Anaemia is third killer of pregnant women in Ashanti

Kumasi, Feb. 10, GNA - Anaemia has been identified as the third cause of death among pregnant women in the Ashanti region, accounting for between eight to 23 percent of all maternal deaths in the region. Dr Kyei Faried, Ashanti Regional Senior Medical Officer of Public Health, said 38 per cent of pregnant women in the region who attend antenatal clinics were anaemic.

Speaking at the Ashanti regional celebration of the first anniversary of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Kumasi on Monday, he said, this ranged between 11 and 70 per cent across the districts.

He identified the low intake of food, overcooking, poverty, ignorance, food fads and taboos as the main causes of anaemia and malnutrition among women.

Speaking on the theme for the celebration: "Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Live Longer", Dr Kyei Faried said the malnutrition rate among children from zero to 23 months in the region stood at six per cent and that most of the children if not all were also anaemic.

He expressed regret that most people were not well fed food requirement differed in respect with age.

Dr Kyei Faried said this year, control plans for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Buruli Ulcer would be intensified and that it was expected that by the second anniversary, the Service would have achieved significant improvement in the control strategies.

"It must, however, be stated that most of the control interventions will require changes in specific household and family practices," he said.

Dr Faried said bush clearing around houses, desilting of gutters, disposing of tins and cans appropriately, getting children under five years and pregnant women to sleep under insecticide treated mosquito nets and managing fevers at home were all major interventions that communities must take up to prevent malaria.

He lamented the destruction of the environment through bush fires, which deprive the country of certain fruits and vegetables and therefore called on all as a national duty to help prevent bush fires.