Professor Akosa urges Ghanaians to proactively prepare for ageing

Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Executive Director of Healthy Ghana, on Wednesday called on Ghanaians to regularly seek knowledge on their health status, to help mitigate future medical complications.

He made the call at the opening session of a three-day Executive Health Seminar, organised by Candela Medicals, a subsidiary of Candela Capital Ventures on the theme, “Supporting Healthy Active Ageing, Ageing Gracefully and Successfully,” in Accra.

Professor Akosa, who is also a Professor of Pathology at the University of Ghana Medical School, speaking on “Supporting healthy active ageing”, said it would be prudent for people to eat healthy foods and regularly exercise to improve their health, stressing that “The intake of good food, is more important than drugs”.

He noted that poor sanitation was a factor that had over the years fought against the health of people, hence the need for policy makers and individuals to institute measures to mitigate its effects.

Prof. Akosa said health complications faced during old age were mostly acquired from mothers during conception, saying that pregnant mothers should take nutritional meals to prevent future medical complications on children.

He called on people in active service to proactively prepare for an active, successful and graceful ageing.

Mr Anthony Osei, Executive Director of Candela Medicals, said although it had been revealed that Ghana had an age expectancy rate of 64 years, policy makers had not made significant provisions for the aged.

He said unlike the developed countries where governments provided priority for the aged, policy makers in Ghana had over the years not paid much attention to the ageing group, stressing that the concept of ageing should be adequately dealt with.

Mr Osei added that “It is sad that Ghana after 55 years did not have policies that adequately address challenges faced by the ageing group, which is significantly increasing in numbers”.**