The Nutrition Officer at the Ho Municipal Health Directorate, Dzifa Adzornu, has called for the consumption of more water, protein, fruits and moist-based foods to replenish the body and boost the immune system during the Harmattan season.
She noted that most people, especially children, lose weight during the dry season and underscored the need for individuals to consume at least eight glasses of water a day to remain hydrated.
Madam Adzornu, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said moist foods such as soups and porridge must dominate menus, and added that daily consumption of fruits and vegetables strengthened the immune system, whilst preventing respiratory tract infections, which often occurred due to increased pathogens in the dusty atmosphere.
She said proper food hygiene must be considered, and asked consumers of street foods to buy from vendors who operated in clean surroundings while also avoiding cold meals.
Madam Adzornu advised parents to ensure kids had nutritious and wholesome homemade foods in school, and asked them to replace unhealthy snacks and sweets with fruits and more water.
She also called on nursing mothers to breastfeed babies at regular intervals, and stressed on good hygienic practices which included hand washing with soap at all times.
Madam Adzornu said air-borne infections spread easier with the fast winds of the dry season, and advised the public against open sneezing and spitting at inappropriate places.
–
Source: GNA