Country Programme Ghana (2012-2018)

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 9

Ghana is a food-deficit country, but positive economic developments in recent years have led Ghana  to  achieve lower middle-income status. The country is largely on track to achieve Millennium Development Goal 1 – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger –but is lagging on others. Ghana is ranked 130th out of 169 countries in the 2010 human development index, and has slipped into the “low human development” category.

There are large disparities in poverty levels between the north and south of Ghana. Seventy percent of the poor live in the three regions in the north: Northern, Upper East and Upper West. Acute malnutrition rates in these regions are considered “serious” by World Health Organization standards: 13 percent in Northern, 11 percent in Upper East and 14 percent in Upper West. While the stunting rate is 28 percent nationally, in the Northern and Upper East regions it is “serious” at 32 and 36 percent respectively. Recurrent droughts and floods increase communities’ vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition. The three northern regions have the highest rates of out-of-school children, varying from 18 to 28 percent. Ghana’s HIV prevalence rate for adults is 3 percent, while food insecurity among people living with HIV in the most vulnerable regions ranges from 25 to 42 percent.

Country programme 200247 targets beneficiaries in the poorest, most food-insecure and HIV- affected regions. It will assist a total of 879,000 people over its five-year period. Based on the Ghana country strategy for 2012–2016, the country programme’s goal is to enhance the capacity of the Government and communities to ensure sustainable food and nutrition security through: i) support for primary and girls’ education; ii) nutrition support for vulnerable groups; and iii) resilience against climatic shocks and support for livelihoods. The Purchase for Progress initiative will promote smallholder farmers’ access to markets.

The programme contributes to Millennium Development Goals 1 to 7. It is aligned with WFP’s Strategic Objectives 2, 4 and 5,1 and the 2012–2016 United Nations Development Assistance Framework. WFP will continue to advocate with the Government to prioritize food security and nutrition issues, and will consult other development partners for complementary partnerships and joint programming.