Mr Raphael Kwabena Angmortey, Ada East District Nutrition Officer, says there has been a tremendous increase in the iron folate tablet consumption in the district.
He said Girls Iron Folate Tablet Supplement (GIFTS) was an initiative being done in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Education Service (GES) and UNICEF.
It is aimed at tackling anaemia among girls in the country.
He said the uptake had been due to the intensification of education and sensitisation of the residents in the various communities to erase some misconceptions.
Mr Angmortey, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Ada, said some people claimed the supplement was making their children overly fertile, resulting in an increase in teenage pregnancies in the communities.
He said girls between the age of 10 to 19 lost lots of blood during menstruation, and iron and folic acid were important nutrients needed to replenish the lost blood.
The District Nutrition Officer explained that teachers in all basic schools, Senior High Schools, Vocational, and Community Health Nurses had been collaborating to champion the GIFTS initiative in Ada-East.
Mr. Angmortey said a series of community engagement, involving parents of the girls, had been held to educate the stakeholders to understand the purpose of the exercise so they could encourage their wards to take the supplement.
