Technical working group for ear–care inaugurated

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.

Source: GNA