Anders Samuelsen said this in an interview with Citi FM’s Director of News Programming, and Host of the award-winning Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, and Portia Sonia Adoley Gabor of TV3 in Denmark, ahead of the Danish Queen’s historic visit to Ghana.

[contextly_sidebar id=”IHvMlga7gtgAH3KWickaWHAV29Vuj3iz”]Denmark has earned global repute for its environmentally-friendly policies which have helped it maintain a ‘green’ outlook despite its industrial prowess, something other countries have tried and failed to achieve.

The Danish Minister believes that industrialization, whilst generally making the lives of the citizens better, will also result in more attention being given to the protection of the environment.

Ghana in particular has had challenges addressing environmental issues, with one of the recent fights being waged against illegal miming, which is destroying water bodies and forest reserves.

In the case of the illegal mining fight for instance, the perpetrators, who consider it a survival issue, appear unconcerned, and they are not perturbed about government’s decision to stop them with the excuse of saving the environment and water bodies from destruction.

Whilst admitting that transition to an industrialized nation might initially have challenges, the Danish Minister believes the eventual shift to a middle-class economy as a result, would be hugely beneficial to the population and would ensure that a lot more focus is given to the environment.

“When you get a middle class, you’ll have pressure to have a better environment. As long as people are very poor and only think about survival and getting to their next meal and take care of their kids, that is more important than the environment. When you move your population into being part of the middle class – what we’ve noticed in Denmark is, when we become richer, we become more focused on the environment,” he said.

“You have to lift your people out of poverty, have a well-functioning democracy, and then you’ll see that with education, you’’ lift your people out of poverty into the middle class and that’s what’s going on in Ghana at the moment.”

Free trade key to poverty eradication

Mr. Anders Samuelsen thus emphasized the importance of free trade in the eradication of poverty in developing countries like Ghana.

According to him, great strides have already been made to reduce world poverty in recent years on the back of limited restriction of trade between nations.

“Free trade is very important for small countries like Denmark, but I guess that goes for all countries around the world as well. What we’re seeing is a tremendous move away from a situation where we have 40% of the world’s population living below the level of not being able to support themselves according to the United Nations figures. In 25 years, we’ve been able to bring it down below 10 percent,” Anders Samuelsen said.

“We would not have been able to do this without free trade. We would have to keep focus on creating a situation where people keep getting educated, and that is the way forward. Of course, moving from aid to trade is difficult, but it’s the only way forward.”

The visit by Ghanaian journalists to Denmark

The 3-day press trip to Denmark for the four selected Ghanaian journalists, is in preparation for the visit of the Danish Queen to Ghana, on November 23 – 24, 2017.

The press trip from October 30 to November 2, 2017, comes with a comprehensive program, including a unique opportunity for a press conference with Her Majesty the Queen.

It will also include visits to businesses and cultural locations in Copenhagen and its surroundings.

Background

At the invitation of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Denmark’s Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen, will visit Ghana from 23 – 24 November on an official State Visit.

The State Visit will emphasize and consolidate the long-standing and well-established relations between Ghana and Denmark, while at the same time marking the gradual transition of the relations from aid to trade.

The Queen will be accompanied by a Danish business delegation within three focus sectors, namely food & agriculture, sustainability, maritime, infrastructure and railways.

Ghana and Denmark have enjoyed strong commercial ties over the years, and this visit by the Queen, is expected to strengthen those bonds.

The Danish Queen is expected to attend the opening of the conference and pay visits to several local business and cultural institutions.
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Middle class population pushes for better environment – Danish Foreign Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Concerns have been raised over the country’s preparedness to contain an outbreak of the deadly disease which has so far resulted in over 600 deaths across Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

However the the Deputy Municipal Disease Control Officer, Patrick Fianu has told Citi News that measures has been put in place to ensure that an outbreak of the disease in the area would be adequately dealt with.

According to Mr. Fianu, special wards have been set up in the various hospitals for suspected Ebola patients where they can be cared for away from other patients.

He said the ward would serve as place to “confine” people who had been infected with the Ebola virus while they were being treated to prevent them from infecting other “healthy people.”

He added that they have also embarked on a massive education drive, “distributing flyers to patients at the hospitals”, while “collaborating with the local radio stations” to sensitize people” on the disease.

The Ministry of Health  announced on Thursday that efforts are underway to establish Ebola treatment centers in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.

Speaking at a press conference on the country’s readiness to combat an outbreak of Ebola, the sector minister, Dr. Agyeman-Mensah insisted that the government will do all its can to protect Ghanaians.

“We will not renege on our efforts to protect the people of Ghana especially our health workers who are at the fore front of this battle against Ebola Virus Disease,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) is asking all churches not to consider the Ebola outbreak as demonic.

General Secretary of the Council, Rev Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong said it is important for people to treat it as a disease and leave the medical officers to do their work.

“People should not spiritualize it as demonic and satanic” insisting that “it is a disease that scientifically has been proven and so we want our people to know that in as much as we want to pray as people of faith, we also must also listen to the technical people and the directions that they give to us.”

Rev. Frimpong stated that health experts will be invited to educate and sensitize church members on the Ebola disease.

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post West Akim health directorate ready for Ebola appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.