Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

The programmes manager of Ghana’s national malaria control programme of the Ghana Health Service Dr. Keziah L. Malm has said Ghana is wining the fight against malaria as the number of people who die from malaria related diseases has drastically reduced.

According to her in year 2010 and 2014 the nation was counting deaths of malaria in our health facilities in thousands, but last year’s record was one hundred and fifty five (155) deaths in our health facilities.

In an interview with Ghanamps.com she further noted that in the year 2018 Ghana recorded deaths around four hundred and twenty –eight (428) hence malaria is no more in the top ten caucus of death in Ghana’s health facilities.

“But we still have challenges; we still are not where we want to be, we record high number of malaria cases in our health facilities last year, we recorded five point one million cases of malaria and that is quite a huge number”.

She further pointed out that looking at the number of school days children have to lose and parents and guidance have to lose to take care of their wards, it means as a nation we still have a lot to do as it still remains the number one cause of out- patience attendance.

As to whether the policy to push for malaria elimination is doable due to the attitude of some Ghanaians, Dr. Malm noted that, there is the motivation to push for malaria elimination agenda because it is doable.

She asserts that there is quite a number of tools that would help us in this fight of elimination agenda, stating that as they have just started, they are currently writing the strategic plan for the elimination fight. “if you look at the countries that have eliminated malaria, it just didn’t happen; it even took them some deliberate years of efforts; that is why I said it’s doable, it may be twenty or fifteen years but with deliberate efforts it can be done”.

And further pointed out that, it is not surprising that people do not know about the elimination agenda, they are still in the process of defining their strategies and plans. Once that is done then they would educate Ghanaians on what is expected for each of us to push this agenda.

But when it comes to people knowing that mosquitoes transmit malaria that is well known but the acceptance of the intervention to fight this diseases is where we need to do more, she stated.

She further recounted that on an oversight field visit by the Select Committee on health of Ghana’s Parliament to Berekum East and the Ashanti Region it came out that some things were not going on right hence the need for more to be done in the fight against malaria.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

After two months of vigorous deliberations and workings of the House, Parliament has adjourned sine die for Easter break on Friday, March 31st 2023.

This followed the passage of three revenue bills presented to the house by the government seeking to boost domestic revenue mobilisation.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, presenting his closing remarks to the house urged the MPs to do away with inexplicable decisions that could mar activities of the house in the next meeting.

Mr. Bagbin said, “In spite of the shock we had during this meeting, I urge all to still continue to give thanks to almighty God because that is his will.”

“We have really endeared ourselves particularly the leaders, my deputies to try and build more consensus. But we have had some rather sometimes inexplicable U-turns. And that sometimes saddens me. I hope we will not go through this experience in the next meeting. You have shown that Friday you all came prepared to work hard, so are some of the ministers,” he said.

The Speaker expressed his appreciation to the leadership of both sides and the clerks.

“My gratitude goes to the two deputy speakers for always stepping in to preside anytime I’m not around. And my appreciation goes to the leadership of both sides we tried many times to come to a consensus before Parliament starts. Sometimes we will not be able to carry through. But I pray and hope that we will improve on it. I want to thank the clerk and his deputies and all MPs for what we have achieved so far,” he said.

“I wish you travelling mercies as you go to your constituencies. What happened on Friday was an accident. Value yourselves so make sure that we all come back to meet in great hope. I declare Parliament adjourned sine die,” the Speaker stated.

Parliament on Friday, March 31, passed the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.

The financial bills presented to Parliament by the government seek to rake in about 4 billion Ghana Cedis annually as part of domestic revenue mobilisation.

The bills are also crucial to aid the government’s quest to facilitate the Board Approval for the $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme staff-level agreement.

Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi has said the Committees report has been laid on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

According to him majority of Ghanaians do not understand the process for which a Bill of this kind is supposed to go through, therefore, it makes them believe that, the Bill has been delayed.

In an interview he explained that, the committee needs to take its time to work on the Bill due to its controversial nature in order to engage all groups and individuals that submitted a memorandum to the committee.

He further added that, the enforcement of this LGBTQI+ law would be very difficult even after it is passed since people who engage themselves into those LGBTQ+ activities do so in secrecy, therefore getting an evidence to back a case to prosecute a person wouldn’t be so easy.

The Bill is yet to be taken through the second reading where principles of bill would be looked at; the chairman of the Committee revealed.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The third Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Trade Facilitation Committee meeting has commenced in the capital of Ghana – Accra which brought together stakeholders in the trade sector from the West Africa sub-region both from government and private sector.

In a speech read on her behalf ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Massandje Toure-Litse by acting director of trade Kolawole A. Sofola he  noted that trade facilitation is not an option but imperative in the wake of the world experiencing unprecedented levels of instability including public health, geopolitical tensions, trade protectionism as well as other external shocks.

With severely disrupted international supply chain that had lead to among others inflation, food insecurity, unemployment its therefore important to point out the importance trade facilitation in deed trade facilitation appear to be one of the solutions mitigate some of these threats.

She recall the importance of the WTO trade facilitation agreement which aims to improve the movement of goods across borders by ensuring transparency, flexibility, simplification and of harmonisation of cross border trade transaction, as well as digitalisation and automation of clearing process at the borders, as the meeting is a continuation of their previous meetings, which pursue the operationalisation for the committee to play its role to deepen regional integration, boost inter regional trade in line with ECOWAS vision 2050.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com