The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas took fifteen nursing students to study abroad in Bolgatanga, Ghana in Summer 2017. Working at a small village clinic they discovered that anaemia is very common and sometimes leads to blood transfusions, but more commonly, death. A new team has returned this summer to teach about iron rich foods and to do testing of haemoglobin.

The nursing students on the programme focused the testing on women of child bearing age. After reading current research data on anaemia in Ghana, they developed a teaching programme about anaemia, provided nutrition education on local foods that were high in iron and protein. They also did a small research project on women’s perceptions of anaemia in women and children.

EKF Diagnostics report they donated a DiaSpect Tm analyser and the case for travel and storage to the team, who were very grateful, as they were not sure the instrument would have made it without the protective transport case.

The nursing students participating in the Study Abroad programme provided nutritional information to new mothers, pregnant women and some women of child bearing age at two clinics in Bolgatanga. They managed to do three hundred and ninety five tests with a 50% rate of tests below the normal values. It further supports the hypothesis that lack of iron rich foods and high protein foods need to be included in their diets.

The educational programme focused on which local foods were iron rich or high protein and why it is important to include them.