Commemoration Of World Diabetes Day: 200,000 Cases Diagnosed Annually

 About 200,000 cases of diabetes are diagnosed annually, including children who report to health facilities in the country.

According to the acting Programmes Manager, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ministry of Health, Dr Efua Commeh, the prevalence rate was between 2.6 and nine per cent of the population.

“Averagely, we have almost 800 children in total who are diagnosed with the disease, so we are now running clinics for children with diabetes who are put on insulin. However, there are a lot more people across the country who have not been captured,” she said.

Dr Commeh was speaking at the commemoration of this year’s World Diabetes Day in Accra yesterday[November 14, 2022].

The commemoration, on the theme: “Access to diabetes care”, was aimed at raising awareness of the growing burden of the disease and how to strategise to prevent and manage the threat.

Advice

Dr Commeh advised people to constantly check their blood sugar levels to prevent surprises of being diagnosed with NCDs, especially diabetes, which she said was preventable when detected early.

According to the acting manager, diabetes was a chronic metabolic disease typically characterised by high sugar in the blood which could lead to blindness, amputation and heart disease, with risk factors, especially for people 45 years and above.

Those susceptible to the disease included people whose parents or siblings had the disease, unhealthy lifestyles, physical inactivity and history of gestational diabetes, she explained.

Dr Commeh attributed the high number of cases to the abuse of fast food in the system for which some people had developed a taste.
“We can only continue to educate the public on diabetes to change the trend; it is no longer a disease for the elderly because many young people are now being diagnosed of the disease,” she said.

Sedentary lifestyle

A Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah, said population growth, coupled with increasing sedentary lifestyles, had contributed to the rising numbers in diabetes cases in the country.

She called for more stakeholder engagement to stem the tide, saying: “Our experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic have shown how far we can go with strong collaborative efforts.”

The government, she said, had placed NCDs on the front burner by making them cardinal issues for discussion at an international strategic dialogue co-hosted by Ghana, Norway and the WHO.

Statistics

In a speech read on his behalf, the WHO Representative in Ghana, Dr Francis Kasolo, said diabetes mellitus took the lives of 416,000 people in Africa last year.

He also said 24 million adults were currently living with diabetes, with the number projected to increase by 129 per cent (55 million people) by 2045.

“Today, as we mark World Diabetes Day, I want to take this opportunity to appeal to governments of member states to prioritise investment in essential products, such as insulin, glucometers and test strips.

“This is critical to ensure equitable accessibility for every one living with diabetes, no matter where on the continent he or she is,” he said.

Source: graphiconline.com

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Rich Americans Spending $1MILLION To Rub Shoulders With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

 Rich Americans are spending up to $1 million to rub shoulders with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at a glittering New York gala.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will receive an award at the Ripple of Hope gala in New York on December 6, which honours people for their humanitarian and philanthropic efforts.
Hosted by President John F. Kennedy’s niece Kerry Kennedy, the gala has a top-tier ‘Pioneer’ package that costs a cool $1 million and will include four seats at the top table where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to be seated.

Other packages run from $500,000 and include access to a VIP reception at which photographers are expected to snap the Sussexes with the event’s main benefactors.

The gala is organised by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation, named after President Kennedy’s younger brother, who was assassinated in 1968.

Previous winners of the Ripple of Hope award include US President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former Democratic Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.

The decision to give Meghan and Harry a top human rights award has baffled Kennedy historians.

Professor David Nasaw, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book The Patriarch, about JFK and RFK’s father Joseph Kennedy, said: ‘I find it somewhere between sublimely ridiculous and blatantly ludicrous. It’s absurd.

The gala is hosted by President John F. Kennedy’s niece Kerry Kennedy. She is the seventh of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy’s children and runs the RFK Human Rights organisation

‘If you look at the people who have been awarded the Robert Kennedy prize in the past – Bill and Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi [Speaker of the US House of Representatives], Bishop Desmond Tutu – and then you have to ask what are Harry and Meghan doing here?

‘What in God’s name have they done to merit this? What percentage of Harry and Meghan’s wealth is going to worthy causes?’

Prof Nasaw said Kennedy patriarch Joe, a staunch Irish Catholic, would be turning in his grave to see branches of his family ‘latching on to British Royalty’.

The Mail on Sunday has been told that a team of photographers will be at the VIP event to capture Meghan and Harry being introduced to the event’s biggest donors.

