Ghana is a small country on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa with a population of 30 million. As a developing country with an improving economy and adoption of westernised lifestyles, its people are experiencing significant levels of endocrine disorders such as diabetes and thyroid. Unfortunately, as distinct from Australia, they also have an unusually high death rate from what are treatable conditions.
Hoppers Crossing Rotary partnered with Ring Road Central Rotary Club and health professionals in Ghana, to organise, support and arrange funding for a workshop on Endocrine dysfunctions. Through two of their members, Drs George and Gifty Dade, who were both born and educated in Ghana, Hoppers Crossing Rotary Club has developed a close connection to the medical profession in Ghana. Dr George Dade is a practicing GP in Werribee and is an active member of the International committee at the club.
The workshop was held in October 2019 at an Ahodwo-Kumasi workshop and was delivered by several professionals from the Ghana Society of Paediatrics, Endocrinology and Diabetes. It complemented information provided at the two previous workshops on diabetes in Ghana held in 2017 and 2018.
Attending the workshop were medical practitioners and health care professionals from the southern and coastal region (Accra), the middle belt (Kumasi, Ashanti Region) and the northern region (Tamale) of Ghana.
Positive outcomes from this workshop included the finding that access to health care providers when combined with information on endocrine disorders improves outcomes. The workshop also provided advice aimed at preventing deaths resulting from mismanagement of disorders of the endocrine system; treatments for delaying or preventing diabetes complications by providing information on the risk of obesity; and, better methods for the ongoing management by patients suffering from an endocrine disorder.
A report on this workshop was received by the Australian High Commissioner in Ghana and by the Ghana High Commissioner in Canberra.
A Rotary Foundation Global Grant supported this project.
Further reading can be found here: https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/article/12/2/107/5524823
Dr Bob Fairclough
Chair, International Committee
Rotary Club of Hoppers Crossing