The environment-focused NGO, Eco Impact Network, has warned Muslims observing Ramadan to take extra precautions against heat exhaustion as high temperatures persist across Ghana.
Chief Executive Officer Gifty Ofori-Yeboah explained in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that prolonged fasting combined with exposure to intense heat could pose serious health risks, particularly for outdoor workers, the elderly, children, and people with underlying medical conditions.
She described heat exhaustion as resulting from excessive loss of water and salts through sweating, with symptoms including dizziness, headache, weakness, nausea, heavy sweating, and muscle cramps. If untreated, it can escalate to heatstroke, a potentially life-threatening condition requiring urgent medical attention.
Mrs. Ofori-Yeboah highlighted that fasting increases vulnerability because individuals abstain from drinking water during daylight hours, while the body requires more fluids to regulate temperature in high heat.
To reduce risks, she recommended that Muslims: drink sufficient water between sunset and dawn, consume water-rich fruits such as watermelon and oranges during pre-dawn and evening meals, use wet towels to cool the body, avoid unnecessary sun exposure during peak hours, and for outdoor workers, take short breaks in shaded areas.
The NGO’s guidance aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of fasting individuals while maintaining spiritual observances during the hot season.
