Madam Stirbu was speaking at the opening ceremony of a three-day regional workshop on multisectoral and intersectoral dialogue in fighting malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in Africa, designed for journalists and communicators from 17 African countries. The event was held from 17th to 19th September 2024, at the BNB SPA Hotel in Abidjan, Code D’Ivoire.
Held under the theme - "Multi-sectoral and Intersectoral Dialogue in the Context of Agriculture, Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies in Africa’, the forum attracted two senior journalists from The Gambia, who were part of the participants at the event.
She revealed that through the initiative, UNICEF, in collaboration with key authorities and stakeholders at continental, regional and national levels, aim to support the local production and consumption of food that is safe, affordable and sustainable for young children in Africa.
The initiative, she added, builds on UNICEF's expertise and experience and aims to respond to the situation of child food poverty in Africa by encouraging the local production of safe food, affordable and sustainable through partnerships between authorities and certain private sector actors, likewise the parties and stakeholders committment to meeting the nutritional needs of young children.
She maintained that the forum also aims to shape policy environments to protect, promote and support children's access to food that is safe and affordable through market-based approaches and social protection, likewise food standards, improved guidance and policies, including tax policies adapted.
That, she said, includes stimulating the consumption of nutritious and healthy foods through large-scale social marketing campaigns and social and behaviour change programs.
With this initiative, she stated that UNICEF seeks to create lasting and sustainable change, food systems in the region, in the face of climate change, to better meet nutritional needs of children who are the most vulnerable segment of the population in respect of malnutrition and the future of the region.
By shining a light on the realities of families and children in situations of food poverty, she said, they will be able to ensure that the voices of these children and families are heard.
Further, she pointed out that malnutrition is a major subject that must be given collective attention, noting that Malnutrition in all its forms is a violation of rights children.
She highlighted that malnutrition particularly affects young children from middle- and low-income countries and for those young children, it means that they are not enjoying the benefits of adequate nutrition during the period of strong growth that is crucial for their development.
According to UNICEF's latest report on child nutrition published in 2024, she said 75% or 73 million young children aged 6 to 59 months in Africa in the West and Centre are in a situation of food poverty and do not receive a diversified diet in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
The forum was organized in collaboration with the Rescue Services Catholic/Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Regional Coordination of the Civil Society of the SUN Movement for West and Central Africa and the African Journalists and Communicators Initiative for Nutrition (IJ-CAN).
