What: High-level African Union roundtable: "Recommit Africa to Child Survival through Strategic Investment in Prevention of Malnutrition"

Who: The Kingdom of Lesotho, the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank's African Leaders for Nutrition and partners

When: 13 February 2026; 18:00 - 19:00 EAT (GMT+3)

Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The African Union and African Leaders for Nutrition Champion, His Majesty King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank Group, the African Leaders for Nutrition initiative, and development partners will host a high-level side event on the margins of the 2026 African Union Summit to elevate child survival as an urgent continental priority.

Africa is facing a child survival crisis. Over the next five years, at least 30 million children are projected to die globally from preventable causes, with nearly 60 percent of these deaths occurring in Africa, unless action is taken. Many of these deaths are linked to malnutrition, infections, unsafe water and sanitation, climate shocks, and limited access to basic health services despite the availability of proven, cost-effective interventions. These challenges are compounded by inadequate financing for prevention.

In alignment with the African Union Theme of the Year 2026, "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063", this high-level roundtable will position child survival as a unifying continental priority that links nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, education, and social protection.

Together, government leaders, health and finance ministers, development partners, philanthropies, and regional institutions will translate political commitment into scaled budgeted action, mobilize innovative financing, and strengthen accountability for child survival outcomes across the continent.