What: Regional Stakeholder Consultation Webinar on Multisectoral Nutrition Policy Framework for the Central and Northern Africa Regions
Who: The African Union Commission (AUC) and African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN)
When: 4 - 5 November 2024
Where: Virtual Event
The African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank's African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) will host a two-day virtual regional consultation on November 4 - 5, 2024, on the development of a Multisectoral Nutrition Policy Framework (MNPF).
The Central and Northern Africa webinar follows successful regional consultations in West Africa, Southern Africa, and Eastern Africa on the continent's first unified Nutrition Policy Framework. This virtual consultation will be critical in shaping nutrition policy across Central and Northern Africa. Participants will work together to address malnutrition through a strategy involving multiple government and society sectors. They will identify the most effective interventions and discuss sustainable funding for nutrition programs.
This regional consultation follows Decision number EX.CL/1367(XLI) by the 41st Ordinary Session held in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2022, which called for developing a multisectoral policy framework and a nutrition investment target to ensure domestic resource allocation for nutrition programming. The outcomes of this consultation will be crucial in guiding policy formulation and advocating for increased investments in nutrition across the regions.
The virtual event will gather experts from various sectors, including Health, Nutrition, Education, Agriculture, and Finance, from Central and Northern African countries. Participants will include high-level representatives from member states, regional bodies such as Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the UN System, and other key stakeholders in the nutrition ecosystem.
Key objectives of the consultation include:
- establishing a clear understanding of nutrition initiatives' funding sources and financial requirements in Central and Northern Africa
- generating actionable insights for the MNPF development and financing strategies
- strengthening collaboration among various stakeholders in the nutrition sector
- sensitizing the Central and Northern African regions on the forthcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit.
The consultation aims to identify the most effective actions across health, social protection, water and sanitation, education, and agriculture to reduce malnutrition in Africa. It will also develop a unified approach involving multiple sectors to address malnutrition more effectively, encouraging teamwork among various parts of government and society.
