Ghana must urgently scale up investment in nutrition to halt the devastating effects of malnutrition on children, women, and the country's future, Vice-President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said. She made the call in Accra on Monday when she opened the Seventh Global Conference of the Micronutrient Forum. Malnutrition remained one of the biggest barriers to human development and required joint action by governments, scientists, development partners, civil society, and the private sector.
According to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, poor nutrition during childhood could undermine physical growth, learning, and future opportunities, while its effects on girls could extend into adulthood and pregnancy, putting the lives of both mothers and children at risk. She said Ghana continued to face challenges, including anaemia among women and adolescent girls, poor diet quality and diversity, and inadequate breastfeeding during the first six months of life. These challenges highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to address malnutrition.
The Vice-President said nutrition was influenced by several factors, including food production, household income, school meals, access to information, and health services. She said the government was working to integrate nutrition more closely into health, education, agriculture, social protection, and local government systems. This integrated approach aimed to address the root causes of malnutrition and ensure sustainable solutions.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said interventions already introduced included adolescent nutrition programmes, school feeding, maternal and child health services, and social protection programmes. She stressed the need for a nutrition system that was properly funded, accessible, and sustainable. The government had committed funds for essential nutrition commodities, multiple micronutrient supplements, and equipment to assess and monitor nutritional status.
On school feeding, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the programme currently reached more than 4.5 million children, with the government working to improve nutritional standards, caterer training, and monitoring. She stressed that increasing the number of children benefiting from the programme was not enough, as the nutritional quality of meals served to them was equally important. The government aimed to ensure that school feeding programmes contributed to improved nutrition and learning outcomes.
The Vice-President said efforts were being made to ensure that more children suffering from wasting received treatment, including access to therapeutic foods. The Feed Ghana programme was also being used to increase domestic food production, improve food security, and make nutritious food more available. These initiatives aimed to address the root causes of malnutrition and ensure sustainable solutions.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that the fight against malnutrition required sustained investment and coordinated action across government and society. She called on governments, scientists, development partners, civil society, and the private sector to work together to address this critical issue. The Seventh Global Conference of the Micronutrient Forum provided a platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices in addressing malnutrition.
Key points
- Ghana's Vice-President calls for sustained investment in nutrition to address malnutrition.
- Malnutrition remains one of the biggest barriers to human development in Ghana.
- The government has introduced several interventions, including adolescent nutrition programmes and school feeding.
