Perspective Chapter: Crop Biofortification - A Key Determinant towards Fighting Micronutrient Malnutrition in Northern Ghana

Globally, more than 2 billion people suffer from iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), and other micronutrient deficiencies. In Sub-Saharan Africa, these micronutrient deficiencies are responsible for 1.5–12% of the total Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Ironically, these deficiencies often lead to invisible health conditions thus not often recognized in most low- and middle-income countries in terms of nutrition interventions to curb this anomaly. Therefore, there are alarming levels of iron deficiency in some Sub-Saharan countries like Ghana, which affects more than half of the female population. In the Northern part of Ghana, where the level of micronutrient malnutrition is high, some common staples including maize, millet, rice, and beans contain very low amounts of micronutrient. Biofortification is a novel nutrition-specific intervention that has proven to be an effective way to supply these micronutrients through the staples available whiles reducing the cases of micronutrient deficiency. This review aims to assess the potential role of biofortification in the prevention of micronutrient malnutrition in Northern Ghana. A thorough search of available data on the topic was conducted using Google Scholar, PUBMED, and ScienceDirect. Articles were accepted for review after thorough screening. Biofortification was found to have an effective potential in preventing micronutrient malnutrition in Northern Ghana. In conclusion, the incorporation of the three main types of biofortification in the Northern region of Ghana can enhance the production of food crops with adequate nutritional content that can improve the health status of the people in the region