By Prof Lungu

This is not magic...When a country does not have enough primary care physicians, or nurses, or specialists... it helps to first prevent the spread of germs, diseases... Not too long ago, a driver's mate (aplanke) was in the news telling riders or a reporter who cared to listen that for weeks he would actually not take a bath...'...(G)ross things...happen to your body when you skip showering for two days straight...bacteria...

Humans carry around 1,000 types of bacteria...including 40 types of fungus... There is nothing "Nutri" about brushing your teeth with a sweet drink, even if it is Kalyppo. It is bad for your teeth...Advise and challenge drivers, aplankes, restaurant workers, office workers, friends, etc, who neglect to take baths, or neglect to change their shirts and clothes frequently...

Covering odor with scents and fragrances does not help Ghana...An unbathed nation is surely is not a productive or respectable nation...", (Prof Lungu, 14 October, 2016).

This essay on sickness and wellness has important public policy implications because good health and wellness are important engines of a nation's economic growth, development, and standing in the eyes of the world.

This is important to Ghana on account of the stage of national development (arrested national development as those familiar with the Kwame Nkrumah record will say), where the preponderance of healthcare is provided by government at a rate that is approximately 7.5% of the nation's GDP. This is important to Ghana because Ghana has only about 0.1 physicians per 1,000 adults and children, compared to:

Cuba (6.7)
Ukraine (4.8)
West Bank (1.3)
India (0.7)
South Africa (0.78)
Indonesia (0.3)

This is not magic!

When a country does not have enough primary care physicians, or nurses, or specialists, or technicians, it helps to first prevent the spread of germs, diseases, and sickness from person-to-person, from public transport to the home, from home to the workplace, and from country to another country. The better grasp a country has over the diffusion of disease in a country, the cheaper it is on the GDP bottom-line, and the happier its citizens, in health and wellness.

Not too long ago, a driver's mate (aplanke) was in the news telling riders or a reporter who cared to listen that for weeks he would actually not take a bath because according to his Christian faith, the human being is made up of sand, so, the more frequently he bathes, the quicker he will meet his grave.

Now, there are reports families (adults and children) are actually using a sweetened beverage, Kalyppo, marketed to children, to brush their teeth, even bathe.

Regardless of their individual circumstances, this is preposterous!

It is necessary that public health officials intervene with credible, scientifically-grounded information to assist those so ignorant among the almost 28 million Ghanaian population, with information that explains plainly that not taking a bath frequently is adverse to individual health, same as brushing ones teeth, or bathing, with Kalyppo.

Ghana civil service, police administration, emergency administration, education professionals, employers, corporations, etc., should all incorporate health information in their training programs for personnel, drivers and mates, safety professionals, and so forth.

In a recent article, quoting TwentyTwoWords, Katie Jones reports:

"...there are a number of pretty gross things that happen to your body when you skip showering for two days straight. The first problem comes down to bacteria...Humans carry around 1,000 types of bacteria around with them, including 40 types of fungus... While most of these are actually good for us, it needs help fighting off the bad bacteria from soap..."You can't contain the bad bacteria if you don't shower,"...And if they find their way to your eyes, nose, or mouth, you can get sick...

Bacteria is also the cause of body odor. In fact, the gases given off by bacteria can reportedly lead to around 30 nasty smells from one body...Showering helps to keep skin blemish-free by preventing oils in the skin from building up, which is particularly important...", for active people.

Clearly, in a country like Ghana where over 17,000 people reportedly die annually as a result of exposure to air pollution alone, with children and women being the most affected victims, (Gina McCarthy, a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator), bathing, and daily bathing with deodorant is an important key to national health and safety.

Clearly, in a country like Ghana where health officials attribute "...increasing rate of blindness to inadequate number of optometrists in the country, where 190 thousand persons are known to be living with blindness, where there are just about 590 optometry professionals, among them just 200 doctors (Dr. Seth Lartey, Eye Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), neglecting to bathe and risking harmful bacteria in the eyes of citizens ought to be of tremendous concern to all.

Then there is the case of people reportedly using that "sweet tasting" beverage, Kalyppo, to brush their teeth and/or take a bath.

This is preposterous!

Safe to say, there is nothing "Nutri" about brushing your teeth with a sweet drink, even if it is Kalyppo.

It is bad for your teeth, if you do not know. It is bad for the health of the nation. It is a sure fire way to rotten teeth for all in the family, and in the nation.

Not surprisingly, many people have written about the Kalyppo drink, praising Akuffo-Addo for sipping it, praising other for taking the "Kalyppo Test, praising the idea that it is made in Ghana, etc.

Good, if Kalyppo is made in Ghana!

But, the problem with sweet drinks like Kalyppo is, they account for increasing rates of obesity in every country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to the Indian, to the East China Sea. This is new phenomenon confronting nearly every country. In the US, the problem has to do with use of "High Fructose Corn Sugar" in beverages, condiments, and sauces. "High Fructose Corn Sugar" is not "NUTRI", if by "NUTRI" the makers of the Kalyppo want to imply "Nutritious". Nor is even use of sugar cane, the more natural product.

So, Kalyppo, what are you made of, in what proportions?

Meanwhile, Ghana, let's tighten up on the bathing routine!

Take time to nicely advise and challenge drivers, aplankes, restaurant workers, office workers, friends, all who neglect to take baths, all who neglect to change their shirts and clothes frequently.

Clean water is necessary if one wishes to brush ones teeth, but don't, with a sweet beverage!

Covering odor with scents and fragrances does not help Ghana, or your skin.

An unbathed nation is surely a sick nation!

An unbathed, rotten-teethed nation is certainly not a productive or respectable nation.

So it goes, Ghana!


Sources:

1. GNA. Air pollution killing Ghanaians (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Air-pollution-killing-Ghanaians-477769).

2. Katie Jones. TwentyTwoWords, (http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/news/a49560/this-is-what-happens-if-you-dont-shower-for-two-days/).

3. Ghanaweb. Inadequate optometrists contribute to high rate of blindness, (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Inadequate-optometrists-contribute-to-high-rate-of-blindness-477655).

4. World Factbook. Physicians Density (Physicians/1,000 Population), (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2226.html).