$3.5m campaign to combat child hunger and malnutrition in Ghana launched

The School Feeding Programme was implemented in 2005 as a means to encourage retention of pupils, increase school enrolment, alleviate poverty and provide sufficient nutrition for pupils.

However, delay in payment of grants to caterers has been a major setback to the programme despite adoption of new mode of payment. The delay in payment has also led to poor meals provided by caterers to the school children.

This has over the years been a major concern to some health experts and parents in respect of the food nutrients with which children are being fed.

In addressing some of this issues, World Vision Ghana and partners have launched a 3-year project which will see to end child malnutrition, hunger, stunting growth among others across the country.

The campaign, which is estimated to cost over $3.5 million, will hinge on two main strategic goals; That, children are visible and heard in hunger, nutrition & food security-related policies at all levels and more children enjoy better food security, nutrition and resilience, through prioritized services.

The objectives of the campaign are to ensure that; The most vulnerable children and their caregivers receive immediate nutrition-appropriate food and cash assistance as well as more children are reached by school meal programs providing nutritional food, sourced ethically, sustainably and as locally as possible.

In addition, more adolescent girls enjoy improved nutrition outcomes and improved life quality due to micronutrient supplements and gender-based transformative programs.

The campaigners have therefore urged the Government of Ghana and all key stakeholders to ACT on existing or new policies and increase investment to end child hunger and malnutrition and by so doing; “Provide ENOUGH nutritious food, ensure ENOUGH funding for hunger and nutrition, drive ENOUGH political will, promote ENOUGH household food security, and advocate ENOUGH quality school meals for every child.”

The National Director for World Vision Ghana, Laura Del Valle in her speech noted that,
“There is ENOUGH in this world to provide every child with a life of plenty, joy, and hope. Child hunger levels are the worst they have been in generations due to conflict, climate change, and post-COVID economies, resulting in soaring food prices.”

She added that “Hundreds of millions of children suffer from curable diseases and are underweight, stunted, wasted, anaemic, and overweight. Many children will not reach their potential, facing difficulties focusing in school, being forced to work, or getting married early. Children have the right to ENOUGH nutritious food, critical for physical growth and brain development.”

“Currently, the national stunting rate stands at 18%, the current rate of wasting stands at 6%, the rate for underweight is?12%, the under-five mortality rate in Ghana stands at 40 deaths for every 1000 live births as against a global target of less than 25 for 1000 live births. Almost half (49%) of children aged 6–59 months in Ghana are anaemic. This statistic is very high by WHO standards,” she lamented.

Based on the 2020/2021 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) for Ghana and the latest results from the March 2023 Cadre Harmonisé, the food insecurity situation in the North persists, where over 237,000 people were projected to be food insecure in Upper East and Upper West regions (IPC/CH Phase 3 and 4).

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), “we produce so much food globally yet one–third of it – 1.3 billion tons – is wasted.?There is ENOUGH in this world to provide every child with a life of plenty, joy, and hope. This is why we say ENOUGH”.

The Deputy Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah who pledged his personal support for the campaign said, “The Burden of malnutrition remains high. Many children in Ghana do not receive optimal malnutrition.”

But the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service are implementing high impact specific programmes, including care practices and Vitamin A supplement.

“I congratulate World Vision Ghana for initiating this campaign and I pledge the Ministry of Health’s support to end child hunger and malnutrition. We’ll be available to ensure that this campaign will go to the areas they have to,” Mr Acquah said.

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