The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has held an engagement to seek the support of the media for the successful implementation of the Girls Iron Foliate Supplement (GIFTS) in the Upper West Region.
It was in collaboration with Ghana Education Service (GES) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Wa on Tuesday, June 07, 2022.
Mr. Michael Kamal Seidu, the Officer In-Charge of the GIFTS programme implementation, said the importance of the programme is to reduce anaemia among pregnant women and adolescent girl children in the country and the region in specific.
He said the programme started in the country in 2016 and was divided into phases and Upper West Region is among the regions to implement the programme in the third phase, after regions such as the Northern and Volta Regions.
He noted that the media engagement is to help ensure the successful implementation of the programme in the region.
He said the GES would ensure all adolescents girl in school receive the supplement.
They will also be expected to liaise with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for appropriate supply of logistics.
Mr. Seidu said available data indicates that about 42 per cent pregnant women and 48 per cent of adolescent girls are anaemic.
He said the pregnant women are required to take folic acid, while this programme [GIFTS] also targets the adolescent girls.