Smiles of Hope, a community-based organisation dedicated to providing emotional rehabilitation to amputees, hosted a one-day symposium on Saturday, July 5, 2025, to educate its members on using food as medicine to manage diabetes and hypertension, and to address the issue of obesity within their community.
The event, one of the organisation’s quarterly educational forums for its members, was held in Osu, Accra, with support from its partner, STAND.
According to Madam Valeria Adzatia, Founder and Executive Director of Smiles of Hope, diabetes-related conditions are the leading cause of amputation in Ghana.
She noted that over 60% of Smiles of Hope’s members had amputations due to complications from diabetes.
Madam Adzatia explained that inactivity resulting from their conditions often leads to obesity, creating additional health challenges for amputees.
She added that a health screening conducted last year revealed a significant percentage of those screened had diabetes and hypertension, necessitating the educational forum focused on managing these conditions through diet.
The symposium taught participants how to utilise readily available Ghanaian ingredients, fruits, and vegetables to effectively manage diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
Madam Adzatia urged the public to end the stigmatisation of amputees, emphasising that amputation is not communicable or a curse, but rather a medical outcome.
She called for support and compassion, as the situation can be traumatising, causing psychological and emotional distress.
Madam Forzia Abdul-Rahman, a nutritionist with Jubail Specialist Hospital in Tema, facilitated the symposium and highlighted the crucial role of diet in overall health.
She cautioned diabetic and hypertension patients against consuming junk food and emphasised that even the right foods, when eaten in the wrong proportions, can be detrimental to the body.
Madam Forzia covered topics such as diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), risk factors for diabetes, symptoms, and management strategies.
Participants learned about appropriate food choices, viewing food as medicine, making healthy selections, and creating effective food combinations to reduce hypertension and obesity.
She also shared strategies for transferring their newly acquired knowledge to others.
Madam Forzia urged the public to prioritise annual health checks, saying, “You should visit the hospital at least once a year. If you wait to get sick before visiting the hospital, you might be rushed in with an emergency condition which could lead to early death.”
Several participants who spoke with DisabilityNewsGH.com expressed deep appreciation to the organisers and requested more educational programmes.
The event, one of Smiles of Hope’s largest, drew over 200 participants from the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions, including amputees and their caregivers.
Smiles of Hope was established four years ago. While most of its members are from the Greater Accra Region, the organisation is now expanding its services into the Eastern and Central Regions.
Smiles of Hope provides emotional rehabilitation to amputees through peer counseling, where trained amputees use their lived experiences to support new amputees, complementing the work of clinical psychologists and other healthcare professionals.
This is achieved through community-based support group meetings, where experts such as prosthetic specialists, clinical psychologists, and physiotherapists are invited to provide education on managing their conditions.
Smiles of Hope also conducts hospital interventions, partnering with hospitals that invite them to assist newly amputated individuals.
These interventions are followed by home visits, where amputees and their families receive guidance on adjusting to their new circumstances.
Smiles of Hope encourages all amputees across the country, including those anticipating amputation, to contact them at 0559983797 or visit their website at www.smilesofhope.me.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
Keep it up because you are saving lives and also you giving good health for people with amputated and diabetic patient, Thank you once again