Nutrition
Stronger leadership, better nutrition – Why Ghana needs a National Nutrition Council
Ghana has no shortage of policies on nutrition. From commitments to global platforms like the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit to local programmes targeting maternal and child health, the frameworks exist. And yet, the numbers tell us we are still lagging behind.
According to the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2022, one in five children is chronically malnourished and nearly half of women of reproductive age suffer from anaemia. These are not mere statistics; they are reflections of families struggling, children missing their potential, and a nation paying the price in lost productivity.
So, what is the problem? Coordination.
Nutrition is not the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Health (MoH). It is linked to agriculture through the food we grow, to education through the meals children eat in school, and to social protection through the safety nets that shield vulnerable households. But too often, these sectors work in silos, with overlapping projects and fragmented budgets. The result is duplication of efforts, inefficiency, and reduced impact.
This is why Ghana urgently needs a National Nutrition Council. Not another layer of bureaucracy, but a high-level body reporting directly to the Presidency, with the mandate to align efforts across ministries, secure dedicated financing, and drive accountability.
Other countries have shown the power of such structures. Rwanda established a national nutrition coordination mechanism under the Office of the Prime Minister, and within a decade, it achieved one of the fastest reductions in stunting in Africa. Ethiopia’s Food and Nutrition Council has also provided the political leadership needed to keep nutrition at the centre of national planning.
Ghana can and must follow suit. A National Nutrition Council will mean that nutrition is no longer buried in the fine print of health sector budgets but elevated to the level of national development strategy. It will mean that Parliament can hold a single accountable body to answer for progress, and civil society can monitor with clarity.
The time has come to stop managing nutrition as an afterthought. A council will give Ghana the leadership structure to match its ambitions. Without it, our pledges, no matter how bold, risk fading into the background noise of unfinished business.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project in collaboration with Eleanor Crook Foundation
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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.
