Almost half of pregnant women in Bawku West are anaemic — GHS 

Statistics from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has revealed that almost half of the pregnant women in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region in the first quarter of 2024 were anaemic.

“For our first quarter alone, 47 per cent of our Antenatal clients, that is, pregnant women who are 36 weeks are currently anaemic, that means, about half of our pregnant women who are almost at the point of delivery are anaemic,” Mr Cosmos Atawoje Minyila, District Director, Ghana Health Service said.

Mr Minyila, who revealed this to the Ghana News Agency noted that the situation was worrying and called for collective efforts to address the situation.

Anaemia in pregnancy refers to the stage of pregnancy in which there are low red blood cells which are usually caused by inadequate or lack of iron and vitamins.

During pregnancy, the baby uses red blood cells for growth and development, particularly in the last three months of pregnancy.

The District Director noted the Bawku West District had the highest population in the Upper East Region with an estimated 152,000 people and underscored the significant number of pregnant women who were suffering from anaemia.

He said the supply of multiple micronutrient supplements which were critical boosters for pregnant women who were anaemic had been irregular and appealed to organisations to assist them with such products to help save lives.

“In most cases when such women are coming for delivery, they will need somebody to donate blood on standby because anything can happen,” he added.

He advised pregnant women and their families to prioritise the consumption of nutrient-dense foods especially the local foods to increase their nutrient level and prevent anaemia in pregnancy and its adverse effects.

GNA