Nutrition is increasingly being recognised as a critical component of Ghana’s development planning, with discussions focusing on how stronger coordination, financing and evidence can improve nutrition outcomes across the country.

This formed the focus of a symposium organised as part of the Micronutrient Forum 2026 in Accra, under the theme, “𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚.”

The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, said nutrition had implications far beyond the health sector and was closely linked to human capital development, education, productivity and resilience.

“𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬,” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.

She noted that Ghana had established policies, institutions and coordination platforms for nutrition, but translating these arrangements into coherent implementation, sustained investment and measurable results remained important.

Dr Amoah explained that Ghana’s approach brings together sectors including health, agriculture, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, social protection, local economic development and public finance.

She said the Food Systems and Nutrition Security Cross-Sectoral Planning Group provides an avenue for these actors to work around a common agenda and strengthen the integration of nutrition priorities into sector and district development plans..