African Union and AfDB Launch Regional Consultations to Combat Malnutrition in Africa

Participants at the Dakar consultation pledged to work collaboratively to prioritize high-impact interventions across sectors and create a model for other regions to follow.

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank Group's African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) initiative, in partnership with the government of Senegal, have commenced a series of regional consultations aimed at transforming nutrition policy and financing across Africa. The inaugural two-day consultation for the West Africa region took place in Dakar, Senegal, from 19 to 20 August 2024, marking a significant step towards developing Africa's first-ever Multisectoral Nutrition Policy Framework (MNPF) and setting investment targets to eradicate malnutrition.

This event brought together experts from healthcare, nutrition, education, agriculture, and finance, representing nine West African countries, including Senegal, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire. Representatives from civil society organizations, UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and development partners like the Canadian International Development Agency also participated.

The consultation successfully gathered essential data and built consensus on interventions aimed at reducing stunting, wasting, anemia, and overweight among women, children, and adolescents. The actionable insights and recommendations generated will inform the MNPF's development and its effective implementation across various sectors.

Ibrahima Gueye, Director of Cabinet for the Prime Minister of Senegal, emphasized the need for increased funding and greater awareness of nutrition's importance among leaders, stating, "Every dollar invested in nutrition is a dollar invested in the future of our nations."

Gertrude Kara, the African Union Commission’s Technical Advisor for Nutrition Policy, highlighted the significance of this consultation as a crucial step toward a unified, continent-wide approach to nutrition policy and financing. George Ouma, the African Development Bank’s ALN Coordinator, added that the holistic approach fostered by the consultation would shape policies not only in West Africa but across the entire continent.

These consultations will continue across all five regions of Africa, culminating in the development of a comprehensive multisectoral nutrition policy framework and investment target for the continent. The initiative is rooted in a resolution passed during the African Union's 41st Executive Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2022, calling for the development of such a framework to ensure adequate funding for nutrition initiatives.

The consultations will also support African countries' participation in the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit in France next year, a global event aimed at mobilizing commitments and accelerating progress toward ending malnutrition by 2030. Participants at the Dakar consultation pledged to work collaboratively to prioritize high-impact interventions across sectors and create a model for other regions to follow.