The Ministry of Health has pledged to sustain the school feeding programme to ensure children are well-fed in schools.
According to Deputy Health Minister Alexander Akwasi Acquah, the government has paid several school feeding caterers to resume work, addressing numerous complaints about overdue payments.
Speaking at the launch of a World Vision campaign to end child hunger and malnutrition in Accra, Mr. Akwasi Acquah affirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the school feeding program.
“Well, I know that sometime last week, a sizable amount of money was released to some of the caterers. So, most of them who had issues have gone back to cooking for the children. But you see, the reality is that the government is committed to ensuring that our children have enough to eat before they go to school.
“We may suffer some harsh economic conditions that will not make the government make good on its commitments or its promises. But at least, just making sure that this programme is sustained. It was our government that introduced it, and it is our government that is ensuring that it continues.
“This government is a government we would say has the child’s interest at heart,” the Deputy Health Minister stated.
Director of Strategy Integrated Programmes at World Vision Ghana, Joshua Baidoo, added that ending child hunger and malnutrition in Ghana is a collective effort.
“This campaign is basically working to address some of these cultural myths, working towards ensuring that we have food security at various levels. And then children go to school well-fed. And also, we’re able to provide all the needed support to children.
“And World Vision, we believe that we can’t do this on our own. We’re therefore calling on all parties, that is why we saw government representatives, development partners, NGOs within the sector at the programme. Where all of us have pledged our commitments to work together to end child hunger and child malnutrition issue,” Joshua Baidoo noted.