Ga West DCE Express Worry about low standards of Education

Amasaman, Feb.7, GNA- Mr Eric Busby Quaartey-Papafio, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Amasaman, on Friday expressed worry about the low standards of education in the area, stressing that the district has the infrastructure "but children are just not ready to go school".

He therefore, advised parents against spending lavishly on funerals and other ceremonies and instead invests in the education of their children.

Mr Quartey-Papafio was speaking in an interview with the GNA after a five-day training of trainers' workshop on "Regenerative Health and Nutrition" for the Ga West District at Amasaman.

He advised parents to provide their children with balanced diet since it played a crucial role in their development.

Mr Quartey-Papafio expressed regret that some people in the district were underweight due to poor eating habits of women during pregnancy and children right from their infancy to adulthood.

He explained that the quality of food children eat in their first five years contributed to their level of Intelligent Quota.

Mr Quartey-Papafio said "The district used to be the food basket for the Greater Accra Region " but the youth in this district now moved into sand winning to the neglect farming"

He however, said the district remained a major producer of pineapple, pawpaw, cashew, mango and vegetables.

Mr Quartey-Papafio said, "Unfortunately, our people produce these fruits and vegetable for sale and export but do not consume them so that they can get nutritional value needed for their proper growth".

He commended the government for initiating the project and the school-feeding programme.

Mr Quartey-Papafio advised matrons and cooks in the districts to update their skills to enable them help solve the underweight problem.

He announced that a steering committee has been inaugurated to collaborate with heads of department in districts to organise a campaign for healthy lifestyle of the people and ensure the sustainability of the programme.

Mr Quartey-Papafio appealed to the people to adopt healthy lifestyles by doing more exercises, drinking more water, eating more fruits and eating less meat.

Dr Cynthia Kwakye Maclean, Ga West District Health Director, also told the GNA that the poor nutritional status of the district was due to the poor socio-economical situation of the people.

She said though much education has been done, "it has been difficult to transform them into action".

Dr. Maclean also attributed the problem to the peri-urban nursing mothers who emulated the lifestyles of nursing mothers in the urban setting who would not want to breast feed their babies after delivery.

"To them, breastfeeding their babies exclusively would not let their breast look nicer therefore they fail to give the babies the breast milk and we have totally condemned that practice and are ensuring that they do the right thing".

Dr. Maclean called on parents especially mothers to ensure that they feed their children on nutritious diet and not on chunk and fatty foods that will put the health of the children in danger.

She commended the Ministry of Health for coming out with a programme aimed at changing the lifestyles of people to renew their strength through what they eat and prevent diseases at the same time.

The training was aimed at explaining a new policy by the Ministry of Health that seek to enhance the health status of Ghanaians through the promotion of healthy lifestyles with emphasis on nutrition.

It was also to improve health and nutritional status of children towards their physical and mental wellbeing.

The project, which was being implemented on pilot basis throughout the country, was under the theme "Renew Your Strength: Prevent Disease".

Members of religious groups, traditional birth attendants, school matrons, journalists and officials of non-governmental organizations attended the Amasaman programme.