WOMEC Urges Govt to Secure Funding for Life-Saving Nutrition Commodities, Ends Donor Dependence
Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) has called on the Government of Ghana to urgently commit sustainable domestic resources to financing essential nutrition commodities, warning that continued dependence on donor funding threatens access to life-saving interventions for millions of women and children.
The organisation says Ghana must move beyond policy commitments and donor-dependent interventions towards a predictable, adequately funded and nationally owned system that guarantees the availability of essential nutrition supplies, irrespective of changes in external funding priorities.
In a position paper titled “Financing Nutrition Commodities in Ghana,” WOMEC identifies significant funding gaps in the procurement and distribution of essential nutrition commodities and proposes measures to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, institutional accountability and the long-term sustainability of nutrition interventions.
The call, contained in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Charity Binka, follows a high-level stakeholder engagement convened by WOMEC on October 1, 2026, on the sidelines of the Micronutrient Forum Global Conference in Accra, with support from the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF).
The engagement brought together representatives of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Parliament, academia and CHAI Ghana to examine financing challenges and explore sustainable solutions.
Thousands of Malnourished Children Left Without Treatment
WOMEC has expressed concern over the limited coverage of treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, identifying Ready-to-Use
Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) as two critical interventions requiring urgent and sustainable financing.
According to figures cited in the position paper, approximately 61,600 children in Ghana experience severe acute malnutrition annually, yet only 15 per cent receive treatment.
The organisation says the figures expose a serious gap in access to life-saving nutrition services and highlight the urgent need for government to address financial and supply-side barriers.
It further observes that while the government supports certain aspects of nutrition service delivery, including training, infrastructure and data systems, the supply of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements remains entirely dependent on external funding.
WOMEC warns that such dependence exposes essential maternal and child health interventions to disruptions arising from donor funding reductions, shifting priorities and possible withdrawal of external support.
“Access to life-saving nutrition interventions should not be determined by the availability of external funding but guaranteed through sustained government investment,” the organisation stressed.
It argues that Ghana cannot afford to leave the health and wellbeing of women and children at the mercy of uncertain donor commitments.
WOMEC Pushes for RUTF, MMS Inclusion in NHIS
As part of efforts to secure sustainable financing, WOMEC is urging the Ministry of Health and the NHIA to accelerate technical and policy processes towards considering RUTF and MMS for inclusion in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Benefits Package.
The organisation is also calling for clarity on the extent to which the two commodities are covered under the Free Primary Healthcare policy to prevent gaps in access, financing and service delivery.
It believes integrating essential nutrition commodities into existing national health financing arrangements would strengthen government ownership, ensure predictable funding and reduce the risk of interruptions in the supply of critical interventions.
WOMEC has also proposed a phased financing plan through which the government would progressively increase its domestic contributions towards the procurement and distribution of essential nutrition commodities.
Other recommendations include improved costing and evidence generation, dedicated budget-tracking mechanisms, stronger district-level budgeting and enhanced parliamentary oversight to ensure that financial commitments translate into actual releases and expenditure.
The organisation is particularly concerned about weaknesses in the availability and transparency of information on government budget allocations, fund releases and actual expenditure on nutrition commodities.
It says the absence of reliable financial data makes it difficult to identify funding gaps, assess the implementation of budgetary commitments and hold responsible institutions accountable.
Uncapping of NHI Presents Opportunity
WOMEC believes Ghana can leverage existing health financing structures and policy commitments to address the persistent nutrition financing gap.
It identifies the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) as an important opportunity to strengthen the financial base for essential health interventions, particularly those targeting maternal and child nutrition.
However, it cautions that the availability of financing mechanisms alone will not resolve the problem without deliberate government prioritisation, clear budgetary commitments, effective institutional coordination and transparent monitoring.
The organisation is therefore urging the Ministries of Health and Finance, GHS, NHIA, NDPC, Parliament and development partners to work together to establish a costed, transparent and sustainable financing framework.
It has also called on development partners to support Ghana’s transition towards domestic financing through technical assistance, evidence generation and strategic collaboration, emphasising that external support should complement rather than replace the government’s responsibility.
Nutrition Investment Critical to Ghana’s Future
WOMEC maintains that nutrition financing must be treated as a critical national development and human capital investment rather than merely an expenditure within the health sector.
According to the organisation, poor maternal nutrition and childhood malnutrition have far-reaching implications for child survival, physical growth, cognitive development, educational attainment and national productivity.
It warns that failure to invest adequately in nutrition will impose significant social and economic costs on families, communities and the country.
The organisation is consequently calling for clearly defined financing responsibilities, measurable targets and accountability mechanisms across government institutions to ensure that essential nutrition interventions receive the necessary support.
“Ghana must move from depending on donor goodwill to demonstrating national commitment through sustained domestic investment,” WOMEC emphasised.
It further insists that the availability of RUTF to treat severely malnourished children and MMS to support pregnant women must not be left to the uncertainties of external funding.
WOMEC is urging government to translate its policy commitments into concrete budgetary action to ensure that no child is denied treatment for severe acute malnutrition and no pregnant woman is deprived of essential micronutrient support because of financial constraints.
It added that investing in nutrition is an investment in the health, productivity and future of Ghana, stressing that sustainable domestic financing must become a national priority backed by adequate resources, strong political leadership and transparent accountability.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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