The Ghana Health Service (GHS), in collaboration with World Vision Ghana, UNICEF and the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Sub-Platform on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, has engaged civil society organizations (CSOs) and key stakeholders in a consultative meeting to support the ongoing review of Ghana's National Nutrition Policy.
The meeting brought together representatives from civil society organizations, government institutions, development partners, academia and policymakers to review the implementation of the current National Nutrition Policy, identify existing gaps and emerging nutrition challenges, and generate recommendations to inform the development of a revised policy. The engagement also sought to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and develop a shared civil society agenda towards accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The review forms part of the broader process to update Ghana's National Nutrition Policy through extensive stakeholder consultations.
Speaking on behalf of the Director of the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, Mrs. Olivia Timpo, Deputy Director of the Nutrition Department, underscored the indispensable role of civil society organizations in advancing nutrition interventions across the country. She commended their longstanding support and encouraged them to sustain their commitment towards improving nutrition outcomes at the community level.
Mrs. Timpo highlighted several priority areas requiring renewed investment and collaboration, including the community-based management of acute malnutrition, capacity building for health professionals, promotion of healthy and diversified diets, food fortification, school nutrition, micronutrient supplementation, maternal nutrition and increased domestic financing for nutrition programmes.
She noted that although Ghana has made significant progress in the community-based management of acute malnutrition, critical gaps remain in the training and capacity of health workers to effectively manage severe cases requiring inpatient care. She therefore appealed to development partners and civil society organizations to support capacity-building initiatives that will strengthen nutrition service delivery across the country.
The Deputy Director also expressed concern over unhealthy dietary patterns, particularly among women and children, citing the growing consumption of highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages at the expense of nutritious local foods. She stressed that good nutrition begins with healthy eating habits within families and called for intensified public education to promote the consumption of locally available, nutritious foods and improve dietary diversity.
Mrs. Timpo further called for renewed investment in Ghana's food fortification programme through strengthened monitoring and supervision, increased production of educational materials, and enhanced collaboration with regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with food fortification standards. She urged stakeholders to advocate for increased financing for nutrition programmes and ensure that nutrition receives greater visibility in national planning and budgeting processes.
She also highlighted the
importance of strengthening school nutrition initiatives by creating healthy food environments, promoting nutrition education, supporting school gardens and encouraging healthy food choices among school-aged children. According to her, nurturing healthy eating habits at an early age is essential to preventing malnutrition and reducing the growing burden of nutrition-related diseases.
Providing an update on the National Nutrition Policy review process, Mrs. Timpo explained that the exercise is being undertaken through a phased approach involving policy evaluation, stakeholder consultations, drafting of a revised policy, development of a costed implementation strategy, validation and eventual government approval. She noted that the recommendations generated during the consultation would feed directly into the work of the consultant undertaking the policy evaluation and contribute to the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based policy framework.
She encouraged participants to actively contribute throughout the review process, emphasizing that the successful implementation of the revised National Nutrition Policy will require strong multisectoral collaboration, sustained advocacy and collective ownership by all stakeholders.
Delivering the closing remarks, Madam Awurabena Dadzie, representing World Vision Ghana, expressed appreciation to participants for their active engagement and valuable contributions throughout the meeting. She encouraged stakeholders to continue sharing research findings, evidence and field experiences with the technical team to strengthen the ongoing evaluation and revision of the National Nutrition Policy.
Madam Dadzie reaffirmed World Vision Ghana's commitment to supporting the Ghana Health Service and its partners in advancing nutrition interventions across the country. She noted that the policy review presents a unique opportunity for civil society organizations to contribute meaningfully towards developing a comprehensive and responsive National Nutrition Policy that addresses the country's current and emerging nutrition challenges.
She further encouraged participants to remain actively engaged beyond the meeting by sharing lessons from their organizations, contributing technical expertise and strengthening advocacy efforts to improve nutrition outcomes within their communities. She emphasized that sustained collaboration among government, development partners and civil society organizations remains essential to achieving lasting improvements in the nutritional status and overall health of Ghanaians.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to work collectively towards developing an inclusive, evidence-based and action-oriented National Nutrition Policy that will strengthen nutrition governance, improve health outcomes and accelerate Ghana's progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3.