There has been remittent debate over what possibly killed President Mills. This piece has nothing do with such a debate. In fact, it does the exact opposite; it focuses on what made him. I am not the personal physician of the late president, Mills (fact is; I am not even a medical practitioner) but I can say with a high degree of confidence that of all the health problems that could have cost him his life, iron deficiency could not have been part. He might have had a good store of iron from childhood. You may be asking why the fixation on iron deficiency? My reason is simple; iron deficiency-related complications are the most rampant among complications that emanate from micronutrients deficiency in this country (other examples of micronutrients are vitamin A and iodine). Three out of four pre-school children (78%) in Ghana are currently anaemic and this has no direct correlation with socio-economic status or class. (Anaemia is caused either by lack of iron or complications from diseases such as malaria. A double case of iron deficiency and a disease burden such as malaria causes exponential increase in one’s chances of catching severe anaemia). You can imagine the iron deficiency situation in the mid 40’s – the aftermath of World War II – when late President Mills was born. Young Mills was very lucky to have escaped this scourge. I know he did not suffer iron deficiency complications in his childhood because his school records show that he was exceptionally brilliant. He was a genius, a whizz kid – possessing the type of cognitive capabilities that a severely anaemic child would be denied. Iron is vital to health. It is essential for a child’s brain development during pregnancy and early childhood. Anaemia in children negatively impacts mental and physical development. So, there you have it. Don’t blame your child for his incomprehensiveness at school; blame the iron-deficient food you fed him. Young Mills was a disciplined student who obeyed school regulations. As his classmate Osafo Maafo recalls, he (Mills) was punished just once throughout their entire stay at Achimota School. Here too, it might interest you to know that, iron had a hand in this; because iron deficiency can impact on social development. Research is replete on the relationship between nutrition and social vices such as truancy, deviancy, delinquency, and empty-headedness. All these, the young professor escaped, thanks to good care and nutrition. The most common symptoms of iron-deficiency anaemia are fatigue or tiredness, loss of concentration and weakness. If there is anything the good old Professor suffered from, the above-mentioned symptoms are not part. Young Mills never rested on his oars as he navigated through the esoteric terrain of academia. He moved continuously from basic school through to the university level till he attained his doctorate degree at a record age of 27. Most people who have attained the highest academic laurels did not have a continuous sail as did the good old professor. They had to pause to catch some breath at some point along the way. But Young Mills maintained his energy, concentration and composure even in his last days. All the accolades President Mills received in his lifetime wouldn’t have been possible if he suffered any severe nutritional setback including iron deficiency. He may not have made it past the primary school. He might have been one of the ordinary men begging different women for a place to sleep at night. In all this, one person we must salute is the mother of the late President Mills (and other guardians) who realised the importance of good nutrition to the development of a child. Now you might want to give a thought to the saying “You are what you eat”. Another version of it is: a child is what you make. The Ghana Nutrition Society is holding a symposium on Childhood Anaemia in Ghana this Friday at the British Council. Make time to sit in and discover more about childhood anaemia and how to deal with it. If may be the lifeline to your child’s deadline.