The selling of sugar-sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks in schools has been outlawed by the Eastern Regional Education Directorate.
The choice was made in response to the shocking discovery of health effects among schoolchildren.
Eric Sakyi, Regional Head of Inspectorate at GES, said fruit days have been implemented in many schools to encourage parents to provide fruits to their children as a supplement to their diets. He was speaking to Starr FM on the sidelines of a joint press conference by the Eastern Regional Education and Health Directorates on Wednesday in Koforidua on nutritional challenges among schoolchildren.
To encourage kids to eat healthily, the Eastern Regional Health and Education Directorates, with assistance from UNICEF, launched the Nutrition-friendly School Initiative (NFSI) in 130 chosen elementary schools throughout 26 municipalities and districts.
During the joint news conference, Eastern Regional Health Director Dr. Winfred Ofosu noted that while malnutrition among children under the age of five has decreased over time, it has significantly increased among school-age children and adolescents.
Ghana is struggling with the triple burden of malnutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, notably among schoolchildren and adolescents, despite a continuous drop in the majority of malnutrition indices at the national level.
The initiative’s current minimum packages ensure that caterers who supply school meals plan and prepare meals from a menu chart prepared in accordance with the four-star (4****) diet. This includes access to healthful and nutrient-dense foods.
“The menu chart ought to be accessible in the school for consultation. Provide a clean atmosphere for dining with sufficient hand washing facilities. School authorities should make sure caterers install food on well-covered tables and that it is covered to prevent flies and dust from collecting on it.remarked Dr. Winfred
The initiative makes sure that school officials advise parents to discourage including sugary foods and drinks in their children’s lunch boxes. Schools should promote healthy eating, particularly the intake of iron-rich foods, fresh fruits, and vegetables. To promote kids’ consumption of fruits and vegetables, they must also implement fruit and vegetable days, which should occur 1-3 times each week. To encourage pupils to eat a variety of proteins, schools must implement a protein day once a week.
The concept also requires schools to offer play areas for physical activity.
Additionally, schools should make sure that physical education is provided effectively in classes as per the schedule. aerobic exercises lasting one to two minutes should be implemented in schools. For the purpose of attractiveness, wind protection, and food production, schools should grow fruit and vegetable trees on their grounds.
Additionally, several strategies and programs are being implemented by the Ghana Health Service and Ghana Education Service in coordination with MMDAs in the Eastern Region with the goal of enhancing adolescent nutrition and health.
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The construction of toilet facilities, the provision of pipe-borne water and veronica buckets, and the management of menstrual hygiene, which includes the provision of changing rooms for girls, are prominent among these.
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