Diana Asamoah vs Adom Kyei-Duah: A Call for Church-Led Rules on Health Messages

Ghana is a religious country. We respect pulpit voices. We also depend on radio and TV for guidance. That is why the recent clash between Evangelist Diana Asamoah and Prophet Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah deserves a calm, clear look. It is more than a quarrel. It sits at the point where faith, media, and health meet. Done badly, people can be hurt.

I will be open about my tilt. I think Evangelist Diana Asamoah has shown real courage. She has warned the public about teachings and practices she believes mislead people. She has done so knowing she will be attacked for it. When religious messages touch health, that kind of warning is not gossip. It is a public duty. Reports show she has called out practices like presenting drinks in ways that confuse people about spiritual symbols and real treatment. Whether one agrees with her or not, the aim she states is to protect the public. That is worthy of respect.

At the same time, objectivity matters. Prophet Adom Kyei-Duah and his church say they are not pushing medicine as a cure and that some claims made online are not fair. He has also tried to clarify parts of the debate on his own platforms. We should note that. Ghana must avoid trial by viral clip. But we must also ask a hard question. When people hear a message that blurs prayer, ritual, and health advice, what happens in real homes?

Here is why I am worried. Recent reports say a Ghanaian woman in Canada, named in the news as Cecilia Louis, died alone at home. Family members and media accounts claim she avoided food and medicine while seeking healing. These are reports, and some details remain contested. Yet the basic warning is clear. When any teaching leads a listener to stop treatment without talking to a doctor, the risk is real. Lives can be lost.

This is not a fight between faith and science. It is a call for care. Ghana’s own laws point the way. The Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) gives the Food and Drugs Authority power to regulate health claims in advertising and to stop content that can mislead consumers. FDA guidelines for foods and for drugs say advertisements must be accurate, must not target certain serious diseases, and must not blur lines in ways that harm the public. When a sermon or broadcast includes a substance, a device, or a practice that sounds like treatment, the rules matter. The church and the station share the duty to keep people safe.

There is also a wider problem we must name gently but firmly. Our airwaves have too many charlatans. Every week, new voices promise instant wealth, miracle shortcuts, and cures without doctors. This does not honor God. It makes honest pastors look bad. It also confuses the poor, the sick, and the desperate. I have written before that Ghana’s churches must police themselves before the state does it clumsily. The principle is simple. Freedom needs responsibility. If we want the space to preach without fear, then we must guard that space from fraud and harm.

So what should happen now?
First, church-led rules that everyone can see. The Christian Council, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Catholic Bishops Conference, and others should set up a joint review panel. Let the panel receive complaints from the public. Let it check evidence. Let it issue short, clear advisories. The aim is not to punish belief. The aim is to cool tempers, stop insults, and protect the public when messages touch health and money. This is the same self-regulation I argued for in my earlier piece.

Second, a health firewall on air. Stations that host religious shows should adopt simple safeguards. Use a short delay for live segments. Ban personal insults. Require a right of reply when a person is named. If a guest mentions any product or practice with a health claim, insist on FDA clearance or a standard disclaimer. These steps protect listeners, pastors, and stations alike. The law and the FDA guidelines already provide a clear frame.

Third, pastoral referral as normal practice. Testimonies are powerful. They can also be risky when they suggest people should stop prescribed treatment. Pastors and church counselors can help by adding one sentence. Speak to your clinician before you change any medicine. This simple rule saves lives. It also shows that prayer and care can walk together.

Fourth, listener literacy. Dear listener, hold two truths. God heals. Doctors help. Do not replace your treatment with a drink, an oil, a herb, or a prayer cloth without medical advice. If you hear an advert or a sermon that promises a cure for serious diseases, report it to the FDA. Ask for proof. Ask for registration. Your faith is not weaker because you ask questions. It is wiser.

In this light, I return to Evangelist Diana Asamoah. You may disagree with her tone at times. You may prefer a private process. But her core alarm about public health risk is legitimate. When a leading voice says, let us be careful, she is doing a civic service. Objectors can present their evidence. Broadcasters can improve their standards. Regulators can restate the rules. Through it all, the public should not become collateral damage.

We can fix this. Our country has strong churches and smart media leaders. We have laws that value health and freedom. What we need is a shared commitment to protect the vulnerable and defend the integrity of the gospel we preach. If we act now, future disputes will be handled with less heat and more light.

For those who ask what this looks like in practice, I have laid out a simple, Ghana-made model of self-regulation. It respects doctrine. It shields the public. It reduces the need for heavy state action. I invite church leaders and station owners to adopt it, improve it, and own it. The time to clean our own house is now.

Sources and further reading

1. Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and FDA advertising guidance for foods and for drugs.
2. Reporting and social posts on the Canada case and the wider debate around teachings that discourage treatment. These are allegations reported by family members and media, not court findings.
3. News coverage of Evangelist Diana Asamoah’s critique of Prophet Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah.
4. My earlier op-ed calling for church-led self-regulation: “A Sacred Duty: Why Ghana’s Churches Must Police Themselves.”

Dr. Enoch Ofosu | Waterloo, Canada.

Email: [email protected]