By Rachel Quartey & Rukayatu Musah
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for sustained investment, stronger public institutions and international cooperation to tackle malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, warning that poor nutrition continues to undermine human development and the prospects of future generations.
She made the call at the opening of the 7th Global Conference of the Micronutrient Forum (MNF 2026) in Accra, which is bringing together scientists, policymakers, development partners, civil society and private-sector representatives to explore solutions to nutrition challenges in a changing environment.
The four-day conference, running from September 28 to October 1, is being held under the theme, “Nutrition at the Frontiers of a Changing Environment.”
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said malnutrition has far-reaching consequences, particularly for children, women and future generations.
“Poor nutrition in childhood can affect physical development, learning and one’s prospects throughout life,” she said, adding that for girls, the effects could extend into adulthood and pregnancy, placing the health of both mother and child at risk.
She stressed that tackling malnutrition requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond individual interventions, involving science, sustained investment, resilient food systems and cooperation across countries and sectors.
“Solutions will require science, sustained investment, strong public institutions, resilient food systems and cooperation across countries and sectors,” the Vice President stated.
Addressing Ghana’s nutrition challenges, she identified anaemia among women and adolescent girls, poor diet quality and inadequate dietary diversity as continuing concerns, despite existing interventions in maternal and child health, adolescent nutrition, school feeding and social protection.
She said nutrition outcomes were influenced by several factors, including food production, household affordability, school meals, parental information and access to healthcare, requiring coordinated responses across multiple sectors.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen nutrition services through funding for essential nutrition commodities, multiple micronutrient supplements and equipment for assessing and monitoring nutritional status.
She also underscored the importance of improving the nutritional quality of meals provided under Ghana’s School Feeding Programme, which currently reaches more than 4.5 million children.
“We are strengthening nutritional standards and improving caterer training and monitoring. But nutritional quality is just as important as the increased numbers,” she said.
The Vice President further linked nutrition to agricultural development, citing the government’s Feed Ghana Programme as an opportunity to increase domestic food production, improve food security and make nutritious foods more accessible.
She also pointed to the Free Primary Healthcare Programme as an avenue for integrating nutrition into preventive healthcare, maternal and child health services, immunisation and community-level care.
On financing, she called for stronger domestic investment alongside international partnerships, noting that countries with high malnutrition burdens often face fiscal constraints compounded by climate shocks and competing demands on healthcare services.
“Domestic financing and international partnership should not be treated as alternatives,” she said, emphasising the need for resources that support sustainable nutrition systems rather than short-term interventions.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for sharing scientific evidence, policy experiences and innovations, while amplifying leadership from Africa and other low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the discussions must ultimately translate into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
“Our work must converge around the people for whom these discussions matter most,” she said.
She expressed Ghana’s readiness to share its experiences and learn from other countries and partners before officially declaring the 7th Global Conference of the Micronutrient Forum open.
