REPORT SIDE EFFECTS OF IRON FOLATE TABLET AT A HOSPITAL

Girls Iron-Folate Tablet Supplementation (GIFTS), is an initiative between Ghana Health
Service, Ghana Education Service and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) and other key partners to supply folic acid supplements to adolescent girls weekly
whether in or out of school.
This is to boost the blood levels as research indicates that adolescent girls needed more iron
and folic acid for growth and to prevent them from being anaemic especially during
menstrual periods, hence the reason for the programme. Some symptoms of anaemia are pale
looking palms, nail beds, inner eyelids and easily feeling tired.
Mr. Antwi, Tema Metropolitan Nutritionist stated that like all other drugs, iron folate has
some side effects like change in colour of stool, increase in menstrual pains, and reduced or
increased days ‘in menstrual flow as the drug correct the deficiencies and restore the
menstrual cycle. These side effects should be reported to the hospital so that the right
intervention would be put in place to address the issue as well as to verify if the side effects
are due to the medication or not.
SOURCE: https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/health/202109/452304.php#
DATE: 19/09/2021
CAPTURE PHRASE: Adolescent Girls Need More Iron and Folic Acid for Growth.