From October 7-11, the African Nutrition Society (ANS) and Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND) hosted the ninth Africa Nutrition Conference (ANC) in Cape Coast, Ghana, convening distinguished researchers and leaders from across the African continent.
ANC, held every two years in a different African country, serves as a key platform for exchanging insights and advancing critical discussions in the field of nutrition, providing experts with the opportunity to collaborate and share strategies to combat malnutrition.
This year’s conference was attended by approximately 250-300 participants.
Expanding Access to High-Impact Malnutrition Interventions in Ghana
Symposium on Multiple Micronutrient Supplements
The Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF) was proud to be a platinum sponsor of this year’s ANC. As part of this engagement, ECF, in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), hosted a symposium, “Healthier Pregnancies and Brighter Futures for Mothers and Babies: Unlocking the Potential of MMS in Pregnancy.” The symposium highlighted our ongoing work to drive the effective delivery of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), a superior prenatal vitamin for pregnant women, to support healthier mothers and babies in Ghana.
One of the most highly attended conference sessions, the symposium combined insights from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, the African Union, UNICEF Ethiopia, and CHAI. MMS is a crucial tool in preventing adverse outcomes in maternal and child health and contains 15 vital micronutrients to support the health of both mother and baby during pregnancy.
To learn more about MMS, we invite you to watch this short video.
This symposium is taking place at a pivotal moment in our country’s health landscape. Micronutrient deficiencies continue to challenge the well-being of women and children worldwide, affecting two-thirds of women of reproductive age and disproportionately impacting those in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana, we are keenly aware of the vulnerability of pregnant women to these deficiencies and the significant risks they pose to maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The urgency to address this issue has never been more pressing.
The session featured opening remarks from Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu, Director of Family Health at GHS, and a presentation from Dr. Martin Mwangi, Program Lead at Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, titled “Antenatal MMS: update on the evidence, benefits, and gaps in knowledge.” Dr. Mwangi’s presentation highlighted evidence of MMS as superior to iron-folic acid supplements in maternal health. The Symposium also featured an expert panel discussion about the scale up of MMS with key nutrition and maternal health voices from across the continent, including Ramadhani Noor (UNICEF Ethiopia), Gertrude Fofie (African Union), Veronica Quartey (GHS Nutrition Department), and Vivian Ofori-Dankwah (GHS Reproductive and Child Health Department). The conversation was moderated by Professor Richmond Aryeetey, co-chair of Ghana’s MMS-Technical Advisory Group.
The symposium culminated with final remarks from Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu, whose closing words emphasized the importance of leveraging collective expertise and resources, reinforcing the urgency of addressing micronutrient deficiencies and the role MMS can play in ensuring mothers receive the best nutrition during pregnancy and their babies get the best start in life.
ECF looks forward to continued collaboration with GHS to bring this critical intervention to pregnant women across the country and to supporting the Ghanaian government in creating a future where all women have access to adequate nutrition during their pregnancies.
Image credits:
Cover photo: Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment
