The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has been ranked the leading institution worldwide in the provision of quality education, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 is about ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, as established by the United Nations in September 2015 among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
KNUST’s recognition was announced in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact ranking in June 2023.
The ranking by THE was based on impartial assessment across four vital domains in research, stewardship, outreach and teaching having considered 1,591 universities from 112 countries with KNUST securing the topmost position with 93.1.
In 2022, KNUST secured the 14th position in the world and the top ranked university in Africa.
Prof. (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, who mentioned these details during an interaction with media practitioners in Kumasi, assured that KNUST would strive to remain the trailblazer in the pursuit of educational excellence worldwide.
She disclosed that KNUST, with a total student population of 89,047 – including 35,354 females (40%), employs a total of 8,083 members of staff with 73.7% being males.
The VC said a total of 26,733 students were admitted for the 2022/2023 academic year into various programmes offered by the University.
She said about 58.1% of the total enrolment are pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related programmes with 44.5% being females.
Professor Rita Dickson also announced that KNUST is currently running 599 programmes, 452 being postgraduate programmes while 147 represent undergraduate programmes.
According to the VC, a significant percent of the programmes are at the various stages of cyclical reaccreditation process with the Ghana Tertiary Educational Commission (GTEC).
She explained that programmes have three years to be reaccredited for new programmes and five years for old programmes.
She reiterated a suggestion that the duration for reaccreditation be extended to 10 years to provide enough time for universities and the GTEC to satisfy the legal obligations of ensuring that all programmes are accredited on time.
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson assured that KNUST would continue to work with GTEC to ensure that all programmes are duly accredited.
Dr Okoe Boye during the courtesy call on the regional minister
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Benard Okoe Boye says President Akufo-Addo is passionate about integrating mental health coverage into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Benefit Package.
Plans, according to him are, therefore, advanced to offset the cost of mental health treatment and make it more affordable for individuals suffering from the condition.
Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye was addressing the Western North Regional Minister, as part of his working visit to the region.
He said there was dramatic improvement in Claims Payments to credentialed healthcare service providers, for which reason they have no excuse collecting illegal monies (Copayments) from NHIS members at the point of need.
“Presently, we make monthly payments to Service Providers whose Claims have been vetted and approved. On July 31st, 2023 we paid additional GHS186 million to our hardworking credentialed Healthcare Providers, reducing the previously piled up debt just to one month.
Western North regional office of NHIA
“As a result of the rapid Claims Payments, we launched a platform known as the ‘Sunshine Policy’, to deepen accountability, transparency and social auditing. Since its launch, suppliers of drugs to healthcare facilities and other stakeholders are able to log onto the NHIS website with privileged access to view payments made to deserving facilities.
“The Benefit Package has successfully been expanded over the years. We have recently added the Free Elderly Healthcare policy for people 70 years and above, the four commonest childhood cancers and a very expensive drug called Herceptin, for breast cancer treatment.”
The Western North Regional Minister, Mr. Joojo Rocky Obeng commended Dr. Okoe Boye’s administration for transforming the NHIS.
In a related development, Dr. Okoe Boye paid homage to the Omanhene of Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Council, Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II, where he called for collective efforts to sustain the NHIS.
“We have a duty to ensure that the NHIS is enlarged, made robust and sustainable. Everybody should get on board and together we can sustain the NHIS,” he said.
Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II, on his part, praised the NHIA Chief Executive’s transformational leadership.
He urged Dr. Okoe Boye’s administration to keep doing its best, which he noted would not go unnoticed.
Projects inauguration
Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye on August 2, 2023 inaugurated two newly built projects in the Western North Region.
These are the Western North Regional and Sefwi Wiawso National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) office complexes.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Western North Regional office, Dr. Okoe Boye thanked NHIS staff in the region for achieving 80 percent of their set targets of the scheme’s active membership.
He encouraged them to go the extra mile and attain 100 percent, in line with the national agenda of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He said the expansion of NHIS infrastructure demonstrated government’s resolve to make the scheme accessible to all. He commended the Regional Coordinating Council and traditional leaders for their continued support in government’s quest to transform the lives of the people.
According to Dr. Okoe Boye, government’s performance in all sectors of the economy, particularly the health sector, is unprecedented.
He encouraged everyone to sign up for the NHIS and gain from the expanded Benefit Package, which includes the four commonest childhood cancers and the free elderly healthcare care for people, 70 and above.
The Western North Regional Minister, Mr. Joojo Rocky Obeng hailed the ‘New NHIS’ and underscored the need to sustain it.
NHIS Funds capping
A former Minister of Health, under whose watch the NHIS was initiated, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie bemoaned the politicisation of health matters, particularly the NHIS.
He lamented the negative impact of the capping of the National Health Insurance Fund and said it was depriving the NHIA of the required funds.
According Dr. Afriyie, the state of healthcare in the country required adequate financing, and insisted that starving the NHIS of adequate Funds is a misplaced priority.
Staff get-together
At a staff get-together, Dr. Okoe Boye interacted with drivers and district managers and promised to address key issues bothering their operations to enhance service delivery.
He thanked the staff for their dedication to duty and tasked them to remain committed and hardworking in increasing the NHIS active membership.
It was an opportunity for the frontline staff to meet face-to-face with their Chief Executive, who is concerned about staff welfare.
Dr. Okoe Boye met the Municipal Chief Executive for the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly, Paul Andoh and also addressed NHIS staff in the district.
The NHIA Chief Executive’s visit to the Western North Region climaxed his working visits to all the 16 regions. The NHIA ultimate goal is to fully drive the national agenda of attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030.
The Authority has taken initiatives and accomplished same in the light of contributing to the overall growth and development of the Ghanaian economy.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mark Okraku-Mantey has submitted his nomination forms to contest the New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries in the Ayensuano constituency in the Eastern Region.
He submitted the forms on August 4, 2023.
He was accompanied by a large crowd of supporters, including party officials, traditional leaders, and members of the general public.
Okraku-Mantey is a popular figure in the Ayensuano constituency, and he is seen as a strong contender for the NPP nomination.
He is known for his work in the tourism and creative arts sectors. While submitting the forms, Okraku-Mantey promised to continue to work hard to develop the Ayensauno constituency. He said that he would focus on improving infrastructure, creating jobs, and providing quality education and healthcare for the people of the constituency.
Ghanaian rap icon, Sarkodie, has recently advocated for compassion and understanding toward young and upcoming artists in the entertainment industry.
Known as the ‘Landlord of Ghana Music’, Sarkodie shared his thoughtful perspective on the challenges faced by the new generation of artists in today’s media-driven world.
Taking to his Twitter account, Sarkodie expressed empathy for the pressures that young talents encounter as they navigate both social and traditional media platforms.
He recalled his journey, acknowledging that during his era, artists had the luxury of making mistakes behind closed doors and learning from them without the constant scrutiny of the public eye.
However, he emphasized the contrasting scenario for today’s emerging artists who are thrust into the limelight from the very start of their careers, leaving little room for privacy and learning from trial and error.
While on tour in the U.S., Sarkodie made a heartfelt plea for the industry and the public to rally behind these budding talents and provide them with the support and nurturing they need. He acknowledged the challenges faced by young artists and urged everyone to approach them with patience and understanding.
Sarkodie empathetically, encouraged everyone to give these young talents a chance to grow and flourish in their careers.
Singer and songwriter Lasmid has revealed on Onua FM his profession before entering full time music.
The ‘Friday Night’ hitmaker said he was undergoing training as a mechanic before venturing into music full-time.
The passion for music kept driving him hence he had to quit to pursue his dream.
“I was a mechanic, “Fita” apprentice (auto electronics) but I was unable to complete it. I was trained for a period between three to six months but I realized that my destiny was in music so I had to stop. The errands too were a lot,”
Although he quit halfway through the training, he still has some expertise in the field should he be guided by a pro.
“I learned a lot of things so I can determine a fault in that regard but would have to get someone to do the fixing after I have identified the problem,” he stated.
“I wasn’t forced to learn the job but I wasn’t willing to do so. It was more like I was at home doing nothing. No one forced me. After a lot of thinking, I realized I had done a lot of difficult tasks before so this was no different; it was normal. I learned the trade at Takoradi”Lasmid added.
Lasmid has said he has no regret for quitting his training to pursue music because it has been worth it.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele is credited with inspiring similar tough-on-crime measures in neighbouring Honduras
For more than a year, Latin American countries have watched as El Salvador swept more than 70,000 people into its prison system, with little semblance of due process, in a bid to eliminate the criminal gangs that have plagued the country for years. And many seem to like what they see.
