Ghana’s Health & Nutrition Policies
Access key data on policies improving nutrition, healthcare access, and food security nationwide.
| Document name | Year(s) | Nutrition relevant objectives of document | Nutrition relevant policy or program | Target group | Specific nutrition-relevant actions outlined in policies or programs | Implementation approaches | Diet, food or food systems | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Nutrition Policy | 2016 | Ensure optimal nutrition of all people living in Ghana | None indicated | All persons in Ghana, across entire life cycle | Increase coverage ofnutrition, specific &nutrition, sensitiveinterventions, Prioritize nutrition as a multi-sectoral development issue | Advocacy, implementation scale-up, capacity building, supply of job aids, fundraising, technical support from UN/Donors, strengthened vertical & horizontal Coordination | Food-based strategies, optimal BF, CF, diverse diet, food fortification, food safety, food affordability, food production, optimal school meals | |
| Imagine Ghana Free of Malnutrition | 2005-2011 | Reduce underweight, stunting, iron & vitamin A deficiency, anemia, overweight & diet-related disease; address nutrition as a public health & development problem, Increase EBF, Address inequities in malnutrition in Ghana | Increase EBF to 80% by 2011, Reduce stunting to 20% by 2011, Reduce prevalence of anaemia by 30 % in all physiological groups by 2010 | All persons in Ghana across the life cycle | BF & CF promotion; baby friendly facilities, growth promotion supplementary feeding, school meals program, quality institutional feeding, food fortification, micronutrient supplementation, supply ITNs, deworming, NACS for PLWHA, nutrition rehabilitation, reduce overweight | Multisectoral coordination, collaboration, partnership, continuous M&E, resource mobilization, community engagement, information, education & communication (IEC) | IYCF communication, food fortification, improved diet quality, SFP | |
| National BF Policy | 1995 | Improve MCH through promotion, protection, & support of optimal BF & appropriate complementary feeding | None indicated | health care providers, communitybased extension workers, civil society, employers | BF, CF, BFHI, maternity protection, pre-lacteal feeds, pre-service & in-service education, curricula update in medical & nursing schools | BCC, capacity building, legislation, M&E, community engagement (mother-to-mothersupport group) | BF and CF | |
| Vitamin A supplementation programme | 1995 | Reduce vitamin A deficiency among children 6 months to 5 years through vitamin A sustained capsule supplementation & food- based strategy | None indicated | Children 6-59 months | High-dose supplementation for pre-school children & postpartum mothers using a child-to-child strategy, GMP, food-based strategy, use of vitamin A in treatment of measles | Institutional collaboration, M&E, community engagement & surveys, capacity building | Food-based strategy, vitamin A supplementation | |
| National Food Fortification Programme | 1996 | Reduce micronutrient deficiencies among vulnerable populations | None indicated | Children 2-5 years, women 15-49 years | Food accessibility, affordability, utilization of fortified foods, enforcement of legislation to iodized salt | Social marketing campaign, advocacy, M&E, stakeholder engagement | Food-based strategy | |
| IYCF strategy document | 2007 | Reduce anaemia prevalence in pregnant women & children U5 Reduce anaemia prevalence in children 0-14 years. Specific objectives: To ensure that the target groups consume foods fortified with iron, vitamin A, & B vitamins. Ensure WIFA, preschool & primary school aged children consume adequate quantities of iron-rich & vitamin C-rich foods Promote EBF & timely/appropriate CF | Reduce anemia by 25%, Ensure 60% of (WIFA), preschool & primary school aged children produce &/or consume iron-rich & vitamin C-rich | Children, adolescents, women | EBF, BF, timely/appropriate CF, food groups, feeding in emergencies, GMP, BFHI, ICMBS, food fortification | Communication & strategies & guidelines targeting health workers | BF, CF, food groups, feeding in emergencies, formula feeding, food fortification | |
| Nutrition Facts for Ghanaian Families | 2009 | None indicated | None indicated | General population | BF, CF, family diets, eating during pregnancy & lactation | Mass media communication, extension, capacity building | BF, CF, family diets, eating during pregnancy & lactation | |
| Interim national guidelines for community- based management of severe acute malnutrition in Ghana | 2010 | None indicated | None indicated | Children & women | Acute malnutrition, community-based management, facility-based management, technologies for managing acute malnutrition (RUTF) | Communication, case identification, referral, Capacity building, M&E, reporting, quality improvement, supervision, job aids | Ready to use therapeutic foods, BF, CF | |
