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Cameroon

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On 18 February 2013, the Republic of Cameroon joined the SUN Movement with a letter of commitment from HE, André Mama Fouda, Minister of Public Health. At the time, Cameroon had established a National Nutrition Task Force in 2008.

Progress

Bringing people together
 33% 2017

Bringing people together
Coherent policy and legal framework
 40% 2017

Coherent policy and legal framework
Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework
 39% 2017

Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework
Financial tracking and resource mobilization
 26% 2017

Financial tracking and resource mobilization
TOTAL
 35% 2017

TOTAL
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Engaging Elected Representatives

July 1, 2014

Cameroon’s approach to nutrition advocacy has been born out of a long-term neglect for nutrition in the country. Cameroon is among the 36 countries in the world with the largest number of children under five suffering from stunted growth. Nearly 33% of children under five suffer from stunting: equivalent to approximately one million children. Six out of ten children are anaemic (due to iron deficiency).

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Nutrition situation

31.7%

Under Five Stunting

5.2%

Under Five Wasting

6.7%

Under Five Overweight

28%

0-5 Months Exclusive Breastfeeding

41.4%

Woman Anaemia 15-49 years

7.4%

Adolescent Overweight Male

17.3%

Adolescent Overweight Female

19.8%

Adult Overweight Male

25.8%

Adult Overweight Female

6.4%

Adult Obesity Male

17.2%

Adult Obesity Female

6.6%

Adult Diabetes Male

6.9%

Adult Diabetes Female
Nutrition Data Definitions

Strategic objectives

The Inter-ministerial Committee to Combat Malnutrition, established within the Office of the Prime Minister, has continued its work. A food and nutrition guide has been produced and validated. The multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) that brings the different SUN networks together needs re-energising, to strengthen the current mechanism and mitigate the absence of certain sectors in monthly meetings. This would also enable the four working groups formed in the regions most affected by malnutrition to be strengthened. The civil society, donor and UN networks have been established while the private sector network is in the process of being formalised. The parliamentarian network to combat malnutrition would be more effective if it had a more detailed road map.

Last updated: November 2017

2016
The meetings of the Interministerial committee for the fight against malnutrition have permitted an operational plan for the fight against malnutrition to be validated and funds to be released for the creation of a nutritional guide for the public. The four regional platforms are still active and implement local operational plans. Focal points have been nominated for the SUN networks, while a high-level SUN strategic focal point remains to be created. A journalists’ network of has been established for the purposes of advocacy.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
At the national level, coordination is carried out at several levels: within the Interministerial Committee on the fight against malnutrition and within the nutrition working groups at the central and regional level (four regions are concerned: extreme north, north, Adamaoua and east). The nutrition working group meets every month. The multi-stakeholder platform does not yet have sufficient high-level coordination. A political focal point who is either a representative of the Prime Minister or of the President’s office is expected to be appointed.
The Interministerial Committee has been established and is in operation. Its president is the Minister Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The civil society platform chaired by Helen Keller International includes various sectors (health, education and agriculture). The civil society platform is mapping actors and developing an action plan. The civil society platform’s activities have been revitalised in anticipation of its legal recognition and launch.

The United Nations network for the SUN Movement, under UNICEF’ leadership, is in operation. Invitations have been sent to other agencies (UNHCR, IFAD, UNFPA).

The French Development Cooperation Agency, representing donors, is working towards creating a platform for donors.

A private sector network for the SUN Movement was launched at the Business Forum on Nutrition (May 2014).

The SUN Movement Business Network was launched in 2014. A consultative framework, an implementing and monitoring mechanism as well as an investment fund for nutrition have been established. A network of members of parliament for the fight against malnutrition is also very active.

Last updated: October 2015

The nutrition policy has been revised to ensure it is in line with new evidence that stresses the need for a multi-sectoral approach and the scaling up of cost-effective interventions to speed up the reduction of malnutrition. The nutrition situation analysis and legal framework were updated prior to developing the common results framework and operational plan for policy implementation. Tracking missions are conducted to ensure the implementation of food fortification and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Parliamentarians are challenging the Government at all parliamentary sessions to make nutrition a national priority.

