Nutrition
Nutrition as smart economics: Why Ghana must invest in it
When national development is discussed, the spotlight often falls on roads, factories, employment, and technology. Yet, one of the most powerful engines of economic growth remains overlooked: nutrition. A well-nourished population is not just healthier, it is smarter, more productive, and better positioned to drive Ghana’s transformation.
The hidden cost of malnutrition
Malnutrition is not only a public health crisis; it is a silent drain on the economy. According to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS 2022), countries lose up to 3percent of GDP annually due to poor nutrition. For Ghana, this means billions of cedis lost every year through lower productivity, weaker educational outcomes, and soaring healthcare costs. Malnutrition robs the nation of its human capital; the very foundation of sustainable growth.
Nutrition: An investment, not an expense
The evidence is clear: nutrition delivers some of the highest returns on investment of any development intervention. Every cedi spent on nutrition generates multiple benefits:
Higher productivity: Healthy, well-fed workers contribute more to the economy.
Better education outcomes: Children who eat balanced diets learn faster and perform better in school.
Reduced healthcare costs: Preventing malnutrition lowers the burden of disease and reduces long-term treatment expenses.
In short, nutrition is not charity, it is smart economics. Ghana cannot afford to postpone action.
Why Ghana must act now
Ghana has already made bold commitments at the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, pledging to halve child stunting and reduce anemia in women. But without adequate financing and political will, these promises risk becoming empty words.
Nutrition interventions such as exclusive breastfeeding promotion, school feeding programmes, and micronutrient supplementation require sustained investment. Without dedicated budget lines and accountability measures, the cycle of malnutrition will continue to undermine development.
A call for leadership and accountability
Nutrition must be placed at the heart of Ghana’s development strategy. Policymakers, parliamentarians, and development partners need to treat nutrition with the same urgency as infrastructure or energy. Civil society organizations, the media, and citizens must also play their part by demanding accountability and ensuring that nutrition remains high on the national agenda.
The truth is simple: a nation cannot grow on an empty stomach. By investing in nutrition today, Ghana secures a healthier, wealthier, and more resilient future. A nourished Ghana is not just a healthier nation; it is a stronger, more prosperous one, ready to achieve its vision of inclusive growth.
Egg stew is a traditional dish from Ghana. It is very healthy and easy to prepare. The dish is traditionally served with rice, plantain and any other meal of one’s choice.
Ingredients
-1 litre of vegetable oil
-2 fresh salmon
-10 large tomatoes
-5 large onions
– 6 eggs
-3 tablespoonful of pepper
-1 tablespoonful of powdered garlic and ginger
-1 tin of mackerel
– I large green pepper
-3 tablespoonful of tomatoes paste
Preparation
-Wash tomatoes, onion, green pepper and blend
-Put oil on fire and add onion and powdered pepper to it
-When onions turn golden brown, add blended tomatoes and tomato paste to it. (Allow it to cook for 3 minutes.)
-Add eggs and salmon to stew and leave it for a minute before stirring.
– Add seasoning to the stew and serve.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Every baby deserves a healthy start. But in Ghana, too many children are being born already behind, too small, too fragile, and at far greater risk than their peers. Low birth weight, defined as weighing less than 2.5 kilograms at birth, affects an estimated one in seven newborns in this country.
That is a significant proportion of children beginning life at a disadvantage, often due to preventable causes.
Children born with low birth weight face a steeply uphill journey from their very first breath. They are more susceptible to birth asphyxia, infections, hypothermia, and respiratory complications.
They are more likely to die in their first month of life. Those who survive face higher risks of stunting, impaired cognitive development, and a greater likelihood of developing non-communicable diseases including type two diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease later in life.
Low birth weight does not just harm the child today. It shapes their health for decades.
The most powerful determinant of a baby’s birth weight is what the mother eats, and how healthy she is before and during pregnancy. Research in Ghana has consistently shown that maternal anaemia, poor dietary diversity, and inadequate antenatal care are all strongly linked to low birth weight.
A study in Cape Coast found that mothers with low dietary diversity during pregnancy were significantly more likely to deliver low birth weight babies. In Northern Ghana, maternal anaemia in both the first and third trimesters of pregnancy increased the risk of low birth weight. What a woman eats is what her baby weighs.
Education matters too. Mothers with secondary or higher education have been found to be less likely to deliver a low-birth-weight baby, a difference attributed to better nutrition knowledge, improved antenatal care attendance, and healthier health-seeking behaviour overall.
This points clearly to the need for a whole-of-society response, not just a clinical one.
Ghana has made some progress on low birth weight, but the burden remains unacceptably high and in some parts of the country, it is worsening. Other important risk factors must not be overlooked.
Adolescent pregnancy, which remains prevalent in several regions, is strongly associated with low birth weight because young mothers are often still growing and competing with the fetus for nutrients.
Malaria infection during pregnancy, particularly in endemic areas of Ghana, damages the placenta and restricts nutrient transfer, further increasing the likelihood of a low-birth-weight baby.
These risk factors compound the effects of poor maternal nutrition and limited antenatal care. Leaders in government, health facilities, and communities must prioritise maternal nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy.
Reducing low birth weight is not complicated. It requires feeding mothers well, supporting them through antenatal care, ensuring access to iron-folic acid supplementation and malaria prevention during pregnancy, and treating their health as a national priority, not an afterthought.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