| Adolescent ironfolate distribution program | 2017 | Reduce anaemia among adolescent girls & menstruating women | Reduce anemia by 20% among adolescent girls in school by 2019 | Adolescent girls in JHS & SHS & TVET institutions | Weekly IFA supplementation | BCC, supply & distribution of IFA, malaria prevention & treatment, food safety, WASH | Nutrient-rich diversified diets | |
| National Food Safety Policy | 2019-2024 | Build a sensitive responsive & resilient food safety system that assures right to quality food | None indicated | government & nongovernment agencies related to food safety | Food safety, food sustainability, | Research, communication, policy dissemination & advocacy strategy, resource mobilization | Food safety, food sustainability | |
| National Malaria Control Program | 1999-2020 | None indicated | 100% of HH own at least one ITN 80% of population sleep under ITNs Increase in U5 & pregnant women sleep under ITN to 85%, 100% pregnant women on 2+ IPT, 90% of caretakers & parents recognize early symptoms & signs of malaria 90% of U5 with fever receive appropriate ACT within 24 hours | Women, children, general population | Malaria prevention, ITN by children & women, sanitation, mosquito-proofing of houses, in-door residual spraying & larviciding | M&E, operational research, capacity building, communication, infrastructure, logistics, financial management community systems strengthened | None indicated | |
| Under Five’s Child Health Strategy | 2007-2015 | Improve coverage of newborn & child health interventions, Improve demand for antenatal care services, Increase # of baby-friendly hospitals, Increase % of women receiving at least 2 doses of IPT | 90% of pregnant women receive, 2 doses of IPT, 80% of neonates are EBF, 75% of children EBF till 6 months | Women in reproductive age & young children | Antenatal care, delivery care, postnatal care, immunization, BF, CF, vitamin A supplementation, addressing stunting, control of malaria, pneumonia, & diarrhea | Program planning & implementation, BCC, community capacity building, logistic management, financing coordination, M&E, private sector partnerships | BF, CF, vitamin A | |
| Anti-malarial drug policy | 2009-2014 | Prompt, safe, effective & appropriate anti-malaria treatment to entire population | None indicated | All relevant population groups | Anemia, malaria treatment | Logistic management, capacity building, promotion, quality improvement, safety monitoring, public-private partnerships | None indicated | |
| Reproductive Health Strategic Plan | 2009-2011 | Reduce morbidity & mortality among WIFA, Increase access to micronutrient supplements, Increase knowledge of maternal & child nutrition among caregivers & pregnant women | 60% of infants initiate BF within 1st hour of birth | Health care workers, caregivers, civil society organizations | Maternal nutrition, diet of pregnant women, micronutrient supplementation (iron, vitamin A), | Integration & coordination of MIS, BCC, research, M&E, job aids, capacity building, scale-up of neonate facilities with special care in districts | diet of pregnant women, diet of young children | |
| National Policy for the Prevention and Control of Chronic NonCommunicable Diseases in Ghana | 2012-2016 | Reduce incidence & prevalence of NCDs, as well as its risk factors | None indicated | pregnant women, newborns, infants, children, adolescents, youth, adults & elderly | Improved diets, physical activity & healthy lifestyles, food environment, WASH, preventive health screening, immunization of children | Early detection, clinical care, capacity building, surveillance, integration of services, partnerships, financing, research & development, M & E | Promote intake of fruits vegetables, high fibre foods; reduce energy-dense foods, salt, trans fatty acid & sugar in diet; reduce alcohol intake; discourage marketing of soda | |
| Strategy for the management, prevention and control of chronic NCDs in Ghana | 2012 | Reduce exposure to risk factors of NCDs, Reduce % of adults who drank alcohol 4 or more times in past 7 days, Reduce % of inactive adults in past 7 days, Promote healthy eating & healthy diet, Reduce overweight & obesity, Reduce consumption of salt b, Reduce % of adults eating <5 vegetable or fruit servings, Prevent vaccine preventable NCDs | Reduce alcohol consumption to 16% (males) & 6%, (females) by 2013, inactivity from 53% to 48% (females) & from 27% to 22% (males) by 2013 | All age groups | Immunization, diet quality improvement, screening for NCDs, treatment of NCDs, physical activity & active lifestyle | Behavior change communication, clinical care, improving access to care, improved quality of care, surveillance; taxation of unhealthy food | Vegetable & fruit consumption, | |
| Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases in Ghana | 2019 | Reduce exposure to risk factors that contribute to NCDs, Strengthen early detection & management to reduce morbidity & mortality associated with NCDs, Strengthen the Health System for NCD Prevention & Control, Strengthen multi sectoral collaboration for NCD, Prevention & Control, Ensure sustainable funding & other resources for NCD prevention & control | Scale-up of MICN strategy by 2024, 50% of regional level facilities with alcohol & other substance abuse rehabilitation services by 2024, 70% of schools implementing nutrition friendly guidelines by 2024, 15% reduction in salt content of processed food by 2024 | General population | BCC on risk factors for NCDs (diet, alcohol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, air pollution) mental health, oral health & injuries including RTAs, health education in schools on all NCDs, Public education on Hepatitis B, HPV & SCD, implementation of maternal, infant & young child nutrition program, provision of safe & enabling environment for physical activities | Monitoring & evaluation, multisectoral coordination, collaboration, community engagement, communication, | Maternal, infant & young child feeding communication, improved diet quality, & physical activity | |
| Ghana National Newborn Health Strategy and Action Plan | 2014-2018 | Reduce neonatal mortality Prevent neonatal infections | 65% of infants initiate BF within first hour of birth, 80% of neonates exclusively BF | Newborns & infants | EBF, Immunization, vitamin K at birth, skin-to-skin contact at birth (KMC), care of pre-term or LBW baby, management of illness, newborn & infant nutrition | Leadership, coordination, care standards, advocacy, BCC, community engagement, partnership building, supervision, financing, capacity building, quality improvement, monitoring & evaluation | EBF | |
| National Tuberculosis Health Sector Strategic Plan for Ghana | 2015-2020 | None indicated | Provide therapeutic feeding to malnourished TB patients, prevent TB infection, treat TB cases | Population at risk of TB, TB patients | Nutrition assessment of TB patients, nutrition guidelines for TB management, ready to use therapeutic foods | Resource mobilization, capacity strengthening, multi-sectoral coordination, superior screening & algorithm & diagnostic tools, WHO protocol -evidence | ready to use therapeutic foods, dietary guidelines, food supplements | |
| Adolescent Health Policy and Strategy | 2016-2021 | None indicated | Adolescents | Anemia, sub-optimal diets, NCDs, SRH, family planning, substance abuse | Financing, partnerships, services, supervision, M&E | None indicated | ||
| Maternal and child health booklet | 2017 | Provide information on caring for mothers & young children | None indicated | Caregivers of infants & young children | diets for pregnant women, infants & young children (4star diet); child immunization; vitamin A supplementation for young children; health care seeking, family planning; water & sanitation guidance | Communication, advocacy, & service delivery related to birth weight measurement, & growth monitoring, capacity building | 4-star diet, BF, CF | |
| Ghana National Newborn and Child Health Advocacy and Communication Strategy and Year One Work Plan | 2019-2023 | Improve Implementation of Essential Newborn Care (ENC), Increase early initiation of BF (within 1 hour of birth), Increase EBF up to 6 months, Increase documentation of birthweight of babies in institutions/facilities. | Increase early initiation of BF from 52% in 2017 to 70% in 2023, Increase EBF from 43% in 2017 to 70% in 2023, Increase documentation of birthweight of babies from 50.9% in 2017 to at least 80% in 2023, Reduce neonatal mortality rate from 25 to 18 per 1,000 live births by 2023, Reduce stillbirth rate from 15 to 10 per 1,000 by 2023 | Infants & children | Under 'Essential care for all babies': Skin-to-skin contact, early initiation of BF within 1 hour, counseling on preventive care, BF, identification of problems, & care seeking, Under 'Special care for at-risk, small & sick newborns, Special Care Newborn Unit (SCNU): supplies for feeding babies who cannot swallow or suck properly. | Scale up of interventions including nutrition components, tools- job aids, manual, promotion of EBF & continued BF & support, promote adherence to WHO ICBMS, explore accreditation processes, prioritization of recording keeping of maternal & neonatal information | BF, human milk fortifiers & preterm formulas | |
