The African Development Bank Group’s African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) initiative and the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the government of Senegal, have launched a series of regional consultations that aim to transform nutrition policy and financing and end malnutrition across Africa.
The inaugural two-day consultation for the West Africa region, held in Dakar, Senegal, from August 19 and 20 marked the beginning of an ambitious journey to develop Africa’s first-ever Multisectoral Nutrition Policy Framework (MNPF) and an investment target for combating malnutrition.
The event was attended by experts in healthcare, nutrition, education, agriculture and finance from nine West African countries.
AfDB statement copied to the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) at communicate2develop@gmail.com, which is a development communication advocacy non-governmental organization based in Ghana, stated.
The CDA Consult is a Ghanaian-based consultancy firm that specializes in providing expert services in communication, development, and advocacy and aims to promote effective communication, development, and advocacy for sustainable social change.
Ibrahima Gueye, Director of Cabinet for the Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, and President of the country’s National Council for Nutrition Development; stated during the opening ceremony that “increased funding for nutrition starts with greater awareness of its importance by our leaders.
“It is imperative that Heads of State and Governments understand that every dollar invested in nutrition is a dollar invested in the future of our nations.”
The Director of Cabinet for the Prime Minister of Senegal stressed, however, that this understanding must be followed bystronger ownership of nutrition goals and a firm commitment to mobilising sustainable resources for nutrition
and using funds in a timely and effective manner. This regional concertation marks a crucial step in this process.”
Gertrude Kara, the AU Commission’s Technical Advisor for Nutrition Policy, said, “This first regional consultation is a critical step towards developing a unified, continent-wide approach to nutrition policy and financing.
“The insights gathered here will inform similar consultations across Africa, ultimately leading to a comprehensive framework to improve nutrition outcomes for millions across the continent.”
George Ouma, the African Development Bank’s ALN Coordinator, said, “By bringing together experts from various sectors, we’re fostering a holistic approach to nutrition.
“This consultation will not only shape policies in West Africa but will also inform our continent-wide strategy for improving nutrition outcomes.”
The consultations will also serve to drum up support for African countries to participate in the Nutrition for Growth Summit, scheduled to take place in France next year.
The consultation concluded that it had successfully gathered the data needed to develop MNPF and investment targets while also building consensus on interventions to reduce stunting, wasting, anaemia, and overweight among women, children, and adolescents.
Additionally, the event generated actionable sector-specific insights and recommendations to inform the MNPF’s development and ensure effective implementation across all sectors.
Representatives of the governments of Senegal, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire, among others, were also present.
According to the bank’s document, civil society organisations, UNICEF and the World Food Programme of the United Nations, as well as development partners invloved the scaling up nutrition movement, the Canadian International Development Agency, and other key nutrition stakeholders were also present.
The initiative, is an outcome of a resolution passed in 2022 during the African Union’s 41st Executive Council meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia. It called for the development of a multisectoral policy framework and a nutrition investment target toward ensuring adequate funding for nutrition initiatives.
The Summit, is a global event held every four years in the Olympic host country to mobilise commitments and accelerate progress towards ending malnutrition by 2030.
Participants at the consultation pledged to work collaboratively to prioritise high-impact interventions across the health, social protection, water and sanitation, education, and agriculture sectors and create a model for other regions to follow.
This regional consultation for West Africa is the first in a series that will cover all five regions of Africa, culminating in the development of a multisectoral nutrition policy framework and investment target for the entire continent.
The African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Initiative, is being spearheaded by the African Development Bank and championed by African leaders, seeks to galvanise political will and significant investments to end nutrition.
It was officially endorsed on January 31, 2018 by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Governments, and since then ALN has secured critical commitments from governments across Africa, leading to impactful policy changes and cross-sector collaborations.
