African countries renew commitment to improved nutrition
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - African Union Member States renewed their commitments towards nutrition on the continent at a high-level event of the 2022 African Year of Nutrition, the AU Commission said on Thursday.
The meeting was co-organised by the African Union Commission, the Government of Cote d’Ivoire, African Development Bank (AfDB), with the support of partners and stakeholders.
The African Union theme of the year for 2022 on Nutrition was proposed by the Government of Cote d’Ivoire and further adopted by the African Union -- “Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on The African Continent.”
Speaking during the opening ceremony Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Commission Chairperson, called for multisectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation in the implementation of all nutrition programmes noting that all stakeholders have a critical role to play.
“Nutrition and food security is everyone’s business. If we all joined forces under the strong government leadership, with multisectoral actions, we will be able to respond to nutrition challenges the continent is facing,” he said.
The African Union Nutrition Champion, King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho, in his remarks urged all the stakeholders to redouble efforts to end hunger and malnutrition in the continent.
The meeting was officially opened by the Vice President of Code d’Ivoire, Tiemoko Meyliet Kone, who called for the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to confront nutrition challenges effectively and collectively.
The event culminated in the adoption of a joint declaration on renewed commitments to adopt multi-sectoral strategies aimed at tackling malnutrition and food security, ensuring greater investments in nutrition, and re-emphasizing the need for accountability.
The high-level meeting brought together over 30 African Union member states to discuss and share experiences on how to allocate financial, material, and human resources for priority nutrition interventions at the national and local levels in a more optimal way.
The event further focused on promoting strong political momentum to mobilize commitments and investments to fight hunger and malnutrition on the continent.
-0- PANA AO/MA 15Dec2022
