'Educate children on good nutrition'
A monitoring and evaluation report compiled by the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, on the knowledge of schoolchildren about nutrition has advised parents to be concerned about the nutrition and health needs of their children.
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The report recommended that parents should be involved in educating children on good nutrition to help them make choices in relation to eating healthy diets.
The report was released after a one-year monitoring and evaluation of the programme dubbed the ‘Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme’ in some cocoa growing areas of the country.
The programme was implemented in partnership with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana.
The programme, which started on a pilot basis in the cocoa growing districts of Juaboso and Agona East in the Western and Central regions respectively in 2001, was expanded to cover Savelugu-Nanton, Kwahu North, Afram Plains and Adansi South/North in the Northern, Eastern and Ashanti regions respectively, in 2013.
To date, over 10,000 pupils, 360 teachers and officials from six districts have benefited from the Nestle Healthy Kids programme.
The report
The monitoring and evaluation assessed the nutritional knowledge, knowledge in hygiene and sanitary practices as well as behavioural change in the implementing schools.
Presenting the report to the GES and the media, Dr Gloria Otoo from the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Ghana said, “The results demonstrate that the programme was effective in improving the overall nutrition knowledge and practice of beneficiary pupils.”
According to the report, in the Central and Western regions,19.2 per cent and 34.2 per cent of children respectively who were part of the Nestlé Healthy Kids programme were able to correctly identify more food groups and food nutrients, compared to 7.8 per cent and. 3.4 per cent, respectively, of children who were not part of the programme.
The Acting Director-General of the GES, Mr Charles Tsegal, commended the company for their initiative in promoting good health of schoolchildren.
He advised Nestle to use teachers to run the programme in the selected schools to make it more successful.
Nestle Ghana’s support
In a speech presented on his behalf by Mr Aaron Fenu, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, the Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Mr Moataz El Hout, said: “We are continuing to develop new ways to measure the effectiveness of our programme. Over time, we want to develop it into an evidence-based, impactful initiative that contributes to the health of local school communities.
“Long-term success will depend on the ability of the education system to reintroduce nutrition education and physical activity in participating schools,” he said.
Nestlé Healthy Kids reached 6.9 million children in 68 countries in 2013.