Malnutrition is still a major challenge in the Nanumba North Municipality of the Northern Region.
Many children under age five are still malnourished despite the area being one of the food producing areas in the country.
Grameen Ghana, a non-governmental organization working through SNV, a Dutch organization under the Voice4Change program has supervised an inauguration of a Nutrition Technical Committee (NTC) in the Nanumba North Municipal Assembly.
The committee is mandated to provide advisory services to the municipal assembly and the department of health to improve nutrition service delivery.
It is also to coordinate and supervise activities at the municipal assembly level to ensure harmony and reduce duplication of efforts by stakeholders that are into the provision of nutrition service in the area.
Mugmin Musah, the Program Coordinator for Grameen Ghana, explained that “the committee is mandated to identify gaps in the nutrition service delivery and advise Municipal Assembly and recommend further research to address key issues that affect the people.”
“Malnutrition in the Nanumba North is very low and this is as a result of bad or inappropriate service to tackle the menace. Inadequate resources to equip service centres. Talking about supplementary feeding materials, monitoring and Anthropometric materials needed to measure the levels of stunting in children under age five.”
Mugmin Musah added that, going forward, efforts have to be synergized in dealing with the nutrition issues.
The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mohammed Akalipha also appealed to the partners to assist the municipal assembly with resources.
He bemoaned the absence of funds at the assembly to be able to carry out some of the activities that would help improve nutrition status in the municipality.
The committee comprises of representatives from the Health Directorate, Agric, Education, Information Services, Gender desk, the Municipal Assembly, women’s group and a representative from the Civil Society Organisation represented by Grameen Ghana.