Prof. (Mrs.) Sarah Darkwa, FGA, Professor of Food Science, has called for a comprehensive national approach to addressing the nutritional needs of Ghana’s ageing population, stressing that nutritional assessment of older adults should go beyond body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). She made the call while delivering the 2026 Annual Lecture in the Sciences of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) on Thursday, 24 September 2026, on the theme “Unlocking the Secrets of Healthy Aging: A Deep Dive into Elderly Nutrition.” She emphasised that ageing brings physiological, social and economic changes that can significantly affect nutritional status and overall health.
She noted that while older adults may appear adequately nourished based on conventional measures such as body weight and BMI, underlying deficiencies and changes in body composition may remain undetected. Drawing on research among older adults in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Prof. Darkwa further highlighted the double burden of malnutrition, with overweight and obesity occurring alongside undernutrition and significant micronutrient deficiencies. She noted that inadequate intake of essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin A, zinc, iron and vitamin D, remains a concern among older adults, while dietary inadequacy can persist even where there is apparent dietary diversity.
She also underscored the influence of household and socioeconomic circumstances on the nutritional wellbeing of older adults. Factors including income, living arrangements, household food availability and access to community nutrition support, she noted, can significantly shape dietary choices and health outcomes. She further called for increased training of healthcare professionals to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments and provide appropriate guidance to older adults.
Prof. Darkwa stressed that in order to improve nutrition among older adults, there should be stronger integration of nutrition services into Ghana’s primary healthcare system. She also called for routine nutritional screening, strengthened micronutrient supplementation programmes and improved national nutrition surveillance to support early identification and management of nutritional challenges among the elderly. She further called for increased training of healthcare professionals to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments and provide appropriate guidance to older adults.
She urged older adults to pay particular attention to foods rich in protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, fibre and healthy fats, while moderating the consumption of salt, sugar, highly processed foods and fried foods.
Beyond nutrition, Prof. Darkwa encouraged older adults to maintain active and healthy lifestyles through regular physical activity, adequate sleep, balanced diets, continued learning and meaningful social engagement. She also emphasised the importance of emotional wellbeing and maintaining strong social connections as essential components of healthy ageing.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Alfred Apau Oteng-Yeboah, Vice President of the Science Section of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, commended Prof. Darkwa for delivering an insightful lecture, noting that there was much to absorb from her presentation.
He highlighted the importance of her message on nutrition and healthy ageing, particularly for older adults, and encouraged the audience not to view growing old negatively, but to recognize it as a privilege. Prof. Oteng-Yeboah further explained that lectures like this one reflects the Academy’s important roles is to identify issues of national concern, raise their profile through research and public discourse, and bring them to the attention of policymakers and the wider public. He noted that the lecture demonstrated how scientific research, through hypothesis formulation, systematic investigation and statistical analysis, generates evidence that can contribute to policy development. He also urged the audience to reflect on Prof. Darkwa’s ABCDE approach to nutritional assessment and make healthier choices as they prepare for later stages of life.
The lecture was attended by distinguished audience comprising the President and Fellows of the Academy, 37 millitary hospital school of anesthesia, and students from Accra Acacdemy, Labone Senior High School and Odogono Senior High School, stakeholders and members of the public. The GAAS Annual lecture forms part of the Academy’s mission to promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge for national development
