Events

Highlights of discussions

Celebration of 60th Anniversary of WHO and 30th Anniversary of the Declaration of Primary Health Care (Alma Ata)

WHO's 60th Anniversary and 30th Anniversary of the Declaration of Primary Health Care are important milestones in the history of WHO and as such needs to be well celebrated. In line with this, a committee made up of HIV/UA (Chairperson), CAH, HIV, HIP, EDM, LIB and AA/WR was constituted. The team's maiden meeting was held on 25 January and proposals for the celebration of the two milestones included the following:

• press Briefing/Launching
• round table discussion on Primary Health Care
• photo Exhibition
• art and Essay Competition
• cocktail/reception for development partners and stakeholders in health

African Network for Epidemiologic Training (AFENET) Meeting

DPC participated in the AFENET Advisory Board Meeting held at the School of Public Health, Legon. Currently two students are going through the M.Phil Epidemiology Course to support the country in its efforts at Communicable disease outbreak and response activities.

Guinea Worm Mission to Ghana, from 13 to 22 January 2008

With the aim of improving data management for surveillance, the Ghana Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (GGWEP) benefited from the support mission of Ms. Junelyn Agua Agum, HQ Data Manager who took the Ghana Guinea Worm Programme staff through training in data management

Currently, the number of Guinea Worm cases being reported during the transmission season has reduced drastically. While December 2006 recorded 600 cases, December 2007 reported only 70 cases.

Regenerative Health and Nutrition (RHN) Meeting at Mankessim

The Regenerative Health & Nutrition Programme was initiated by the health sector in 2007 in line with the new health policy which defines a shift in paradigm placing more emphasis on improvement in lifestyles, health promotion, disease prevention and restoration of life. The Regenerative Health programme is focused on healthy eating, improving food safety, regular exercises, drinking more potable water, resting, improving environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and ensuring lifestyles that promote health. The programme also recognizes that the major disease burden of the country can effectively be reduced if individuals, households and the community are empowered to make the right choices.

In 2007, the MOH piloted the RHN Programme in 10 districts in the country and the meeting was therefore to discuss progress, challenges and experiences in 2007 to guide the scaling up of the programme in 2008. Issues pertaining from the discussions included the fact that RHN is not a new concept as its principles are in accordance with the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.

FOS Mission – CODEX Committee on Food Labelling, 28 – 30 January 2008

Dr. Patience Mensah, RA/FOS/AFRO participated in a Working Group of Codex Committee on Food Labelling in Accra from 28 to 30 January 2008. Additionally, preliminary discussions were held with food safety stakeholders in the country to identify possible areas of WHO support.

The WHO Food Safety Programme (FOS) has in the past years built capacity in food borne diseases surveillance, codex and food safety education among others. All these are elements of national food safety which the FOS programme plans to pull together for national programmes and it involves an evaluation of food safety programmes in countries, preparation of national action plans and policies.

Chair: Dr Joaquim Saweka, WHO Representative

Present:

Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi - MAL
Dr Morkor Newman - HIV
Dr Rosalina Hernandez – HIV/UA
Dr Mary Brantuo - CAH/NUT
Dr Vincent Ahove – EPI/SURV
Dr Fleischer-Djoleto - FHP
Ms. Sophia Twum-Barima - HIP
Mrs Sakyibea Akuffo-Parry – AA/WR
Mrs Priscilla Eshun - ICT
Mr Selassi d'Almeida - HEC
Mr Stanley Diamenu – EPI/RI
Mr Samuel Hagan – AA/LOG
Mr Silas Quaye – HIV/SURV
Mrs Cynthia Hagan – S/WR
Dr Harry Opata - DPC
Ms Edith Andrews - EDM