Expenditure diseases pose threat to Ghana

Tegbi (V/R), March 27, GNA - Major Courage Quashigah (RTD), the Minister of Health, has said the huge annual health expenditure and the quantum of man hours lost to ill health partly threatened the country's quest of becoming a middle income country.

Drawing a linkage between health and wealth, he said both the individual and the nation could have so much to save if regenerative health is promoted.

Regenerative health focuses on disease prevention rather than the degenerative practice, which focuses on disease and ill health management.

Major Quashigah said this when opening a five-day workshop on Regenerative Health and Nutrition Training under the theme "Renew your Strength, Prevent Disease" on Monday at Tegbi in the Keta District. About 80 participants made up of teachers, food vendors, traditional rulers, health and social workers are attending. The Ministry of Health and the African Hebrew Development Agency of Israel are organising it.

The workshop is in line with the ministry's Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme (RHNP) that seeks to promote good health by way of good diets, exercise, much water intake and recreation. Major Quashigah said countries such as Malaysia are able to reduce infant mortality to less than 12 children per year through disease management and not through preventive schemes.

"Quantifying expenditure on disease management, one would notice that much of the nation's fortunes is being spent on ill health," he said.

Major Quashigah appealed to the people of the Keta District to go back to the past days when personal hygiene and discipline in food intake was in vogue.

Mr Kofi Ahiabor, Keta District Chief Executive, appealed to environmental health officers to enforce hygiene bylaws in communities in the district and also to lead the way in preaching the new concept. He called for support for farmers in the district to produce more fruits and vegetables to meet the expected rise in demands of the many who would be adopting the RHNP concept in the country. Mr Prince Immanuel Ben-Yehuda, AHDA International Project Director, said the regenerative practice in Demona in Israel produced results where the community has lost no member in the past 40 years and maternal and infant mortality unheard off. 27 March 07