The African Development Bank and the Government of Ethiopia have signed an agreement for a $31 million grant to boost health and nutrition for children under the age of five.

The African Development Fund's Board of Directors approved funding for the government's Multi-Sectoral Approach for Stunting Reduction Project (MASReP) at the end of April. The total budget is $48 million.

The agreement was signed on 10 May by Yasmin Wohabrebbi, State Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia, and Abdul Kamara, Deputy Director General of the Bank's East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office.

Wohabrebbi said, "In the past two years the government spent close to $31 million from its own sources to execute the Seqota Declaration Innovation Phase. The Multi-Sectoral Approach for Stunting Reduction Project (MASReP) we are signing today will complement the government's investment effort to achieve goals set under the Declaration." The project targets 40 districts in the Amhara and Tigray regions, where nearly 50% of children under the age of five are afflicted by stunting.

Children will benefit from improved access to parent-grown nutritious food and nutrition services while pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers will receive nutrient-dense food crops, livelihood promotion and nutrition counselling. The wider population will gain greater access to water for domestic use and food production. The health, education and nutrition service delivery will benefit from stronger systems and improved infrastructure.

"The agreement further underscores the African Development Bank's commitment to support the Ethiopian government's initiatives to end stunting in children under age two by 2030, in line with its Seqota Declaration," said Kamara. He said the project would address the multidimensional causes of stunting.

Ethiopia's Seqota Declaration is a commitment to end stunting in children under two by 2030. The national ministries of health; agriculture, water, irrigation and energy; education; women, children and youth; labour and social affairs; transport; and finance are co-ordinated in this effort.

The Multi-Sectoral Approach for Stunting Reduction Project is consistent with the government's Ten-Year Strategy and two of the Bank's High Five strategic priorities, namely Feed Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.

The African Development Bank's total ongoing commitment in Ethiopia is $1.6 billion, covering the key sectors of basic services, energy, transport, water supply and sanitation, agriculture, governance, and the private sector.

Contact:

Olufemi Terry | Communication and External Relations Department | African Development Bank | email o.terry@afdb.org