Records from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), in the Bono Region, show that more than 80,000 children suffer from malnutrition.

One out of three pregnant women in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions is anaemic.

The Bono Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, Dr. John Ekow Otoo has therefore called for a concerted effort by stakeholders to stem the worrying trend.

Dr. Otoo revealed this at the Inauguration of a 15 Member Regional Nutrition Coordination Committee in Sunyani.

The 15-Member Committee on Nutrition consists of officials from the Health Service, Department of Gender, GES, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Coalition of NGOs and the GBC among others.

Their task is to educate the public on malnutrition and also come out with programmes for people to live healthy lives.

Speaking to GBC’s Radio Ghana on the sidelines of the inauguration, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Deputy Director for Public Health, Dr. John Ekow Otoo said the three regions, reputed as the food hub of the country, still experience nutritional challenges.

As a result of that, the growths of more than 80,000 children in the three regions are stunted. In adults, one out of three pregnant women suffers from anaemia.

He said, the 15 member committee inaugurated, will design programmes which will educate the public on their nutritional status, and come up with solutions to bridge the deficit. Dr. Otoo said to eradicate anaemia in pregnant and new born babies, they will ride on the back of programmes like the school feeding programme, women empowerment, and sanitation among others, to achieve their set goals.

Giving statistics on the health situation in the three regions, a Nutrition Officer, Benedicta Agambo, said babies with anaemia from 6 weeks to 9 months, stand at 52.5 percent. Also breastfeeding reduced from 62.5 percent in 2014, to 33 percent in 2017.

She stressed that a collective effort is required to ensure that no one suffers from malnutrition and its consequences.