According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, some 17% of children under age five in Ghana are stunted.
The 2022 GDHS measures children’s nutritional status by comparing height and weight measurements against an international reference standard.
Stunting indicates that, a child has failed to reach their growth potential as a result of disease, poor health and malnutrition.
According to the survey, stunting is higher among children in rural areas (20%) than in urban areas (15%).
Stunting is highest in the Northern Region (30%) and North East Region (29%) and lowest in the Eastern Region (10%).
Stunting among children under age five has seen a decline from 33% in 1993 to 17% in 2022.
Meanwhile, six per cent of children under age five are wasted.
According to the 2022 GDHS, wasting was an indication of acute malnourishment.
The phenomenon has also seen a decline from 14% in 1993 to 23% in 2022.
12% of children under age five are underweight, an improvement from 6% in 1993. However, two per cent of children under age five in Ghana are overweight.