AU, Nutrition International launch campaign on reducing malnutrition in adolescent girls

On Mar 29, 2023 132

Addis Ababa, March 29, 2023(FBC) – African Union Commission and Nutrition International join forces have launched advocacy campaign focused on reducing malnutrition particularly in adolescent girls.

According to AU’s press release, the two-year campaign aims to promote public awareness on the negative impacts of inadequate nutrition, especially iron-deficiency anaemia on the health and education outcomes of adolescent girls.

The campaign also galvanizes the support of policymakers to prioritize investment in adolescent nutrition to scale up proven, low-cost, high-impact interventions for the prevention of iron-deficiency anaemia and improved nutrition education, the release added.

Speaking at the launch event, Minata Samate Cessouma, the AU Commission’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, called for action advocacy for the prioritization of adolescent nutrition in AU member states, urging to prioritize adolescent nutrition in their programs and budgets.

She also called on member states to advocate for adolescent nutrition through the engagement of young people to reduce the prevalence of anaemia among girls, promote national policies and development plans that address iron-deficiency anaemia through multisectoral approaches, and mobilize resources for scale-up of proven low-cost, high-impact interventions for preventing iron-deficiency anaemia and improved nutrition education in adolescent girls.

It is stated that in April 2022, African Union Commission and Nutrition International signed a memorandum of understanding toward a shared vision to end hunger poverty.

Accordingly, Nutrition International pledged to support the AU’s Africa Year of Nutrition activities in multiple areas, among them, prioritization of adolescent nutrition in AU member states.

More recently, in February 2023, Nutrition International double down on its commitments and pledged technical support to at least 30 AU member states.