<b> <i>Nutrition Links</i> </b> – Building Capacity for Sustainable Lives in Ghana

The Upper Manya Krobo District is an impoverished, underserved rural area in the Eastern region of Ghana. To improve the quality of services offered by district institutions and ameliorate the health and economic well‐being of vulnerable populations, we initiated a multi‐sector, 5‐y, district‐wide project “Nutrition Links”. An annual survey of all 1081 households with young infants provides information on health, nutrition, agriculture, and economic activities; this information is being used to develop project interventions and to support evidence‐based decisions of local institutions. At baseline, food insecurity affected more than half the population and was dispersed throughout the district. Over half of infants were anemic and about 11% were stunted and/or underweight. Diet diversity among infants > 6 mo was low. The project provides training on health, nutrition, agriculture, and finance to diverse stakeholders (from caregivers to program managers). Two interventions have been started: (1) intensive nutrition, health, and agricultural training with support for home gardens and poultry rearing among households with an infant; and (2) training on financial literacy and savings along with nutrition and health education for female school‐aged children (9 ‐ 13 y). This project is a working model for strengthening households, local institutions, and services for underserved rural communities in sub‐Saharan Africa. Funding: Government of Canada, through DFATD