The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), on Friday, 26 June 2026, hosted the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Eleanor Crook Foundation (ECF), Mr. William Moore, and his delegation for a courtesy meeting in Accra. The engagement, held in collaboration with Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), focused on strengthening partnerships to advance nutrition, promote evidence-based policymaking, and explore opportunities to accelerate investments in human capital development in Ghana.

Welcoming the delegation on behalf of the Director-General of NDPC, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, the Director of Research, Mr. Richard Tweneboah-Kodua, described the visit as timely and significant, noting that nutrition remains central to Ghana’s national development agenda. He acknowledged the Eleanor Crook Foundation’s global leadership in advancing nutrition, particularly for women and children, and commended its partnership with WOMEC in supporting nutrition advocacy efforts in Ghana. He said the Commission values collaborations that strengthen research, policy dialogue and collective action to address malnutrition.

Mr. Tweneboah-Kodua emphasised that nutrition is a cross-cutting development issue with far-reaching implications for education, productivity, economic growth and the well-being of citizens. He explained that through the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (2026–2029), the Commission continues to promote integrated approaches that address Ghana’s multidimensional development challenges, including nutrition. “Nutrition is not merely a health issue; it is a development imperative. Through integrated planning and strong partnerships, we can improve nutrition outcomes while accelerating sustainable and inclusive national development,” he stated.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of the Eleanor Crook Foundation, Mr. William Moore, said the Foundation had shifted its approach from funding short-term projects to supporting governments in building sustainable nutrition systems capable of delivering lasting impact. He explained that Ghana emerged as a preferred partner because of its democratic governance, growing economy and strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of its people.

“Our objective has always been to support Ghana’s priorities rather than create parallel systems because that is how lasting, sustainable progress is achieved,” Mr. Moore said. “If Ghana successfully scales up proven nutrition interventions, it could become one of the world’s strongest examples of country-led action against malnutrition. We are committed to walking this journey alongside government and supporting its priorities through financing, research, technical assistance and capacity strengthening.”

Presenting the Nourish Ghana Initiative, Programmes Manager at Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), Mr. Jerry Sam, highlighted the organisation’s efforts to mobilise leadership, partnerships and accountability around nutrition. He noted that while effective interventions to tackle malnutrition already exist, the greatest challenge remains implementation and sustained financing.“The challenge is not that we lack solutions; we know what works. The real gap is implementation. Our role is to keep nutrition high on the national agenda by strengthening leadership, mobilising partnerships and ensuring that commitments translate into meaningful action for women and children,” Mr. Sam stated.

Reflections were also received from key partners, including the Ghana Health Service, the National Health Insurance Authority and the World Food Programme (WFP). Also present at the meeting was Member of Parliament and Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Hon. Sebastian Sandaare.

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NDPC PR- UNIT