FIBROID: A Worrying Trend in Ghana

By Caroline Pomeyie

The records are frightening, but it is true that three to five cases of fibroid are operated daily at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital alone.

It is also a fact that out of every three women in the country, one has fibroid, but despite these chilling records, there is less information about the prevention and treatment of the health condition.

According to Dr Theodore Boafor, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, fibroid cases are on the increase and women above 30 years are more likely to have the disease.

However, he added: “Most fibroid cases do not cause any health problem,” he told the GNA in an interview in Accra.

Dr Boafor explained that the same hormones that control menses promote the growth of fibroid so if a female has been having her period throughout her life the chances of having fibroid are higher.

“When you are pregnant you do not menstruate so there is a break in the menstrual cycle. It has been observed that people who have several pregnancies in their lifetime are least likely to have fibroid.

“However, those who have had no break in their menstrual cycle are most likely to have fibroid,” he said.

Fibroid removed from a patient

 Dr Boafor said fibroid is a benign growth of the womb, which is not dangerous but the malignant growth (cancer) could pose health challenges.

He noted one could live with fibroid and seek treatment if it causes pain around the abdomen during and after menses or experience visible enlargement of the lower abdomen and excessive bleeding with lot of blood clots, dizziness and weakness as a result of the blood loss.

He said if the fibroid is causing problems then the patient needs surgery: myomectomy or hysterectomy.

Myomectomy involves the removal of fibroid growth while hysterectomy involves the removal of the womb.

“People usually discover they have fibroid accidentally when they go for a scan for another health situation because there is no clear symptom to show one has fibroid.

“When this happens one should not worry because medical doctors are able to manage those that cause problems.”

The most visible sign of fibroid is the enlargement of the lower abdomen. However there are other reasons why a lady may start developing a big stomach.

While there may be some health reasons there is also lifestyle. Inevitable situations may also cause a lady to have a visibly big stomach.

One of such conditions is pregnancy, however some women may not have their stomach as flat after given birth.

Dr Boafor explained that the increase in the belly size after childbirth is due to the stretch in the abdominal walls that occurs during pregnancy.

He said the womb begins to expand especially in the second half of the pregnancy, as it expands to cater for the growing foetus, and the growing amount of amniotic fluid around the baby.

“The stretch sometimes becomes so much that there is a lot of stretch marks called striae,” he said.

“After the baby is delivered, the womb may try to return to its original size but it usually doesn’t because of the stretch that has taken place.

“However there is individual variation.

There are people who have a lot more elastic muscle tissue so even when they are stretched, they come back a little normal than others, but for most people the stretch causes the abdominal walls to become lax.”

Dr Boafor said there is the need for a woman to do the abdominal wall exercise.

“If a woman had a normal delivery then three weeks after delivery when she is completely well, then she can start the exercise. After a caesarean session with no complication, it may take a woman 4-6 weeks to be fit to start exercise.”

He added that the results are better if one starts the abdominal wall exercise early after childbirth.

“The woman should lie on her back and the neck resting in both hands. Then lift the legs with knees stretched up to the waist level. This can be repeated a number of times.”

Meanwhile a GNA survey revealed that most women after childbirth have big stomachs and some men have a high regard for those who are able to maintain flat belly even after childbirth.

Some traders at the Tema station market explained that after childbirth, they used cloth to tie their stomachs for some time, but the reduction was not significant.

Most ladies working in the Ministries explained that they wore corset beneath their clothing, and very few exercised after childbirth.

There were also the ladies who did nothing at all after childbirth, but had their bellies return to normal.

From the survey, it was also discovered that some women were overly worried about their tummies after pregnancy whereas their husbands didn’t mind.

However, some men were very critical of young ladies who have not delivered but have visibly big stomachs.

They explained that it is a complete turn off for them.

In order for one to get over a medical hurdle, one needs to first have a calm mind.

Fibroid may cause ladies tummy to be big, post-pregnancy conditions may also cause their abdomen to enlarge, or even cholesterol.

Through vigorous exercises one could reverse her big tummy and through good diets the health problems associated with high cholesterol could also be under control.

The challenges of fibroid could also not be out of control if ladies take the advice their doctors give them seriously.

So after all “there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

GNA

Editorial

WHAT WINS AN ELECTION?

It appears that some Ghanaian politicians do not get it and they are still carrying on as if the people of Ghana are just dummies.