Last updated: November 2017

2016
The multisectoral food and nutrition policy has been revised, in accordance with the results of the cost-efficiency analysis of the interventions, with a view to accelerating the reduction in malnutrition. The new policy is anchored in nutrition coordination mechanisms established under the prime minister’s office. The parliamentarians’ network already implements nutrition advocacy and communication actions, so the national media has a raised awareness of the theme of nutrition. A partnership has even been created between the parliament and the media.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
The strategic guidance document on the fight against malnutrition in the regions of the north, the extreme north, Adamaoua and the east has been approved by the Interministerial Committee and incorporates nutrition into the new strategies for rural development and food security, health, water practices, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), social protection, the advancement of women and educational actions. Nutrition is included in the action plans of United Nations agencies, but tentatively in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
Also, a travelling exhibition was held to raise the awareness of traditional leaders, administrative authorities and members of parliament for the drafting of the 2015-2020 Priority Action Plan on the fight against malnutrition. Admittedly, the efforts to implement and disseminate policies must be stepped up.

Last updated: October 2015

UNICEF’s support to the development of the common results framework (CRF) commenced in May 2016 on the basis of the new multi-sectoral food and nutrition policy, with the involvement of all nutrition stakeholders. The areas of intervention selected within this CRF enabled the development of a multi-sectoral operational plan. These documents will be submitted for the approval of the Inter-Ministerial Committee by the end of 2017. A national workshop was organised in June 2017, to evaluate and strengthen the capacity of plan implementers this plan nationally. Once these instruments have been adopted, there will be more concrete and efficient policy and planning coordination between ministries.

Last updated: November 2017

2016
In May 2016, development began of the common results framework, based on the new Multisectoral food and nutrition policy, with the technical and logistical support of the local United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) office. The civil society network also participates in this process. Information systems will be integrated into the common results framework in order to monitor the implementation of priority actions to improve nutrition.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
The common results framework has not been developed yet, but the strategic guidance document on the fight against malnutrition has identified the priority areas which will be highlighted to obtain convincing results.
From the perspective of the programmes, direct interventions in the area of nutrition have focused on the “window of opportunity” in the first 1,000 days. The activities are centred on essential nutrition-related actions, the fight against micronutrient deficiencies through a major and large-scale campaign on food fortification and fortification at home using micronutrients in powder form, vitamin A, iron and folic acid supplements; the management of acute malnutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, deworming and maternal nutrition.

Last updated: October 2015

The CRF will be costed by the end of 2017 and the recruitment of a consultant for this work is currently underway. The Ministry of Health allocates specific funds to nutrition and advocacy work is continuing within Parliament for a specific budget line to be established in 2018. The World Bank has agreed to finance a health programme that includes nutrition activities and the finalisation of the programme’s operational plan, which sets out the mechanisms for resource mobilisation, will enable donors to align resources.

Last updated: November 2017

2016
Budgeting for the common results framework will be performed once it has been completed and validated. Furthermore, an activity monitoring and evaluation framework will be developed. A study was performed of the budget allocations for public spending on nutrition for 2015, with the support of the SUN movement secretariat.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
The share of the budget devoted to nutrition has not changed in the sectoral administrations. The budgeting exercise has, however, shown that indirect interventions take up over 90% of the sectors’ budget. With some partners, a major increase in resources has been recorded in 2014.
The costing of the plan can only be achieved once the multisectoral action plan is complete. There is currently no system for monitoring credit financing for nutrition activities and programmes. There is no specific budget line for nutrition. Nevertheless, the advocacy helped to create a budget line on food for infants and young children in the medium-term expenses of the Ministry of Public Health.

Last updated: October 2015

SUN Government Focal Point

NGO SAK Cécile Patricia
Sub-Director for Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Public Health

Donor Convenor

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, France

Key Documents

11 resources found
Cameroon Country Profile 2019
Cameroon Country Profile 2018
Cameroon SUN Movement Annual Progress Report 2017
Cameroon SUN Movement Annual Progress Report 2016
The 2015 SUN Report - Cameroon
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