Berekum West Health Directorate decry low turnout in Folic -Acid intake for adolescents project

The Health Promotion Office in the Berekum West District Health Directorate of the Bono Region, Mr. Emmanuel Afrifa has said most teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 15 years are not patronizing in the iron-folic acid intake among teenage girls in the Junior High Schools in the District. 

According to him, is an initiative by the Ghana Health Service to promote the eradication of anemia among teenage girls in the country. 

Under the initiative, all girls in JHS, SHS, and TVET institutions would receive one (1) combined Iron and Folic Acid tablet containing Ferrous Fumarate [60mg of elemental Iron and 400µg (0.4mg) Folic Acid] once every Wednesday under Direct Observed Treatment (DOT) of a designated member of staff (class teacher, school nurse, matron).

He said the challenges facing them as a Directorate is that, some headteachers and even teachers themselves in some various schools are not encouraging their girls between these ages to accept the intake of the iron-folic acid dose in the school every Wednesday within the week.

Mr. Afrifa is however calling on both parents and teachers to support the promotion of this initiative to enable the girls to regain the blood loss after menstruation.

It also helps the adolescent's body system to fight all kinds of diseases that may occur in the girls as they are grown.