Firm Health Ghana Foundation commemorates the 2020 World Kidney Day with medical consultation and outreach
The World Kidney Day Celebration is a day set aside by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the Federation of Kidney Foundations to advocate on the growing incidence of kidney diseases and the need to maintain healthy lifestyles in order to protect the kidneys. The day is celebrated on the 2nd Thursday in March every year.
In Ghana, the day is commemorated with a host of activities to drum home the need to maintain healthy eating habits and reduce sedentary lifestyles which impact the kidneys negatively. Firm Health Ghana Foundation, an NGO based in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, celebrated the World Kidney Day with a medical consultation and outreach at Brawire in Axim on Thursday, 12th March 2020. A health talk on kidney health, symptoms, risk factors and preventive steps was shared with participants. Dr. Joseph Darko (Director of Medical Affairs) and Ms. Gladys Fummey (Project Coordinator) of Firm Health Ghana Foundation and Apinto Government Hospital respectively also educated participants on the Coronavirus pandemic and the need for everyone to be self-aware.
The screening exercise which commenced at exactly 7:30 am through to 3:30 pm took participants through Body Mass Index (BMI) checks, blood sugar level tests, and urinalysis. 412 people were screened. Out of this number, 287 were women, 125 were men. 11 participants were referred to the Axim General Hospital for further tests. There were 17 known high blood pressure cases, 13 known diabetics and 4 participants with both conditions. These persons were advised to continue taking their medication as prescribed and also be mindful of their diets. Follow-ups will be made with these persons as their contact numbers were collected by the data collection officers onsite.
Support from Health Spring Pharmacy based in Tarkwa enabled the foundation to support members with adequate medication. We salute the efforts of the 12-member medical personnel from Firm Health Ghana Foundation as well as Dynamite (88.9) FM, Samberp Catering Services and Health Spring Pharmacy all in Tarkwa for helping the foundation make the needed impact on the day.
Firm Health Ghana Foundation (FHGF) is an NGO interested in the prevention of renal disease through screening for early detection and education for awareness creation. The Foundation is registered with Ghana’s Registrar Generals Department and the Social Welfare Department since 2012 and has been collaborating with Ghana Health Service (GHS) to undertake health screening in selected communities. The foundation has visited 27 communities and screened over 9,000 people. The Foundation since 2013, has initiated a weekly public-health education program on a local FM radio station known as Dynamite FM (88.9). The radio program reaches over 70,000 people in about 45 communities on a weekly basis. The Foundation reinforces its advocacy efforts through community forums and durbars to educate traditional authorities and local healthcare givers. They also organize bi-weekly diabetes and hypertension clinics to enlighten afflicted persons on management strategies of renal disease.
