Nutrition

A healthy nation: Why maternal and child nutrition must be a national priority

Every hour, two Ghanaian children die from nutrition-related causes, deaths that are entirely preventable with the right investments. Yet, nutrition continues to receive less than 0.4 per cent of Ghana’s health budget. As donor funding declines, the future of maternal and child nutrition in Ghana hangs in the balance.

The first 1,000 days of life, thus, from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, are the most critical for human development. Poor nutrition during this crucial window can lead to irreversible harm, including cognitive delays, weakened immunity, poor school performance, and limited earning potential. Ghana loses over GH¢4.6 billion each year to malnutrition through lost productivity and increased healthcare costs, yet essential nutrition interventions remain underfunded or reliant on external donors.

Research has shown that up to 60 per cent of Ghana’s nutrition programming is funded externally. The withdrawal of USAID alone threatens a funding shortfall of $156 million, including significant cuts to maternal and child health programmes, nutrition supplements, mobile clinics, and support for treating severe acute malnutrition. Over a million children may lose access to vital care as a result.

Policy and structural gaps further compound the crisis. Ghana lacks laws enforcing nutrition standards for pregnant women and young children. Nutrition is poorly integrated into national development plans and receives fragmented support across ministries.

To change current trends, Ghana must honor its pledge of allocating USD 6 million annually, made at the recent Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, for the procurement of essential nutrition commodities. Achieving this requires establishing a dedicated budget line for nutrition, enhancing coordination across sectors, and strengthening domestic resource mobilization efforts.

Women, Media and Change, a national Non-governmental Organization, is committed to supporting advocacy on malnutrition under its project “Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition”. The initiative seeks to strengthen national policies on nutrition and ensure that decision makers prioritise investment in high-impact nutrition interventions

Nutrition is not charity; it is a right. A nourished child today becomes a healthy, productive citizen tomorrow.

Nutrition

Strong Government Leadership: The necessary ingredient in Ghana’s nutrition response

When we hear the word “malnutrition,” we often think of hunger. However, Ghana’s nutrition crisis is more complex and far-reaching than just empty stomachs. Today, thousands of children under five suffer from wasting (six per cent), stunting (18 per cent), and underweight (12 per cent). At the same time, more than 40 per cent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, and diet-related diseases are rising rapidly in urban areas.

What lies at the heart of this complex challenge? According to research, one powerful solution is being overlooked: strong and sustained government leadership.

Ghana already has policies in place, including the National Nutrition Policy, the School Feeding Programme, and Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, among others. However, these frameworks are only as effective as their implementation. Unfortunately, gaps in financing, outdated guidelines, fragmented coordination among ministries, and weak accountability systems continue to undermine progress.

A key opportunity for action lies in the USD 6 million annual pledge Ghana made at the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris. This commitment earmarked for essential nutrition commodities like supplements and therapeutic foods must move from pledge to practice. That means establishing a dedicated nutrition budget line, empowering government agencies to coordinate nutrition more effectively across sectors, and ensuring local governments are equipped to deliver nutrition interventions.

Other countries are leading the way. In Kenya, a dedicated parliamentary nutrition caucus is driving reforms. In Peru, legal frameworks protect nutrition budgets from political shifts. Ghana has the technical know-how and the institutional platforms; it now needs the political courage to act.

When the government prioritises nutrition, the ripple effects are enormous: better health outcomes, improved school performance, higher economic productivity, and reduced national health costs.

It’s time to treat nutrition not as a “social issue,” but as a strategic investment in Ghana’s future.

Feature article by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project.