Ghana Nutrition Experts Urge Parliament to Fund Malnutrition Commitments

Nutrition experts urged Ghana's Parliament to ensure the country meets its international nutrition commitments and to include Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements under the National Health Insurance Scheme. The request was made at a roundtable held in Accra last Friday.

The meeting was organized by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana Project with support from the Eleanor Crook Foundation.

Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements are currently donor-funded and available only in selected project areas. The Deputy Director of Nutrition at the Ghana Health Service stated that about 68,517 children develop severe acute malnutrition each year and that 51 percent of pregnant women reporting at health facilities are anemic.

The Deputy Director warned that rising global aid cuts could lead to stock-outs and reverse gains in malnutrition treatment unless domestic financing is secured. She asked Parliament to strengthen oversight of nutrition funding ahead of the 2026 budget cycle.

The Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Investment at the National Health Insurance Authority said the agency is prepared to explore how health financing can support child and maternal nutrition outcomes. The Chief Executive Officer of Women, Media and Change called for stronger collaboration among Parliament, government institutions, civil society, media, and communities to sustain nutrition advocacy.