National Food Fortification Programme launched in Western Region

Takoradi, April 24, GNA - Dr Linda Vanotoo, Deputy Western Regional Director of Health Service has called for concerted efforts to address problems of micronutrient deficiency among people that might have adverse effects on socio-economic development in the country.

She said the School Feeding Programme could ensure appropriate feeding to help children. Dr Vanotoo made the call when launching the National Food Fortification programme in the Western Region at Takoradi on Wednesday. The theme for the programme was "Strengthening Private-Public Partnership to Control Hidden Hunger".

She identified women and children as groups whose intake of micronutrient rich foods was limited essentially due to certain socio-cultural practices and economic factors.

These, Dr Vanotoo said had necessitated the identification of other means of providing essential micronutrients to these vulnerable groups. "The National Food Fortification Alliance (NFFA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with four wheat flour millers, a vegetable oil manufacturing firm and two importers of bulk vegetable oil to ensure that these products are fortified," she said.

Dr Vanotoo said 72 per cent of children aged between two and five years suffer from vitamin "A" Deficiency and 76 per cent of the same age group were anaemic.

Anaemia among pregnant women was 20 per cent in 2007 due to low consumption of foods rich in vitamin "A" and iron even though such foods were abundant in the country.

Dr Vanotoo said the campaign to provide vitamin "A" Supplementation for vulnerable groups achieved high coverage and said new strategies had to be adopted to ensure that the exercise achieved the needed impact. She said NFFA would evolve a comprehensive and sustained collaboration of government and other stakeholders to improve nutrition of Ghanaians to reduce the prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Mr Frank K. Nagatey, Head of Destination Inspection Unit of Ghana Standards Board (GSB) said the three-year Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Fortification Project would begin a comprehensive national food fortification strategy to fortify selected foods besides salt.

He said this would help to alleviate the problem of micronutrient deficiency diseases highly prevalent in the country. Mr Nagatey said a Legislative Instrument to amend existing food law to incorporate fortification of wheat flour and vegetable oil had been submitted pending Parliamentary approval.

Mr George Paintsil, Western and Central Regional Zone Officer of Food and Drugs Board (FDB) the executing agency of the programme said micronutrients deficiencies resulted in impaired intelligence, inadequate strength and energy that led to low productivity.

He spoke against the use of potassium bromide by some bakers in their operations and warned that offenders would be prosecuted. Mr Paintsil said FDB had been mandated by law to ensure safety of consumers and would enforce them.

He appealed to the media to support operations of FDB and other collaborative agencies to educate the public on the national food fortification programme.