The S.Y.A. Black Empowerment Community, a Toronto-based not-for-profit group devoted to uplifting Black voices, hosted its first-ever Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Info Session on Sunday, August 10. The occasion, held at St. Joseph Anglican Church in Toronto, marked the start of what organizers intend to make an annual custom geared toward elevating consciousness about this often-overlooked genetic situation.
The session was held in partnership with the Tima Kumkum Basis from Ghana, led by celebrated media persona and G6PD advocate Cynthia Tima Yeboah, identified broadly as Tima Kumkum. Tima, who lives with G6PD deficiency herself, delivered a transferring private testimony that highlighted the significance of early testing and public schooling, particularly in communities the place the situation is extra prevalent.
G6PD deficiency is a hereditary situation through which the physique lacks the G6PD enzyme, important for shielding purple blood cells from injury. Although widespread amongst people of African, Mediterranean, Center Jap, and South Asian descent, the situation stays under-discussed in lots of communities.
Attendees additionally heard from Juliet Opoku, a Canadian Registered Nurse and Licensed Diabetes Educator, who introduced her experience in group well being to the forefront. Opoku, additionally CEO of Dwelling a Steadiness Life Inc., delivered an informative and accessible presentation overlaying the causes, signs, triggers, and administration methods for G6PD deficiency. She emphasised the essential position of early analysis and community-wide consciousness, significantly in racially numerous populations.
“The aim isn’t just to tell however to empower,” mentioned Opoku. “After we perceive our well being dangers and know find out how to navigate them, we construct stronger, more healthy communities.”
St. Joseph Anglican Church, a longstanding hub for Toronto’s Ghanaian and Black communities, served as the perfect venue for the session. Its dedication to group engagement supplied a welcoming and inclusive surroundings for open dialogue and shared studying.
This inaugural occasion has laid the muse for what organizers hope will develop right into a key date on the well being schooling calendar for Black communities in Canada and past. By bridging international advocacy with native experience, the S.Y.A. Black Empowerment Community is making a culturally resonant mannequin for public well being schooling.
“We’re excited to hold this ahead,” mentioned an S.Y.A. consultant. “Well being schooling must be accessible, related, and rooted within the communities it serves.”
As the primary of its form in Toronto, the G6PD Info Session has not solely sparked dialog—it has impressed a motion.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Feedback, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform don’t essentially symbolize the views or coverage of Multimedia Group Restricted.
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