Ghana’s Human Development Policies

Key data on policies advancing education, healthcare, and social welfare nationwide.

Document name	Year publishe d or initiated	Nutrition relevant Objectives of document	Nutrition relevant policy or program targets	Target group	Specific nutritionrelevant actions outlined in policies or programs	Implementation approaches	Diet, food or food systems aspects of policies or programs
Small communities water & sanitation policy	2005	Improve public health & economic well-being of communities through provision of adequate, safe & sustainable water	Improve coverage of potable water to 85 % of the populace by 2015	men, women & children	None indicated	Monitoring & evaluation	None indicated
National Water policy	2007	To ensure entire population, particularly the poor vulnerable, will have access to adequate & potable water	None indicated	Women, girls & children, men (& boys)	None indicated	Monitoring & evaluation	Food security & income generation
Environmental Sanitation Policy	2010	raise awareness of benefits of improved environmental sanitation, related to health, food hygiene and general environment	None indicated	individuals, households and communities	None indicated	Behavior change communication	Food safety, environmental sanitation
National Environmental Sanitation Strategy & Action Plan	2010	None indicated	None indicated	vulnerable people, women & children, the poor	None indicated	Advocacy & communication	None indicated
National climate change adaptation Strategy	None indicate d	Promote farming technologies that enhances productivity of agriculture (food security); Increased availability of water for agriculture Ensure healthy population; Improved nutritional status	None indicated	None indicated	Promote fish farming	M&E, fish farming, enhance agricultural productivity, environmental sanitation improvement,	Food security,
Strategic Environmental Sanitation Investment Plan	2015	None indicated	None indicated	None indicated	None indicated	None indicated	None indicated
Water sector strategic development plan	2012-2025	Maximise health benefits through integration of WASH education interventions	Increase urban water coverage to 100% in 2025 -60% households in rural communities and small towns practise handwashing with soap -Increase sanitation coverage 100% by 2025	Government agencies involved in water sector	Service delivery in rural and urban areas	Capacity Development, Governance, Finance, Knowledge Management,Gender, M&E, Water Resource Management	None indicated
Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP)	2008	Improve basic households consumption and nutrition. Increase access to welfare services (health, productive capacity)	None indicated	Ultra-poor households; unemployed elderly (65+), severe disability	Access to health care	Cash grants, health insurance premiums, school enrolment for young children, vaccinations, targeting of beneficiaries	None indicated
National Social Protection Policy	2015-2031	Reduce proportion of men, women & children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions.	Reduce by at least 50% the proportion of men, women & children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions by 2030	men, women & children of all ages	None indicated	Monitoring & evaluation, advocacy,	None indicated
National Gender Policy	2015-2020	Enforce implementation of existing health & nutrition programs; Mothers provided with food rations to remain in good health and supported to care for their children; food and nutrition support to parents and children infected or affected by HIV; Identify & link extremely poor families to LEAP	None indicated	Disadvantaged women, men, adolescents & children	None indicated	M&E, advocacy	None indicated
National Plan of action for orphans and vulnerable children	2010-2020		Food rations to 3150; PLWHIV by 20%; reduced mortality of parents by 2012; 45% of LEAP households have OVC	Orphans, households with orphans, caregivers of Orphans and vulnerable children, persons infected with HIV	Food rations; Linkage with LEAP	Capacity strengthening, improved quality of services, empower support groups	Providing food rations; food security
Ghana National Guidelines for Nutrition-Friendly Schools	2019	Provide a framework to address double burden of nutrition-related ill health & to connect all school-based health & nutrition programs.	None indicated	school-aged children, cooks & caterers, domestic bursars, teaching & non-teaching staff, parents & the community	BCC for optimal nutrition, SHR, physical activity & hygiene, health & nutrition services, safe & supportive environment	food demonstrations, BCC, M& E, supervision, capacity building, community engagement, sensitization & advocacy, reporting & data management, advocacy	School health & nutrition, food safety, food environm ent, food quality
Education Strategic Plan	2010-2020	None indicated	None indicated	Boy/girl, pupils/students	None indicated	Monitoring & supervision	None indicated
