Call for children's personal hygiene and proper feeding

Kade, July 23, GNA - Mrs. Charllote Amponsah Kwaebibirem District Public Health Nurse has said buruli ulcer, which was unknown in the district had surfaced there and the only way of avoiding it was to observe strict personal hygiene.

She therefore advised parents to ensure that the bodies and clothes of their children are always clean in order to avoid contracting diseases.

They should also feed them on nutritious and balanced diet for both physically and mentally growth.

Mrs. Amponsah gave the advice at a Parents Teacher Association (PTA) meeting of the Nane Appiawiah Memorial Preparatory School at Kade.

She said the nails of children should be cut regularly, their teeth brushed twice a day and they should be trained to frequently wash their hands with soap and not only before and after meals.

On feeding, she said good food should not necessarily be expensive and mentioned some of the good foods as beans, leafy vegetables like "kontomire", palm oil and fruits. Mrs. Amponsah explained that such food items were vital for growth and mental development of children which, began in the womb of their mothers.

She said it was therefore, necessary for pregnant mothers to eat lots of vegetables and fruits.

Mrs. Amponsah advised parents to keep medicines and pesticides away from the reach of children since it could poison them and also ensure that children did not get near boiling water or soup and also avoid sharp objects that could injure them, especially their eyes.

She advocated the use of only iodated salt to avoid iodine deficiency which could retard the physical and mental development of children and also result in many health problems, including goitre.

Mr Danso Darkwa, Kade branch Manager of the Kwaebibirem Rural Bank said with little planning and accessing facilities at the banks, parents could afford to educate their children and improve the family's welfare. He said the bank had a range of assistance packages for those doing business with it such as loans to improve businesses and called on the public to feel free to contact the bank since it was not only for big business people.

The Headmaster of the school, Mr D. K. Osei, cautioned parents against confronting teachers who disciplined their wards and said they should instead discuss problems with the Headmaster or Proprietor. He advised that children not feeling well in the morning should be treated instead of being sent to school, adding that as much as possible they should be fed at home before being sent to school.

The Proprietor of the school, Mr John Michael Aikins told the Ghana News Agency that he would organize a forum every two months to educate the public on issues affecting their well-being.

He said children of the school who were hospitalized had part of their bills paid by the school and those who lost their guardians had a term's fees waived.