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Malnutrition disaster to public health — Stakeholder
Ghana’s ongoing malnutrition problem is both a public health concern and a development disaster because it affects child survival, mother health, and birth outcomes,
Although Ghana has made significant strides in addressing malnutrition, but critical challenges persist, and immediate action is needed to address the issue, especially with regard to children under five.
These issues were brought up during a stakeholder discussion on malnutrition in Ghana organised by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that works to advance gender equality and empower women in partnership with the Coalition of Public Health Actors (CAPHA).
The meeting served as the formal inauguration of the “Nourish Ghana; Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project,” one of WOMEC’s main advocacy efforts. The “Uniting to End Malnutrition” project seeks to increase public awareness of Ghana’s urgent malnutrition problem and its effects on development and health.
The gathering included local stakeholders, the media, civil society organisations (CSOs), and policymakers.
The Executive Director of WOMEC, Dr Mrs Charity Binka, stated in her speech that malnutrition costs Ghana about 6.4 per cent of its GDP annually and that, despite pledges, they were insufficient because the country was still struggling with malnutrition.
She pointed out that despite continuous attempts, little has been accomplished, with inadequate government funding for nutrition programmes and enduring regional imbalances.
Dr Mrs Binka disclosed that new statistics from the 2022 Ghana Demographic Health Survey (GDHS) shows that nearly half of children under five suffer from anaemia, with 18 per cent of them being stunted, 6 per cent wasted, and 12 per cent underweight.
According to her, the statistics demonstrated the urgency with which the problem must be resolved, failing it will have an impact on the productivity and well-being of future generations. She also argued for more financing, responsibility, and leadership in order to boost national policy action on nutrition.
In a statement by Nii-Odoi Odotei, the Principal Planning Analyst of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), malnutrition jeopardises Ghana’s future by preventing sustainable growth and causing large financial losses.
“The coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity among the same populations, homes, and people is indicative of the nation’s complicated nutrition landscape,” he said.
Furthermore, Dr Odotei emphasised the urgent need for a coordinated and multi-stakeholder approach that will stand as a tangible step forward in leveraging the knowledge and dedication of the government, civil society, academia, and private sector, stating that the Nourish Ghana initiative “is a timely and strategic response to our nations pressing nutrition challenges.”
He reaffirmed NDPC’s commitment to supporting laws that guarantee more funding, leadership, and transparent accountability in nutrition programmes.
Scaling up Nutrition (SUN), nutritionist, Mrs Wilhelmina Okwabi, lamented that some pregnant women do not eat healthily, which has an impact on their unborn children because a mother who is undernourished gives birth to a child who is also undernourished.
In order to address the problem of malnutrition, she suggested that CSOs must educate women in their communities.
Professor Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey, Director of the Food and Nutrition Intelligent System (FANIS), at the University of Ghana, said it is critical to update existing work on nutrition rather than repeat it.
He recommended that the private sector take a proactive role in the fight against malnutrition.
By Georgina Quaittoo
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
