African Development Bank launches ambitious multi-sector plan to reduce stunting by 40 per cent

 

Alliance magazine

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In partnership with Big Win Philanthropy and Aliko Dangote Foundation, the African Development Bank has unveiled a new Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan that aims at raising investments towards reducing stunting by 40 per cent in African children aged under five by 2025.

Through the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan, the Bank will scale up the proportion of investments that are ‘nutrition-smart’ in agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene, social and health sectors.

‘In terms of human development, nutrition is as important as investments in infrastructure and power in stimulating economic growth. Big Win Philanthropy is thrilled with President Adesina’s leadership in giving greater priority to nutrition and the wider human capital investment agenda,’ said Jamie Cooper, Chair and President, Big Win Philanthropy.

‘By leveraging investments across five sectors, and encouraging its member countries to do the same, the African Development Bank is achieving ‘double wins’ for every dollar spent: improving lives and generating economic growth.’

According to the plan, in 2017 more than a third of the word’s stunted children under the age of five lived in Africa, and is the only region in the world where the number of stunted children has risen in the past few years.

Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou, said, ‘We know we cannot do this by ourselves, so it made sense to put money at the African Development Bank to develop this nutrition strategy. We are really happy to see the strategy come together following a two-year journey.’

The Plan will focus on integrating nutrition smart interventions into projects in the Bank’s extensive agriculture pipeline. To realise its human and economic potential, Africa must invest in nutrition said Oley Dibba-Wadda, the Bank’s Director Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department.

‘The African continent has the potential to become a powerhouse of productivity in the 21st century but cannot sustain rates of economic growth and at the same time integrate its burgeoning youth population without addressing these high rates of stunting.’

The ambitious Action Plan is looking for additional support and commitments from governments.

For more see: https://www.afdb.org/


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