Ghana Health Service raises concern about obesity, overweight among children  

Rising Obesity in Children: Concerns from Ghana Health Service

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is worried about rising obesity in children.

Mr. Joseph Owusu Asante, a nutritionist at the Bono Regional Health Directorate, shared his concerns. He linked this issue to over-nutrition and urged families to manage their children's eating habits.

He described the situation as alarming. If parents do not act, children may face health problems later in life.

Mr. Asante emphasized the importance of physical activity for children. He encouraged families to let kids play and help with chores like washing and cleaning.

At a recent meeting for African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW) in Sunyani, he spoke about nutrition's role in child health. Regular junk food intake harms children's current and future health.

The Bono Regional Directorate of Health organized this meeting to raise awareness about immunization and child health services. It aimed to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders like government agencies, community leaders, and health professionals.

Mr. Asante noted that good nutrition is vital for a child's success in life. Over-nutrition can lead to serious health issues.

On breastfeeding, he reported positive trends from 2022 to 2024. In 2024, continued breastfeeding at one year reached 95.1 percent.

Exclusive breastfeeding rates also improved: 90.5 percent at three months in 2024, compared to lower rates in previous years.

Early initiation of breastfeeding was strong too, with figures of 95.6 percent in 2024.

Mr. Asante stressed the need for free Vitamin A supplements for all children aged six months to five years. Vitamin A deficiency causes preventable blindness in children.

While coverage for infants aged 6-11 months exceeded 90 percent each year, it fell below 50 percent for those aged 12-59 months due to low clinic attendance.

He highlighted that Vitamin A supports children's health and development by fighting infections and promoting growth.

Dr. Prince Quarshie, Deputy Director of Public Health at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, called on stakeholders to support GHS initiatives for better health outcomes.

The AVW began in 2010 by WHO to promote lifesaving immunization efforts annually from April 24th to April 30th.

The CHPW was introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2004 to improve child survival rates and runs from May 5th to May 9th each year focusing on nutrition and preventive care for young children.