AU, Nutritional International collaborate to fight malnutrition
The MoU was signed at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week by Minata Samate Cessouma, the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission and Joel Spicer, the Nutrition International’s president and CEO.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The African Union (AU) and Nutritional International, a global nutrition organisation headquartered in Ottawa, Canada signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), toward a shared vision to end hunger, poverty and malnutrition in Africa.
The MoU was signed at AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week by Minata Samate Cessouma, the Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission and Joel Spicer, the Nutrition International’s president and CEO.
Through the MoU, the AU and Nutrition International have agreed to work together in several areas, including nutrition advocacy and tracking the progress made by member states in the implementation of the 2014 Malabo Declaration on nutrition security.
The declaration seeks to achieve inclusive economic growth and sustainable development in Africa.
Other areas include; technical assistance to enhance the capacity of member states in domestic resource mobilisation, data collection and analysis in Africa – as well as matters on adolescence nutrition, anaemia and integration of social safety net programmes.
National levels
Speaking at the event, Cessouma said the MoU further strengthens the AU and Nutrition International collaborative efforts in prioritising and investing in nutrition both at the continental and national levels.
On his part, Mr Spicer said malnutrition is an urgent problem that is imposing a heavy tax on the hopes and dreams of millions of people in Africa, particularly women, children, and adolescents.
“To face the growing threats of Covid-19, conflict, and climate and to build a strong and resilient future for Africa, nutrition must be prioritised. The key ingredient is leadership – and that is the reason we are excited to formally partner with the AU to advance the nutrition agenda in support of the Year of Nutrition,” he noted.
This comes at a time when 2022 was endorsed as the year of nutrition dedicated to strengthening the fight against malnutrition in all its forms in Africa under the theme “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development”.
