Enhancing the quality of school feeding programme in Ghana.“

Enhancing the quality of school feeding programme in Ghana.“

Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa

A nation's ability to harness its resources for development is partly based on the quality of human capital available. The cognitive and mental development of undernourished children is known to be deficient or delayed and can adversely affect school performance. If under-nutrition is present in educational institutions and is carried further in life (7-18 years age group) the health of the population is compromised. Proper nutrition is critical for optimal growth, development and the general well-being and academic performance of children. Access to good nutrition either at home or through the educational system can contribute to the elimination of malnutrition and all its associated health and developmental problems. In this regard, efforts to promote health should begin as early in life as possible and the educational institutional settings provide a good opportunity.
In Ghana, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture recognizes that the optimal use of Ghanaian food resources can contribute to addressing some of the challenges in institutional feeding in schools. This report therefore provides a critical review of nutritional status of children and the current state of institutional feeding in Ghana and the challenges faced with the current program.

2007

Unpublished article. Legon: Department of Nutrition and Food Science

English