Ghana Burns Survivors Foundation Calls for June 3 to Become National Burns Awareness Day
The Ghana Burns Survivors Foundation has urged the government to officially designate June 3 as National Burns Awareness Day, arguing that the date — which marks one of the country’s most tragic national disasters — should serve as both a day of remembrance and a launchpad for sustained public education on burn prevention.
In a statement issued ahead of the anniversary, the Foundation said the designation would “transform remembrance into action,” helping to save lives, improve support systems for survivors, and strengthen nationwide awareness of burn hazards.
Burn injuries continue to affect thousands of Ghanaians each year, leaving many survivors with long-term physical, emotional, social, and economic consequences. Children, women, and workers in informal sectors remain particularly vulnerable, the Foundation noted, citing domestic fires, gas explosions, electrical faults, industrial accidents, road crashes, and the unsafe handling of flammable substances as persistent threats.
The organisation outlined several objectives that a formal Burns Awareness Day would advance: strengthening public education on fire and burn prevention, promoting safety practices in homes, schools, and workplaces, encouraging early response and proper first aid for burn injuries, and building momentum for stronger national policies on burn prevention and survivor welfare.
“We aim to increase public education on fire and burn prevention; promote safety practices in homes, schools, workplaces and public spaces; encourage early response and proper burn care; and strengthen national policies on burn prevention and survivor support,” the Foundation stated.
The call comes against a backdrop of recurring fire disasters across the country. Market fires, domestic gas explosions, and industrial accidents have claimed lives and destroyed livelihoods with troubling regularity, yet public investment in burn care infrastructure and prevention campaigns remains limited. The Foundation’s proposal would institutionalise awareness in a way that successive governments have so far failed to do.
The Foundation also issued practical safety advice to the public, urging Ghanaians to regularly check gas cylinders and electrical connections, keep flammable materials away from children, avoid unsafe fuel storage and illegal electrical connections, and learn basic first-aid measures for burns and emergencies.
The appeal was directed not only at government but also at civil society organisations, healthcare professionals, traditional leaders, development partners, and the media, reflecting the Foundation’s view that burn prevention requires a coordinated, society-wide response.
“Together, we can build a safer and more compassionate society where preventable burns are reduced, and survivors are supported with care, dignity and hope,” the statement added.
The question now is whether lawmakers will act on the proposal. Designating a national awareness day is a relatively low-cost intervention, but the real test lies in whether it would be accompanied by the kind of sustained funding and policy reform needed to meaningfully reduce Ghana’s burn burden.
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