A source said: ‘At previous events the photographers at the VIP reception have made sure they get pictures of the high donors with celebrity guests and honourees. It’s the American way. If you are paying big bucks, you want the pictures as bragging rights.’

Tthe venue during the 2019 Ripple Of Hope Gala & Auction in New York. The most recent public RFK tax return, in 2019, showed that year’s gala brought in over $4 million

Hollywood A-lister Alec Baldwin – himself no stranger to controversy following the shooting dead of a cinematographer on the set of Rust – will preside over the gala, which will also honour Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

While the decision to honour the Sussexes has baffled some, it may be no coincidence that the director of their upcoming Netflix docu-series, Liz Garbus, is partner in a film company with Rory Kennedy, the youngest of Robert F. Kennedy’s 11 children.

One Hollywood producer said: ‘Everyone has been scratching their heads to try to figure out the reason why Harry and Meghan were chosen to receive this while they are still in the early stages of their philanthropic work.

‘Perhaps the connection between the Netflix documentary and Rory Kennedy is it?’

Alec Baldwin (pictured), 63, hosted the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award Gala with his Boston-born wife Hilaria Baldwin, 37, in 2021. He will preside over the gala again this year

Like the Royals, the Kennedy Family is no stranger to public spats. Kerry Kennedy, the seventh of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy’s children, runs the RFK Human Rights organisation. According to publicly available records, she is paid more than $500,000 a year. The most recent public RFK tax return, in 2019, showed that year’s gala brought in over $4 million.

Kerry’s brother Robert F. Kennedy Jr is a notorious ‘anti-vaxxer’ who has been kicked off Instagram and Facebook for his controversial views. Earlier this year Kerry sought to distance herself from her brother, a conspiracy theorist who has said his father’s assassin Sirhan Sirhan is innocent.

The gala will take place four days after the Prince and Princess of Wales attend the Earthshot prize in Boston

While a spokesman for Mr Kennedy declined to comment on whether he would attend the Sussex event, five of his eight surviving siblings and his wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, have sought to distance themselves from his views. After Mr Kennedy compared government measures to contain the pandemic with ‘Hitler’s Germany’, his wife said: ‘My husband’s opinions are not a reflection of my own.’

The gala will take place four days after the Prince and Princess of Wales attend the Earthshot prize in Boston. Prince William has joined forces with Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, whose ‘moonshot’ mission to put a man on the Moon inspired the Earthshot Prize, described as the world’s most prestigious eco-award.

‘This is quiet wealth and power,’ said one person with knowledge of the event. ‘Think Rockefellers and people like former Vice President Al Gore.’

Philanthropists across America are vying to attend both events.

One wealthy Los Angeles heiress told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We love the Royals.

‘I’d love to try to get tickets for both. You can buy a ticket to the Meghan event, so that’s no problem, but the William and Kate event is strictly invitation-only, which is making it much harder to get into.’

Read Full Story …. dailymail >>> :   

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Twitter’s decision to close its Africa office unfortunate – Akufo-Addo

 President Akufo-Addo says the closure of Twitter’s Africa office is unfortunate.

According to him, the presence of the technology company was one that was desired strongly.

However, President Akufo-Addo said he understands the action as it’s part of a global restructuring of the company.

“It was not too long ago that it was up, but I understand it is part and parcel of a global restructuring of a company that is taking place under the new owner.”

“I think that is very unfortunate that, that should take place. The more organisations like that have local outlets, the better for all of us,” the President said.

Following controversial $44 billion takeover by Elon Musk, there has been massive lay offs.

These layoffs also affected almost all its staff in Ghana, which was home to its only office in Africa. The manner of the lay-offs was criticised with some accusing the new Twitter boss of discrimination.

Elon Musk

The staff received messages about the end of their contracts to their personal accounts, after being denied access to work emails.

This action followed news Mr Musk intends to eliminate nearly 75 percent of Twitter’s staff in an effort to pay down a debt burden.

Source: myjoyonline

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US men’s soccer team redesigns team shield to support LGBTQ community ahead of World Cup

 The U.S. men’s national soccer team is only a week away from starting their World Cup run with a match against Wales at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

But the team decided to make a statement while in the Middle Eastern country.

The soccer team’s press room and training facility featured a rainbow-themed crest in support of the LGBTQ community. The shield change is a part of the squad’s “Be The Change” initiative that launched in 2020 on the heels of social unrest, according to Reuters.

“When we are on the world stage and when we are in a venue like Qatar, it is important to bring awareness to these issues and that is what ‘Be the Change’ is about,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter told reporters Monday.

