Ethiopia

Undernutrition has received significant attention at global and national levels in recent years but translating this attention into effective action at the country and district levels poses many challenges. We describe the observed national environments that support and challenge actors in moving national multisectoral nutrition policies and plans forward and how this on-going action research (AR) project seeks to strengthen strategic capacities and leadership in Burkina Faso, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Effective governance is essential for effective nutrition program implementation. There are additional challenges in launching multisector plans to enhance nutritional status. The present study compares the challenges and opportunities in Ethiopia and Nepal in designing and implementing a multisector plan for nutrition. A semi-quantitative questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to solicit information from senior national-level policy officials and other key stakeholders.

Based on the data collected in Uganda, Nepal, and Ethiopia, the papers included in this supplement fill a critical gap in evidence regarding multisectoral National Nutrition Action Plans. The studies offer new data and new thinking on how and why governance, effective financial decentralization, and improved accountability all matter for nutrition actions in low-income countries. This introductory paper offers an overview of the current state of evidence and thinking on the multisectoral nutrition policy cycle, including how governance and financing support that process.

In this paper, we use data from Northern Ethiopia to study the links between a social protection program and child nutrition. Child malnutrition is one of the many challenges that pose a threat to economic growth in developing countries. It undermines educational attainment, lowers non-cognitive skills, leads to low labor productivity during adulthood, and diverts attention and resources away from other development objectives. Ultimately, under-nutrition during childhood can lead to intergenerational poverty.

The Government of Ethiopia (GOE) is committed to improving the nutritional status of the population. The GOE has made significant progress in reducing malnutrition since 2000. The revised National Nutrition Program is aimed at accelerating the decrease in under nutrition through a multi sector nutrition plan. This study assessed the facilitators and constraints to adopting the NNP at the national and sub national level. Key issues were identified including leadership, coordination, awareness, capacity and budget. A series of recommendations derived from the study data are included.