The heavy burden of protein and energy malnutrition on the society of Ghana: urging the implementation of an easily enacted backyard poultry intervention

Background: Stunting hinders the development of children around the world. Objectives: Wehavecalculated the burden of disease attributable to protein and energy malnutrition (PEM) in Ghana and evaluated the impact of the modeled intervention to prevent stunting in Ghana. Methods: A literature review was conducted to better understand the economic implications of stunting. The burden of PEM was measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and income lost. A culturally sensitive nutritional intervention was designed to prevent stunting in the target population. The comparator was no intervention. We performed cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit analyses. Results:The estimated income lost due to PEM in Ghana was over 70 bln2014 international dollars (I$). In 2014 the Ghana GDP per capita was I$4,548.00. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per stunting case averted was I$2,573.72. The ICER per DALY averted was I$896.18. The cost-benefit ratio was 0.03. Conclusion: Stunting causes a high burden to society in Ghana. The modelled backyard poultryintervention is very cost-effective in reducing stunting and it effects.