Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), in collaboration with the Eleanor Crook Foundation, has joined forces with the Government of Ghana and development stakeholders to scale up efforts aimed at tackling malnutrition, particularly Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) among children under five.
The initiative, which also involves the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), seeks to mobilise funding and strengthen interventions to improve child nutrition outcomes across the country.
At a stakeholder engagement in Accra, Technical Lead of WOMEC, Mr Jerry Sam, revealed that data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey shows that 68,517 children under five are affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition, with only about 15 per cent currently receiving treatment globally.
He stressed that SAM is a treatable condition, adding that increased and sustained financing is essential to expanding access to life-saving nutritional care for affected children.
Mr Sam commended government institutions, including the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and the Ghana Health Service, for their continued collaboration in addressing malnutrition.
Chief Executive Officer of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, Mr William Moore, expressed optimism that Ghana could take a leading role in Africa by scaling up proven nutrition interventions to eliminate child malnutrition.
He noted that the Foundation is supporting efforts through the provision of ready-to-use therapeutic foods and improved prenatal vitamins to strengthen maternal and child health programmes.
Mr Moore further indicated the Foundation’s commitment to working closely with government agencies and local NGOs, including WOMEC, to improve child survival and nutrition outcomes.
From the planning perspective, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) emphasised that nutrition remains a critical national development issue, with wide-ranging effects on education, productivity and economic growth.
Director of Research at NDPC, Mr Richard Tweneboah-Kodua, said the upcoming Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (2026–2029) will prioritise integrated approaches to addressing malnutrition as part of broader development planning.
On the legislative front, Dr Sebastian Ngmenenso Sandaare, MP for Daffiama/Bussie/Issa and Vice Chair of Parliament’s Health Committee, reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to improving nutrition governance, funding and oversight of programmes aimed at reducing malnutrition.
He stressed that nutrition is not only a health concern but a key driver of national development, influencing education outcomes, workforce productivity and economic growth.
Dr Sandaare noted that despite progress in Ghana’s health sector, malnutrition remains a challenge in vulnerable communities, calling for sustained political will, stronger financing and effective implementation of nutrition policies.
