GNECS champions egg consumption at Manfe Ohum festival

The Coordinator of the Ghana National Egg Campaign Secretariat (GNECS), Madam Comfort Kyerewa Acheampong has reiterated the nutritional value of consuming eggs adding that they are very essential for the healthy growth and development of the human body.

She has therefore advised Ghanaians to add eggs as part of the protein in the preparation of household meals and urged the public to consume eggs daily and stressing that eggs can be eaten with all kinds of food.

Madam Comfort Kyerewa Acheampong was speaking during the celebration of the 2021 Obaapa Women and the Children’s Day at Akuapem Mamfe Ohum in the Eastern Region under the theme, “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Teenage Pregnancy Must Stop: Creating Safe Spaces for our Adolescent Girls.

In attendance was the Mamfehene and Kyidomhene of Akuapem Traditional Area Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III, Queen mothers of Mamfe and Obaapa Nana Hemaa Awindor, Afigya-Kwabre Nkosoohemaa of the Obaapa Development Foundation.

It was supported by UNFPA, Verna Mineral Water, Tasty Tom, PATH, USDA and the Ghana National Egg Campaign Secretariat.

Madam Comfort Acheampong used the occasion to dispel rumours and myths surrounding the consumption of eggs and urged all to add it to their meal and can also be prepared alongside variety of dishes.

Nagwmsi Nuhu, a registered dietician of the Ghana Dietetics Association also dismissed the myth that suggests that the consumption of eggs is associated with obesity.

“The consumption of eggs is not associated with obesity and there is no limitation in the intake of eggs”, he stressed.

“Eggs are very good to the health of children; thus, parents must add eggs to their meal”, he said, adding that it helps build good eyesight and effectively enhances the brain.

The Executive Director of Obaapa Development Foundation, Nana Hemaa Awindor said the foundation plays advocacy role in teenage pregnancy and supports women to attend antenatal services for the wellbeing of their unborn children in order to be safe and healthy.

Mamfehene and Kyidomhene of Akuapem Traditional Area, Osabarima Ansah Sasraku III called on parents to live up their commitment of taking good care of their children especially sending them to school and also inculcate sound and good moral values in their livelihood to enable them become responsible in their future endeavours.

Dr. Agnes Kayitankore, UNDP Ghana deputy representative

The UNDP Ghana deputy representative Dr. Agnes Kayitankore on her part, emphasized that the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) mission is to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. To do this, she said “we want to keep mothers from dying, provide access to resources for proper family planning and end SGBV and harmful practices such as child marriages and female genital mutilation”.

She acknowledged that the Obaapa Women and the Children’s Day was one of the many necessary conversations that must be done in order to name and shame what has rightly been declared a global “shadow pandemic” by the UN women in 2020 especially after the heightened increase of Sexual and Gender-Based violence (SGBV) cases during the covid 19 pandemic.

According to data from the Ghana health service, in 2020, 2,865 pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 10-14 years, with 107,023 pregnancies recorded among girls aged 15 to 19 years. “This means that there are at least 100,000 babies being born to mothers who many not have the mental, physiological and financial capacity to take care of them”, she lamented.

She was of the view that while it is evident from the theme of the event that there is a consensus that SGBV and teenage pregnancy must stop, it still remains to be seen in an unparalleled degree of commitment at all levels of authority to putting a stop to these twin ills.

She therefore called on all stakeholders to assist in finding a lasting solution to the menace.

“We have a joint obligation as leaders, [particularly Traditional leaders, parents, teachers, guardian, mentors, role models to create safe spaces for our adolescent girls and youth. In doing so, we may finally find the much-needed cure to a pandemic that has crippled our societies for generations”, she emphasized.

GNECS also sponsored the cooking competition on the day as well as shared boiled eggs to young adolescents who took part in the event.