The Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, has called on citizens of the region to work effectively and efficiently to promote their health and well-being for a sustainable national development.
The Minister said “as a society, we cannot afford to continue living with health issues such as anemia, underweight and poverty despite the levels of investments and progress made in addressing national nutrition needs.”
He made the call at the official launch of the ‘Championing Nutrition and Gender Equality’ (CHANGE) project held in Tamale. The project is being implemented by Children Believe in partnership with NORSAAC an NGO, with funding from Global Affairs Canada, seeking to change child malnutrition in Northern Ghana.
According to him, the project was timely and that, the Ghana Health Service and other departments of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) would be at the forefront to ensure the achievement of the project goals.
The Chief International Programmes Officer at Children Believe, Canada, Dr. Belinda Bennet said the project aims to reach over 140,000 beneficiaries, with a significant emphasis on female empowerment and child health.
She added that the organization was committed to help women, children and adolescents with the needed opportunities.
The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Martine Moreau said about 865,000 people in the Northern part of the country had benefited from water, sanitation and hygiene products, supported by the Canadian government.
The CHANGE project which is for five years has a grant of about 7,170,018.00 Canadian dollars (GH¢60,081,097.00). It would combat malnutrition and gender inequality through the empowerment of marginalized groups such as pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls as well as children under five years.
Edem Agblevor, ISD
