Accra: Stakeholders at a media capacity building event focused on nutrition have emphasized the need for strengthened measures, including advocacy and addressing funding gaps, to prioritize nutrition as a national agenda. Studies indicate that two children in Ghana die every hour from preventable nutrition-related causes, with malnutrition costing the nation GHS4.6 billion annually due to lost productivity and healthcare expenses.

According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Kasim Abdulai, Director of Operations for the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy (CAPHA), revealed that nutrition requires political commitment and intentional investments. Despite its critical role in healthcare, nutrition has not received adequate attention for scaling up, and Dr. Abdulai urged the media to advocate for a shift in the narrative. He stressed that nutrition should be recognized as a right, not charity, and called for government accountability in addressing the populace’s nutritional needs.

The CAPHA, in collaboration
with the Women, Media, and Change (WOMEC), organized the training for journalists in Accra as part of an advocacy initiative to enhance government leadership and involvement in maternal and child nutrition interventions. WOMEC, through its Nourish Ghana project, is undertaking an 18-month initiative aimed at strengthening advocacy efforts to influence nutrition-related policies and elevate the importance of nutrition in national discourse and development.

Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of WOMEC, labeled nutrition as a “silent crisis” that impacts children, communities, and the nation’s future. She highlighted that malnutrition continues to be a significant issue, with 18 percent of children under five suffering from stunting and wasting. These figures represent mothers who endure pregnancy without essential nutrients for safe delivery and recovery. Dr. Binka noted that malnutrition undermines progress in health, education, and economic sectors, reducing school performance and productivity while increa
sing healthcare costs.

She urged for a break in the silence surrounding malnutrition through deliberate efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding and hygienic food practices, calling on the media to leverage their platform to make nutrition a national priority. Dr. Binka also underscored the media’s role in shaping public understanding of nutrition and mentioned that the project includes training for media professionals to advocate effectively for improved nutrition policies.

Ms. Olivia Tempo, Director of Nutrition at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), stated that plans are underway to revise certain policies to enhance nutrition responsiveness and sought media support in achieving these goals.