Health News of Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Source: GNA

Parents asked to give their children animal source foods

Winneba, (C/R) July 28, GNA - A senior lecturer at the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Sekyi Dawson, has advised parents to often supplement their children's diet with animal source foods for them to grow better physical and mentally. Dr Dawson, who is also the Executive Director of the Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal food Management (ENAM) project, initiated by the University, gave the advice at a ceremony to end their studies in the Effutu Municipality, at Effutu Woalabeba.

The project researched into the Constraints to the Consumption of Animal Source Foods by children.

ENAM project also aims at empowering women in rural communities, both socially and economically, to be able to cater for their children. The project has since 2005 been piloted in Navrongo in the Upper East, Techiman-Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo and Woalabeba-Nsuekyir in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region.

He said the project identified that child care-givers have very little knowledge about the importance of animal source foods. According to Dr Dawson, ENAM had secured credit facilities from rural banks for women under the project in the Effutu area to expand their businesses and improve their financial situation to be able to cater properly for their children. He said most of the women the bank supported had started repaying their loans as their businesses expand. 28 July 09