Ghana Minute.
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Accra—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Ghanaian press · Organization

World Health Organisation

World Health Organisation — international health body providing guidance on road safety, surgical targets, drowning prevention, and African health sovereignty amid funding challenges.

2026-04-282026-08-23

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. August 2026
  2. Joy Online

    The World Health Organisation estimates that road crashes kill approximately one point one nine million people every year and injure between twenty million and fifty million more.

    What Is Wrong With Us: The roads that keep counting our dead
  3. Joy Online

    Mr Ofosu-Siaw said 2,520 unwanted medicines were collected under the Take Back Unwanted Medicines initiative, while 3,089 individual safety reports were received, with validated information submitted to the World Health Organisation’s global database.

    FDA records GH¢70m surplus in 2025 despite laboratory equipment, illicit product concerns
  4. The Chronicle

    The findings further revealed that cataract surgical coverage in Jigawa was 34.9 per cent, substantially below the World Health Organisation’s recommended target of at least 80 per cent.

    Cataract leading cause of blindness in Jigawa –Survey
  5. The Chronicle

    Adiiboka said Ghana would need to dramatically expand testing and treatment to move closer to the World Health Organisation’s 2030 viral hepatitis elimination target.

    Hepatitis B: Your Barber’s Blade Could Put You At Risk
  6. Joy Online

    The World Health Organisation describes patient navigation as an evidence-based, personalised intervention that can help people overcome barriers within complex cancer care systems, particularly where services are limited or fragmented and socioeconomic barriers affect access.

    Beyond awareness: Why the patient journey matters in cancer care
  7. Joy Online

    Ing Dr Amoah Bekoe also raised concerns about Ghana’s doctor-to-patient ratio, saying it remained below the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard.

    Joy Sustainability Month: Gov’t should focus on health infrastructure in the lower tier, GhIE urges
  8. The Ghanaian Times

    Investing in smarter urban design also yields substantial returns: using the World Health Organisation’s Health Economic Assessment Tool, planners estimate that investments in safe walking and cycling infrastructure alone could avoid $96 million in health-service costs over ten y

    The commute that pollutes: How Ghana’s poor urban cities are sickening millions
  9. The Ghanaian Times

    It followed intensified efforts by health authorities to reduce Ghana’s MMR which currently stands at 235 deaths per 100,000 live births, above the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.

    Expand drone services to cut maternal deaths – Zipline
  10. Daily Guide

    The programme, launched in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other United Nations agencies, seeks to strengthen disease surveillance, improve health system resilience and promote responsible AI adoption across the healthcare value chain.

    UHAS To Establish AI Centre Of Excellence
  11. Joy Online

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 674 million people worldwide are affected by CKD, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries.

    Bagbin, SHEILD commission GH¢4m expanded dialysis unit in Wa
Society

Africa's road deaths rise as continent struggles with traffic safety

The News

Africa records the world's highest road traffic fatality rate, with an estimated 225,000 deaths in a recent year, accounting for nearly a fifth of global road deaths despite owning barely three per cent of the world's vehicles. The World Health Organisation estimates road crashes kill approximately 1.19 million people yearly globally, with road traffic injuries the leading cause of death among young people aged 5–29.

21 August 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 21 August

  1. Africa's road deaths rise as continent struggles with traffic safety

    Africa records the world's highest road traffic fatality rate, with an estimated 225,000 deaths in a recent year, accounting for nearly a fifth of global road deaths despite owning barely three per cent of the world's vehicles. The World Health Organisation estimates road crashes kill approximately 1.19 million people yearly globally, with road traffic injuries the leading cause of death among young people aged 5–29.

    21 August 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 20 August

  1. FDA records GH¢70m 2025 surplus amid equipment and illicit product concerns

    Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority recorded a GH¢70 million surplus in 2025, up 51 per cent from GH¢46 million in 2024, with total assets rising to GH¢358 million and liabilities falling to GH¢3.4 million. The Authority identified ageing laboratory equipment and illicit products as ongoing public health concerns, while internally generated funds comprised 66 per cent of its GH¢420 million total revenue.

    20 August 2026 · Joy Online

Wednesday 19 August

  1. Cataract identified as leading cause of blindness in Jigawa State

    A state-wide eye health survey in Jigawa State found that cataract accounts for 40.8 per cent of blindness cases, with glaucoma at 23.6 per cent and trachomatous and corneal opacities at 21.1 per cent. The survey also found an estimated 36,623 people form a cataract surgical backlog, with surgical coverage at 34.9 per cent, substantially below the World Health Organisation's recommended target of at least 80 per cent.

    19 August 2026 · The Chronicle

Friday 14 August

  1. Hepatitis B spreads via contaminated barber blades, tattoo needles

    Contaminated equipment reused without proper sterilisation in barbering, tattooing, and circumcision can expose people to Hepatitis B through infected blood, warns the Programme Manager of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme.

