NGO LAUNCHES PILOT PROJECT ON ICT (Page 20)

Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

A NON GOVERNMENTAL Organisation (NGO) operating in the Ashanti region has launched a four year pilot project which seeks to use Information Communication Technology (ICT) to increase access to information and know-how on cardiovascular diseases among health workers in the Ashanti Region.
This is to enhnace their competence in providing education to the public on effective preventive measures that could be taken to reduce the disease.
The NGO- ProCor- which is based in the United States of America (USA) is collaborating with a cardiology Consultant at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) , Dr Bernard Nkum, to increase access to, and the application of useful information about cadio vascular disease prevention among the health workers in the Ashanti Region.
This is to enhance the promotion good health, especially among those in their productive years, thereby accelerating the pace of socio-economic development in the country.
According to the Programme Co-ordinator, Catherine Coleman, the Ashanti region has the highest number of cardiovascular disease reported cases at the out patient department, and pointed out that about 80 per cent of cardiovascular diseases “ can be prevented”.
At a round table conference in Kumasi with medical officers to outline the programme, Ms Catherine noted that engaging health workers who can effectively and efficiently play useful role in the prevention of Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD) in the participatory process would enable the stakeholders “develop innovative, effective and sustainable communication strategies that will promote heart health”.
Explaining, she pointed out that CVD is the leading cause of death globally and “ in Ghana, heart disease and stroke are the top five and six causes of death respectively and their incidence is increasing rapidly”.
Stressing, Ms Coleman pointed out that “ the economic growth occurring in Ghana and many other countries around the world brings with it an increase in CVD risk factors”.
She pointed out that statistics on CVD’s in the country indicate that 29 per cent of adult Ghanaians are hypertensive, 14 per cent are obese and six per cent are diabetic”.
She attributed the increase in cardio vascular diseases among people in their productive years to the lifestyles such as physical inactivity, a salt-rich diet with processed and fatty foods, as well as increase in alcoholic and tobacco intake among others.
She said the disease which was peculiar to the developed countries is now “ spreading at an alarming rate from the developed countries to emerging economies in Asia and Africa.
Ms Coleman noted further that educating the public on preventive measures of the CVD’s “ can save millions of lives for whom treatment would be unaffordable on either an individual or a national level”.
She said lack of adequate resources in low-and middle income countries also results in lack of access to relevant and timely information”.
“ Providing reliable health information for health workers in developing countries is potentially the single most cost effective and achievable strategy for sustainable improvement in health care”, she noted.