Prof. Anna Lartey
You are a distinguished nutritionist whose career spans academia, international research, and global policy leadership. Currently serving as an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the University of Ghana, you have dedicated nearly three decades to advancing maternal and child nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Your research has shaped global standards. As Principal Investigator for Ghana in a multinational consortium, your work contributed to the development of the World Health Organization’s Child Growth Standards now adopted by over 125 countries. Through the RIING Project, you deepened understanding of how maternal HIV status affects infant nutrition, advocating for targeted support in affected communities. With Gates Foundation support, your research consortium demonstrated the effectiveness of Small-Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) in reducing childhood stunting.
From 2013 to 2017, you served as the first African President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), where you launched a re-orientation grant for early-career researchers in developing countries. As Director of Nutrition at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 2013 to 2020, you co-led the 2nd International Conference on Nutrition with WHO, resulting in the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025).
You continue to serve on numerous boards and committees, including as Chair of the Global Conference Committee for the Micronutrient Forum, and have delivered over 300 keynote addresses worldwide.
Your commitment to capacity building is evident in the scholarships you awarded to Ghanaian Ph.D. students, many of whom now hold professorial roles. You also helped establish the University of Ghana Nutrition Research and Training Centre in Asesewa, providing infrastructure for international research and training.
You hold a Ph.D. in Nutrition from the University of California, Davis (as a Fulbright Scholar), a Master’s from the University of Guelph, and a BSc in Nutrition-Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications and three book chapters, your scholarly contributions are widely recognized.
Your accolades include IUNS Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), Nevin Scrimshaw Award (2024), honorary D.Sc. from McGill University (2018), Yookama award from Manya Krobo Traditional Council (2010) and multiple other honours for your leadership in nutrition and education.
