Cape Coast, Jan. 20, GNA - A three-day workshop designed to promote maternal and child healthcare and healthy nutritional lifestyles, opened in Cape Coast on Wednesday with a call on Ghanaians to adopt healthy habits in order to prolong their life span. Mr. Kofi Adusei, National Programmes Manager of the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme (RHNP) expressed concern that even though some diseases are preventable through simple practices such as good eating habits and regular exercising, lack of information by some district health personnel has been the bane of the prevention of such medical problems.

The training workshop was organised by the RHNP for 60 trainers of the programme and other health personnel from the 17 districts in the Central Region. It seeks to create public awareness on healthy practices. He noted that the risk of contracting some diseases could be prevented if people avoided bad habits such as smoking, unsafe sex and eating of too much salty, sugary and fatty foods and rather drink a lot of water and exercise regularly.

Mr. Adusei said the RHNP had initiated a number of programmes to reduce the impact of diseases in the country. He observed that apart from disease prevention, healthy lifestyles could enhance productivity and help the country to attain its dream of becoming a middle income economy. The Regional Focal person for RHNP, Mr. Samuel Yenyi said participants would be taught how to prepare local beverages, as well as promote the use of natural products such as Soya beans in health care delivery.

He said the programme had targeted the districts because much has been done at the regional and national levels already. Mr. Yenyi said health personnel at the district level were expected to incorporate the education of healthy living practices into their normal work schedule.

The Communications Director for RHNP, Mr. Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko said the programme was initiated in 2005 and had since received a lot of assistance from the government. He appealed to individuals and organisations to support the sustenance of the programme.