Health workers in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region have undergone training in Sickle cell and Asthma management. The capacity-building program sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti Ghana and Obuasi Mine was to equip health professionals with the skills and knowledge to provide care and support for patients.

Sickle cell disease is one of the most common genetic diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide. Healthcare professionals play an important role in providing support and care for patients and families with sickle cell disease, yet there is a gap in the availability of open-access education for healthcare professionals.

Asthma, on the other hand, is the most common non-communicable disease in children and remains one of the most common throughout the life course. There is a reported challenge of inadequate human resources with the capacity to manage asthma.

To address these gaps, Dr. John Gyasi Banin, an Emergency Physician Specialist at AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation, said it was important to organise the training for health professionals in both the Obuasi East and the Obuasi Municipalities.

He said the training forms part of efforts by AngloGold Ashanti to improve the health care needs of the people in its operational area, as contained in the 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan of the mining company.

"We are conscious of the technicalities involved in managing Sickle cell and asthma; hence, we decided to join forces with AGA and the Health Directorates of the two districts to roll out this capacity building, which we believe will bridge the existing knowledge gap within the health sector", he said.

The need to promote peer review

One of the key factors needed to improve performance in the health sector is peer review. According to Elizabeth Boateng of the Environmental Department of AngloGold Ashanti, the workshop was intended to create a platform for health workers to learn from one another in terms of different approaches to solving problems.

She intimated that AngloGold Ashanti has since 2019 rolled out a plethora of capacity-building programs for healthcare workers in Obuasi.

"The intention is to ensure that the people within our operational area have access to quality healthcare", she said.

New methods and approaches to deal with Sickle cell and Asthma

Participants in the workshop, including Linda Mensah of the Sanso Health Center, lauded AngloGold Ashanti for the training program.

She said the program has broadened her knowledge of new methods and approaches to managing the two conditions, saying it is an upgrade of what she was taught in school.

A Nurse at the AGA Health Foundation said asthma and sickle cell form part of the common diseases reported at the hospital. He said the program has given him field training on how to deal with and manage patients with the diseases.