Multiple stakeholders prioritise nutrition sensitive programs with a workshop in Kenya

On 14 May 2014, Kenya’s Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement networks raised awareness around the importance of nutrition sensitive programs during the Action Against Hunger (ACF) ‘Nutrition Sensitive Programmes Workshop’ held in Nairobi, Kenya.

This event brought together 58 participants from across the SUN Movement networks at national and international level and included government representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture.

The workshop allowed for the highlighting of the relationship between agriculture and nutrition and for a sharing of lessons learned and best practices in nutrition sensitive programming in Kenya. Several presentations emphasized the role of SUN Networks in promoting nutrition sensitive programs.

ACF took the opportunity of this event to officially launch its case study ‘Reconciling Agriculture and Nutrition’ as well as the the Generation Nutrition Campaign that involves eight members of the SUN Civil Society Alliance.

Several stakeholders recalled their commitments to reduction of malnutrition and key recommendations were voiced. The recommendations include the need to advocate for the inclusion of nutrition in the Food and Nutrition Security Policy, for the positioning of the SUN Government Focal Point at the highest level in the political structure and for the establishment of all SUN networks and the SUN multi-stakeholder platform.

It was also recommended that the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Infrastructure, National Treasury and the private sector be involved in nutrition programmes. As Anne Chele of the FAO emphasized, “there is need to use a multi-sectoral approach in nutrition programming”. Furthermore, in order to scale up nutrition-sensitive programmes, participants called for increased funding for the Nutrition and Home Economics Unit, especially at the county level.

Another important recommendation was the need to build capacity of the local media to report nutrition issues, more so by involving journalists in nutrition workshops and events.

Read the full report at Action Against Hunger International