The Dormaa West District Directorate of Health in the Bono Region has organised a maiden food demonstration exercise to promote the consumption of locally prepared diets, especially among pregnant women in the cocoa growing communities in the district.
The day’s event held at Nkrankwanta followed the rising cases of anemia in pregnancy cases and was attended by farmers, market women, pregnant and nursing mothers, teachers, and many others.
Mostly drawn from Kwabena Dwumorkrom, Nkrankwanta, Yaa Krom and Krakrom cocoa growing communities, the participants were enlightened on appropriate ways of preparing local diets that would improve their health.
Speaking at the event, Mr Daniel Owusu-Amponsah, the Dormaa West District Director of Health advised the participants to eat more fruits, mushrooms, cocoyam leaves (kontomire) which were rich in folic acid.
He expressed concern about the rising cases of anemia pregnancy in the area, saying that research conducted by the Directorate in 2025 showed that the high cases of anemia in pregnancy in the district were as a result of bad eating habits.
Mr Owusu-Amponsah said anemia could lead to loss of blood during deliveries and also contributed to preterm and underweight babies too, saying that event would be organised annually to promote the wellbeing of the people.
He appealed for incubators for the District Hospital to attend to and save the preterm babies.
Mr Wisdom Peprah, the Dormaa West District Nutrition Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the directorate was working to tackle the rising cases of anemia in the area.
He said out of the 212 women sampled about 45 percent were anemic, describing the situation as worrying which required urgent attention, saying that the district was working to ensure that at least the cases were reduced to 35 percent by June this year.
Hence, the need to educate women in the farming communities for them to eat well and also adopt a healthy lifestyle.
The participants were sensitized on the health benefits of local diets like “Ampesi, Konkonte, and fufu” with soup as well as “Konkomire’ stew and other green leaves.
GNA
