Mrs. Patience Ami Mamattah, the Health Director of Ashaiman, has called upon all stakeholders to raise awareness about women's health, particularly the detrimental effects of lead exposure on women and children.
Speaking at a programme commemorating International Women's Day, Mrs Mamattah emphasized the need for collective action to ensure the survival and well-being of women and children in the Ashaiman municipality. The event, organized with support from Pure Health Ghana and New Crystal Hospitals, aimed to highlight the negative impacts of lead, especially on pregnant women, foetuses, and young children.
Mrs. Mamattah stressed that International Women's Day serves not only to celebrate prominent women but also to raise awareness about women's issues, including gender equality, and to advocate for positive change to advance women's rights. Additionally, the event aimed to raise funds to support initiatives benefiting women.
She called for efforts to minimize activities that contaminate the environment with lead and to improve environmental health to protect vulnerable populations, including children. Mrs Mamattah highlighted the challenges posed by rapid, uncontrolled urbanization in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana, leading to the settlement of migrants, including women and girls, in areas with high levels of pollutants like lead.
The Health Director noted that female migrants, along with their partners, often engage in activities such as recycling used car batteries without proper protective equipment, exposing themselves and their unborn children to hazards.
Mrs Mamattah disclosed the alarming results of a study conducted in 2023, which found that nearly 60% of children under five years old in Ashaiman had blood lead levels above the recommended threshold. She emphasized that lead contamination poses significant health risks, including hypertension in pregnant women, birth defects, neurological damage, miscarriages, and pre-term birth.
Highlighting the detrimental effects of lead on children, Mrs Mamattah emphasized the importance of protecting them by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring they engage in hazard-free work.
In conclusion, Mrs Mamattah called for concerted efforts from stakeholders to raise awareness about women's health issues and to implement measures to mitigate the impact of lead exposure on women and children in Ashaiman. She stressed the importance of investing in women to enable them to engage in healthy and safe occupations, thereby safeguarding their health and well-being.