Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF), has organized a sensitizstion programme at Mile 10, one of its catchment communities in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality to raise awareness about childhood cancer.
The programme formed part of activities to observe this year’s World Childhood Cancer Day which falls on February 15 every year.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Magdalene Bakari, the Lead specialist for health services for Gold Fields Ghana (GFG), said as part of their commitment to improve upon the health and lives of the people that they worked with, they decided to spend time with the residents of Mile 10.
She said one of the things they did was to focus on schooling the community about childhood cancers because such cancers were affecting their young ones, who were the country’s future leaders.
“We wanted to reinforce the education on childhood cancer, so people could identify the early signs, get treatment on time, and go on to live productive lives” Dr. Bakari stated.
The lead specialist explained that GFG have a large catchment area, and over the years, they have tried to get to each community, adding that last year, they visited Subri, and earlier covered Koduakrom, Pepesa, and Huniso.
“In Mile 10 community, we noticed, it’s a community where poverty levels are high, and they also have a very youthful population with a high fertility rate. So, we wanted to bring this message to them as well” she indicated.
Dr. Bakari reiterated that with so many children around, they felt it was important to educate the community to help parents and caregivers to pick up some of the issues early and further support them to have access to healthcare when needed.
Mr. Abdel-Razak Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the GFGF, said hundreds of residents were registered free of charge with the National Health Insurance programme to enable them have access to affordable health care.
He said staff from the National Health Insurance guided and showed residents how to renew subscription on their mobile phones when they expired, so they would not have to travel down to their office in Tarkwa for renewal.
Nana Obaatanpa Kojo Etroo I, Odikro of Mile 10 community, praised GFGF for selecting his community for the impactful health programme, stressing that, though the Mine would be leaving them, they would remember their efforts.
Maame Abena Owusu-Ansah, a mother of six expressed appreciation to the GFGF for facilitating her children’s NHI registration.
