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2 children die of Malnutrition every hour
Two children in Ghana die from malnutrition-related causes every hour, Nutrition specialist and Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dr Kasim Abdulai, has disclosed.
He said despite interventions over the years to address the health threat, it continues to threaten the lives of thousands of children, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life; from conception to a child’s third birthday.
“Just imagine how many children we lose in a day due to the triple burden of malnutrition in Ghana. Nothing is more important compared to nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life not even medication.
It is the nutrients that help to build the child’s immune system, their mental development, and physical growth and it is crucial that we pay needed attention to nutrition for maternal and child health,” Dr Abdulai who is also Director of Operations of the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy (CAPHA), stated.
He was presenting findings of a research on key nutrition situation, trends and funding gaps in Ghana during a capacity building workshop for selected journalists and civil society organisations focused on nutrition in Accra last Tuesday.
Organised by CAPHA in partnership with the Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) network, the training was to rally participants to champion nutrition interventions in Ghana to promote a healthier population and reduce disease burden.
Furthermore, Dr Abdulai said with 42 per cent of Ghanaian women of reproductive age being anaemic, wasting and stunting among children at 7 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively, the need to tackle root causes like good nutrition among the population couldn’t be more critical.
He called for urgent investment into nutrition, especially domestically, in view of dwindling donor aid saying; “Nutrition is not charity, it is a right. If we nourish our children today, we secure our nation’s future tomorrow.”
“Let’s not wait for another child to die before we act. We must act now because the cost of inaction is measured in lives lost every hour,” he urged.
Executive Director of WOMEC, Dr Charity Binka, decried the malnutrition burden in Ghana despite investments made into the area over the years.
She emphasised that the time was up to break the silence around malnutrition with deliberate efforts channeled into promoting exclusive breastfeeding, good complementary feeding, and hygienic food practices.
“We need to invest into our local foods to nourish our children and ensure nutrition is part of our everyday conversations right from our homes.
Fighting malnutrition is not just about saving lives. It’s about unlocking Ghana’s full potential. When we invest in nutrition, we invest in education, health, economic growth, and social progress,” she explained.
By Abigail Annoh
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
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Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