School Health Education Programme	2005	Promote healthy diet & lifestyles Avoid exposure to alcohol & tobacco Provide nutrition & food safety education Food vendors & cooks are medically certified	None indicated	school -aged children	Food safety & quality, nutrition education, regular assessment of children’s nutritional status.	Advocacy & decentralized implementation	Food safety & food hygiene
National School Feeding Policy	2015	Foster local economic development through capacity support for local enterprises involved in food production, marketing & processing	None indicated	children	None indicated	Monitoring, Evaluation & Information-Sharing	None indicated
Early Childhood Care & Development Policy	2004	Promote nutrition & household food security; Promote the survival, growth & development of all children (0-8 years) leading to the realization of a healthy nation	immunization of at least 80% of infants (0-11 months) by 2005 -reduce infant mortality rate from 57 to 50/1000 births -decrease LBW from 8% to 5% by 2003; Increase EBF to 50% by 2006	Children, women, parents, caregivers, preschool teachers	Reduce childhood malnutrition, promote BF, immunization , growth promotion services, IYCF & nutrition & health standards	Capacity building. collaboration, coordination, advocacy, resource mobilization, M&E	promote optimal child BF, CF, diverse diet, food security
National Aging Policy	2010	Improving health, nutrition & well-being of older persons	None indicated	elderly men & women	Control of diarrhea diseases, malaria control	Service provision, M&E	None indicated
National Youth Policy	2010	None indicated	Promote participation of youth modern agriculture as a viable career opportunity	Youth	None indicated	M&E	None indicated
National Youth Policy Implementation Plan	2014-2017	None indicated	None indicated	Youth	None indicated	Advocacy	None indicated
National Urban Policy Action Plan	2012	Attend to the hygiene & quality of food for the urban public. Strengthen & enforce regulations to ensure safe public foods & protection of consumer health.	None indicated	None indicated	None indicated	Develop logistic capacities, M&E	Food security
National Population Policy	1994	None indicated	Reduce infant mortality from 66 to 22/1000 births by year 2020	Women, men, children	None indicated	M&E	None indicated
Medium Term Expenditure Framework	2014-2016	Improve access to quality maternal, neonatal, child & adolescent health & nutrition services	Reduce Under-five malnutrition rate to 8% by 2014	Children, pregnant women	None indicated	Planning, Budgeting, M&E	None indicated
Coordinated program of economic and social development policies	2010-2016	Ensure a healthy population capable of contributing to national socio-economic development through food & nutrition security	None indicated	General population	prevent food losses, locally grown nutrient rich food, eliminate overweight	Resource mobilization, research, communication & stakeholder engagement, coordination, monitoring & evaluation, use of evidence, community engagement & involvement,	food & nutrition security
Ghana Shared Growth & Development Agenda Vol I	2010-2013	Reduce malnutritionrelated disorders & deaths among infants & young children & WIFA; Promoting consumption of locally; available & nutritionally adequate food; increased food security & social protection for vulnerable Households	None indicated	Elderly, infants & young children & Women in their Reproductive Ages	healthy lifestyles & diet; Promote balanced diet in deprived communities	M&E	Food security
Ghana Shared Growth & Development Agenda Vol II	2010-2013	improved agricultural productivity; promote selected crop development for food security, export & industry; security & income; & promote livestock & poultry development for food security & income; promote fisheries development for food	None indicated	infants & young children & Women In their Fertility Ages	Reducing malnutritionrelated disorders & deaths among children and WIFA; promote local food; address food security	M&E	Food security
Labour Act (Act 651)	2003	None indicated	None indicated	Employers and employees	maternity protection	Feeding breaks for nursing mothers; sanctions, fines and sanctions	IYCF
Coordinated program of Economic and Social Development Policies	2017-2024	Ensure food security; promote good nutrition -Institute measures to prevent food losses; promote production and use of local nutrient-rich foods; ; eliminate child and adult overweight and obesity -promote research and development in food and nutrition security (FNS);	None indicated	Young children, adults	None indicated	Planning, M&E, intersectoral actions, PPP,	Food security, nutrition promotion, nutrition research
Medium term policy framework	2018-2021	Promote good nutrition -strengthen food and nutrition security governance		Infants, adults	Prevent food losses, production of diversified, nutrient-rich food, health lifestyles, nutritionsensitive interventions	Data and information systems, strengthen multi-sector platform, social mobilization, advocacy, capacity building, legislation and regulations, budget tracking, nutrition-sensitive trade and investments	Food security, nutrition promotion,nutrition research

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