“It is not just stateside that we want to bring attention to social issues, it is also abroad. We recognize that Qatar has made strides and there has been a ton of progress, but there’s some work still to do.”

American goalkeeper Sean Johnson said the team will continue to spread an inclusive message.

“We are a group who believes in inclusivity and we will continue to project that message going forward,” Johnson said. “We have chatted and continue to have discussions as we lead into the games. We have leaned on the message of ‘Be the Change.’

Rainbow colors seen in the U.S. national team’s badge in support of LGBTQ+ people. (Reuters/Carl Recine)

“That is something that we have been proud of and continue to work toward, be impactful with ourselves, our presence and our platform, and we will continue to be so here in Qatar.”

The rainbow crest will not be a part of the team’s regular kit for the matches. U.S. Soccer spokesman Neil Bluthe told Reuters the rainbow badge will be a “consistent” part of the team’s identity.

“As part of our approach for any match or event, we include rainbow branding to support and embrace the LGBTQ community, as well as to promote a spirit of inclusiveness and welcoming to all fans across the globe,” Bluthe said.

“As a result, locations that we will manage and operate at the FIFA World Cup, such as the team hotel, media areas and parties, will feature both traditional and rainbow U.S. Soccer branding.”

The U.S. national team’s badge in support of LGBTQ+ people is seen in a room used for briefings. (Reuters/Carl Recine)

Qatar’s rules against same-sex marriage have been in the spotlight in the run-up to the start of the historic World Cup. The country has said all are welcome, including LGBTQ fans, but that visitors should respect the nation’s culture, in which public displays of affection by anyone are frowned on.

Recently, former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman, an ambassador for the World Cup, described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind.” Qatar emir Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani also argued the country “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign” of criticisms.

By Ryan Gaydos\Fox News

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Russia’s war in Ukraine challenges old comrades in Southeast Asia

 Russia’s war in Ukraine challenges old comrades in Southeast Asia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has oozed a casual resentment when describing the “irreversible and even tectonic changes” that he says have led the West to become a spent force in the world.

“Western countries are striving to maintain a former world order that is beneficial only to them,” he told attendees at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok in September.

The future was in the “dynamic, promising countries and regions of the world, primarily the Asia Pacific region”, he said. Putin was followed on the podium by Myanmar coup leader Min Aung Hlaing – the symbolism was not lost on close observers of regional politics.

This week Putin was invited to attend the Group of 20 meeting, which opened on Tuesday on the Indonesian island of Bali. It appeared to be the perfect venue for him to double down on his overtures to the Asia Pacific, particularly in Southeast Asia — one of the world’s most economically dynamic regions.

Putin skipped his moment in the Balinese sun due to undefined “scheduling” reasons.

With Putin a no-show, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a captive audience when he addressed the summit virtually on Tuesday after his invitation to attend by the summit’s host, Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Putin’s absence from the G20 undercuts “talk of a Russian pivot to Asia”, wrote Susannah Patton of the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank.

Now with the Russian army retreating in parts of Ukraine and international sanctions biting deeply into Russia’s economy, some old friends in Southeast Asia appear to be avoiding direct eye contact as Putin looks east. Others are actively looking the other way, and Myanmar seems to be Moscow’s last true friend in the region.

Hanoi, in particular, remembers Russian support during the war against the US-backed regime in South Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s — a war from which it emerged victorious in 1975.

Vietnam and Laos abstained from UN resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the annexation of Ukrainian territory, and voted against suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

In Monday’s vote on a resolution requiring Russia to pay reparations for the damage caused to Ukraine, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were among the 73 members of the assembly that abstained. Among countries in the region, only Singapore and the Philippines backed the resolution.

Vietnam’s decision to abstain at the UN is perfectly legal, argued Huynh Tam Sang, a lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. But it is also “morally questionable” as Vietnam had failed to defend the “principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he writes. That is no small oversight for a country whose successful liberation struggles against foreign occupiers — China, France, and the United States — is a defining national motif.

“Vietnam’s move is aimed at avoiding criticism and potential retaliation from Moscow,” said Huynh Tam Sang, pointing out the material behind the fraternal: trade links between Hanoi and Moscow amounted to almost $2.5bn in the first eight months of this year, and Russia is a primary investor in Vietnam’s oil and gas sectors.

Russia is also Vietnam’s largest arms supplier.

“It is not in Vietnam’s interests for Russia to be weakened,” Carlyle A Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra, told Al Jazeera in a recent interview.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

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