Africa
Japan and WFP support public-private partnership to improve health and nutrition in Ghana
Partnership is essential to meet food and nutritional needs and ultimately achieve Zero Hunger
ACCRA, Ghana, October 21, 2021 / APO Group / –
United Nations World Food Program
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) welcomes a contribution of 499 million JPY (4.5 million USD) from the government of Japan, for a public-private partnership project that aims to bring quality nutrition and health services available to 250,000 people in Ghana.
Ministry of Health
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, WFP will partner with three Japanese private sector companies, The Ajinomoto Foundation (TAF) / KOKO Plus Foundation (KPF), NEC Corporation and Sysmex Corporation, to produce nutritious foods and micronutrient supplements. and provide nutrition education to the most vulnerable women, children and adolescent girls in rural areas of the country suffering from food insecurity.
Zero Hunger
“Partnership is essential to meet food and nutritional needs and ultimately achieve Zero Hunger,” said Anna Mukiibi-Bunnya, WFP Acting Representative in Ghana. “Thanks to the continued generosity of the Japanese people, we will collaborate more with public and private sector partners to generate innovative solutions to hunger in Ghana. “
Northern Region
In one district of the Northern Region, 7,500 vulnerable pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescents will receive nutrition education and counseling, as well as nutritious food. Women will also be enrolled in activities that will allow them to earn more money and maintain their ability to continue purchasing nutritious, locally produced food after the project ends. In addition, 250,000 people in 90 districts will be continuously educated and counseled on good nutritional practices as part of a widely deployed social and behavior change communication component.
Government of Japan
“This project is fully aligned with the Government of Japan’s priority for universal health care and the African Health and Well-Being Initiative (AfHWiN) as presented in TICAD VII,” said said Tsutomu Himeno, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana at the project signing ceremony. “The Government of Japan will continue to support such collaborations to address the burden of malnutrition in Ghana as a whole. And it is the wish of the people and government of Japan that this project makes a valuable contribution in the areas of nutrition and health coverage in Ghana.
Overall, in Ghana, WFP is helping the government implement innovative solutions to hunger, including an e-commerce project for small farmers, social protection programs such as school feeding as well as programs livelihoods for people living with HIV and beneficiaries of nutrition interventions.
