Renowned health expert, Professor Margaret Lartey, has called on individuals and governments to take action against environmental triggers that can cause allergies and other health-related problems.
Globally, allergies affect 30-40 percent of people, with serious impacts on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. In Ghana, healthcare workers and allergic individuals perceive food allergies as a newly emerging issue. Allergies result from an inappropriate response to an allergen and can affect multiple organs over time.
Speaking at the Omni Diagnostics Allergy Symposium, Professor Lartey highlighted the impact of pollution and increased vehicle use on air quality, which can contribute to the rise in allergies and allergic reactions.
Professor Lartey emphasized the importance of recognizing and identifying triggers, and helping patients to avoid them. However, she also noted that certain triggers, such as traffic pollution in densely populated areas, may be difficult to avoid.
The issue of allergies and environmental triggers is not just limited to the health sector, as it involves other industries such as transport and infrastructure. Professor Lartey also stressed the need for accurate diagnosis and treatment, as what may be an allergen for one person may not be for another.
“Sometimes when it comes to the population, you usually prioritize other things, but when it comes to individuals suffering, it’s hard to ignore,” said Professor Lartey. She also acknowledged that research into the prevalence and impact of allergies in Africa is limited, and called for more studies to be conducted to fully understand the scope of the problem.
Professor Lartey stressed the importance of investing in capacity building for health workers and other professionals to help identify and treat allergies caused by environmental triggers. She also called on individuals to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing by recognizing and avoiding triggers where possible.
Omni Diagnostics Ltd (ODL), a state-of-the-art health facility, has announced plans to provide allergy testing services in Ghana, citing the importance of early diagnosis and management of allergic reactions.
Speaking at the Omni Diagnostics Allergy Symposium, the MD for ODL, Mrs. Pamela Zormelo, explained that the move was informed by a personal experience of finding a reliable allergy testing facility for her daughter, which required her to travel abroad.
She stated that ODL had invested in world-class equipment, including a Phadia 250 Allergy Testing Machine, sourced from leading manufacturers such as Thermo Fisher, to ensure that the laboratory testing services are of high quality and reliable.
Mrs. Zormelo highlighted the importance of allergy testing, particularly for susceptible individuals, particularly children, who may experience life-threatening allergic reactions. She stressed that ODL was committed to providing affordable allergy testing services that are closer to the patient, to ensure that diagnosis and management of allergies are timely and effective.
Omni Diagnostics is an accredited health facility that provides high-quality laboratory examinations and services essential for the investigation, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of disease conditions of clinical and public health importance. The facility operates with strict adherence to ISO 15189 protocols and has installed a comprehensive Laboratory Information System (LIS), designed to improve speed and efficiency.
The MD of ODL emphasized the company’s commitment to collaborating with physicians to provide safe, effective, and high-quality laboratory information in support of investigations, diagnosis, and management of diseases, particularly allergies, from diagnosis to management.
The move by ODL to offer allergy testing services in Ghana is expected to provide relief for individuals and families who previously had to travel abroad for such services.