Despite the suspension of civil liberties and allegations of abuse in El Salvador, politicians in neighbouring countries like Honduras and Guatemala have praised President Nayib Bukele as a model worth emulating.
That admiration is not confined to one end of the political spectrum. In Honduras, left-wing President Xiomara Castro announced her own crackdown on gangs that drew comparisons to El Salvador’s. And in Guatemala, former right-wing presidential contender Zury Rios called El Salvador a “model for reference”.
But while some in Latin America view Bukele in a positive light, others question if his policies can be replicated without eroding democratic safeguards and causing further violence. Since 2022, El Salvador has been under a state of exception, limiting constitutional rights in order to take swift action against alleged crime.
Video Duration 25 minutes 00 seconds 25:00
El Salvador’s Prison State | Fault Lines
“When massive rights violations become commonplace, it’s very rare for this to result in lasting peace,” said Noah Bullock, executive director of the Salvadoran rights group Cristosal, which has monitored rights violations under the state of exception.
The entrance of the door of the building where the couple lived in Forbach, near France's border with Germany
A German man has been arrested after his wife was discovered after 12 years of captivity at their home in France.
The woman, also German, was semi-naked with her head shaved when they found her in a bedroom in the apartment, a French police source told AFP.
Police said the bedroom where the woman was found was closed off with metal wire at the residence in Forbach, eastern France, on the German border.
The 55-year-old man is being held on suspicion of kidnap and other offences.
The woman, who is 53, was believed to have gained access to a phone and called police in Germany, who alerted their French colleagues, the police source said.
The man, who is also facing allegations of aggravated rape and torture, is being held in the eastern French city of Metz, broadcaster BFMTV said.
Germany’s Bild newspaper interviewed neighbours, who said the suspect told them his wife had cancer and was “screaming in pain because of her illness”.
French media reports also said police found a diary-type notebook in the flat, in which it was believed the man kept a record of his actions, including the times he gave his wife food.
Public health experts warned that the cramped living conditions of the barge increase the risk of respiratory infections spreading
The controversy over the transfer of asylum-seekers onto a barge moored in southern England deepened on Monday, when public health experts warned of the possible risk of infection in living conditions that campaigners branded as inhumane.
The first group of migrants has arrived on board the boat, named Bibby Stockholm, which is docked in Portland, on the Dorset coast of southwest England, PA Media news agency reported. More people are expected to embark later on Monday.
Plans announced by the UK government in April to house around 500 single adult men on the vessel struck a political nerve in Britain, where the Home Office has ramped up hostile policies towards refugees in a bid to reduce the number of small boat crossings in the face of the European migrant crisis.
Medical practitioners flagged safety concerns over the Bibby Stockholm, after it was called a “death trap” by the UK’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Wednesday.
Prof. Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said respiratory infections were more likely to spread in cramped spaces with narrow corridors and doorways.
“Generally respiratory infections, as we’ve all learnt through the pandemic … are at higher risk in confined settings with poorer ventilation, so the sorts of things we look at is what the ventilation is like,” she told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” show on Monday.
The agency will visit the barge to assess the “infection prevention control” once migrants are on board, Harries said, adding: “We know that the accommodation complies with marine standards, which is what has been agreed is correct for that particular accommodation.”
More than 3,000 US military personnel have arrived in the Red Sea on board two warships, part of a beefed-up response from the United States after alleged seizures of several civilian ships by Iran, the US Navy said.
The US sailors and marines entered the Red Sea on Sunday after transiting through the Suez Canal in a preannounced deployment, the US Fifth Fleet said in a statement on Monday.
The deployment adds to a growing US military buildup in tense Gulf waterways vital to the global oil trade and led Tehran on Monday to accuse Washington of inflaming regional instability.
The US military says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally-flagged ships in the region over the past two years.
They arrived on board the USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall warships, providing “greater flexibility and maritime capability” to the Fifth Fleet, the statement from the Bahrain-based command added.
The deployment adds to efforts “to deter destabilising activity and de-escalate regional tensions caused by Iran’s harassment and seizures of merchant vessels,” Fifth Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins told the AFP news agency.
USS Bataan is an amphibious assault ship that can carry fixed-wing and rotary aircraft as well as landing craft. The USS Carter Hall, a dock landing ship, transports Marines and their gear and lands them ashore.
