Public Health Alliance Int. Ghana launches project on domestic fire safety and paediatric burns prevention
The Public Health Alliance International Ghana (PHAIG) has launched its flagship project on domestic fire safety and paediatric burns prevention.
The launch, held last Thursday, March 14th, 2024, was under the theme “Advocating for national pediatric burn prevention and promoting fire safety, safeguarding children’s right to a safe, sustainable, and stimulating environment.”
Vice-President of PHAIG, Dr. Samuel Nuamah, in his welcome address, pointed out the importance of leveraging synergies from all relevant stakeholders to help mitigate the devastating consequences of fire outbreaks, especially in homes. He pledged our resounding commitment as a collective effort towards this impact-driven cause.
He informed that the project, which will last for about 10 months, will be undertaken in various phases, including stakeholder engagements and research, capacity building among first-line burn injury responders and healthcare providers, awareness creation, public education, burn victim support, and evaluation and impact assessment.
Dr. Nuamah reminded all Ghanaians of the enormity of the task ahead and challenged the government, organizations, development partners, and individual philanthropists to join this campaign by supporting them with funding and other resources that would enable them to undertake this project.
The Chairman for the occasion, Mr. Dhananjay Tripathi, CEO of Atlantic Life Sciences, urged all stakeholders and the public to join hands in rallying behind this impact-laden project to ensure its successful execution. He also pledged his unwavering support to the cause, saying that Atlantic Life Sciences is currently in the process of producing locally made drugs and other products for the management of burn injuries and that they will work closely with PHAIG and other key actors in the management of these burn cases to ensure the availability of these products in various facilities.
Speaking to the challenges of managing burn injuries in health facilities, Dr. Opoku-Ware Ampomah, CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and consultant plastic surgeon, mentioned the dire importance of championing prevention as it is the surest way of reducing the incidence and prevalence of fire accidents in homes.
Dr. Fiifi-Yankson, also a plastic surgeon and technical lead of this project, shed light on some of the circumstances under which these burn injuries occur and the need for proper safety measures in homes to ensure the children are protected from such avoidable accidents.
Other stakeholders such as the fire service, the police, legal practitioners, media personalities, celebrities, and influencers also added their voice at the event.
Okyeame Kwame, a celebrated Ghanaian musician, and Oheneyere Gifty Anti, an ace journalist, broadcaster, and philanthropist, made a call to action on all attendees to spread the word and encouraged other celebrities, influencers, and opinion leaders to join hands with them as they set out to make noise about the alarming situation regarding the issue of domestic fire safety and burn injuries, especially among children.
Public Health Alliance International Ghana is a health think tank that seeks to address pertinent issues facing various communities within the country and the sub-Saharan African region through evidence-based research, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagements.
Source: Citinewsroom