Jusban Foundation, a charity and humanitarian organization has organised a health screening and provided free food for the youth at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and its environs in the Greater Accra Region.

This initiative was part of Jusban Foundation's Care for the Street Program.

The residents also benefitted from free general health screening and immunisation services, including malaria tests, eye screening, blood pressure check, ear, nose and throat diagnoses, dental healthcare, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), hepatitis B, HIV and many more.

They were further provided with free general consultation and medication according to their ailments and treated to a variety of meals and drinks to refresh them.

The exercise which benefited hundreds of youth in the area was supported by the Foundation's partners including Health Practitioners from the Adanse Akurofrom District Health Directorate in the Ashanti Region and Auntie Linda Foundation.

The Cheif Executive Officer of Jusban Foundation, Justus Kofi Bansah stated that the intervention is part of the foundation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) to advocate for the need to prioritize the health needs of the youth on the streets as well as the disadvantaged and underserved in society.

According to him, the foundation chose Kwame Nkrumah Circle as the place for the screening because apart from it being densely populated, it has a huge market area and is home to a lot of underserved young people who are unable to afford the high cost of medical care.

"We have been on the streets before and understand how it feels to be given less attention by everyone around you. In these settings, the public hardly cares about what you eat or your health status and that informed our decision to offer assistance to them," he stated.

He further made a passionate appeal to the government to address the increasing numbers of youth on the streets by providing job opportunities as well as decent and affordable accommodations to them.

Mr Bansah said this would help reduce unemployment and other social vices such as robbery, and drug addiction among others.

Public Health Nurse at Adanse Akurofrom District Health Directorate, Madam Margaret Afriyie stated that malaria and high blood pressure were identified as the most common illnesses, and the youth who tested positive were given medications and medical advice on how to stay healthy.

She further stressed the need for enhanced efforts by the government, parents and guardians to reduce the increasing level of streetism in Ghana.

She stated that "Most young people are on the streets due to lack of parental care hence the need for parents to develop closeness with their children in order to know and understand their problems. Government must also implement measures that promote job creation in order to prevent the phenomenon."

Madam Linda Awoenam Donkor of the Auntie Linda Foundation also advised Ghanaians to commit to self-testing and urged the youth to embrace HIV self-testing to promote early detection and curb new infections.

The Jusban Foundation is a humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The Foundation has undertaken various humanitarian programs including building a mechanised borehole at Mallam as well as supporting the needy and less privileged across the country.