Wear yellow mask to create awareness on brittle bone disease - Gender Minister

Ghanaians have been encouraged to wear yellow nose masks to help create awareness on Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) popularly called brittle bone disease.

The idea to wear the yellow mask to mark this year's International awareness week celebration of OI was conceived by Ghana's OI Ambassador, Ayeyi.

This year's International Awareness Week for OI is celebrated from May 2 to 9, with the climax, which is known as Wishbone Day celebrated on May 6.

The yellow colour is the official colour for the celebration as it is considered to symbolise optimism and positive future.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra today [May 6, 2020] on the importance of the day, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Cynthia Morrison, encouraged parents not to discriminate against children with OI.

She said children with OI needed to be shown love, adding that they deserved to be treated with care and love.

She said although it was nobody's wish to give birth to children with undesired conditions, when such children are born, they should be given the treatment every child needs.

Mrs Morrison said it is not the "fault" of the child to come to this world with conditions such as OI.