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.