Campaign to educate Ghanaians on benefits of egg consumption launched

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Eggstra-O Campaign

The Eggstra-O Campaign by the American Soybean Association and World Initiative for Soy in Human Health with the Ghana National Eggs Campaign Secretariat (GNECS) has been launched in Accra.

Eggstra-O Campaign
Eggstra-O Campaign

The campaign which was launched in commemoration of the 2022 International Women’s Day is also hinged on a collaboration with the Women in Poultry Value Chain, and the Little Cow to highlight women’s contribution in the poultry industry and encourage egg diets as beneficial, healthy, and a good way to address malnutrition in children.

The campaign is on the theme “Eggstra-O nutrition for all”.

The launch also brought together all relevant stakeholders including AgriHouse Foundation, Women in Agriculture (AWIA), and African Women in Animal Resource Farming and Agribusiness Network (AWARFA-N).

Madam Comfort Acheampong, Coordinator, GNECS said the campaign sought to educate the Ghanaian public on the nutritional and health benefits of egg consumption to help address the myth surrounding eggs and provide the knowledge on the best ways to cook eggs for maximum benefits.

She said it was important to break the myth around eggs and as such the Secretariat was collaborating with the Ministry of Health to develop various campaigns for both sellers and consumers.

Madam Acheampong said the theme for the campaign would drive an increase in rich protein foods for all age groups.

She said the campaign would run till the end of December 2022 and would include targeted training for stakeholders in the poultry value chain across the country. It would also execute public education-focused activities such as a roadshow dubbed, “The Eggnite Roadshow” and institutional visits in the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Volta, Western, Upper East and Upper West regions.

“The Institutional education will offer egg health nutrition for selected schools, hospitals and religious bodies. The goal is to increase awareness of eggs as a nutrient-dense protein source for everyone, which will in turn, translate into a thriving Ghanian poultry industry.

Speaking on the benefits of egg consumption, Mrs. Naana Adjei, a registered dietitian, said ,”eggs are a nutritious addition to a healthy diet for various age groups, and current evidence debunks a lot of the myths around eggs”.

She was positive that the new campaign, building on similar past ones, would educate many more Ghanaians on the health benefits of eggs for children, adults, and the elderly.

“Eggs are a rich source of protein and vitamins. A large egg contains about 6 grams of protein. Eggs are also a good source of other nutrients, including vitamin D, which aids bone health and the immune system and choline which helps metabolism and liver function, as well as foetal brain development. Eating eggs also provide greater satiety (reduce hunger) during the day.”

Madam Fortune Kyei, Secretary, AWIA, said women must come together as a united force to pursue gender equality around the world, advocate for sector policies for women, market expansion and access to funding and capacity building.

“We must come together to bring to bear the contributions women in agribusiness across the globe are making to promote climate change, economic growth, trade well and build resilient business.”

She called on all women to team up, take charge and live to make this year’s international women’s day a reality.”

In 2017, Ghanaian egg producers, health advisers, government leaders, academic partners, and others joined the WISHH Programme to launch Ghana’s National Egg Campaign, to provide educational messages about eggs as an abundant source of protein, vitamins and more.

The 2020 egg consumption survey results showed per capita consumption of eggs rose from 172 in 2016 to 235 in 2020. Both the consumption survey and the campaign were key components of WISHH’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded AMPLIFIES (Assist in the Management of Poultry and Layer Industries with Feed Improvement and Efficiency Strategies) Ghana Project that began in 2015.

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA

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