Editorial
Don’t use polythene bags to store hot, oily foods
Ghanaians have been advised to refrain from putting hot or oily foods in plastic bags because it poses major health risks.
The warning states that storing hot foods in polythene bags, especially ones that are not made for food storage can cause dangerous chemicals to leak into the food, which could be dangerous for one’s health.
Professor Esther Sakyi-Dawson, an Associate Professor of Food Science at the University of Ghana, gave this warning at a World Food Safety Day celebration in Accra on Tuesday.
With the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action,” this year’s World Food Safety Day focused on the critical role that scientific knowledge plays in guaranteeing food safety and fostering confidence in the food supply.
According to Prof. Sakyi-Dawson, when plastics are heated, toxic substances can seep into the food, contaminating it and raising the risk of several chronic illnesses, including hormone imbalances, reproductive problems, and even some types of cancer, which are on the rise in the nation.
According to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), food contamination causes over 400,000 deaths annually and 600 million foodborne illness cases.
Also, a third of all deaths worldwide are caused by foodborne illnesses, which affect at least 91 million people in Africa each year. Of these, 40 percent are in children under the age of five.
Given the concerning statistics, there is an urgent need to raise awareness that eating hot foods like banku, rice, waakye, or “koko” (porridge) wrapped in plastic is extremely harmful to one’s health.
It is more important to avoid putting food in black plastics, which are not food quality and are typically used for carrying items. Similarly, white polythene should not come into close contact with food.
Despite the warning, Ghanaians have been urged to watch out for food-grade plastics, which are frequently thick, to use for food packing and storage as needed
Since “to be forewarned is to be forearmed” The Spectator advises consumers to put their health first by making the appropriate choices about what they put into their bodies for their own safety.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
