Ghana Health Service Organises Oral Health Programme

The Ghana Health Service (GHS), yesterday, organised an Oral Health programme for eleven Basic Schools in Accra.

The programme, which forms part of GHS National Oral Health Awareness Week, was on the theme, 'Oral Health for a Healthy life-the Youth.' It was aimed at creating awareness to educate the public on oral health diseases and their preventions.

Rev Dr Joe Eyison, Progamme Coordinator of Oral Health Programme at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region, called for behavioural change towards pollution and filthering the environment, saying good health rest on cleanliness.

He said if the surroundings people live are dirty, it will also be difficult to keep the body clean and said there is the need to ensure hygienic environment in our homes, schools, offices as well as market places at all times to stay healthy.

Dr Eyison said personal hygiene include cleanliness of the body but observed with regret that these days some people do not bath, brush their teeth, wash their faces, cut their hair, cut their nails which he cautioned as bad practices in the society and ought to stop.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  He advised the students to endeavour to keep themselves clean and not indulge in bad habits such as smoking because it can cause cancer of the tongue or lungs which can derail their vision of becoming important

People in the society.

Rev Dr Eyison urged Ghanaians to try and visit the hospital for medical check-up at least once a year so problems can be detected early for treatment.

According to Dr Constance Addo-Yobo, Chief Dental Officer at the GHS, the target for the schools for the awareness creation is very crucial because some negative behaviour, she said, are often learnt from the schools and pass on to adulthood. 'When at the tender age more educational messages are giving to the students, it will help transform them and also help them differentiate between good and bad,' she stated.

Ms Regina Codjoe, Headmistress at the All Saints' Anglican Basic School at Adabraka, said the school recognises the importance of health education because without a healthy life, the mind cannot assimilate anything in the class.

She said as a result of importance the  school attachs to good health, the teachers inspect the students' body, educate them on the danger of bad behaviours, particularly smoking and eating of sweet food and appealed to the parents to help in proper up keep of their children and stop giving them sweat food.