COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE PAEDIATRIC SOCIETY OF GHANA HELD AT THE SKYPLUS HOTEL FROM  1ST TO 3RD FEBRUARY 2024

Introduction

The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) is a child advocacy group with a vision of ensuring that every child has access to quality, comprehensive health care and essential resources for optimal growth and development by collaboratively with government and other stakeholders to promote the highest standard of health care for newborns, young children, and adolescents. PSG held its Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) at the SKYPLUS Hotel, Ho from the 1^st to the 3^rd of February 2024 under the theme “THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF CHILD MALNUTRITION ON GHANA’S LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT”. The AGSM was preceded by pre-conference workshops with practical sessions on the management of malnutrition including preparation of F-75, F-100 and RESOMAL. After extensive deliberations among members, resource persons and stakeholders, we state as follows:

The Big Picture

• Malnutrition, a major problem in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa, refers to an imbalance in the intake of food and nutrients and the requirements for the metabolic activities of the body, can be manifested as wasting/underweight, stunting, overweight/obesity and micro-nutrient deficiency. Malnutrition is often due to hunger. The rates of all these forms of malnutrition are alarmingly high in Africa, and Ghana for that matter. About 41% of all malnourished children with malnutrition live in Africa. From the recent Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2022 report, we see very minimal reduction in the rates of stunting and obesity from 19% and 2.6% in the GDHS- 2014 to 18% and 2% respectively in the GDHS- 2022 in children under 5 years. Wasting has rather seen an increase from 5% to 6% within the same period.

• Malnutrition has deleterious effects on the growth and development of children, starting in utero. In fact, nutritional deficiencies cause more years lived with disability than any other disease. It imposes a huge burden on children, parents, families, and the country as a whole, being a contributory factor in nearly 50% of child deaths in Ghana. This translates to losing about 6.4% of our GDP. The costs in terms of hospital bills, days at work lost by parents who stay with and care for children on admission and on the health system are huge. Micronutrient deficiencies such as iron deficiency can cause impairment in cognitive development resulting in poor school performance, limiting their ability to be trained into a productive workforce to spearhead the countries development in the 21^st century and beyond. Urgent measures must be taken to reduce the effects of malnutrition on children, reduce morbidity and mortality, save money from health costs and promote adequate brain development to nurture citizens that can propel the nation to higher heights. For Ghana to develop and remain competitive and relevant, amidst the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technological developments, a well-educated and trained population is key. Malnutrition cannot be allowed to impede this goal.

• Provision of adequate nutrition hinges on the availability of variety of foods cultivated without the excessive use of chemicals nor exposure to polluted lands and water bodies. Environmental sustainability was the theme of last year’s AGSM and remains relevant even as we discuss childhood malnutrition this year, since the availability of arable land, safe water and an unpolluted environment are essential in growing healthy foods. The continuing scourge of illegal mining despite the efforts of government and civil society is worrying as it presents an existential treat and impacts negatively on food and water security for the foreseeable future. We will again call on government, chiefs, and all stakeholders to as a matter of urgency redouble efforts to eliminate this scourge which is promoted by adult greed and the insatiable pursuit of wealth, so that we can bequeath a country that can still support life to our children and grandchildren. The availability of land and human resource also implies that Ghana can work on a home-grown solution to provide enough food to feed all children and adults.

Maternal Malnutrition

• Maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy is strongly linked to a child’s health and development. We need to focus education on “eating better” and not “eating more”. Periodic in-service training of healthcare providers on maternal nutrition will also enhance the education given to expectant mothers. Hands on demonstration of how to combine the various foodstuff available to make nutritious meals during pregnancy and weaning infants will be beneficial in the fight against hunger in expectant mothers and infants especially.
• The PSG agrees with the call by experts to routinely classify every expectant mother as having “adequate” or “inadequate” nutrition, to improve timely diagnosis and early intervention.

A key WHO intervention to achieve the Global Nutrition targets for 2025 and 2030

• The Paediatric Society of Ghana will like to bring to the notice of all paediatricians, dieticians, nutritionists, all other health workers and the general public the new 2023 WHO guidelines on prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in infants and children below 5 years. These include 19 recommendations (12 new and 7 updated) and 10 good practice statements under the headings;
• Management of infants less than 6 months of age at risk of poor growth and development.
• Management of infants and children 6-59 months with wasting and/or nutritional oedema.
• Post-exit interventions after recovery from wasting and/or nutritional oedema.

The worsened plight of children in the Volta Region

• The PSG continues to solidarize with the victims of flooding along the Volta river, resulting from the spillage of the Akosombo Dam. The Volta region of Ghana is one of the regions of the country with the worst indices in childhood malnutrition and we are concerned that the nutrition of children in affected communities would further suffer because of the flood and bring untold hardship to children and their families. While commending government, NGOs and civil society organizations on efforts made so far to support the affected communities, we call on all stakeholders, to redouble support efforts to ensure that all affected persons are supported to survive, regain their livelihoods and maintain good health.

Our plea to the government of Ghana

• We commend the government of Ghana over the years on steps taken to combat malnutrition in all its forms in the country including the launch of the national nutrition policy, introduction of the school feeding program, planting for food and jobs which all have the potential to curb food insecurity and promote good nutrition among children. The Paediatric Society of Ghana implores government to increase funding for the school feeding programme and expand beneficiary schools to ensure that more children can be provided with nutritious meals that meet minimum daily requirements for all nutrients.

Conclusion

• In conclusion, the Paediatric Society of Ghana would like to state that, the future survival of the country and its development is inextricably linked to the quality of children we bring up today. Good nutrition, to ensure adequate physical, mental, and cognitive development will be essential to ensure that the country is handed over to a skilled and productive population.

Thank you.

Signed by

(President)

(General Secretary)