    14 August 2026 · The Chronicle

Thursday 13 August

  1. Cancer outcomes depend on complete patient care pathways

    A Ghanaian study of 243 women with breast symptoms found that awareness alone is insufficient: though all were referred for biopsy, 21.1% did not complete it, and of 102 with confirmed malignancy, only 65 initiated treatment, with both patient and health-system factors hindering completion.

    13 August 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Government must improve rural health infrastructure, GhIE urges

    The Vice President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering has urged the government to strengthen primary-level health infrastructure, noting that Ghana's ambulance-to-population ratio is 1 to 84,000, leaving many rural communities without reliable access to essential healthcare services.

    13 August 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Air pollution from urban congestion kills thousands annually in Ghana

    Air pollution is estimated to contribute to 35,000 premature deaths in Ghana every year, with urban planners and public-health experts attributing a major driver to poor city design that concentrates essential services in one location, forcing lengthy commutes and gridlock.

    13 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Tuesday 11 August

  1. Zipline urges nationwide drone expansion to cut maternal deaths

    Ghana's maternal mortality ratio stands at 235 deaths per 100,000 live births, above the WHO target of 70. Zipline's Country Director has urged the government to expand medical drone delivery services nationwide, citing a study showing hospitals served by the company in the Ashanti region recorded a 56.4 per cent reduction in maternal mortality.

    11 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Thursday 6 August

  1. UHAS to establish AI Centre of Excellence for healthcare research

    The University of Health and Allied Sciences plans to establish an AI Centre of Excellence focused on research, innovation and capacity building in healthcare. The centre will conduct research on clinical trials, drug development, sustainable health financing and health leadership, and will train health professionals and students from tertiary institutions.

    6 August 2026 · Daily Guide

  2. Speaker Bagbin commissions expanded dialysis unit in Wa

    Parliament Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin inaugurated a GH¢4 million expanded dialysis facility at Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa, featuring six additional dialysis machines and equipment to serve kidney patients across northern Ghana's regions. The facility is expected to reduce the need for patients to travel to Accra and Kumasi for treatment.

    6 August 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 4 August

  1. Fathers play key role in supporting successful breastfeeding

    A pastor shares how he supported his wife's recovery and breastfeeding by helping with nighttime baby care and expressed milk feeding. Experts note that while fathers cannot breastfeed directly, their role in household responsibilities and childcare enables mothers to breastfeed successfully and recover from childbirth.

    4 August 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Hepatitis B causes 75% of Ghana's liver cancer cases

    Hepatitis B infection accounts for about 75 per cent of liver cancer cases in Ghana, making it the leading cause and highlighting the need to decentralise treatment services, according to liver disease specialists. Ghana records one of the highest liver cancer burdens in Africa, with liver cancer being the second most common cancer among men and the fourth most common among women.

    4 August 2026 · The Chronicle

Wednesday 29 July

  1. Ghana's children unsafe during daily school commutes

    A law student describes witnessing a five-year-old child transported unsafely on a motorbike to school, and notes that despite Ghana's constitutional protections and the Children's Act, many poor families lack safe transportation options while wealthier families can afford protected commutes.

    29 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Health Minister outlines standards for medical product storage and distribution

    The Health Minister says the government is implementing measures aligned with WHO guidelines to ensure safe storage and distribution of pharmaceutical and medical products. The FDA has established licensing guidelines and is strengthening compliance through training programmes for pharmacists, supply chain managers and logistics personnel.

    29 July 2026 · Joy Online

  3. GHS reports three million hepatitis B cases in Ghana

    The Ghana Health Service disclosed at World Hepatitis Day 2026 commemoration that approximately three million people are infected with Hepatitis B and 500,000 with Hepatitis C in the country, with about 21,000 new infections occurring annually. In 2024, Hepatitis B and C caused an estimated over 3 million deaths worldwide, more than tuberculosis or malaria, with Ghana recording 15,442 deaths from Hepatitis B and 2,004 from Hepatitis C.

    29 July 2026 · Daily Guide

Tuesday 28 July

  1. WHO launches PROTECT framework to reduce global drowning deaths

    The World Health Organisation has unveiled the PROTECT technical package, a global policy framework built on seven evidence-based strategies to guide governments and stakeholders in preventing drowning. WHO notes that about 300,000 people die from drowning globally each year, with over 90 per cent of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, particularly among children under five and people under 30.

    28 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Friday 24 July

  1. WHO launches drowning prevention framework in Ghana

    The World Health Organisation has launched its PROTECT Technical Package for Drowning Prevention in Accra ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day, a global policy framework to help countries reduce drowning deaths, which claim an estimated 300,000 lives annually. The initiative brings together government, development partners, academia and civil society to strengthen policies and systems around water safety, addressing what WHO calls a neglected but preventable public health challenge.

