Support to Malnutrition Reduciton in Women and Vulnerable Populations through Food-Based Approaches - TCP/GHA/3703

Support to Malnutrition Reduciton in Women and Vulnerable Populations through Food-Based Approaches - TCP/GHA/3703

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

In 2019 it was estimated that 5 5 million people in Ghana were malnourished Levels of malnutrition are particularly concerning among children, and are an underlying cause of a third of all child deaths With a national prevalence of stunting at 19 percent (as per the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2014 the situation is worrying, especially in the Eastern and Central regions, where anaemia is also prevalent Malnutrition in Ghana is mostly caused by inadequate food intake and a lack of both variety and nutrient rich food in the diet of the population Poor residents in rural areas are particularly vulnerable Although Ghana possesses a diverse range of nutrient rich crops, consumption and utilization of these items are low, due in part to supply chain challenges, socio economic factors and a lack of knowledge and awareness on how to preserve and use nutrient rich food This FAO project seeks to address the challenge of nutritious food consumption in Central, Eastern and Greater Accra regions by promoting the production and consumption of nutrient rich food such as the orange fleshed sweet potato ( and other locally identified crops The OFSP was identified as a key crop for this project, as it contains a high concentration of carotene, which has the potential to improve the nutrition of women, children and other vulnerable groups Its high iron content also makes it effective in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia.