The Kingsley Keep Fit Club and the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) in collaboration with Abuakwa South Municipal Health and Educational Directorates treated the people of Abuakwa South to a six-day Public Health and Health Promotion campaign.
The activities included health screening, clean-up exercises, public health lectures, inter-high schools debate, and a health walk.
Kicking the week off was health awareness within all towns in the municipality where the people were educated on Public Health issues, particularly lifestyle Non-Communicable Diseases.
A total of 2,137 persons were screened on days 2 and 3 for sugar, blood pressure, Hepatitis B, BMI, eye, and dental-related issues in Asiakwa, Kyebi, Apedwa, Maase, Odumase, Bunso, Amanfrom, Afiesa, and Ahwenease respectively, all in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
On day 4, the organizers undertook a general clean up at various places at Asiakwa and Kyebi including the JB Danquah Memorial Centre, the Kyebi Market and Astroturf, Kyebi Government Hospital, Asiakwa Market and Health Centre.
Day 5 saw Kibi Senior High Technical School battle it out with Apedwa Presbyterian Senior High School in the finals of the health debate with the former being crowned winner.
The debate was on the Motion, “Physical activity has a positive impact on academic performance.”
This was followed by the much anticipated Health Lecture, with a theme "The Nexus between Physical Activity and Academic Performance," where 6 health experts, drawn from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom, educated the students and the public on various aspects of public health.
Professor Vicki Lambert, who is at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, spoke on school-based physical activity interventions whilst Dr. Chris McCarthy, a consultant Physiotherapist and Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at Manchester Metropolitan University, spoke about how schoolchildren could incorporate exercise into their daily activities.
Dr. Faatihah Niyi-Odumosu, Secretary General, International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC) Research Council and a lecturer at the University of West England made a presentation on how exercise affects brain functioning.
The Abuakwa South Municipal Director of Health Services, Mrs. Rhodalyne Adda Kyei-Yamoah, spoke on nutrition-friendly school initiatives with Prof. Peter Agyei-Baffour from the School of Public Health of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), expressing concern over the lack of interest in physical activity among people.
On Saturday, Kingsley Agyemang led over 5000 people to climax the week-long activities with a walk from the ABUSCO junction to the Kyebi AstroTurf.
He expressed gratitude to his partners International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH), Peoples-Praxis, Brunel Global Health Academy, KNUST, Gallant Afrique, Abuakwa South Education, and Health Directorates, Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly, and various individuals for their contribution in making the whole program a success.
Comments