WOMEC Calls for Stronger Parliamentary Action to Fund Maternal and Child Nutrition in Ghana
Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) has urged Parliament and government partners to treat maternal and child nutrition as a national development priority and back it with stronger financing and accountability.
Speaking at a meeting on Strengthening Parliamentary Action for Maternal and Child Nutrition Financing in Ghana_, WOMEC Executive Director Dr. Charity Binka said investing in nutrition today determines the health, learning, and productivity of Ghana’s future workforce.
“Nutrition is not only a health issue; it is a national development priority,” Dr. Binka told MPs, officials from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the National Health Insurance Authority, the Ghana Health Service, the National Development Planning Commission, and civil society partners.
“The health, growth, cognitive development, and future productivity of our children depend on the investments we make today. Equally, the wellbeing of mothers before, during, and after childbirth is critical to building strong families and resilient communities.”
The meeting was held under WOMEC’s _Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition_ project, supported by the Eleanor Crook Foundation. The project works with policymakers, media, youth advocates, health experts, and development partners to push nutrition higher on Ghana’s policy agenda.
Dr. Binka said Parliament has a central role in keeping nutrition visible in national planning, ensuring it is adequately financed in budgets, and protecting it through strong policies.
“We therefore commend Members of Parliament for their commitment to advancing maternal and child nutrition and for recognising that investing in nutrition is investing in Ghana’s human capital and economic future,” she said.
She called for closer collaboration between Parliament, government institutions, civil society, the media, and communities to sustain momentum on nutrition advocacy and financing. WOMEC welcomed growing efforts to integrate nutrition financing into national development frameworks and sector planning processes.
Dr. Binka said she hopes the discussions will produce practical recommendations, renewed commitment, and stronger partnerships for increased domestic financing.
“When a nation invests in the nutrition of its mothers and children, it is not merely funding a health intervention it is protecting its future, strengthening its workforce, and securing the dignity and potential of generations yet unborn. The time to act is now,” she said.
WOMEC ended the meeting with a call to ensure no mother or child is left behind due to preventable malnutrition.
The event brought together lawmakers, health officials, nutrition experts, media, and civil society under the hashtag #NourishGhana.
