The Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy (CAPHA), an implementing partner responsible for advocacy, scholar activism and capacity strengthening activities of the project titled “Developing evidence and action toward a double-duty food-based policy bundle to assure healthier diets in Ghana” has organized a sensitization program for civil society organizations that are part of the coalition’s advocacy implementation activities for the project.

The project, also referred to as the Healthier Diets for Healthy Lives Project (HD4HL) which is a collaboration between five partners including government agencies (Ministry of Health, Food and Drugs Authority, National Development Planning Commission), Academia (University of Ghana) and Civil Society (Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy), seeks to develop a bundle of food-based policies that would ensure a healthier and more equitable consumer food environment that reduce the double burden of malnutrition in Ghana.

The program which took place on the 15th August 2023 brought together representatives of the six organizations (CAPHA partners), including Songtaba, Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA), Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND), Ghana Non-communicable Disease Alliance (GhNCD Alliance), and Ghana Public Health Association (GPHA).

During the sensitization, the six CAPHA partners for the HD4HL project were given a detailed presentation on the technical aspect of the project, which was led by Professor Amos Laar, principal investigator, and co-presented by Mr. Gideon Amevinya (all at the University of Ghana School of Public Health).

Also present at the program were the leaders of CAPHA including Hon. Dr. Sebastian Sandaare (MP) and Dr. Kasim Abdulai (Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Cape Coast) who took turns addressing participants about their good efforts in preparation for the execution of the advocacy exercises and the expectations set by CAPHA to enable the full realization of the project’s objectives.

Fostering the relevance of team work among stakeholders, Hon. Dr. S. Sandaare resonated that “if researchers and policy makers do their work and advocacy players do not translate the issues unto the grounds and the people, they will not be informed; so let us work together and strengthen the team work”

The engaging approach of the program engendered successful discourse among participants, allowing for experience sharing on similar advocacy activities as the healthy food-related policies of the project.

It was emphasized by Dr. Isaac Gyamfi, coordinator for CAPHA, that the core of CAPHA’s aim for the HD4HL project is to achieve a safe food environment in Ghana through evidence-based advocacy, scholar activism and capacity strengthening, in order to prompt the formulation and implementation of the healthy food-related policies. The proposed policies in the bundle are: Public Food Procurement and Services Policy, Food Marketing Restrictions Policy, Front of Pack Nutrition labelling policy, and Food-related Fiscal policy.