Wechiau: World Vision Ghana has initiated a campaign aimed at addressing issues of child hunger and malnutrition to enhance the holistic development of children in the Upper West Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the intervention, dubbed 'ENOUGH' to end child hunger and malnutrition, seeks to ensure that children are prioritized in hunger, nutrition, and food security-related policies at all levels. The three-year campaign, funded by World Vision International, is being implemented in approximately 35 communities in the Wa East and Wa West Districts.
Mr. Sergious Before, the Wa Cluster Programmes Manager of World Vision Ghana (WVG), highlighted during the campaign launch in Wechiau in the Wa West District, that hunger and malnutrition negatively impact children's health, brain, and physical development, which subsequently affects their educational outcomes. He noted that child hunger and malnutrition are intensified by factors such as communal conflicts, poverty, and changes in climatic conditions that affect food production, availability, accessibility, and affordability.
"While progress has been made in reducing child stunting with rates dropping from 33 percent in 1993 to 17 percent in 2022, there is still a significant number of children who go to bed with an empty stomach. UNICEF still believes that 2.4 million children under five years are living in food poverty," Mr. Before explained.
In efforts to combat these issues, WVG has supported the Wa West District with 50 boxes of prenatal multivitamin supplements, benefiting over 4,000 pregnant women. Additionally, they have donated 5,000 and 3,000 tablets of vitamin 'A' to the Wa West and Wa East Districts, respectively, and have rehabilitated 36 malnourished children in collaboration with the Wa West District Health Directorate since 2024.
Ms. Barbara Asare, the ENOUGH Campaign Coordinator at WVG, encouraged the local population to utilize locally available foods such as beans and leafy vegetables to provide nutrition-rich meals for their children. The campaign aims to reach 12.5 million children through improved services and policy implementation, directly impacting 1.3 million children with nutritious food and engaging 3.5 million parents and caregivers with good agricultural practices.
The campaign also aims to influence policies in health and nutrition, food security, climate-smart agriculture, and social protection. Mr. Richard Wulo, the Wa West District Chief Executive (DCE), emphasized that the ENOUGH campaign is a call to action for all stakeholders to ensure every child has access to nutritious food, quality healthcare, and opportunities for growth. He assured the Assembly's commitment to supporting the campaign through collaboration with WVG to enhance access to nutritious food for vulnerable children and their families.
Naa Imoru Nandong Gomah II, the Paramount Chief of Wechaiu Traditional Area, pledged his support to WVG and encouraged chiefs to allocate fertile lands to schools for food production to feed children. The campaign launch was attended by stakeholders, including the Wa East DCE, traditional leaders from the Wa East District, and representatives from the Ghana Health Services and Departments of Agriculture from the two districts.
The event featured an exhibition of nutrition-rich foods like tumpani and tuozaafi with green vegetable sauce, a drama illustrating the impact of hunger on children's education, and the signing of a commitment to the campaign by stakeholders.
