Transform Nutrition West Africa is a regional platform to enable effective policy and programmatic action on nutrition.
The problem
Despite limited progress to date, we now see a growing political commitment to address the high rates of maternal and child undernutrition in the West African region. Such commitment needs to be effectively translated into appropriate policy choices and effective program action, if it is to generate major large-scale and sustained change.
The program
Recognizing this, Transform Nutrition – West Africa (2017–2021) aims to improve and support policy and program decisions and actions to accelerate reductions in maternal and child undernutrition. This will be achieved through an inclusive process of knowledge generation and mobilization.
The overall approach will be guided by the context in West Africa and in high-burden countries where more intensive work will be done, including Nigeria and Burkina Faso. We know that knowledge derives from both evidence and experience and Transform Nutrition West Africa will focus on ‘knowledge for action’. There are two core objectives: a)to assess and analyze nutrition-relevant data and actions (programs and policies) to generate knowledge on optimal approaches to improving maternal and child nutrition; and b)to mobilize knowledge to strengthen enabling environments, and inform and improve nutrition-relevant policy and programming.
Engagement
Transform Nutrition West Africa will engage with regional and continental platforms including SUN, CAADP, ECOWAS, African Leaders for Nutrition, and ReSAKSS to understand their needs with regard to nutrition-relevant knowledge. Our West Africa platform aims to facilitate :a)improved policy decisions, b)enhanced understanding of what works and how to improve nutrition, c)improved program design and implementation decisions, and d)an enabling environment for change.
The ultimate aim is effective policy and programmatic action on nutrition being developed and implemented at scale in West Africa.
Key contacts
