Nutrition
The Right to Nutrition: Turning Ghana’s policy commitments into real access for vulnerable families
Ghana has made strong commitments to protecting the health and wellbeing of its citizens. The Constitution affirms the state’s responsibility to safeguard public health, and the country has endorsed international agreements recognizing the right to adequate food and nutrition.
National policies also acknowledge malnutrition as a major challenge and outline interventions designed to address it. Yet for many vulnerable families, the reality remains very different. An estimated 68,517 children with severe acute malnutrition face a mortality risk nine times higher than that of well-nourished children, while only 15 per cent receive the treatment their government has approved as essential medicine. The gap between rights on paper and access in practice defines the challenge facing vulnerable families.
When rights are effectively implemented, systems exist to ensure access regardless of income or location. Ghana’s immunisation program is a good example. Children receive vaccines through routine services across the country because financing mechanisms guarantee supply and remove cost barriers. Similarly, many pregnant women
access antenatal services through the National Health Insurance Scheme. Nutrition interventions, however, do not yet benefit from the same level of system support.
For a mother in a rural community whose child develops severe malnutrition, the availability of treatment often depends on factors beyond her control. Does a donor-supported program operate in her district? Are supplies currently available at the health facility, or have funding gaps caused stockouts? Even though national policy recognises the treatment, the health system may not consistently provide it.
The same challenge affects maternal nutrition. Multiple Micronutrient Supplements are recognised in policy and supported by convincing evidence. Studies show they can reduce low birth weight and preterm birth while addressing a broader range of micronutrient deficiencies. Yet pilot programs currently reach only a small proportion of pregnant women nationwide.
When access depends on project locations rather than national systems, inequities deepen. Wealthier households may find ways to obtain supplements or travel to better-resourced facilities. Poor families, particularly in rural areas, rely entirely on public services. When those services operate on a limited scale, poverty becomes a determining factor in who receives care.
Closing this gap requires strengthening the mechanisms that translate policy commitments into real services. Integrating nutrition interventions such as RUTF and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements into the National Health Insurance Scheme could provide that mechanism. With a large share of mothers and children already enrolled, NHIS offers an existing platform capable of expanding access nationwide.
This is fundamentally a question of equity and justice. Ghana has demonstrated the capacity to deliver universal coverage for some health interventions. The right to vaccination does not depend on household income because financing systems ensure supply and remove cost barriers. The right to antenatal consultation is similarly protected through NHIS. There is no technical or ethical justification for treating nutrition rights differently. If severe malnutrition treatment and comprehensive maternal supplementation are essential for health, they deserve the same financing commitment as other essential services.
Rights become meaningful when they guarantee access. Ensuring that every child and every pregnant woman can obtain proven nutrition interventions is not only a health priority, but also a step toward making Ghana’s policy commitments a reality.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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
Cabbage may not be the most attractive vegetable, but it is full of nutritional benefits that keeps the body strong and healthy.
This common leafy green vegetable comes in a range of colours, shapes and sizes that you can use for soups, salads, sandwiches and more. It can be eaten raw or stir-fried.
-Fights inflammation
Cabbages contains anthocyanins, which are naturally occurring antioxidants. A research showed that people who eat cabbages have lower inflammation levels than those who do not eat.
– Keeps one strong
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, does a lot of work for the body. It helps make collagen and boosts the immune system. It also helps your body absorb iron from plant-based foods.
– Improves digestion
Cabbages contain phytosterols (plant sterols) and insoluble fibre. These help keeps the digestive system healthy and bowel movements regular. It fuels the good bacteria in your gut that protects your immune system.
– Protects your heart
The anthocyanins found in cabbage helps with more than inflammation. Research suggests they add to the health benefits of cabbage by reducing your risk of heart disease.
Scientists have found 36 different kinds of anthocyanins in cabbage, which could make it an excellent option for cardiovascular health.
– Lowers your blood pressure
Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that helps your body control blood pressure. This could help lower your blood pressure, reducing your risk for heart disease.
-Lowers cholesterol
Cabbage contains two substances — fibre and phytosterols (plant sterols) — that compete with cholesterol to be absorbed by your digestive system. They wind up reducing your bad cholesterol levels and improving your health.
– Maintains bone health and healthy blood clotting
Vitamin K is essential to our well-being. Without it, you’d be at risk of developing bone conditions like osteoporosis, and your blood would not be able to clot properly. According to research, eating cabbage everyday keeps our bones strong and blood cells clotting well. -clevelandclinic.org
