Malnutrition is the greatest cause of child death in Ghana, resulting in 28% of children being underweight and 45% of child deaths beyond infancy. A sustainable child and mother health program focused on nutrition and implemented through community involvement could significantly reduce mortality and illness. The Shared Awareness Mother and Child Health Care Program aims to address malnutrition, anemia, and lack of breastfeeding through school health education and support for children, mothers, and rural communities.

1. Sharing Awareness Mother and Child
Health Care Programme
Greatest Cause of Child Death in
Ghana is Malnutrition
Sustainable programs in child and pregnant to reduce deaths and severe illnesses for
mother care with focus on nutrition would young children and pregnant women.
avoid massive numbers of child and pregnant MKFC Stockholm College has practiced the
mother deaths, a tragic dulling of mental Community Actions Plans (CAP) for villages
capacity and huge losses in economic in Ghana. Sharing Awareness Mother and
productivity. Child Health Care program is an extension of
the CAP program.
Introduction
Ghana statistics indicate that about 28% Nutrition outcomes
of children under five years of age are The major health consequences of malnutrition
underweight. The main nutrition problems are mortality and morbidity. Most at risk are
include inadequate intakes of energy and children under five and pregnant women.
protein, iodine deficiency disorders, iron Malnourished children have impaired immune
deficiency anemia and vitamin A deficiency. systems which increases their risk of sickness
and death. In Ghana 28% of under five
Adequate nutrition requires caring practices, children suffer from being underweight.
such as exclusive breastfeeding, the protection
of child health and adequate food and water Malnutrition on child mortality study has
security and pregnant mother care programs. estimated that in Ghana about 45% of all child
deaths beyond early infancy are due to protein-
SHARED AWARENESS CAP Actions energy malnutrition, making this the single
The unit of Health Care at Turku University greatest cause of child mortality. But only one
of Applied Sciences in Finland has together out of six nutrition related deaths are due to
with MKFC Stockholm College in Sweden severe malnutrition. So significant reductions
developed and now offer the programme in mortality can only be achieved
1

2. by preventing even mild and moderate of children under five years, 69% pregnant
malnutrition. Another important nutrition women and 17% of non-pregnant women are
related determinant that contributes to young anemic. The Volta region also shows 56% of
child mortality is breast feeding practices. school age children anemic.
International experts recommend that babies
should be exclusively breastfed for the first Stunting due to protein-energy
6 months with no additional water, liquid or malnutrition
foods given. Stunting occurs when children do not get
enough food to eat during the first, two years
However, in Ghana only 6% of mothers of life. Currently about 39% of all Ghanaian
exclusively breast-feed their babies for the two year olds are moderately or severely
first 6 months. In addition, women who are stunted. Stunted children grow up to become
malnourished are more likely to face serious stunted adults.
reproduction health problems which can lead
to maternal and infant death.
Sources
United Nation Population Division - 2000 World
Anemia during pregnancy, estimated in Ghana Population Prospects: Population Database: The 2002
to affect close to 70% of pregnant women, has Revision, http://esa.un.org/unpp
implications for maternal mortality. Ghana has WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS): Country
high maternal mortality rate of 214/100,000. Official Health Indicators
Demographic and Health Survey in Ghana (1998)
About 20% of this is due to anemia. Human Development Report, UNDP (2003)
HEYWARD RESERVE LIBRARY
Development of brain Iodine atCentre for Social Policy Studies University of Ghana.
Good nutrition is a major determinant of Legon
NUTRITION IN GHANA: INVESTING NOW FOR THE
educational performance for children. YEAR 2020
Iodine, for example, is essential for the
development of the brain during fetal life.
Pregnant women living in iodine-deficient
areas are likely to give birth to mentally
retarded children. The mental impairment on
children resulting from iodine deficiency is
permanent, having considerable impact on
children’s educability and drop-out rates.
Anemia Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency anemia reduces the learning
ability, cognitive development and educability
of children. In Ghana, iron deficiency, is most
common in young children and in women.
National surveys indicate that about 81%
2

3. The sustainable health program CAP Ghana
through schools and local has been implemented in the village of Nily-
communities ungdo. The grassroots project has been carried
The unit of Health Care at Turku University out by local village people and includes micro
of Applied Sciences in Finland has together finance, figthing malaria, clean hands, clean
with MKFC Stockholm College in Sweden water, improved nutrition, education, sanitation
created the piloting program CAP Sharing and power supply through sustainable systems.
Awareness programs for actions in schools
and rural communities. Citizenship fostering healthy children
This program is carried out through Teacher
Content Training in service. The goal is to get well
School awareness program through citizenship educated teachers who can handle basic
subject learning skills in Survival Kit including clean
Nutritive support for children and adolescents water, clean hands, sanitation behavior and
Program designed to improve maternal health health through right food.
care
Prenatal care, Optimal breastfeeding, Medicines
Appropriate infant practices MKFC Stockholm College offers you the
Program designed to improve child health course: What all of us should know about
Medicines.
Coordination with CAP programs
Household food and water security
Income generating activities
Increased household food production
Appropriate food utilization practice
3

4. Reaching your vision
In contribution to the fullfillment of your vision we offer
you extensively an effective and scalable model to educate
adults and children in villages and cities. Through schools
and teachers we reach students and families. The teachers
will learn how to provide health education and maintain
health inspections in the schools.
Contact Information
In co-operation: Contact person:
Käymäläseura Huussi ry Tuomas Erkkilä
Apuperille.fi ry tuomas@mkfc.se
MKFC Helsinki College MKFC Helsinki College
MKFC Stockholm College Piritanaukio 3 B 19, 00150 Helsinki
More information: Local Ghana MKFC Representative:
www.stockholmcollege.se Kay Obiri-Mainoo
www.helsinkicollege.se phone +233 249 694 020
4