Koforidua, Aug. 29, GNA - Participants at a lecture on the rejuvenated health programme, organized by the eastern division of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), to climax the 50th anniversary celebration of the association in the Region on Thursday, called for the extension of such lectures to schools.

They maintained that, education on healthy life styles, which informed people on the types of food to eat, what to drink, and what to avoid, to live healthy and longer lives, would be better if directed to the youth, and therefore appealed to the GMA to extend such educational programmes to second cycle institutions in the region. Speaking at the programme, Dr J. Appiah-Kusi, Physician Specialist of the Regional Hospital, Koforidua, observed that about half of the death of the adult population in the Koforidua Municipality were caused by poor life styles.

He advised the adult population to visit hospitals for periodic medical check ups, to enable health authorities to detect any health problem that might be starting, because early treatment was best, rather than to wait until the situation got worse before rushing to hospital. Dr Appiah-Kusi said many young people in the Koforidua Municipality have developed liver problems due to excessive consumption of alcohol, and advised them to reduce their intake of alcohol, and undertake regular exercises to help improve their health.

Earlier in a welcoming address, the Chairman of the Eastern Regional Chapter of GMA, Dr Frimpong Boateng, called on the people to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. He advised people to consume their fruits first, before taking the main meal, instead of the other way round where people normally ate the main dish before taking fruits.

Dr Boateng explained that, the consumption of fruits before the main dish helped to reduce appetite and control obesity. The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, in a remark called on all organizations to join the campaign to ensure that the December general elections were conducted in a free and fair environment.

He said accusations and counter accusations by the various political parties that characterized the recently held limited registration exercise, made it difficult for one to predict a violent-free election in the country in December. 29 Aug. 08