Paediatric association of Ghana urged to lead advocacy for child nutrition reforms

At its Annual General Conference & Scientific Meeting, at Ho in the Volta region, the Paediatric Association of Ghana, mentioned the urgent need for reforms in the school feeding program. A Professor in Clinical Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Fred Newton Binka, said the Paediatric Association has a critical role to play in addressing child malnutrition, stunted growth and its impact on the country’s long term development agenda.

Ghana, like many countries, faces several challenges in dealing with the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. Lack of regular opportunities to maintain and improve technical skills for health care workers and a lack of operational resources for community health outreach are some of the hurdles that must be overcome.

Research from the Ghana Health Service shows, that almost 7 percent of children under-five years are malnourished and severely anemic especially in the northern part of the country. Hence child mortality is higher than the rest of the country. The meeting of healthcare professionals, researchers and policy makers was therefore to share ideas on strategies to deal with child malnutrition and its economic impact on Ghana’s long-term development.

The president of the Paediatric Association of Ghana, Dr. Hilda Boye, said malnutrition among children is a complex challenge that stalls progress and realization of the country’s potentials. She stressed on the importance of evidence-based interventions, multi-sectoral collaboration, and sustainable strategies to address the economic and social impact of child malnutrition on Ghana’s long-term development.

The Volta regional minister Dr Archibald Letsa said food insecurity among households in the region has contributed to the growing rate of child malnutrition in the region, and called for a joint action to deal with the problem.

A director at the external health cooperation office at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hafez Adam Taher, said malnutrition contributes to nearly half of all under-5 child deaths in the country.

He said this translates to a loss of about 6.4% of the country’s GDP. A Professor in Clinical Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Professor Fred Binka, said lack of a proper and well- balanced diet results in child malnutrition.

He spoke about the significance of the government’s school feeding program in helping to address malnutrition among children. Prof. Binka urged the Paediatric Association of Ghana to advocate for policy reforms to improve childhood nutrition.