Ampomah Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in collaboration with NPP Women’s wing in the Ashanti region, has organized a free health screening for widows in the Asawase constituency to mark International Widows Day.

Over 500 widows from various communities in the constituency benefited from the free medical screening.

They were also taken through some health talks by the medical team on eating habit. The screening was under the theme, “Forget the Past and Move Forward”.

The Founder of the Foundation, Mrs Ama Amponah said the service was to enable widows in the constituency have access to free health care.

She advised the widows to take their health serious, and also encouraged them to forget about the their past and ensure they move forward no matter the obstacles they face in life.

The head of the medical team, Dr Prince Twene said the exercise covered blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, sugar level and consultation.

Free drugs were also given to the beneficiaries to take care of their health needs.

Beneficiaries of the services commended the foundation for the humanitarian gesture and called on government for support in the area of health.

International Widows Day is a global awareness day that takes place annually on 23rd June.

The day was launched by the United Nations in 2010 to raise awareness of the violation of human rights that widows suffer in many countries following the death of their spouses.

In many countries with traditional societies, women find themselves left in poverty when their husband dies.

In some countries, these women find themselves denied of inheritance and land rights, evicted from their homes, ostracized and abused.

The children of widows also often find themselves affected, withdrawn from school and more vulnerable to abuse, especially in the case of girls.