UG School of Public Health Researcher Presents African Food Systems Initiative to UK Parliamentarians
Professor of Public Health Nutrition and Head of the Department of Population, Family and 
Reproductive Health of the School of Public Health - University of Ghana has presented an African-led initiative to improve food systems and nutrition to UK parliamentarians. Professor Amos Laar 
introduced the Africa Regional Collaborative for Agriculture, Nutrition and Health (ANH-ARC) 
during a meeting at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) on Thursday, 29 
October 2026.
Professor Laar, Principal Investigator and Director of ANH-ARC presented on behalf of the 
Collaborative. He was joined by fellow Co-Directors of ANH-ARC – Dr. Alebel Bayrau
Weldesilassie, Professor Scott Drimie and Dr. Tseday Mekasha in bringing African research and 
policy perspectives to the discussion.
Hosted by the ANH Academy Science-Policy Platform, the visit brought together members of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Nutrition for Development and on Malaria and Neglected Tropical 
Diseases, alongside research leaders, funding and development partners.
ANH-ARC is led by the University of Ghana, the Policy Studies Institute in Ethiopia and Stellenbosch 
University in South Africa, working with the global ANH Academy platform. It supports governments 
and regional bodies to design, finance and implement policies that improve access to healthy diets 
while addressing environmental sustainability.
Professor Laar outlined the interconnected pressures facing African food systems: persistent 
undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, rising obesity and diet-related disease, climate change 
and unequal access to nutritious foods. He emphasised the need to connect research with coordinated 
policy, investment and implementation, noting that increased food production has not consistently 
translated into healthier and more affordable diets.
The presentation highlighted planned outputs with direct relevance to public decision-making. A 
Carbon-Nutrition Exchange Index is intended to help governments compare nutritional benefits, 
affordability, carbon footprints and impacts across population groups when considering policies and 
investments. An African Food Policy Observatory will support comparable monitoring of food 
policies, accountability and corrective action.
Other priorities include generating evidence to identify investment needs and financing options, and 
establishing an ANH-ARC Learning Centre for Food System Governance to strengthen learning 
among policymakers, researchers and practitioners. The work spans food environments and health, 
economics and financing, and science-policy engagement and governance, with gender equity and 
climate resilience informing all three areas.
Following the session, we interacted with Professor Laar and he noted: 
“The Carbon-Nutrition Exchange Index could be a game changer in food profiling. By bringing 
nutritional quality, carbon footprints, affordability and equity into a common framework, we aim to 
give governments a stronger basis for food policy and investment. The goal is to identify foods and 
diets that nourish people, and protect the planet.” Professor Amos Laar
“During the interaction there was strong interest in the work of ANH-ARC among parliamentarians 
and funders who highlighted the essential role of African perspectives and equitable international 
scientific collaborations in guiding their efforts to strengthen support for global food systems and 
nutrition”.
Joe Yates, Director of Networks, Partnerships & Impact, ANH Academy
ANH-ARC is supported through the ANH Academy Science-Policy Platform, led by LSHTM in 
partnership with Tufts University and the University of Sheffield. The platform is co-funded by UK 
International Development and the Gates Foundation. For further information visit https://www.anhacademy.org/ARC/governance
About the School of Public Health: Established in 1994, it is Ghana’s premier School of Public 
Health, and is dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement. The School’s 
Mission is “To train public health practitioners who will be leaders and change agents for health 
development in Ghana in particular and in the wider African context” and its Vision is, “To promote 
knowledge and be lead advocates for needed public health reforms in Ghana.” For more information 
on the School’s initiatives, please visit its website: https://publichealth.ug.edu.gh/