News
Health alert: Stop packing hot, oily foods in plastic bags
Ghanaians have been advised to desist from packaging hot or oily foods with plastic bags as it posed serious health implications.
Speaking at an event to mark World Food Safety Day in Accra last Tuesday, Professor Esther Sakyi-Dawson, Associate Professor of Food Science, University of Ghana, cautioned that transfer of harmful substances from the plastics into food could be linked to many chronic illnesses that was fast increasing in the country.
“The ingestion of these chemicals can affect the endocrine, hormonal, and immune systems of the human body. It is, therefore, dangerous to consume an oily or hot meal like banku, wrapped in these plastics,” she warned.
Prof. Sakyi-Dawson said not every plastic bag are to be used for foods due to the chemicals used in processing it.
“For example, the black ones generally are used to carry things. You should not put your food into it because they are non-food grade and it must not have direct contact with your food; same with the white polythenes,” she explained.
“While proposing a ban on such low-grade, non-food grade plastics, the Food Scientist encouraged Ghanaians to lookout for food-grade plastics which are often thick to use for food packaging and storage when necessary.
“The onus is on the consumer to make the right decision on the use of these plastics for their own health and life. Take your life into your hands and make the right decisions concerning what goes into your body,” she advised.
This year’s World Food Safety Day was on the theme: ‘Food Safety: Science in Action,’ emphasising the vital role that scientific knowledge plays in ensuring food safety and building trust in the food supply.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 600 million people suffer from foodborne illnesses and more than 400,000 deaths occur in a year from food contamination.
In Africa, at least 91 million people suffer from foodborne diseases annually, accounting for a third of the global deaths, with 40 per cent occurring in children below five.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
The sharp increase in malaria cases among children under five years in the Amansie West District is beginning to raise concerns among health workers in the area.
According to health officials, malaria cases generally in the district has shot up with data revealing more than 38,000 cases at the Out-patient Departments (OPD) in 2025.
This marks over 2,000 increase over the 2024 figure of 36,000.
But worryingly, it is the increase among infants that is beginning to occupy the attention of the health workers in the district.
According to the data available, malaria cases among the kids have jumped from the 8,000 recorded in 2024 to 10,000 in 2025, marking a 25 per cent increase.
That was linked directly to abandoned pits left by illegal mining activities, commonly known as ‘galamsey.’
The Amansie West District Director of Health Services, Mr Bernard Badu Bediako, stated in an interview that these abandoned pits have become high-volume mosquito breeding grounds across the district.
Commemorating the occasion of the 2026 World Malaria Day, Mr Bediako called for a united front to eliminate the disease from the district.
The problem, he emphsasised, was also compounded by the situation where both children and adults don’t complete the course of their malaria treatment.
Consequently, he urged residents of the district to complete the full course of anti-malaria medication rather than abandon treatment after beginning to feel well, a practice he identified as a key driver of persistent infection.
He also strongly encouraged the consistent use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, acknowledging complaints from some residents about discomfort but stressed that “sleeping under treated nets remained far safer than the risk of severe malaria.”
Mr Badu commended the management of Asanko Gold for supporting the fight against malaria, and announced that public education had been intensified across communities, with health authorities now shifting emphasis from malaria control to outright elimination.
Marking this year’s commemoration, Asanko Gold Ghana Limited organised a free health screening exercise for residents of Manso Abore and surrounding communities, covering malaria testing, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and general medical consultations.
The company also distributed over 2,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets to Senior High School students within the catchment area.
The company’s General Manager, Justice Fenteng, in a speech read on his behalf, said Asanko Gold’s commitment extended well beyond commemorative activities, pointing to ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure, including the construction of Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds at Tetrem and Krofrom to bring essential medical services closer to rural communities.
“These are long-term investments aimed at improving access to healthcare and strengthening our communities,” Fenteng stated.
He called on residents of Manso and its environs to regularly use mosquito nets, maintain clean surroundings, seek early testing, and take preventive measures seriously, stressing that eliminating malaria required collective action beginning from individual homes.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Mr Jonathan Korsinah, the Nkwanta South Municipal Education Director, has described the first week reopening of schools in the area as unencouraging due to low pupil attendance turnout across several communities.
According to the director, a major factor contributing to the situation is the recent spats of conflicts and associated gun running in the area, which has made parents hesitant to send their children to school.
He said enrolment has been exceptionally low after the Easter break, which opened on April 21.
The director indicated that most parents in the affected areas of the conflict are expecting assurances of the safety of their children and consistent presence of teachers before allowing their wards to resume fully.
Speaking to the GNA, Mr Korsinah said the lingering concerns over the low turnout could be associated with the ongoing groundnut planting season in some communities as many pupils and students would accompany their parents to their farms instead of returning to the classroom.
The director also noted that some parents appear indifferent about the reopening, showing little urgency in ensuring their children return to school.
Furthermore, he said that despite the low turnout of pupils, teachers have reported to school and remain ready to carry out their duties as authorities work to improve attendance in the upcoming weeks.
Mr Korsinah, therefore, encouraged parents to allow their wards to return to school as the second week approaches, assuring of their safety.
He emphasised that the current academic period is the third term, which is crucial in promoting pupils to the next class, and urged parents to prioritise their children’s education. –GNA