    24 July 2026 · The Chronicle

  2. WHO chief praises Mahama on Africa's health sovereignty

    During a meeting at the Presidency in Accra on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended President John Dramani Mahama for his visionary leadership in championing Africa's Health Sovereignty and for initiatives including the Accra Reset Initiative, Free Primary Healthcare, and Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

    24 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 23 July

  1. AU summit in Accra focuses on ending AIDS and TB by 2030

    Heads of State and Government, health ministers, and development partners met in Accra to advance Africa's health agenda, with a focus on ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030, reducing maternal mortality, and boosting local pharmaceutical manufacturing. Delegates are expected to adopt a fully-costed continental roadmap and declarations on monitoring non-communicable and neglected tropical diseases.

    23 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times

Wednesday 22 July

  1. WHO chief urges Africa to strengthen health systems, reduce external dependence

    At the African Union's first Extraordinary Summit on health in Accra, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that declining international funding threatens Africa's progress against HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases, urging African leaders to prioritise health sovereignty and increase domestic investment in healthcare systems.

    22 July 2026 · Joy Online

Tuesday 21 July

  1. JICA trains health professionals in biomedical research across Africa

    JICA Ghana, in partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, WHO, and other partners, trained eight healthcare professionals from six African countries in parasitology, bacteriology, virology, biosafety, and laboratory quality management systems. Since its launch in 2019, the Third Country Training Programme has trained 80 biomedical scientists from West Africa, Central Africa, and other African countries to strengthen regional diagnostics and outbreak response.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Ghana developing first standard treatment guidelines for lead poisoning

    Ghana is finalising its first standard treatment guidelines for managing lead exposure and poisoning to strengthen diagnosis, treatment, and health system preparedness. The guidelines will specify required tests, treatment options at different care levels, and equipment and facilities needed across the health system.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Ghana finalises first standard lead poisoning treatment guidelines

    Ghana is finalising its first standard treatment guidelines for managing lead exposure and poisoning to strengthen diagnosis, treatment, and health system preparedness. The guidelines will specify required tests, treatment options by level of care, and equipment and facilities needed across the health system.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

  4. Trump administration weighs cutting ties with UN refugee agency

    The Trump administration has considered disengaging from UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, prompting diplomats and U.N. officials to lobby for continued U.S. support, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deliberation follows a disagreement over the appointment of a deputy high commissioner, and potential cuts to U.S. funding—historically the agency's largest source—would weaken it amid near-record displacement levels globally.

    21 July 2026 · Joy Online

Monday 20 July

  1. Canada bars DRC travelers over Ebola, contradicts WHO guidance

    Canada announced it will temporarily bar foreign nationals who visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the last 21 days, effective July 20, to curb spread of the Ebola outbreak. The move conflicts with WHO guidance against broad travel restrictions during public health emergencies.

    20 July 2026 · Joy Online

Friday 17 July

  1. Climate change is a present public health emergency in Africa

    Ghana's Minister of State for Climate Change says climate change is no longer a future threat but a current public health emergency worsening disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and pressure on health systems across Africa. He called for stronger collaboration among governments, scientists, and development partners at the launch of two African-led consortiums on climate and health in Accra.

    17 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Africa's climate change impacts now constitute public health emergency

    Ghana's Minister of State for Climate Change says Africa must treat climate change as a present public health crisis, not a future threat, as it is already worsening disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and straining health systems. He called for stronger collaboration among governments, scientists, and development partners at the launch of two African-led research consortiums on climate and health, hosted by KNUST in partnership with Wellcome Trust.

    17 July 2026 · Joy Online

Thursday 16 July

  1. Chinese air-conditioner brand Midea becomes sought-after during European heatwaves

    As Western Europe experiences record heat and intensifying heatwaves, portable split air-conditioners made by Chinese manufacturer Midea have sold out across the region and become highly sought-after products, with units reselling at double or triple their original retail price of around €750.

    16 July 2026 · Joy Online

  2. Ghana Medical Trust Fund and WHO discuss healthcare partnership

    The Ghana Medical Trust Fund and the World Health Organisation have held discussions on strengthening collaboration to improve access to specialised healthcare services across the country, with a focus on the Trust Fund's four-pillar mandate, financial sustainability, governance and accountability.

    16 July 2026 · Joy Online

  3. Galamsey, processed foods threaten Ghana's food safety

    The Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has warned that illegal mining activities and ultra-processed foods are threatening food safety in Ghana, launching its 2026 National Nutrition Month campaign under the theme "Food Safety: Everyone's Responsibility" to promote safer food practices across the country.

    16 July 2026 · The Chronicle

World Health Organisation — Ghanaian press coverage · Ghana Minute