In their futile bid to win the 2016 election, these politicians and their surrogates have employed outright lies, slander and vilification as their weapons of choice.

They write and say anything about everybody and anybody in the hope that the reputation of those they disagree with would be dented and thereby make it easy for them to win the elections.

These politicians are wrong and they will never be able to win elections.

The people of Ghana expect their hangers on to tell the truth about themselves and others.

Their greatest expectation is that whoever wins the election would make sure that their social and economic needs are met.

Mudslinging is not the way forward in this election.

The consequences of Jeremy Corbyn for Africa

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the labour party

By Yash Tandon

Britain’s Labour leader has challenged the neoliberal dogma that has ruled the world ever since Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 and Ronald Reagan in America in 1981.  This has been disastrous for Africa, where it has come in the form of the so-called "Economic Structural Adjustment Programs" aimed at restructuring African economies to conform to the demands of the imperialist countries, and not the development needs of Africa.

My last blog was on the US elections where I argued that although neither Clinton nor Trump is my hero, Trump is a better bet from an African perspective. In this piece I argue that in the political contest for state power in the United Kingdom Jeremy Corbyn is definitely my favorite.

Let me state at the outset that I am not directly involved in the politics of the UK.  It is none of my business (or Africa’s) to meddle in the manner the UK organises its elections. I wish to add that the British and the West should extend the same courtesy to Africa, and let Africans decide their own future. I am realistic enough to know that such courtesy will not be extended.  So, in the end, we’ve to take our future in our own hands.

A brief background to British Politics

I’ll be candid, so that African readers understand why British politics are in a mess, especially after the Brexit referendum. Like a cat amongst pigeons, Brexit has caused havoc and panic amongst the two major political parties – Labour and Conservative. And, strange as it may sound, the challenge for both is …  guess who? Jeremy Corbyn. And why?

Here a bit of history is necessary. The year 2007 was a major turning point for Western economies. They are facing the worst depression since the Great Depression of 1929-39. Today, nearly ten years down the road, their economies have not recovered (in contrast, for example, to China).  This has impacted their politics too. Europe is fragmenting. The “middle ground” has dropped - i.e. politics are polarised between the far left and the far right. 

For much of this time, for nearly a decade, Prime Minister Tony Blair has been in power. He took Britain right of centre to occupy the middle ground. In effect, he was no different from Margaret Thatcher. Like her he imposed an austerity program on the people. He bailed out the banks instead of nationalising them. He became an ideologist for free trade.  And above all, he became a belligerent imperialist causing havoc with his military interventions in the Middle East and Africa. 

Then, suddenly almost out of the blue, springs Corbyn. For almost thirty years he was a member of the British Parliament (MP) - almost as an outcast from the Labour Party (LP). In September 2015 he shook the Labour Party: a huge number of young people, devastated by Blairite austerity, gathered around Corbyn to elect him as leader of the LP. The LP MPs were in a state of shock – most of them were Blairite. In early 2016, 80% of the LP MPs voted a motion of no confidence in Corbyn. For nearly 9 months, they (and the media) have been fighting to oust Corbyn. They cancelled membership of 130,000 young Labourites who had legally become members paying £3 (the “three-pounders”) demanding they pay £25. Within weeks 183,000 members paid the £25 fee and became members. On a leadership contest on 24 September 2016, Corbyn was re-elected by a thumping majority – 60.075%.

The well-known economist, Martin Wolf of the Financial Times, wrote this: “Corbyn's rise reflects loss of confidence in political and commercial elite, and popular anger with greedy plutocrats and their lackeys in the media.  But Corbyn is ‘unelectable’. If elected, capital would flee.”

This is part of the scare tactics that the British Establishment (political elite and the media) has employed since September 2015.

   

So to the question:

Why is Corbyn good for Africa?

I will come back to Africa, but first I would argue that Corbyn is also good, in my view, for the ordinary British people. I will simply list the main points of Corbyn’s policies:

Do away with the "old politics" of corporate sharks operating largely outside state control.

Close current state deficits.

Issue a directive to the Bank of England to adopt Peoples' Quantitative Easing (QE) – in lay language, use money to add value to ease peoples’ pains and not corporate gains.

Raise £93 billion by cutting out tax reliefs and subsidies to the corporate sector.

Fund national infrastructure banks.

