Nutrition
The Hidden Hunger: Why Eating Enough Isn’t the Same as Eating Well
Feature Article by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC)
In bustling markets across Ghana, traders call out over heaps of rice, yam, and maize. For many households, these staples represent security—a sign that no one will go to bed hungry.
Yet behind this apparent abundance lies a hidden crisis: hidden hunger, a silent form of malnutrition caused not by lack of food, but by lack of essential nutrients. Hidden hunger affects millions, especially women and children, weakening the body, dulling the mind, and limiting human potential.
The tragedy is that it thrives not because we lack solutions, but because our systems fail to prioritise nutrition. Despite several government initiatives, from the National Nutrition Policy (2016–2020) to food fortification programmes, progress remains slow. Implementation is inconsistent, coordination among ministries is weak, and public investment in nutrition is still below the global minimum target. Meanwhile, imported junk foods continue to flood the market unchecked, while local farmers struggle to market healthy indigenous crops like millet, sorghum, and moringa.
Nutrition is not just a health issue—it’s a development and governance issue. When ministries and local assemblies fail to integrate nutrition into agricultural planning, education, and poverty reduction strategies, the result is a cycle of poor diets and poor health outcomes.
At Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), we believe that nutrition should be treated with the same urgency as any national emergency. Through media advocacy and public engagement, WOMEC continues to push for transparency in nutrition governance and for stronger community voices in decision-making.
Ending hidden hunger requires more than awareness—it demands decisive action from policymakers. Nutrition must move from the margins of development planning to the centre of national policy. When governance supports good nutrition, the results go far beyond full stomachs: we build a healthier, smarter, and more productive nation.
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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.
