Nutrition
The role of Civil Society in advancing the fight against malnutrition
Malnutrition continues to undermine the health, learning, and future productivity of Ghana’s children. If left unaddressed, it will slow down national development and widen inequalities. Tackling this challenge requires not only government action but also the active and strategic involvement of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
How CSOs can step up
To make a lasting impact, CSOs should consider the following roles in the fight against malnutrition:
Amplify nutrition advocacy
CSOs must use their platforms to keep nutrition high on the national agenda. By engaging parliament, district assemblies, and local leaders, they can push for stronger commitments and sustained investment in nutrition policies and programs.
Strengthen community education
Beyond raising awareness, CSOs should design practical, culturally relevant education campaigns that show families how to prepare balanced meals using locally available foods. Demonstrations, cooking classes, and peer-to-peer learning can make nutrition knowledge more actionable.
Leverage technology for wider reach
With mobile phones and social media widely used in Ghana, CSOs should adopt digital tools such as WhatsApp groups, SMS campaigns, and short educational videos to reach parents and young people with timely nutrition tips.
Build Stronger Coalitions
By collaborating across networks, CSOs can pool resources, share lessons, and amplify their voice in policy advocacy. A united civil society front makes it harder for decision-makers to ignore nutrition issues.
Hold Government Accountable
CSOs should actively monitor the implementation of nutrition-related policies and budget allocations. Through scorecards, citizen reports, and media engagement, they can ensure promises made translate into real benefits for communities.
The Way Forward
Malnutrition is not just a health issue; it is a national development concern. CSOs, with their grassroots presence and advocacy strength, are uniquely positioned to drive change. By sharpening their focus, deepening partnerships, and holding institutions accountable, they can accelerate progress toward a healthier, stronger Ghana.
The fight against malnutrition is everyone’s responsibility, but CSOs must remain at the forefront ensuring that no child is left behind because of poor nutrition.
Feature article by Women, Media & Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition Project
Egg stew is a traditional dish from Ghana. It is very healthy and easy to prepare. The dish is traditionally served with rice, plantain and any other meal of one’s choice.
Ingredients
-1 litre of vegetable oil
-2 fresh salmon
-10 large tomatoes
-5 large onions
– 6 eggs
-3 tablespoonful of pepper
-1 tablespoonful of powdered garlic and ginger
-1 tin of mackerel
– I large green pepper
-3 tablespoonful of tomatoes paste
Preparation
-Wash tomatoes, onion, green pepper and blend
-Put oil on fire and add onion and powdered pepper to it
-When onions turn golden brown, add blended tomatoes and tomato paste to it. (Allow it to cook for 3 minutes.)
-Add eggs and salmon to stew and leave it for a minute before stirring.
– Add seasoning to the stew and serve.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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
