Malnutrition continues to be a major public health problem in developing countries. 

Nutritional status is primarily measured by a child’s growth in height and weight and is directly influenced by food intake and the occurrence of infections.

In Ghana, one in 10 children is severely stunted; that is, they are too short for their age.

Stunting reflects inadequate food intake over a long period of time and is therefore a measure of chronic malnutrition.

Also, almost one in 10 children under five is wasted, that is, they are too thin for their height.

Overall, 14 per cent of children under age five are underweight, that is, they are too thin for their age. Underweight is a composite indicator combining both chronic and acute malnutrition.

Cost effective

To help address the nutrition situation among women and children in the country, the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF), based in Texas, USA; the Women Media and Change (WOMEC) network; the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), and some parliamentarians have met to explore ways to deepen partnerships, exchange perspectives and identify practical strategies to advance the country's nutrition priorities and achieve sustainable development outcomes.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa, Dr Sebastian N. Sandaare, who is the Vice-Chair of Parliamnent’s Health Committee said at the meeting that Parliament remained committed to working collaboratively with government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and communities to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow, learn and thrive and that every mother has access to the nutrition and care necessary for a healthy life.

He commended the Eleanor Crook Foundation for its continued commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition and supporting initiatives that contribute to better health outcomes for women and children.

He said, "As Members of Parliament, we recognise that nutrition is not merely a health issue; it is a national development issue. The quality of nutrition received by mothers and children directly influences educational attainment, workforce productivity, economic growth and the overall well-being of our nation.

The President and Chief Executive Officer, Eleanor Crook Foundation, William Moore, said malnutrition was the number one driver of child death in the world.
According to him, although preventable, children who survive it do not grow to achieve their full potential.

He said there were proven, cost-effective ways to help address the issue and that was all the Eleanor Crook Foundation was about.

To this end, he said the foundation was working with governments to help find long-term solutions to malnutrition through the use of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods.

The Director of Research, NDPC, Richard Tweneboah-Kodua, said the ECF was celebrated for its contributions to scaling up improved solutions to child undernutrition by deploying the power of research, policy analysis, and advocacy.

"At the National Development Planning Commission, we recognise that nutrition is not merely a health issue; it is a development imperative. It affects educational attainment, productivity, economic growth, and the overall well-being of the populace," he said.

The Technical Lead, WOMEC, Jerry Sam, in a presentation on behalf of the Executive Director, WOMEC, Dr Charity Binka, said that Nourish Ghana, a project under WOMEC, advocated for leadership, financing, and accountability to combat malnutrition.

He said the organisation worked at strengthening advocacy to influence nutrition policies and financing.

He revealed that phase two of the project sought to strengthen political leadership, accountability and sustainable financing for nutrition in the country.

Others present at the meeting were representatives of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, the National Health Insurance Authority, the World Food Programme, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).