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'Our Students Are Anaemic' - Health Ministry Official Says Schools Need To Improve Nutrition For Children
Published: Wednesday | May 8, 2013 1 Comment
Director of nutrition in the Ministry of Health, Sharmaine Edwards, has raised concern over the number of children in schools across the country who are anaemic.
Edwards, who was addressing the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) symposium on school-feeding issues of nutrition and safety, at the JTA headquarters in downtown Kingston on Monday, said her office was in the process of conducting "anaemia testing" on students. According to her, of the samples completed so far, some 50 per cent of students have been found to be anaemic.
"We have tested more than 800 children already and these are children under five years old."
She pointed out that, so far, the results show that the "picture is no better" than what was revealed in 2008 when a similar study revealed that 48 per cent of preschool children aged one to four were anaemic. It also showed that 24 per cent of children in the primary-school age range at that time also suffered from anaemia.
Pointing out that there was an urgent need for school administrators to look at the quality of foods being served in schools to curb the problem, Edwards added also that recently, her office conducted a study at 60 schools and the results were worrying.
"When we looked at fruits that were provided by the schools, that was zero, but the children were finding other sources of fruits.
"(When we) looked at vegetables ... what was provided far outweighed what was being consumed. When we asked the children why they were not consuming the vegetables that were prepared at school, the students said they didn't like the way it was prepared.
"We need to look at what it is that is going on in our environment," she said.
Edwards said it was necessary for steps to be taken to improve nutrition in school children in order to reduce the chances of them being impacted by chronic disease in adulthood.
nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com
Published: Wednesday | May 8, 2013 1 Comment
Director of nutrition in the Ministry of Health, Sharmaine Edwards, has raised concern over the number of children in schools across the country who are anaemic.
Edwards, who was addressing the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) symposium on school-feeding issues of nutrition and safety, at the JTA headquarters in downtown Kingston on Monday, said her office was in the process of conducting "anaemia testing" on students. According to her, of the samples completed so far, some 50 per cent of students have been found to be anaemic.
"We have tested more than 800 children already and these are children under five years old."
She pointed out that, so far, the results show that the "picture is no better" than what was revealed in 2008 when a similar study revealed that 48 per cent of preschool children aged one to four were anaemic. It also showed that 24 per cent of children in the primary-school age range at that time also suffered from anaemia.
Pointing out that there was an urgent need for school administrators to look at the quality of foods being served in schools to curb the problem, Edwards added also that recently, her office conducted a study at 60 schools and the results were worrying.
"When we looked at fruits that were provided by the schools, that was zero, but the children were finding other sources of fruits.
"(When we) looked at vegetables ... what was provided far outweighed what was being consumed. When we asked the children why they were not consuming the vegetables that were prepared at school, the students said they didn't like the way it was prepared.
"We need to look at what it is that is going on in our environment," she said.
Edwards said it was necessary for steps to be taken to improve nutrition in school children in order to reduce the chances of them being impacted by chronic disease in adulthood.
nedburn.thaffe@gleanerjm.com
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