Nutrition
Agushi stew
Ingredients
-2 cups of agushi
-5 large tomatoes
-2 large onions
-2 large salmon
-Momoni (saltered fish)
-2 tablespoonfuls of powdered pepper
-Ginger
-Garlic
-1 tin of mackerel
-1 liter of palm oil
Preparation
– Wash tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger and blend
– Wash salmon, cut it into shanks
– Put a saucepan on fire and pour palm oil in it
-Put saltered fish in oil and fry
-Add blended onion, tomatoes, garlic and ginger to it (Allow it to cook for sometime)
– Add pepper to the blended tomatoes and onion and stir (Allow it to cook for 10 minutes)
-Add salmon, mackerel, and salt to taste.
– Mix agushie with water and add to the stew and stir.
-Allow stew to simmer
– Serve stew with plain rice and plaintain.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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 Unfortunately, gaps in financing, outdated guidelines, fragmented coordination among ministries, and weak accountability systems continue to undermine progress.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.
Nutrition
Ademe stew
Ingredients
– Ademe
-2 large salmon
– 5 dry herrings
-5 large bel pepper
-Salted fish (momoni)
-Salt to taste
-3 tablespoonfuls of blended onion
-2 tablespoonfuls of blended garlic
-3 tablespoonfuls of blended pepper
Preparation
-Wash salmon, momoni and dry herrings and break into chunks
-Put fish on fire (add salt, blended onion and garlic and steam for five minutes)
-Add a little water to boil
-Wash and cut Ademe and add to steamed fish
– Add pepper, salt, bel pepper and palm oil to it
-Allow to cook and serve with banku.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
