The Elijeko Foundation, in collaboration with the National Ambulance Service (NAS), has launched a public education initiative aimed at improving emergency response and reducing deaths from cardiac arrest and other cardiovascular emergencies in Ghana.
The initiative, known as the “Basic Life Support” project, seeks to equip members of the public with essential pre-hospital emergency care skills, particularly cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), to enable bystanders to provide lifesaving assistance before professional medical help arrives.
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The project was launched in Kumasi on the sidelines of a one-day workshop on cardiovascular diseases.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, the Founder of the Elijeko Foundation and U.S. Navy veteran, Andrews Kwabena Nyantakyi, said many lives continue to be lost because bystanders often lack the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively during medical emergencies.
He cited World Health Organisation (WHO) data indicating that cardiovascular diseases claim approximately 17.9 million lives globally each year. He added that Ghana recorded about 14,103 cardiac-related deaths in 2020.
Mr Nyantakyi said the Elijeko Foundation was established in 2016 to address healthcare challenges through preventive health education, medical outreach and community training programmes.
According to him, the foundation has reached more than 40,000 beneficiaries across the country and continues to expand its services to underserved communities with limited access to quality healthcare.
He explained that the Basic Life Support project adopts a community-based approach to educate the public on recognising emergencies and providing immediate assistance to victims of heart attacks and cardiac arrest.
“We identified a gap in the healthcare approach in Ghana, that is, being unable to handle emergencies and preventable deaths, so we partnered with the National Ambulance Service to begin the Basic Life Support Workshop,” he said.
Mr Nyantakyi noted that the programme is designed to promote direct community engagement while equipping Ghanaians with the knowledge of when and how to respond to emergencies before patients are transferred to health facilities.
As part of the initiative, the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM) and its members participated in the training programme, which focused on CPR awareness and basic emergency response techniques.
He said a team of instructors from the United States travelled to Ghana to support the training sessions, which form part of broader efforts to strengthen community preparedness and improve survival rates during medical emergencies.
