities of all sectors of society and encourages the protection of children as an overriding objective.
Governments, international agencies and national NGOs have been active in programmes aimed at child protection in recent years, but as we celebrate the Day of the African Child today, what is needed is a massive turn-around in the mindset of people in the region who tolerate violence against children and view it as part and parcel of everyday life.
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