Ghanaian doctor receives UN award

Bolgatanga (Upper East) -- A private medical Practitioner based in Bolgatanga, Dr. Kwesi Odoi Agyarko, has been awarded the United Nations Population Award for the year 2002 in the individual category.

He was formally presented with the award in the United States of America (USA) in June. The Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba III, attended the ceremony at the invitation of the United Nations Fund For Population Agency (UNFPA).

Dr. Agyarko later presented the award to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mahami Salifu, at a brief ceremony at the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Bolgatanga on Tuesday. The award included a gold medal, a citation plaque and an undisclosed amount of money. He announced that he was donating one million cedis from the cash award to the Girls' educational fund initiated by Naba Martin Abilba.

Briefing the Minister on his activities that earned him the award, Dr Agyarko who operated a local NGO, Rural Health Integrated Centre, said in 1992, he realised that there was the need to reach communities with health delivery in order to provide a complete and holistic medical care.

Dr. Agyarko said his outfit provides reproductive health and HIV/AIDS education to communities through an effective collaborative system with the Ministry Of Health (MOH). He said he had enjoyed the support of chiefs and political heads in the region since 1992, and through that succeeded in drastically reducing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practice in the region.

He said the centre was currently researching into risk behaviours of the youth in Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. Mr. Salifu, on his part congratulated Dr. Agyarko for his immense contribution towards health delivery in the region, adding that he had done so much to raise the standard of living of the people.

The Minister said government had the political will in terms of encouraging private sector participation and development and gave the assurance that his outfit would assist any individual organisation in that area.