Bring in a strong tax anti-avoidance law.

Cut out Nuclear weapons.  (The Trident nuclear project in Scotland alone is costing the British taxpayer £100 billion).

Nationalise energy and rail

Regulate rents and companies paying low wages.

Local authority control over schools.

Cut university student fees

 Abolish cap on welfare benefits

These, and more, are the sources of Corbyn’s popularity amongst the working classes, the young unemployed, and university students in debt bondage.

However, in order to understand the consequences of Corbyn for Africa, let us look at the wider picture.

Corbyn has challenged the neoliberal dogma that has ruled the world ever since Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 and Ronald Reagan in America in 1981.  This has been disastrous for Africa, where it has come in the form of the so-called "Economic Structural Adjustment Programs" (ESAP) aimed at restructuring African economies to conform to the demands of the imperialist countries, and not the development needs of Africa.

On the political-military side Corbyn has questioned the wisdom of holding on to nuclear weapons, and of remaining within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Contrary to its claim, NATO is not a defence but an aggressive military outfit. To give just one example, in March 2011 a NATO-led coalition attacked Libya to enforce a “no-fly zone”, literally blowing up the whole country with 26,500 sorties against Libya targets.  Nearly six years down the road, Libya is in a shambles, marred by \an unending civil war, and now a base for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Africa (but not only Africa) will benefit from NATO’s dissolution.

As mentioned earlier, Corbyn has taken a strong position against nuclear weapons, daring to defy not only the Conservative Party but also members within his own party. “I do not believe the threat of mass murder is a legitimate way to go about dealing with international relations.” May I ask: how many states in Africa have nuclear weapons? Not a single. Apartheid South Africa did have nuclear weapons but these were destroyed by the post-apartheid state. Africa has declared itself as a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. The Treaty on it prohibits the research, development, manufacture, stockpiling, acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of nuclear explosive devices. In Corbyn, Africa has a strong ally on this very important issue.

Corbyn has been a relentless champion of Africa’s freedom, and its right to determine its own destiny. He was an active member of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, one time even serving as its National Executive in the UK. Africans resident in the UK have formed the Africans For Momentum (AFM), also known as Africans For Jeremy Corbyn Values. (Momentum is a grassroots organisation founded in 2015 to support Corbyn).

Corbyn has taken a strong position against Mega Regional Trade Agreements (MRTAs), such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). He has made a public commitment that a Labour government will veto the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). He argues that TTIP and other such organisations are driven by American corporations to advance their interests at the cost of workers and they undermine the sovereignty of countries in Europe and in the third world.

I have not seen any statement from him about the EU-Africa Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), but I have no doubt that he would support Africa’s attempt to resist these. Such a position would be in line with his general opposition to mega-regional-trade agreements, especially EPAs which the European Corporate Empire is forcing down the throats of African governments.

Above all, Corbyn  wants to create a “new kind of politics” where you do not bully your opponent, not respond to personal attacks, and use the internet and social media to hold bottom-up policy consultations. These are good principles.

Acts of mutual solidarity between Africa and Corbyn

On September 2, 2015 I was invited by a solidarity organisation in the UK called Global Justice Network that has always supported the struggle for fair play and justice in international relations – including matters related to Africa. I was asked to talk about my book “Trade is War”, but the discussion crossed many boundaries, and drifted into a discussion on Corbyn. One person followed up the discussion and sent the group her reaction to my views: “Mr Tandon mentioned his support for Corbyn, but surely the UK Government is a well-oiled machine programmed to forge ahead with or without a leader. Conspiracies will even suggest that it doesn't even need a prime minister. Therefore my question is why then does he think that Corbyn will be any different from Cameron or Blair? Surely faced with the same pressures the UK will fold”.

And this is what I replied: “Corbyn has introduced a new political vocabulary (actually, it is an old one, but the Blairites in the Party took it to new heights of opportunism … which the people can now - finally - see. We must all vote for Corbyn. My personal wish is that he wins the Party leadership, but does not become PM too soon. What he needs to do (in my view) is to stay in the opposition for some more years, and build cadres from below (especially in the unions and at the community level) who will help rejuvenate the party, restructure it so it is accountable to the people (and not to the City). And help develop a completely new alternative agenda. Corbyn is right in wanting to get out of NATO. I think that UK should remain with the EU, but the EU should decouple itself from the US. If things move faster than I anticipate, then, of course, Corbyn should put the revamping of the Party on a fast track.  The GJN can provide ideas and grassroots support. 2020 might be the year to target”.

