Health sensitization programmes must be done in local languages

The youth of Fadama, in the Greater Accra Region, have advocated the use of local language in health sensitization programmes and screening instead of the use of English.

According to them, even though such health talks and screening mostly organised by non-governmental organisation had a lot of benefits that residents could derive, due to the mode of communication, most residents stayed away from such programmes.

They said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the side lines of a “Know Your Sickle Cell Status” health screening in their locality organized by the Sickle Cell Condition Advocates (SICCA).

The two-day exercise in the neighbourhood formed part of SICCA’s advocacy for sickle cell prevention through pre-conception screening for children and adults yet to have children.

Lukman Issah, a resident of Fadama, stated that most often information about health screening and other advantageous exercises carried out in their community was done in English or Twi, which he noted deprived most of them of the benefits of the exercise.

Issah said due to such communication barriers, the residents mostly appeared to show concern and stayed away from the screening and talks as they genuinely were not aware.

He therefore advised the government, and NGOs to consider getting interpreters to translate the messages into the dominant languages of the area they want to carry out the talk and screening for many people to gain from it.

He said due to differences in educational backgrounds and ethnicity of an area like Fadama, not all residents understood English and Twi, therefore serious consideration must be given to the communication mode when organising such health programmes.

He said the youth in such communities understood the ins and outs, which could be used to directly engage the people through creative means of communication and interaction that made the concerns more relatable to the target audience.

Issah Abdul Rahman, another resident, reiterated the call for the use of local languages, and also called for deepened engagement between the people and health authorities to address their health needs.

He advised residents of Fadama to take advantage of health screenings to know their status and for early detection of diseases, adding that just as they believed that all happenings were by the Will of God, so they must move their faith side by side with taking advantage of things that would improve healthy living.

He stated for instance that going throw screening to know their sickle cell status would prevent having offspring who were sickling and could not be cured, a situation that would lead to spending a lot of resources which might not even be available.

Madam Charlotte Owusu, Founder of SICCA, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview during the screening, revealed that sickle cell disease can have a catastrophic and painful effect, making those who have it more susceptible to serious health consequences.

Madam Owusu described the incurable disease as the passing on of two abnormal haemoglobins to a child by both parents, a situation that can only be prevented by early screening.

“One sickle cell gene is enough to make a child healthy; however, he or she is a disease carrier, and there is a higher likelihood that a child born to two parents who are carriers will have sickle cell disease,” she said.

Madam Owusu advised young people not to be careless about knowing their status but to be guided by reason because the perception of miraculous healing is not possible.