The African Union Commission and the African Development Bank Group’s African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) initiative, in partnership with the government of Senegal, have launched a series of regional consultations to transform policy and financing to end malnutrition across Africa.
The first consultation, dedicated to West Africa, took place in Dakar, Senegal, on 19-20 August. It marked the start of an ambitious journey towards the establishment of Africa’s first-ever Multisectoral Nutrition Policy Framework (MNPF) and an investment target for the fight against malnutrition, according to a statement sent to APA on Monday.
The meeting brought together the data needed to establish the Multisectoral Policy Framework for Nutrition in Africa and the investment targets, while building consensus for action to reduce stunting, wasting, anaemia and overweight among women, children and adolescents. The event also provided input and recommendations from different sectors to guide the development of Africa’s multisectoral nutrition policy framework and ensure its effective implementation across all sectors.
Experts from nine West African countries specialising in health, nutrition, education, agriculture and finance attended the meeting, along with government representatives from Senegal, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire. Also present were representatives of civil society organisations, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as development partners such as the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), the Canadian International Development Agency and other key stakeholders in the nutrition sector.
The resolution establishing the African Leaders for Nutrition Initiative was adopted at the 41st Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Lusaka, Zambia, and calls for the establishment of a multi-sectoral policy framework and a nutrition investment target to ensure adequate financing for nutrition initiatives.
Ibrahima Gueye, Director of the Cabinet of Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and Chairman of Senegal’s National Nutrition Development Council, attended the opening ceremony of the event.
”Increased funding for nutrition starts with our leaders becoming more aware of its importance. It is imperative that leaders understand that every dollar invested in nutrition is a dollar invested in the future of our nations,’ he said.
Mr Gueye added: “However, this understanding must be accompanied by greater ownership of nutrition goals and a firm commitment to mobilise sustainable resources for nutrition and to use funds in a timely and effective manner. This regional consultation is an important step in this process.”
Ms Gertrude Kara, Technical Adviser on Nutrition Policy at the African Union Commission, stressed that ‘this first regional consultation is an important step towards developing a unified continent-wide approach to nutrition policy and financing’.
The input received here will guide similar consultations across Africa, leading to a comprehensive framework for improving nutrition outcomes for millions of people across our continent,” she added.
According to George Ouma, ALN Coordinator at the African Development Bank, ‘by bringing together experts from different sectors, we are promoting a holistic approach to nutrition. This consultation will not only shape policy in West Africa, but also guide our continental strategy to improve nutrition outcomes.
The consultations will also help build support for African countries to participate in the Nutrition for Growth Summit to be held in France next year. This summit is a global event held every four years in the host country of the Olympic Games, with the aim of mobilising commitments and accelerating progress towards ending malnutrition by 2030.
TE/lb/as/APA