Enhance babies’ food with micronutrient powder - Nutrition Officer

Mr Ebenezer Gyasi, Birim Central Municipal Nutrition Officer at the Municipal Health Directorate has recommended to parents to add Micronutrient Powder to babies' food to promote their optimal growth.

He said micronutrient powder contained zinc, iron and vitamin A and was in an encapsulated form that should be sprinkled over regular meals once a day.

He said it enhanced food with micronutrients, but not interfering with the taste, adding, “It is given to babies between the ages of six months and 23 months old.”

Mr Gyasi was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the climax of this year’s Child Health Promotion Week commemoration at Akim Aboabo on the theme: "Sustaining Child Health Service in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic."

Mr Gyasi said parents could get micronutrient powder at health facilities across the country while education on its benefits and usage were given by nurses.

The Ghana Health Service with support from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is implementing the Micro Nutrients Powder for children.

Mr Gabriel Gaisie, Municipal Assistant Nutrition Officer, added that nutrients’ deficiencies such as iron, folic acid and zinc caused anaemia leading to severe consequences on the mental, physical and social development of children.

He urged parents having children between the ages of six months and five years old to take their wards to health facilities for vitamin 'A' supplementation which boosted the immune system.

At the climax of the week celebration, Mr Eric Ofori, an official from the Birth and Death Registry in the Birim Central Municipality, called on parents to register their children at birth, stressing, it was a baseline to capture the data of children.

Ms Theresah Nyamekye, Municipal Health Promotion Officer called on parents to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols on social distancing, wearing of nose masks and frequent handwashing with soap under running water.