Image
Image
Asian countries define path towards unlocking public finance for nutrition
From 25 to 27 April 2016, government, civil society and development partner representatives from 18 countries across Asia came together in Bangkok to set a course for mobilising the estimated additional $7 billion needed globally, each year over the next decade – to help tackle…
May 4, 2016 - Last update: February 10, 2023
From 25 to 27 April 2016, government, civil society and development partner representatives from 18 countries across Asia came together in Bangkok to set a course for mobilising the estimated additional $7 billion needed globally, each year over the next decade – to help tackle malnutrition.
Workshop report now available! Click here to download.
Unlocking Public Finance in Asia was a milestone for the financial tracking of nutrition investments. The participants, and their support networks, are now better able to identify the means to make budgets in agriculture, education, food systems, health systems, social protection, and water and sanitation, have a greater impact on nutrition outcomes.
This 3-day workshop was the second in Asia on financing for nutrition, following the 2015 workshop with the participation of eight Asian SUN Countries who met to accelerate efforts on budget analysis for nutrition. SUN Countries in attendance in 2016: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Vietnam. In addition, representatives from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives and Timor–Leste.
“To confront this challenge, leadership and action is required from the public sector, where there is significant potential to maximize current spending, and unleash new resources. Governments, civil society and development agencies are stepping up their efforts to help make a larger percentage of budgets in agriculture, education, the food system, health systems, social protection and water and sanitation work more directly for nutrition,” Patrizia Fracassi, Senior Nutrition Strategy Advisor for the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Secretariat.
The workshop at a glance:
- Day 1: Understanding how to go beyond data reporting and achieve actionable insights with public financial data and analysis. Examining how one can ensure that the investments in nutrition are not just well accounted for but also directed to best effect.
- Day 2: Exploring how the budget analysis exercise can become part of more comprehensive efforts to track financial resources and quality costing exercises at different levels (both national and sub-national). Understanding how to hold responsible parties accountable and to leverage increased investment for nutrition.
- Day 3: Hands-on capacity building on how to translate findings into simple messages for advocacy, to make the investment case for nutrition, with different audiences.
Organized by UNICEF Regional Offices and the SUN Movement Secretariat, the event was well timed following the recent launch of the UNICEF, World Health Organisation and Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional report on Nutrition Security. The report sheds new light on the nutrition situation of children across South East Asia and finds that several countries are facing simultaneous crises of over and undernutrition, with some children overweight while their peers suffer from stunting and wasting.
Learn more about Nutrition in National Budgets
Learn more about the SUN Movement Budget Analysis Exercise
Read a Financial Tracking Q&A with Madhu Marasini, SUN Government Focal Point of Nepal
Learn more about the framework which identifies the $7 billion per year need for nutrition investment
View the Agenda