A year later I still hold this view.

Can Corbyn change the political-economic dynamics in the UK?  I don’t know; this depends on many things. He has scored some significant victories, as discussed above. For nearly one year – from September 2015 to September 2016 – the Establishment wing of the Labour Party within the Parliament tried to dislodge him.  They failed miserably. I suspect they will continue to thwart Corbyn, acting as Trojan Horses.

The good news is that there is a groundswell of support for Corbyn from the grassroots, especially from young people. Why? … Because they, like the masses in Africa, are bitter against the dominant global order, the exploitation and oppression by the Establishment war lords. Africans have been victims of the Establishment for centuries - during slave trade and later through colonisation, and now under Empire-driven austerity policies called ESAP.

We - all of us from the North as well as from the South - who fight for justice in international relations share a common platform.  Some of the issues are listed above. But we need, as Corbyn has spelled out, a language of political discourse, at both national and global levels.  This discourse fits well with some of the best known traditions in Africa set by leaders such as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of  Tanzania.

What Donald Trump Gets Wrong About ‘Inner Cities’ And Poverty In America

Donald Trump

Donald Trump frequently attempts to court minority voters by promising to improve conditions in America’s “inner cities.”

These appeals have not only largely failed to attract non-white voters — or, as Trump insists on referring to them, “the African-Americans” and “the Latinos” — these statements also highlight Trump’s ignorance about the modern demographics of American cities and the geographical distribution of poverty.

Trump’s statements at the presidential debate on Wednesday night in Las Vegas were typical of his oft-repeated promises to improve the lives of people living in the “inner city,” places he’s described in previous debates as “a disaster education-wise, jobwise, safety-wise, in every way possible” where people are “living in hell because it’s so dangerous.” During his closing remarks at the third and final debate, Trump said:

“We need law and order, but we need justice, too. Our inner cities are a disaster. You get shot walking to the store. They have no education. They have no jobs. I will do more for African-Americans and Latinos than she can ever do in 10 lifetimes.”

However, Alana Semuels, a staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote on Oct. 12: “There might have been a time when conflating inner cities and African Americans was appropriate shorthand, but it’s just not accurate anymore.”

According to an analysis of American Community Survey data by Elizabeth Kneebone, a fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, 52 percent of black Americans in the largest urban areas actually live in the suburbs. Semuels continued:

“There are plenty of reasons that the distribution of where African Americans live has changed. As Millennials and Baby Boomers move back to urban cores, they’re pushing out longtime African American residents. Often, those residents end up in inner ring suburbs, where housing is cheaper, but where there are fewer services and opportunities for employment.”

According to Poverty USA’s analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, black Americans experienced the highest levels of poverty in the United States, with 26 percent living below the poverty line. That means the majority of black Americans — 74 percent — live above the poverty line.

Still, Trump’s focus on the inner city ignores the significant problems posed by suburban and rural poverty. Poverty USA notes that “though poverty is often perceived as a problem of urban environments and inner cities, the poverty rate in metropolitan areas (15%) is actually lower than the poverty rate for people outside of metropolitan areas (17%).”

Citing drops in violent crime, rising home prices in cities, and data that shows “inner cities” are actually thriving, Southern Poverty Law Center recently noted on Twitter: “So if what we really want to talk about is deep #poverty, it can be found in rural #Appalachia as easily as the ‘inner cities.”

Data from the USDA’s Economic Research Service shows that the geographic difference in the distribution of poverty is most pronounced in the South, where 21.8 percent of people in rural areas live in poverty compared to 16.1 percent of those in urban metro areas.

Although Trump has made efforts to appeal to impoverished Americans, his supporters are more likely to think ill of the poor compared to their more liberal or progressive peers. In an Aug. 14 analysis of a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, David Lauter, the Times’ Washington bureau chief, wrote:

“Criticism of the poor – a belief that there are ‘plenty of jobs available for poor people,’ that government programs breed dependency and that most poor people would ‘prefer to stay on welfare’ – is especially common among the blue-collar, white Americans who have given the strongest support to Donald Trump.”

He noted, “Roughly a third of self-described conservatives say that the poor do not work very hard, a view at odds with big majorities of moderates and liberals.”