The National Nutrition Policy (2013–2017) was developed in response to the persistent burden of malnutrition in Ghana, characterised by high rates of stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies (particularly iron, iodine, and vitamin A), sub-optimal infant and young child feeding practices, and a growing incidence of overweight, obesity, and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. Despite the existence of multiple sectoral interventions, limited coordination, inadequate funding, donor dependence, weak institutional frameworks, and insufficient scale-up of proven interventions hindered sustained impact.

The goal of the policy is to ensure optimal nutrition and health of all people living in Ghana in order to enhance human capital development, economic productivity, and sustainable national development. The policy has four main objectives: • Promote optimal nutrition across the life cycle; • Increase access to quality and timely interventions for priority nutrition problems; • Promote food security, food quality, and food safety; and • Create an enabling environment for effective coordination, integration, and implementation of nutrition programmes.

The policy adopts strategies including promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding, micronutrient supplementation and food fortification, management of acute malnutrition, integration of nutrition into maternal and child health services, strengthening of food security and safety systems, addressing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) linkages, and scaling up community-based nutrition interventions. It emphasises evidence-based programming, gender equity, decentralisation, community participation, and multi-sector collaboration.

Institutionally, implementation is to be coordinated at national, regional, and district levels through an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism at the highest executive level. The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service provide leadership, working closely with agriculture, education, local government, and development partners. The policy underscores monitoring, evaluation, research, and capacity building as critical pillars for sustainability. Through a coordinated multi-sector approach, the policy seeks to break the cycle of malnutrition, improve survival and cognitive development outcomes, reduce economic losses associated with undernutrition, and reposition nutrition as a central pillar of Ghana’s development agenda.