By Rita
Adjeley Adjei/ Lilliana Owusu–Akyem, GNA
Accra, Sept. 17, GNA – The Ministry of Health
(MOH), in partnership with Starkey Hearing Foundation, on Monday inaugurated
the Technical Working Group for the development of a National Strategic Plan on
Ear and Hearing Health.
The members of the Technical Working Group are
Dr Luqman Lawal, Director of Research, Starkey Foundation, Dr Alhaji Newman
Issu, Deputy Director of Administration, MoH, Mr Clement Amponsah, Speech
Therapist, Albert Klustey, Volunteer for Starkey Foundation, Ramatu Alhassan
and Jemima Fynn, Audiologists.
Dr Lawal said the Group was to develop the
National Plan, which fell under the Research and Policy Advocacy of Starkey
Hearing Foundation.
He said the Foundation, with Headquarters in
Minnesota, USA, was the leading ear-care organisation in the world with programmes
in about 62 countries.
Dr Lawal said the Foundation was in Ghana to
support the financial and technical development of the National Strategic Plan
in Ear-Care and Hearing Health.
Starkey Foundation is in three divisions;
service delivery, which gives out hearing aids, screening and capacity building
for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, and research in policy
advocacy.
Dr Lawal said Ghana was not the only country
facing hearing impairment problems adding that people should pay attention to
hearing impairment just as they do to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Nana Kwabena Adjei-Owusu, the Acting Chief
Director of MOH, expressed the hope that the Foundation would stay longer in
Ghana to help in the strategic development of ear-care.
GNA