Alumni of Honour Award 2026
Anna Lartey Honoured with the 2026 Alumni of Honour Award
Dr. Anna Lartey is the 2026 Alumni of Honour recipient at the University of Guelph, recognized for her extraordinary contributions to global health and nutrition.
After earning her M.Sc. from Guelph, she returned to Ghana in 1986 to join the University of Ghana as a lecturer, demonstrating an early and resolute commitment to advancing research and education in her home country. She later received a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis, before returning once again to Ghana to continue her academic and research career.
Over more than 25 years, Dr. Lartey has led pioneering research on maternal and child nutrition across sub-Saharan Africa, with impact extending globally. Her work has shaped national policy — most notably contributing to Ghana’s mandatory salt iodization program following a landmark nationwide study on iodine deficiency. She also played a key role in the World Health Organization’s Multicenter Growth Reference Study, which established global child growth standards now adopted in more than 125 countries.
A gifted collaborator, Dr. Lartey has led and contributed to major international research initiatives addressing child malnutrition, food security and infant growth, including innovative community-based interventions that combine nutrition education with microfinance support for families. She has also been instrumental in establishing the University of Ghana Nutrition Research and Training Center, creating vital opportunities for students and researchers from Africa and North America to address pressing nutrition challenges in rural communities.
Beyond her research, Dr. Lartey is deeply committed to mentorship. She has guided dozens of graduate students, many of whom now serve as leading nutrition scientists around the world. In recognition of her academic excellence and leadership, she was promoted to full professor at the University of Ghana in 2013.
On the global stage, Dr. Lartey served as Director of Nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, where she co-led the 2nd International Conference on Nutrition, which culminated in the United Nations' declaration of the Decade of Action on Nutrition — a historic commitment to addressing hunger and malnutrition worldwide. Concurrently, she served as President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), where she championed international collaboration and created pathways for emerging nutrition scientists to build careers in developing countries.
Her outstanding contributions have earned her numerous honours, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from IUNS and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from McGill University. With more than 80 publications and a lasting global legacy, Dr. Lartey has profoundly improved the health and wellbeing of children, mothers and families worldwide. Her career exemplifies leadership, innovation and an abiding commitment to creating lasting change. She is a truly deserving recipient of the University of Guelph’s Alumni of Honour.