A national campaign to help raise awareness on the health benefits of eggs, has been launched in Accra.

The overall purpose of the campaign is to help educate consumers and the public with messages that will break the myth surrounding cholesterol associated with eggs and boost Ghana’s poultry sector.

The National Association of Poultry Farmers, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other stakeholders, implementing the national egg campaign as part of the food for progress initiative.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, the Director Animal Production of MOFA, Kwamina Arkorful, said Ghana suffered protein deficiency and malnutrition among children and childbearing women.

He revealed that per an FAO report, nearly a quarter of pre-school children are stunted and affected by chronic malnutrition according to FAO Country Profile report 2012.

“It is estimated that per capita consumption hovers around 18-24 eggs of about 26 million population, compared to Mexico (321Eggs), USA (255 Eggs), France (248 Eggs), Portugal (186 Eggs), India (40 Eggs),'' he said.

He said the underlying causes of Ghanaians' aversion to egg consumption could be traced to age-old beliefs and misconceptions that have been handed down from generation to generation, but have no factual status.

Mr. Arkorful therefore, urged Ghanaians to eat eggs on daily basis for healthy living.

Also, the Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF), Napoleon Oduro Adjei urged government to take urgent steps to revamp and give a new lease of life to the nation’s collapsing poultry industry.

He said the poultry sector must be supported to operate more efficiently; the industry was one area that could create jobs and wealth for the people.

Oduro Adjei also called for the formulation of a policy to as a matter of urgency, to salvage the ailing sector.

On his part, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Affil Monney, thanked the organizers for the timely information.

He said the low consumption of eggs in Ghana is due to the misconceptions being propagated by supposed experts in the media so such training will enable journalists put out the right information.

Affil Monney pledged their support to ensure the national egg campaign is successful.