Annual Programme of Work 2005 - Ministry of Health

unhealthy diet characterized by low consumption of fruits and vegetables and physical
inactivity.
The priority activities would include:
• Strengthen the health promotion unit to lead the campaign for healthy living
• Develop a framework strategy for promoting health in schools, work places and
communities
• Develop policy and legislation for occupational safety and health and institutionalize
occupational health and safety in health sector
• Implement the conditions spelt out in the framework convention for tobacco control
• Mount IEC campaigns on healthy living including healthy eating and exercising
• Provide communication support to other programmes for uptake of interventions
Expected Output/Results
• Strategic Framework for health promotion finalized
• Occupational health services institutionalized in the health sector
Nutrition
Malnutrition is the single most important risk factor for diseases and death. Malnutrition
manifests as under-nutrition (stunting and underweight) in children, micro-nutrient
deficiency such as iodine deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women and
Vitamin A deficiency, and over nutrition. Malnutrition is estimated to be an underlying
cause of up to 50% of mortality in children less than five years. Yet levels of malnutrition
(both stunting and underweight) in children have not changed significantly in the last five
years in Ghana. Malnutrition is also higher among lowest wealth quintile and in rural
areas thus linking it to poverty. It is therefore unlikely that the country will make much
progress in reducing under-five mortality rate unless malnutrition in children is
addressed. So far a number of initiatives including promoting exclusive breastfeeding,
deworming of children and reducing micronutrient deficiencies through salt iodation and
vitamin A distribution have been implemented. However a lot more remains to be done.
In 2005 the sector will sustain the progress with the above initiatives while scaling up
other priority interventions.
Priority activities would include:
• Intensifying promotion of exclusive breastfeeding.
• Training of health workers in Behaviour Change Communication including
breastfeeding, complementary feeding and appropriate young child feeding.
• Providing Vitamin A supplementation, for children 6-59 months and post-partum
mothers up to 8 weeks.
• Promoting consumption of iodized salt in all households.
• Implementing community based growth promotion programmes
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