Addis Ababa -- Today, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald E. Booth represented the U.S. Government at the launch of Ethiopia's new National Nutrition Program (NNP) at the United Nations Conference Center, Economic Commission for Africa. This launch coincides  the Ethiopia launch of the Lancet Maternal and Child Nutrition series.

USAID Ethiopia's flagship nutrition project, ENGINE, supported by Feed the Future and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, provided key technical assistance to the revision of the National Nutrition Program. Members of the ENGINE team actively participated in the revision sub-committees and helped to draft sections of the NNP. In particular, ENGINE contributed significantly to the multi-sectoral and governance sections. ENGINE also provided financial support for the revision by covering the costs of some consultative retreats and meetings.

This revised NNP improves on the earlier program drafted in 2008 in several ways. Most importantly, the new NNP emphasizes the multi-sectoral nature of nutrition, and clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of each sector with an accountability matrix and costing for all activities. The National Nutrition Coordination Body is chaired by the Minister of Health and co-chaired by the ministers of agriculture and education. The revised NNP follows the life cycle approach with due emphasis on the first 1,000 days of life from a mother's pregnancy through her child's second birthday. Its timeline is also aligned with global and country timelines, such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Government of Ethiopia's sectoral development programs.

USAID congratulates the Government of Ethiopia on the development of such a transformational National Nutrition Program and looks forward to continued collaboration  with UNICEF, DFID and all other partners to better the lives of Ethiopia's most vulnerable citizens.

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Booth, [PDF, 147kb]

See Also

USAID Ethiopia: Nutrition

USAID Ethiopia: Agriculture and Food Security

USAID Ethiopia: Feed the Future

USAID Ethiopia: Global Health Initiative

USAID Ethiopia: President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

USAID Ethiopia: Maternal and Child Health