African Union Member States convening in Abidjan have urged governments to expedite funding, planning, and implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing nutrition and food security in the continent.
In order to promote the 2022 African Union Year of Nutrition, African leaders met for three days. The “Abidjan Declaration” was signed as the meeting came to a close.
His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho addressed attendees at an event hosted by the government of Cote d’Ivoire in association with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank’s African Leaders for Nutrition initiative, and several other partners. He said, “This must be the time for Africa and its leadership to rise to the occasion and provide sustainable solutions to the malnutrition and hunger crisis [in the continent].
The African Union’s Executive Decision in July 2022 called for a multisectoral policy framework for addressing malnutrition as well as funding targeted and high-level political commitment to end malnutrition in all of its forms. King Letsie III, who is the African Union and African Leaders for Nutrition’s Nutrition Champion, discussed this Executive Decision in his speech.
The Ivorian government was praised by King Letsie for taking the lead on the nutrition agenda and supporting the Africa Union Year of Nutrition.
African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki said, “It is not normal that Africans are underfed and malnourished. We need to develop our internal capacity to produce for indigenous needs.”
Despite advancements, stunting and wasting continue to coexist with obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases like stroke and diabetes in the majority of African countries. African children under the age of five are thought to be stunted in 61.4 million cases, wasted in more than 12 million cases, and overweight in about 10 million cases.
The conference in Abidjan concentrated on boosting Africans’ capacity for food security and nutrition resilience. The African Union’s roadmap must be put into action and extended past 2022, according to the Declaration. The year’s theme calls on member states to consider the problems caused by hunger and malnutrition and come up with solutions.
Tiémoko Meyliet Koné, vice president of Cote d’Ivoire, urged African leaders to take action in his remarks. Our continent needs to save lives and provide better opportunities for our children, who stand for the future and hope of our neighbourhood and country.
The African Union, member nations in the region, the Bank, the African Leaders for Nutrition initiative, and partners will all be involved in improving nutrition targets, according to Vice President t Koné.
“Women, men, and children will be the actors and the beneficiaries placed at the centre of development and progress in the case of this year of African nutrition,” Koné added.
The African Leaders for Nutrition will collaborate with the African Union Commission to maximise the impact of the African Year of Nutrition, according to Dr. Beth Dunford, vice president for agriculture, human, and social development at the African Development Bank.
According to her, the African Leaders for Nutrition, which the Bank is hosting, aims to increase the amount of money available for nutrition by encouraging African governments to adopt stricter regulations and provide more funding for nutrition.
Dunford emphasised: “Africa will advance nutrition and improve food security outcomes if we accelerate investments and improve coordination of efforts. In order to ensure that the decisions made at this event are implemented as meaningful commitments, the African Development Bank and the African Leaders for Nutrition remain dedicated to working with all of you, particularly the Government of Cote d’Ivoire.
Senior African officials from many countries attended the ceremony, including Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi, Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Gerardine Mukeshimana, and Vice President of Zambia Mutale Nalumango.
Ministers from a number of fields, including agriculture, water sanitation and hygiene, health, education, and social protection, were also present.
