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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