Being the Host and Roving Reporter on The Maternal Health Channel Television Series has opened my eyes to issues that I was not aware of before.  Having lived in Canada for the majority of my life I rarely hear of some of the major problems facing women in countries like Ghana.  With so many flaws in the medical system as well as the challenge of resources, personel, road systems, education and adminstrative policies. it’s no wonder there are problems.

This newspaper headline pictured above was actually from mid-May, but I kept the article for interest sake. This main focus was on the issue of high levels of anemia in pregnant women in Ghana.  According to this article, 70% of pregnant women in Ghana suffer from anemia.  This is something that also transfers to the children once they are born.  Children born to anemic mothers often suffer from low birth weights and malnutrition.

The reason this article is so interesting to me right now is because this coming week on The Maternal Health Channel TV Series, we feature a story about the popularity of eating baked clay while pregnant.  Myself and the roving film crew travelled to the town of Anfoegah in the Volta Region where the community relies on the business of producing this clay.  Eating baked clay is quite popular in Ghana and in other countries in west Africa.

Doctors we spoke with suggested that women who eat the clay are highly anemic.  Because they feel full after eating the clay, they don’t eat proper meals.  This results in a lack of nutrients in their bodies to feed themselves and their babies.  Some even suggest they can get worms in their bodies after eating the clay.  But the people in this community have been eating the clay for many generations and swear it is the best thing.  

If you’re in Ghana watch the thought provoking episode this week on Thursday at 8pm on GTV and on Friday on TV3 at 8:30pm.  If you don’t live in Ghana you can watch the episode online on www.vimeo.com/mhcghana. 

**UPDATE***July 10 2024 – New link to watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDqn6RgC6oo&t=369s