Nutrition
Power in Every Bite: How food fortification is strengthening Ghana’s health
Did you know that a simple bowl of gari or salt on your table might already be helping fight malnutrition?
Across Ghana, everyday foods are being fortified with essential nutrients quietly and powerfully supporting the health of millions. This behind-the-scenes strategy, known as food fortification, is one of the most effective tools in the country’s fight against malnutrition.
While some children suffer from undernutrition, evident in stunting, wasting, and anaemia, others, especially adults, are grappling with obesity and diet-related illnesses. These issues not only affect public health but also hinder productivity and economic growth. In response, the government is strengthening its approach through food-based solutions that reach people where it matters most: their plates.
Understanding food fortification
Food fortification is the process of adding vital vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods to address nutrient deficiencies. In Ghana, staples like flour, salt, oil, and cereals are increasingly being fortified with iron, iodine, vitamin A, and folic acid. These enhancements target key health risks such as anaemia in women, birth defects in babies, and impaired growth in children.
The beauty of this intervention is its simplicity. People do not need to change their eating habits to benefit. By consuming fortified foods that are already part of the Ghanaian diet, families across the country can access better nutrition without added cost or effort.
Government’s role and broader goals
Government policies and partnerships have played a central role in advancing this effort. Through the enforcement of fortification standards and collaborations with local food producers, regulatory bodies like the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority are ensuring that fortified products meet safety and quality requirements. At the same time, health and agriculture ministries are working together to expand access to these foods and educate the public about their benefits.
Food fortification is also aligned with Ghana’s broader nutrition goals, including reducing child stunting and addressing anaemia among adolescent girls and pregnant women. It complements other strategies such as promoting exclusive breastfeeding, home gardening, and traditional food preservation methods.
With continued government leadership, regulatory support, and community awareness, fortified foods can become a silent but steady force in building a healthier, stronger Ghana, one meal at a time.
Feature Article by Women, Media and Change on its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project.
In March 2025, world leaders gathered in Paris for the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, the most important global gathering on malnutrition of the decade. Over $30 billion in new financial commitments were pledged globally by more than 170 actors from 82 countries. Ghana was there. Ghana made commitments. The question now is: are those commitments enough, and will they be delivered?
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Summit. One of the most significant is a pledge to spend at least $6 million annually from 2026 for the procurement of essential nutrition commodities including ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), iron-folic acid tablets, vitamin A supplements, and anthropometric equipment for measuring child growth.
This financial commitment is meaningful. For years, Ghana’s nutrition programmes have depended heavily on donor funding, leaving services vulnerable to aid cuts and supply disruptions. A domestic budget line for nutrition commodities signals a shift toward ownership and sustainability. It also directly supports Ghana’s Nutrition for Growth commitments from the 2021 Tokyo Summit, several of which remain off track.
The Bigger Picture
The 2025 N4G Summit was about more than funding. It called for systemic change: embedding nutrition in food systems, health coverage, climate resilience, and gender equality. Every dollar invested in nutrition is estimated to return $16 to the local economy. Yet malnutrition still costs Ghana an estimated 6.4 per cent of its GDP annually. That is not a public health statistic. It is an economic emergency.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has acknowledged that converting summit outcomes into actionable change requires transparent policy dialogue and locally driven solutions.
Commitments made in Paris must be tracked, funded, and implemented in Ghana’s communities. Programmes must move from pilot scale to national coverage. That will not happen without sustained political will, dedicated domestic financing, and public accountability.
Commitments made on global stages matter. But they only become meaningful when they translate into services in communities. The question is not what Ghana promised in Paris. It is what Ghana delivers at home.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
Cabbage is very rich in fibre, the main supplier of roughage. This helps the body retain water and it maintains the bulkiness of the food as it moves through the bowels.
Thus, it is a good remedy for constipation and other digestion-related problems.
Ingredients
-1 large cabbage
– 4 large fresh tomatoes
– 1 large onion
– Pepper
-Garlic
-2 large salmon
-1 tin of mackerel
-2 large green pepper
-Salt to taste
Preparation
-Chop cabbage roughly and wash in a large pot of water
-Pour vinegar on it and wait until you make other preparations. Then drain.
-Heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat
-Cook and stir onion in hot oil until onion turns dark brown.
-Blend tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and onion and add to the oil
-Add tomato paste, mackerel and salmon to stew
-Add cabbage, stir and cover to cook for 7 – 10 minutes
-Allow to simmer when it is soft and serve with rice, yam etc.
