The First Ghana International Health fair aimed at showcasing preventive and curative health alternatives to Ghanaians opened in Accra on Wednesday with high patronage from the public, corporate institutions and health specialists.

The fair, expected to encourage Ghanaians to practice healthy lifestyles would be an annual affair that would promote the preventive benefits of regular exercise, proper dietary choices and showcase products and services which would provide an opportunity for corporate bodies to reach out to the public.

The fair on the theme; “Health Productivity and Development; staying Fit for Life and a Better Ghana" and dubbed: "Fit For Life 2007" was opened by President John Agyekum Kuffour.

The event, which started as early as 0800 hours saw children from selected schools, keep fit clubs, Banana Sellers Association, Makola Women Association, tailors and dressmakers associations and some nursing training institutions engaging in a health walk from the El-Wak stadium to the trade fair site.

They carried placards, some of which read, “exercise is medicine, know your HIV statues, reduce your meat intake, let keep our environment clean, avoid alcohol and take lots of water, watch your weight, brown sugar is better for you and good health is medicine.”

Mr Goza Elikplim, a poet from Ada, entertained and educated the gathering on the dangers of alcohol, the nutritional values of local foods as compared to exotic ones and called on pregnant women to eat healthy foods in order to produce healthy babies.

The poem urged Ghanaians to adopt preventive health rather than curative which was expensive, time consuming and unreliable.

In his poem on HIV/AIDS Master J. B Danquah noted that the disease was causing more damage to the country than good and urged all to be more cautious by taking measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Exhibitors from the various pharmaceutical companies, herbal clinics, fashion houses and dieticians had their wares on display, whiles seminars would be held for the publics as well.

Supplementary, herbal, nutritional drugs were displayed by Kinapharma, Capital O2 and Healthy Living Foundation, among others.

The Ghana Health Service was also there to offer voluntary testing and counseling sessions on HIV/AIDS.

The fair, which is expected to end on Sunday, would be crowned with a quiz competition for students with a trip to Dimona in Israel as the prize for the overall winner.

Source: GNA