‘Too weak to cry’: Why Ghana must invest in nutrition

In Ghana's Upper West Region, the stark reality of a nutrition crisis unfolds in the quiet wards of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Hospital. Mothers sit beside children so emaciated they are "too weak to cry," their survival often hinging on a peanut-based paste known as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).

This lifesaving treatment, capable of reversing severe acute malnutrition, is not consistently available. Experts warn of a growing nutrition financing crisis, where access often depends on the availability of donor funding rather than a child's immediate need. Globally, severe acute malnutrition contributes to hundreds of thousands of preventable child deaths annually. In Ghana, while approximately 68,517 children develop the condition each year, only about 15 percent receive treatment, according to health authorities.

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Whenever funding delays occur or supplies run low, treatment pipelines weaken, health facilities experience stock-outs and vulnerable children are left exposed.

Ghana's response to malnutrition has long depended on external support, with RUTFs largely reliant on international financing instead of a stable domestic system. "Whenever funding delays occur or supplies run low, treatment pipelines weaken, health facilities experience stock-outs and vulnerable children are left exposed," stated Dr. Olivia Timpo, Deputy Director of Nutrition at the Ghana Health Service. She emphasized that without reliable commodities, established guidelines cannot be effectively implemented for treatment or prevention.

Despite existing national policies and strategies aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition, outcomes remain concerning. The problem often begins before birth, as indicated by the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, which found that 51 percent of pregnant women attending health facilities were anemic. This highlights a broader issue of undernutrition that affects both pregnant women and children, jeopardizing their health and future.

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Without reliable commodities, guidelines cannot translate into treatment or prevention.