Ghanaian leaders call for nutrition to be treated as a national development priority

During the Global Micronutrient Forum in Accra, Ghanaian officials emphasized the need to treat nutrition as a critical national development priority rather than solely a health issue. Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang called for sustained investment and multisectoral collaboration across health, education, agriculture, and social protection to combat malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that while Ghana has made progress, challenges remain regarding dietary diversity, breastfeeding, and anaemia among women and adolescent girls. She highlighted the importance of integrating interventions involving the government, private sector, and international partners, noting that Ghana’s school feeding programme currently reaches over 4.5 million children.

Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), stated that while policies and coordination platforms exist, the focus must shift toward coherent implementation and measurable results. She argued that nutrition directly impacts human capital, productivity, and the resilience of future generations. To support this, the Food Systems and Nutrition Security Cross-Sectoral Planning Group aims to integrate nutrition priorities into district and sector development plans.

UNICEF Ghana Representative Andy Brooks added that linking financing to planning and accountability processes is essential. He suggested that nutrition budget tracking could help identify resource gaps and better align domestic and partner funding with national priorities.