Free Health Screening and Sanitation Drive Empowering Ga Mashie

Hundreds of residents of Ga Mashie converged at the forecourt of the Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA) on Saturday, Jan. 17, as health professionals, Non-Governmental Organization Group and development partners came together to provide free medical screening and renewed calls for improved sanitation in one of Ghana’s oldest communities. The exercise, dubbed “Community Health and Partnership Growth Framework for Ga Mashie,” was organized under the auspices of The Health Spin Movement for Women and Young Adults of the Ga Mashie Community. It was held in partnership with the Nurture Nature Foundation, Alma Medical Laboratory, the Rotary Club of Accra–Premier International, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and GAMADA, with support from Jibu Water Ltd. The initiative formed part of ongoing efforts to promote preventive health care, early disease detection and community-driven development in Ga Mashie, also known as James Town, a historic coastal settlement that continues to face significant public health and sanitation challenges. Emphasis on preventive screening Addressing participants at the event, Angelina Worla Ukwuije, a medical laboratory scientist and team lead from Alma Medical Laboratory, underscored the importance of routine medical screening as a cornerstone of good health. “Today, we are here to do medical health screening for the people of Ga Mashie,” Ukwuije said. “It is good to know your health status, and screening is part of that. When we screen, we get to know the diseases that are more prevalent in a particular community and how we can fight them.” She explained that blood samples were being collected on-site and would be transported to Alma Medical Laboratory for detailed analysis. The results, she said, would help identify infections and other health conditions among participants. “For today, we are taking their blood samples, and they will be sent to the laboratory for further investigation,” Ukwuije said. “After the tests are run, that is when we get to know who has an infection or not.” She encouraged residents to make health screening a regular practice, particularly at the beginning of the year. “As the year has begun, I would like to encourage everybody to walk to any hospital or laboratory close to you to undergo medical screening,” she said. “Check your kidneys, your liver, do a full blood count. It helps you understand what is happening in your system, what you eat and the kind of exercise you need to do.” Diet and lifestyle advice Ukwuije also used the platform to offer general advice on diet and lifestyle, stressing the role of nutrition in disease prevention and management. “First of all, it is important to know your blood group and blood type,” she said. “When you know this, it helps you understand which kinds of food are good for you.” She urged residents to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables and to limit sugary and carbonated drinks, particularly for people living with diabetes.“If you have diabetes, you should know that you don’t have to eat too much carbohydrate or sugar,” she said. “We should limit carbonated drinks and rather go for fruits and natural juices. It helps a lot.” Her final message focused on personal responsibility for health. “Take charge of your health,” Ukwuije said. “Don’t wait until you are sick before you visit a health facility. Make it a routine — every month or every three months — to check your health. That is very important.” Rotary’s commitment to underserved communities In an exclusive interview at the event, Kailash Chaurasia, president of the Rotary Club of Accra–Premier International, said the health screening aligned with Rotary’s long-standing focus on underserved communities. “At Rotary, we always try to reach out to underprivileged communities,” Chaurasia said. “Our core sectors include water and sanitation, women empowerment, health and education.” He said the club regularly undertakes projects ranging from book donations to schools to health outreach programs, often in collaboration with local partners. Chaurasia traced the origins of the Ga Mashie health initiatives to an earlier engagement led by Peter Asiedu, executive director of the Nurture Nature Foundation. “One day, Mr. Asiedu approached me to see if we could bring a project here,” he said. “It happened to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we decided to organize a breast cancer screening here in October.” That earlier project, he said, screened about 200 women at the same venue, with plans for follow-up exercises. Recognizing Ga Mashie’s historical significance and persistent infrastructure challenges, Chaurasia said Rotary was committed to sustained engagement rather than one-off interventions. “This community is one of the oldest in Ghana, and they face many challenges, including access to health facilities and toilets,” he said. “We are trying to address these issues step by step.” Managing scale and quality Chaurasia noted that while organizers initially anticipated screening between 400 and 500 people during the January exercise, practical considerations led them to limit the number to about 100 to 110 participants. “Drawing blood takes time, and we have to be very careful,” he said. “Some participants are elderly, and finding veins can be difficult. So we decided to focus on quality rather than numbers.” He said additional screening exercises were planned for February, with the aim of reaching another 100 to 200 residents. Chaurasia also emphasized follow-up care, particularly for conditions such as hepatitis, which he said were common in communities with poor sanitation and water quality. “We are not going to drop this after conducting the blood examinations,” he said. “If we find something serious, we will work with hospitals to make sure the patient gets treatment.” Strong community response According to Chaurasia, community response to Rotary-led health initiatives in Ga Mashie has been encouraging. “During the breast cancer screening, more than 400 people wanted to participate, but we limited it to 200 to ensure proper checks,” he said. “We are planning another round later to cover more women.” He appealed to residents to take advantage of similar opportunities whenever they arise. “Sometimes you may feel healthy, but you don’t know what could happen the next day,” he said. “If something is detected early, it can be treated. So anytime you get such an opportunity, please come forward.” Nurture Nature’s broader vision Peter Asiedu, executive director of the Nurture Nature Foundation, described the health screening as part of a broader vision to integrate health, environment and community empowerment. “I am happy that we have been able to organize this exercise with Rotary Club Accra–Premier International, GAMADA, AMA, Jibu Water and Alma Medical Labs,” Asiedu said. “These are formidable partners, and the success of the program shows in the turnout.” He said the screening targeted both men and women, reflecting a shift from earlier gender-specific interventions. “We are testing what will make people’s lives and future very lively,” he said. “Health screening should be a regular aspect of everyone’s life.” Asiedu described Ga Mashie as central to Ghana’s identity. “Ga Mashie is the heartbeat of Ghana,” he said. “The lighthouse of Ghana is at Jamestown, and Jamestown represents not only Ga Mashie, but the whole country.” He said the Health Spin Movement was using Ga Mashie as a starting point for broader national outreach. “From Ga Mashie, we are moving elsewhere — to other parts of Ghana,” he said. Asiedu stressed that the foundation’s work was not a “nine-day wonder,” pointing to the October breast cancer screening, which reached more than 400 women, as evidence of sustained commitment. “You will see us regularly,” he said. “Today is another all-gender health screening, and we will continue.” Call for action-oriented NGOs Asiedu also challenged other nongovernmental organizations to move beyond mission statements to tangible community impact. “Don’t let your objectives rest under your pillow,” he said. “They must translate into community-impact actions, with co-ownership and collaboration among like-minded organizations.” Sanitation concerns take center stage Beyond health screening, the event also served as a platform to address sanitation practices that continue to threaten public health in coastal communities. Speaking at the gathering, Numo Kofi Okassa Diaka II, an executive officer at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and liaison officer at GAMADA, urged residents to abandon the practice of defecating into polythene bags and dumping them into drains. He warned that such practices often block drainage systems, causing waste to flow into the sea and increasing the risk of disease. “Poor sanitation contributes directly to the spread of diseases and undermines efforts to improve living conditions in communities like James Town,” Diaka II said. He called for collective responsibility, stressing that improved sanitation was essential to protecting public health and preserving the coastal environment. A blend of health and development Participants at the event received blood tests, basic health checks and access to clean drinking water, while health workers provided counseling on lifestyle and disease prevention. Organizers said the integration of health screening, sanitation advocacy and community partnership reflected a holistic approach to development. As the sun set over James Town’s historic skyline, the message from health professionals and community leaders was clear: preventive care, responsible sanitation and sustained collaboration are critical to improving the quality of life in Ga Mashie — and beyond. By Kingsley Asiedu