Image
Image
New National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan to address malnutrition in Tanzania in all its forms
On 6 September 2017, Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, launched the National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAP), a five-year strategy to tackle malnutrition, and reviewed progress.
September 18, 2017 - Last update: February 13, 2023
Photo source: UNICEF Tanzania
On 6 September 2017, Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, launched the National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAP), a five-year strategy to tackle malnutrition, and reviewed progress. Steered by the Prime Minister’s Office and coordinated by the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, the development of the NMNAP involved an extensive consultation process of different nutrition stakeholders.
“Eliminating undernutrition is a great way to develop the ‘grey matter infrastructure’. In doing this, we shall leave no one behind, and provide every citizen with the potential to lead a healthy and productive life”
Hon. Kassim Majakiwa, Primer Minister of Tanzania
The NMNAP’s broad goal is to accelerate scaling up of high impact multisectoral nutrition specific 2 and nutrition sensitive interventions 3 and creating an enabling environment for improved nutrition. The NMNAP is organized in seven Key Result Areas to reflect both lifecourse and multisectoral approaches. Six task teams led by subject matter experts developed operational action plans for each of the seven Areas. The prioritized Key Result Areas of the NMNAP are:
1. Scaling up Maternal, Infant, Young Child and Adolescent Nutrition
2. Scaling-up Prevention and Management of Micronutrient Deficiencies
3. Scaling up Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition
4. Scaling-up Prevention and Management of Diet Related NonCommunicableDiseases
5. Promoting Multisectoral Nutrition Sensitive Interventions
6. Strengthening Multisectoral Nutrition Governance
7. Establishing Multisectoral Nutrition Information System
“Investing in nutrition is the right thing to do”: PM @majaliwa_kassim launches the National Multi-sector Nutrition Action Plan at #JMNR2017 pic.twitter.com/yhpcpNbsxF
— UNICEF Tanzania (@UNICEFTanzania) September 7, 2017
One of the key challenges in the slow progress in reducing malnutrition in Tanzania has been national capacity at all levels to translate the political will and commitment into evidence-based, effective, impactful and sustainable policies, strategies and actions that are at scale, multisectoral, well-coordinated, integrated, resourced and monitored. To address this challenge, the Government of Tanzania has strengthened its leadership in nutrition and took several steps in recent years, including the launching of the National Nutrition Strategy in 2011.
Big Day for Nutrition in Tanzania: The Prime Minister launching National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan #NMNAP #JMNR2017 @SUN_Movement pic.twitter.com/PKjInt91XS
— Temina Mkumbwa (@Temina_Mkumbwa) September 6, 2017
This year government will double spending to Tz11bn shillings (6 million USD) for local government actions for nutrition support to Maternal Infant and Young Child and Adolescent Nutrition (MIYCAN) – now adding adolescents to mothers, infants and young children.
The Plan states that “the expected long-term impact of the NMNAP is that children, adolescents, women and men in Tanzania are better nourished leading to healthier and more productive lives that contribute to economic growth and sustainable development. The NMNAP seeks to achieve the desired change and key results through scaling up of evidence-based multisectoral nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions to all segments of the population and providing a conducive enabling environment”.
