Esther Sarfo
January 2026
Esther
Sarfo
Community Health Nursing & Public Health
Powerhouse Hospital, Tafo
Ashanti Region
Ghana
Esther Sarfo, a Community Health Nurse, exemplifies the fearless compassion required to challenge deep-seated medical myths.
Esther Sarfo: The Stigma Breaker
Esther Sarfo, a Community Health Nurse, exemplifies the fearless compassion required to challenge deep-seated medical myths. While traveling home after work, she witnessed an individual having an epileptic seizure on the roadside, surrounded by a crowd paralyzed by the belief that the condition was a contagious "demonic possession."
Esther immediately ordered her vehicle to stop and rushed to the patient's side. She took control of the emergency, ensuring the patient’s safety by loosening his clothing and positioning him to prevent injury, all while calmly educating the fearful onlookers that epilepsy is a medical condition requiring care, not a spiritual attack.
Her commitment to the patient’s holistic recovery went far beyond the roadside. After the man regained consciousness, Esther accompanied him home with a local pastor to investigate the root cause of the episode. Discovering that he had defaulted on his medication due to poverty, she and the pastor provided personal financial support for his hospital review and medication.
Beyond this incident, Esther is a proactive health advocate, having screened over 100 women for breast cancer this year to correct misconceptions and promote early detection. By treating the person and the community simultaneously, Esther embodies the true spirit of public health nursing.
Esther Sarfo, a Community Health Nurse, exemplifies the fearless compassion required to challenge deep-seated medical myths. While traveling home after work, she witnessed an individual having an epileptic seizure on the roadside, surrounded by a crowd paralyzed by the belief that the condition was a contagious "demonic possession."
Esther immediately ordered her vehicle to stop and rushed to the patient's side. She took control of the emergency, ensuring the patient’s safety by loosening his clothing and positioning him to prevent injury, all while calmly educating the fearful onlookers that epilepsy is a medical condition requiring care, not a spiritual attack.
Her commitment to the patient’s holistic recovery went far beyond the roadside. After the man regained consciousness, Esther accompanied him home with a local pastor to investigate the root cause of the episode. Discovering that he had defaulted on his medication due to poverty, she and the pastor provided personal financial support for his hospital review and medication.
Beyond this incident, Esther is a proactive health advocate, having screened over 100 women for breast cancer this year to correct misconceptions and promote early detection. By treating the person and the community simultaneously, Esther embodies the true spirit of public health nursing.