The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for Finance and Investment, Anatu Anne Seidu Bogobiri, has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting national and civil society efforts aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare and nutrition outcomes across the country.
Speaking at a high-level breakfast meeting in Accra on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Ms. Bogobiri stressed the urgent need for sustainable financing and stronger collaboration to tackle malnutrition among mothers and children.
The meeting, organised by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), was held on the theme: “Strengthening Parliamentary Action for Maternal and Child Nutrition Financing in Ghana.”
It brought together Members of Parliament, health sector stakeholders, development partners, and civil society organisations to deliberate on ways of closing Ghana’s nutrition financing gap and strengthening accountability toward the country’s Nutrition for Growth (N4G) commitments.
Addressing participants, Ms. Bogobiri noted that maternal and child nutrition remains a national development issue that goes beyond healthcare.
“Sometimes we speak about nutrition as though it is only a medical issue, but in reality, it touches every part of national life — our schools, our economy, our families, and ultimately the future of our country,” she stated.
She observed that many pregnant women across Ghana still struggle to access proper nutrition, while numerous children continue to suffer developmental challenges due to inadequate nutrient intake.
“When you visit some of our communities and speak to frontline health workers, you begin to appreciate how serious this challenge really is. You meet nurses and community health officers doing their best with limited resources. You meet mothers who must choose between feeding their families and seeking healthcare,” she said.
According to the NHIA Deputy CEO, malnutrition continues to impose long-term social and economic burdens on the country through poor educational outcomes, reduced productivity, and rising healthcare costs.
“The truth is, investing in nutrition is one of the smartest investments any country can make,” she emphasised.
Ms. Bogobiri explained that under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), maternal healthcare services are currently covered from antenatal care through delivery to postnatal care under the Free Maternal Healthcare Policy.
She added that while nutrition is not yet covered as a standalone benefit package, pregnant women receive nutrition education and counselling during antenatal visits as part of preventive healthcare services.
“In situations where a pregnant woman or child develops a medical condition such as anaemia or vitamin deficiency, prescribed medications including iron supplements, folic acid, and multivitamins may be covered as part of treatment under the Scheme,” she disclosed.
She further revealed that the NHIA is exploring ways strategic health financing can support interventions such as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements, particularly for vulnerable mothers and children.
“These interventions can make a real difference, especially for vulnerable mothers and children, but sustainability is key,” she said.
Ms. Bogobiri cautioned against overreliance on temporary donor support and fragmented nutrition programmes, stressing the need for a coordinated and sustainable national system.
“We cannot continue depending only on temporary support or fragmented interventions. We must begin to build systems that can support these services consistently and equitably,” she stated.
She also underscored the importance of coordination among government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector in addressing child nutrition financing challenges.
“Sometimes in our system, everybody is working hard, but not always in the same direction. One institution is collecting data here, another is running a programme there, another partner is funding a separate intervention somewhere else.
Meanwhile, the mother in the community simply wants accessible and reliable care,” she noted.
The NHIA Deputy CEO called for stronger domestic commitment to maternal and child nutrition financing, describing it as both a developmental and moral responsibility.
“No child should suffer the long-term effects of malnutrition simply because support came too late or because systems failed to work together. No mother should be left behind because essential interventions are financially out of reach,” she stressed.
She, however, urged stakeholders to move beyond dialogue toward concrete action.
“If we get this right, the impact will go far beyond healthcare. We will be investing in stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger Ghana,” she added.
According to research presented at the meeting, globally, about 2.4 billion people do not have access to sufficient nutritious food throughout the year due to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disposable incomes, the rising cost of healthy diets, and inflationary pressures.
The research, conducted by Jerry Sam and Olivia Timpo, further revealed that between 690 million and 783 million people experienced hunger in 2022, while an additional 122 million people faced hunger compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The study also highlighted that hunger continues to rise across Africa and that in Ghana, 68,517 children suffered various forms of malnutrition, with six per cent of children under five experiencing wasting annually.
A recent global health and nutrition summit in Paris secured $27.55 billion in pledges from countries and development institutions committed to supporting nutrition and maternal healthcare financing.
Among the commitments announced were: The European Union pledging €6.5 billion for 2024–2029, with €3.4 billion allocated to Sub-Saharan Africa. France committing €750 million through AFD and emergency food aid, including €2 million for Ghana’s HD4HL project.
The World Bank pledging $5 billion The African Development Bank committing $9.5 billion. The Asian Development Bank pledging $1.2 billion. The Government of Ghana committing $6 million annually to support the procurement of essential nutrition commodities.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of WOMEC, Charity Binka, said the breakfast meeting aimed to strengthen domestic financing for nutrition, address gaps in the NHIS regarding maternal and child nutrition, improve multisectoral coordination, and enhance parliamentary leadership and accountability toward Nutrition for Growth commitments.
On behalf of the Parliamentary Health Committee at the event, Professor Titus Beyuo, a member of Parliament’s Health Committee and MP for Lambussie, assured participants of Parliament’s full support for policies and financial allocations to strengthen child nutrition and maternal healthcare financing.
According to him, Parliament has a pivotal role to play and would work closely with institutions and government to provide the necessary support for sustainable nutrition financing in Ghana.
Source: Felix Nyaaba // ExpressNewsGhana