Editorial
Eat more fruits and veggies, less carbs
Poor nutrition causes illnesses and ultimately death worldwide, particularly in low-income nations according to research.
In Ghana, access to and the quality of food are becoming increasingly problematic.
“We are not eating well, and our diet has now become a source of disease and death for us,” stated Professor Anna Lartey, the former Director of Nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, during a keynote speech.
Prof. Lartey disclosed this at the launch of the UG Nkabom Seminar Series, Honours Programme, and Mentorship/Internship Programme in Accra.
She also disclosed that over 3.1 billion people worldwide lack the financial means to maintain a healthy diet, with approximately 1 billion of those individuals living in Africa. In Ghana, roughly 65 percent of adults lack the financial means to maintain a wholesome diet.
People these days habitually consume junk food, so “if you live in an area where the foods around you are highly processed foods and junk foods, it is most likely to influence the kinds of foods you will choose.”
One of the main issues is that a lot of Ghanaians eat a lot of carbohydrates and not many fruits. In order to live a healthy life, people should eat more fruits and vegetables and less carbohydrates.
The Spectator praises the “Nkabom Collaborative,” a strategic project that aims to revolutionise Ghana’s agri-food system by enabling the youth to take advantage of opportunities in the food and nutrition value chain, notwithstanding the seriousness of the situation.
The goal of the programme was to prepare the young people to become the future generation of tech-enabled farmers, manufacturers, agritechpreneurs, and inventors of agrifood products.
Therefore, The Spectator exhorts young people to take advantage of the chance to gain employable skills and support the growth of the country.
Regarding the initiative, which aims to increase young women’s, people with disabilities’, and internally displaced people’s access to nutrition and agrifood systems, we think that with coordinated efforts, the programme’s goal of creating 55,000 jobs and 3,000 SME establishments over the next ten years will be accomplished.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has recommended that every Ghanaian eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and we support this suggestion. This implies that output will fall short of our needs.
Nonetheless, we think that the demand would open up more doors for many Ghanaians, particularly young people, to pursue careers in agriculture in order to bring about a sustainable agri-food revolution in Ghana and beyond.
In order to promote a healthy lifestyle, this will cover food systems like production, processing, retail, consumption, and disposal with an emphasis on a clean food environment.
To solve issues with the food system and advance food security, concerted national initiatives are required.
The recent floods in Accra and the neighbouring areas, which were brought on by a heavy downpour, were very catastrophic and caused loss of lives and property damage.
Similar severe flooding and downpours were also reported in other regions, which has caused anxiety and dread whenever it rains.
In a short period of time, the floods had a dangerous effect on entire communities and landscapes. Because of this, a lot of people are now temporarily putting up with friends or family members.
Videos that went viral on social media showed cars and other valuables being swept away by the floodwaters with little to nothing being done to stop them.
Certain organisations, including the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, were not spared because the flood level damaged important documents and swamped their premises.
Even locations outside of flood-prone zones were inundated by the floods.
The rains would intensify along with thunderstorms, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), which is tasked with observing, analysing, and disseminating weather and climate information to protect lives, promote economic planning, and maintain public safety.
It is important to remember that increased evaporation and atmospheric moisture due to climate change might intensify rainfall. Furthermore, more catastrophic floods are caused by heavy rainfall and shifting topography.
We discussed the causes of floods and mitigation strategies in our earlier editorial, “Accra floods necessitate change in attitude.”
Although the current flood situation is dire, safety can be greatly improved by being ready and understanding what to do.
The Spectator encourages the public to make an effort to be well-informed about weather predictions and take the required precautions to stay safe because the GMet is now providing accurate forecasts.
Make excellent use of the alert services that you can sign up for these days to get notifications on your phone.
Water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, batteries, prescription drugs, crucial documents in waterproof containers, and first aid supplies should all be prepared and kept readily available.
Safeguard your house and offices, relocate valuables to higher floors, and raise electrical appliances off the ground.
Avoid coming into contact with floodwater whenever you can since it might be tainted with chemicals, sewage, and other dangerous substances and also reptiles.
To make sure your neighbours are secure, it is crucial to check on them, especially if they are elderly, disabled, or living alone.
Additionally, parents need to make sure their children do not play in or close to floodwaters.
Let us be careful as there are floods everywhere.
Dear Editor,
I wish to plead with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) to dispatch personnel to some of the flash points when it rains.
What happened last Monday and Tuesday at major transport terminals must not be something that must be repeated.
I wish to first of all commend the Interior Minister, Mr Muntaka Mubarak for the swift intervention by announcing the ‘holiday’ that gave workers and school children a relief.
It was such a tough moment for workers driving and those not driving. The situation at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange and other transport terminals forced workers to walk long distances.
Apart from the lack of public transport, pedestrians had to navigate through mud, making it difficult to move around.
I believe that with the presence of police personnel, the traffic situation can be well managed to ease the huge traffic congestion to make travelling a lot easier.
Frank Amoah,
Kasoa
