Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for sustained investment and stronger collaboration to address malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, saying the challenge requires action across health, education, agriculture and social protection.
Speaking at the opening of the Global Micronutrient Forum in Accra on September 28, the Vice President said malnutrition remains one of the world’s persistent challenges, with consequences that can extend from childhood into adulthood and affect the health and development of future generations.
She said Ghana had made progress but still faced challenges, particularly concerning anaemia among women and adolescent girls, dietary diversity and breastfeeding.
According to the Vice President, nutrition is influenced by factors including household incomes, food availability, school meals, information available to parents and access to health services. She therefore called for integrated interventions involving government, the private sector, development partners and other countries.
She highlighted Ghana’s school feeding programme, which she said now reaches more than 4.5 million children, while efforts are underway to strengthen nutritional standards, caterer training and monitoring.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also pointed to primary healthcare initiatives as an opportunity to strengthen preventive nutrition services, including maternal and child health interventions.
She stressed that domestic financing and international support should complement each other, noting that countries facing high levels of malnutrition often also face fiscal constraints, climate shocks and pressure on health systems.
She called for greater financial resources, scientific expertise, innovation and international cooperation to support long-term nutrition systems rather than short-term interventions.
The Vice President said Ghana was pleased to host the global conversation and formally declared the Global Micronutrient Forum open.
By Evelyn Tengmaa
