Ethiopia launches a $30 million multisectoral nutrition program called “”Addressing Maternal Malnutrition, Child Wasting and Stunting in Ethiopia.”” The program has four funders: the Power of Nutrition, Eleanor Crook Foundation, The END Fund, and Rotary International. It also has three implementing partners: Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and Actions Against Hunger. In addition, developmental & humanitarian partners, private sectors, and other sectors such as Health, WASH, and Agriculture will assist execution across ten regions.
The Government of Ethiopia’s continuous dedication through policy, service delivery platforms, and capacity-building initiatives have decreased the prevalence of stunting from 58% in 2000 to 37% in 2019. Although, there are over 5.8 million children under five years old are affected by stunting, and 1.2 million are affected by wasting. Ethiopia aims to reinforce its health & food systems and promote healthier & more productive communities. It also seeks to reduce the stunting of children and end child malnutrition by 2030 for human capital development and to improve inclusive economic growth.
The program consists of multiple sections, such as:
• Maternal nutrition services delivery enhancement
• Expanding access to high-impact interventions for wasting and stunting prevention
• Building on existing government-led innovations, such as the use of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) among pregnant women and egg powder to improve children’s diets
• Creating evidence through operational research and scaling simplified approaches to waste management