| Ghana Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Strategic Plan | 2020-2025 | Universal access to better & efficiently managed quality services, Eliminate avoidable maternal, Eliminate avoidable maternal, child & adolescent deaths & disabilities, Increase access to responsive, clinical & public health, emergency services for RMNCAH&N, Ensure that women, babies & children do not only survive deaths & disabilities but are in the best state of health within an enabling environment | Reduce anemia prevalence: from 26.4% in 2018 to 19% by 2030 (adolescents), from 21.7% in 2018 to 14% by 2025 (WIFA), prevalence of stunting among U5 from 21.4% in 2018 to 14% in 2025, Prevalence of overweight in women from 24.5% in 2018 to 17% by 2025 Prevalence of obesity in women from 14.5% in 2018 to 7% by 2025 | Newborn, infant, child, adolescent, women | Safe motherhood, family planning, Information & counselling on human sexuality, responsible sexual behaviour, responsible parenthood, preconceptional care & sexual health, nurturing care & early childhood development in facilities & communities, school health & nutrition services, prevention & management of malnutrition at community & facility levels, preventive & promotive services for children, including adequate equipment & supplies, adequate supply of essential health & nutrition supplies, including paediatric formulations of medicines for treating childhood illness | Enabling environment for BF & CF, optimal maternal nutrition, anaemia & other micronutrient deficiencies among WIFA & children, monitoring & evaluation, multisectoral coordination & collaboration, increase advocacy for improving social systems to support women, Institutionalization of BFHI in all health facilities, awareness & enforcement of regulation of marketing of breast- milk substitutes, SBCC strategies on infant feeding through mass media & social mobilization Community & religious bodies engagement | promote optimal child BF, CF, diverse diet, infant & young child feeding communication | |
| National Community-Based Health Planning Services Policy | 2016-2021 | Prevent & control spread of communicable & NCD & promote healthy lifestyles improved nutrition WASH family planning vaccination treatment of diseases | None indicated | Health system | Inequities in health care & nutrition services, water & sanitation, growth promotion, antenatal care | Scale-up of physical access to health care, especially in rural settings, resource mobilization, surveillance, Communication, capacity building | None indicated | |
| Revised National Health Promotion Policy | 2016-2021 | to strengthen the health promotion capacity empower communities to improve their health | None indicated | General population | Food security, nutrition information & WASH, | BCC, social mobilization, advocacy, funding, capacity building | None indicated | |
| National Health Policy: Ensuring Healthy Lives for all | 2020 | Promote healthy eating, Promote good nutrition status, Improve access to optimal, WASH | None indicated | Health system | Water, sanitation & hygiene, social protection, healthy eating, & nutrition promotion, family planning food environment, nutrition disorders | Coordination, collaboration, setting targets, multi-sectoral policy planning & implementation, budgets & resource mobilization, | Healthy eating & diets, food environment | |
| Ghana’s Roadmap for Attaining Universal Health Coverage | 2020-2030 | Universal access to better & efficiently managed quality health care services. Reduce unnecessary maternal, adolescent & child deaths & disabilities. Increase access to responsive, clinical & public health emergency services | Attain 100% health insurance coverage for primary level services. Reduce maternal mortality ratio by 2/3 over 2017 figures. Reduce new-born, infant & child mortality rates by 1/2 over 2017 figures. Reduce by 1/3, pre-mature mortality from NCDs & mental health | Poor & vulnerable – children, adolescents, women & the aged | WASH, vaccination, nutrition supplementation, family planning, anaemia, noncommunicable diseases, growth monitoring & promotion | M&E, collaboration, coordination, community engagement, resource mobilization | Nutrition supplementation | |
| Breastfeeding Promotion. Regulation 2000 (LI 1667) | 2000 | Promote, protect, & support optimal BF | Not indicated | Infants & young children | Prohibition of promotion of BMS, Protection against conflict of interest, Guidance on communication of BMS | Punitive actions, administrative requirements | Optimal BF | |
| Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851) | 2012 | Promote & protect health of the population | Not indicated | General population | Promoting safety of food for sale, protection from exposure to smoke inhalation & tobacco, food quality, food adulteration, mandatory food fortification, food standards, promotion & advertising of food | Punitive actions, administrative requirements | Food quality, food environment, food safety |