"Stop consuming Trans-Fatty Acid Foods, they're dangerous" — Deputy Health Minister warns

The Deputy Minister for Health, Hon. Mahama Asei Seini has cautioned the public to desist from consuming Trans-fatty Acid (TFA) food.

According to the Deputy Minister who doubles as a Member of Parliament, TFA foods are very dangerous and harmful to human health.

"We must therefore be careful with the kinds of foods we purchase and consume."

Hon. Mahama Asei Seini made these remarks when he officially launched the Industrially Trans-Fatty Acids (iTFA) Awareness Creation and Advocacy Campaign Materials under the theme, "Making Ghana TFA Free to Improve Healthy Health”.

The campaign which is being championed by the Institute of Leadership and Development ( INSLA), a non governmental organisation and it’s partners started in May 2021 and is expected to end in 2023.

He applauded INSLA for creating the platform to fight and eliminate TFA from Ghana and called on all to support the Institute to achieve its objectives .

"We all have a huge role to play in this fight and it must start from our respective homes by checking kinds of oils we use in frying our foods," she stated.

The Minister urged the public to discourage people from using and reusing fatty oils that are very harmful to their health. "The oils we use in our homes are poisonous and very dangerous to our health."

He further encouraged that that the publi to read and make good use of the materials and leaflets that were produced by the Ghana Health Service ( GHS). "The information contained in the leaflets are very positive which I believe will go a long way to help and guide the people in practicing healthy food consumption."

According to the Deputy Health Minister, education, awareness creation and abstain should be the key words in this battle to make Ghana a TFA free country.

"We must make sure that we create the needed awareness through education by letting the people aware of the dangers associated with TFA so as to abstain from purchasing and consuming such unhealthy foods which are harmful to our health, he pointed out," she emphasised.

Mr. Jerry Kekeli on his part applauded INSLA’s resolve to champion the course of the people by fighting TFA and other diseases in Ghana. "Happy to see our partnership with INSLA flourishing since last year and we are always ready and open to partner and support INSLA."

Through the efforts of INSLA, Mr. Jerry Kekeli announced that Ghana will soon be the first country in the West African sub region to eliminate TFA. “We need public education and legislation to achieve the purpose of the project”.

In his welcome address, Mr. Benjamin Anabila, the INSLA Director commended the efforts of the media since the commencement of the project in 2021 and further called for the continues dissemination of the information to the people.

He promised that they will ensure that the information get to the rural communities and in so doing, they will collaborate with other sister organisations through education and awareness creation.

Mr. Benjamin Anabila pointed out that fighting TFA is a very complicated venture which needs multifaceted approach by all stakeholders.

He used the opportunity to thanked all stakeholders in the fight against TFA such as MOFA, FDA, WHO ,FAO and others for their continuous support and guidelines.