Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company, owners of e. TV Ghana, Happy FM and YFM has joined the world in marking the World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day.
The World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus day, which is commemorated on the 25th of October every year, is to raise awareness and understanding about Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and also advocate and promote the rights of persons with these conditions.
Among activities to mark this day, GMABC engaged resource persons on this condition using the Happy Morning Show which is aired on e. TV Ghana and Happy98. 9FM.
Surgeon and Neurosurgery resident at Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Dr. Dickson Bandoh, who was on the Happy Morning Show advised pregnant women to increase the intake of folic acid to prevent the incidence of Spina Bifida in their children.
“The food we eat must be rich in folic acid. Every pregnant woman needs folic acid for their kids to grow properly. If the folic acid in the pregnant woman is not enough, it will cause Spina Bifida”, he told Samuel Eshun.
Mother of a child living with Spina Bifida, Alphacus Agyei-Addai, who was also on the Happy Morning Show appealed to Non-Governmental Organizations to come to the aid of mothers of children living with Spina Bifida by providing counselling to these mothers.
She was confident that counselling for these mothers will help them cope with this difficult situation.
She said: “I will suggest that NGOs must help mothers with counselling. This is because sometimes the mothers don’t know what to expect. When the doctor speaks to them and you ask them what the doctor said, the mothers seem clueless. Sometimes, they contemplate on leaving the child to die. So even before we talk about finances, mothers should be counselled”.
Director of Broadcasting at GMABC, Timothy Karikari commenting on this initiative said: “GMABC has the interest of listeners at heart. This is why we always seek to inform, educate and entertain our listeners at all times.
While we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we should also remember that people have been dealing with health issues that have not received much attention. We can imagine the double stress they cope with especially in this pandemic period.
The theme for this year’s celebration ‘united in times of COVID-19’ is befitting because people suffering from Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus need everyone on board to help and GMABC is rightly doing so by educating people on this condition”.
