The Eastern Regional Health and Education Directorates have raised serious concerns over poor feeding of school children and increasing sedentary lifestyle warning of risk of non-communicable disease health crises such Hypertension, type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer among children.
At a joint press conference on Wednesday April 26, 2023, by GHS and GES, the Eastern Regional Deputy Health Director Dr. John Ekow Otoo explained, there has been decline in malnutrition among children under 5 years.
However, there is significant increase in malnutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies among school children and adolescents blaming the situation on poor dietary practices, including intake of high sugar, high fat diets, sweets, and other foods of poor nutritional value.Eastern Regional Deputy Health Director, Dr John Ekow Otoo, said this is the reason GHS and GES in the Eastern region with support from UNICEF have initiated Nutrition Friendly Initiative in 130 Basic Schools in 26 MMDAs to help improve health of schools children through quality meals, eating of fruits, ensuring hygiene and safety among others.