Stakeholders advocate comprehensive nutrition financing
The Deputy Director of Nutrition Ghana Health Service (GHS), Olivia Timpo, has advocated Multiple Micro-Nutrients Supplements (MMS) to be part of routine ante- natal care services to address nutritional issues of pregnant women.
The MMS has 15 micronutrients including Folic Acid and B Vitamins which are very essential for safe pregnancy and human capital.
Currently, pregnant women are given nutrition supplements which have only two nutrients.
Ms Timpo, who made the call at a high-level stakeholder meeting in Accra, called for the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for the treatment of malnourishment to be covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The high-level meeting was organised by Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) on strengthening investments and coordination for maternal and child nutrition in Ghana under the Nourish Ghana, imitative.
Interventions
Ms Timpo explained that the RUTF used for treating malnutrition in children and the MMS were critical interventions needed to address nutrition.
However, the RUTF was not covered by NHIS, so parents have to bear the cost to purchaser malnourished children who needed it for treatment when donated stocks are depleted.
"But when covered by NHIS, it will be part of the Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) services available at all facilities and once a case is identified, treatment will be readily available to avoid the situation where parents cannot buy."
Currently, there is implementation research on pilot basis of the MMS as routine Ante-natal services and RUTF as CWC services in three regions.
The Director of Nutrition appealed to Parliament to urge NHIA and the Ministry of Health to present a clear timeline for the RUTF and MMS package implementation as part of their oversight legislation responsibilities.
Research has shown that a dollar invested in nutrition of every child yield 23 dollars in return and reduces the malnutrition burden on economies.
The Member of Parliament for Lambussie who is also a member of the Health and Gender Committee of the House, Dr Titus Beyuo, noted that nutrition was not only an economic indicator but a moral imperative for women and children as far as health was concerned.
He assured of Parliament's readiness and commitment towards strong nutrition financing, adding that the free primary health care policy had a focus on education to promote nutrition.
Dr Charity Binka, Executive Director, WOMEC said nutrition was as important to women and girls as everything because it had consequences on their reproductive health and survival.
Statistics indicate that 69,000 children in Ghana are affected by severe acute malnutrition, six percent of children under five are wasted and meanwhile less than two in six children receive treatment. — GNA
