Working together for better nutrition for every child in Tajikistan

On 27 July 2016, government and development partners held the first national nutrition forum in Tajikistan titled, “Nutrition is key for Sustainable Development“. The two day event saw a renewal of commitments to eradicate malnutrition among children in Tajikistan through a multi-sectoral approach. The event brough together around one hundred local and international representatives from research institutions, donors, UN agencies, civil society and the media to discuss existing and emerging challenges of malnutrition for families in Tajikistan.

Ms. Saida Umarzoda, First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population in the Republic of Tajikistan officially opened the Forum by recalling progress that Tajikistan made in improving the health of its population through introducing relevant policies and joining global initiatives including Scaling Up Nutrition. She also called upon all partners to combine further efforts in addressing nutrition challenges in order to see no child suffering from undernutrition.

The event served as a reminder to the US$41 million lost annually due to malnutrition through reduced productivity, child mortality and reduced cognitive and physical development. A special focus was put on how Tajikistan is linking nutrition with the country’s plan towards the Sustainable Development Goals through the National Development Strategy (2030).

“We know that no single organization, no single entity can tackle the burden of malnutrition alone. It is indispensable to work together in a harmonized and coherent manner, each of us leveraging the strength of each organization and complementarity of different interventions to ensure improvement in nutrition,” Ms. Lucia Elmi, UNICEF Representative in Tajikistan, on behalf of four UN agencies (FAO, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO) during her opening speech.

Read the press release English