On 15 March 2011, the Republic of Malawi joined the SUN Movement with a letter of commitment from the Permanent Secretary. At the time, Malawi had established a National Nutrition Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President. The main function was to mobilise resources and support the implementation of interventions in line with the countries Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2005) and the National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan (2007 – 2015). Malawi was also focused on community-based action, with the 1,000 Special days National Nutrition Education and Communication Strategy (NECS), prioritised for the period 2012 – 2017 to reduce stunting though behaviour change and awareness raising.
Multi-sectoral platforms (MSPs) in Malawi are in place and functional at national, district and community levels. The Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS (DNHA) is the convening and coordinating institution for nutrition and the secretariat for all MSPs. All key sectors are part of the MSP and contribute to development and review of policies and plans. Currently, in the review of the National Development Agenda, nutrition is coming out as a stand-alone priority under other development areas. There is continuous engagement of the political leadership through the MSP, with high-level nutrition meetings and monitoring visits taken place with parliamentarians and Permanent Secretaries. The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Gertrude Mutharika, has been instrumental to increase the visibility and public awareness of nutrition.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
Other established high-level political coordination structures for nutrition include the Cabinet Committee, Parliamentary Committee, Principal Secretaries Committee, and the Government Development Partners Committee.
The Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS (DNHA) is mandated to spearhead the integration of nutrition in the line Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Gender, Information, Civic Education and Local Government to ensure multi-sectoral coordination.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Donor group on Nutrition Security (DoNutS) have been re-defined to harmonise the work of the development partners to better support national efforts. The United States Agency for International Development chairs the group with Irish Aid appointed as the Donor convenor.
The United Nations (UN) Network is key in rolling out the national plans to the districts to ensure that the most vulnerable are reached.
The Civil Society Alliance in Malawi (CSONA) plays a leading role in supporting national efforts through meaningful dialogue and advocacy. Concern Worldwide supports the CSONA Secretariat.
Partners from the private sector have been active through the National Fortification Alliance.
Last updated: October 2015
The National Nutrition Policy & Strategic Plan has been reviewed and aligned with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III (MGDS III), which has redefined the National Nutrition Programme. Stakeholders have started aligning interventions to the Policy & Strategic Plan. A draft Food and Nutrition Bill has been developed, with consultation with different stakeholders taking place. The MSP has been consulted on the review and validation of key policies and plans, including the Food and Nutrition Bill (awaiting Cabinet approval), as well as development of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework. Sector-specific policies and plans, especially for agriculture, gender equality and climate change have also been reviewed, to ensure alignment with the MGDS III, the National Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Policy, the global nutrition agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
The UN Network coordinates their actions along the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and DoNutS and CSONA have their own policy and strategy aligned to the national nutrition agenda. Partners from the private sector have no defined own policy but ensure compliance with national guidelines, regulations and standards.
The Employment Act mandates paid maternity leave up to 12 weeks in the public sector and up to 8 weeks in the private sector. Malawi has adopted many provisions of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS) into law as part of the Public Health Act (Chapter 34:01).
The Food and Nutrition Act is currently being finalised by the Government which will provide guidance on adequate nutrition, standards for food fortification and food labelling guidelines.
Last updated: October 2015
A national Multi-Sectoral Nutrition M&E Framework has been developed and rolled out to districts. This framework guides all nutrition stakeholders in planning, monitoring and reporting, and is aligned with both national and international goals and targets, e.g. the SDGs and World Health Assembly (WHA) targets. Institutional arrangements and implementation frame- works define roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in the coordination, implementation and monitoring of nutrition interventions.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
To ensure timely reporting, the government developed a web-based database, which is linked from district to national level. All monitoring and evaluation officers in districts have been trained and supported with relevant equipment.
Progress is also tracked through the annual multi-stakeholder SUN learning forum, and through routine monitoring surveys including demographic health surveys and multiple indicator cluster surveys.
Last updated: October 2015
The Nutrition Resource Tracking System (NURTS) seeks to provide projections for nutrition, resource gaps and financing by different sectors. However, a validation exercise of the functionality of NURTS showed that less than fifty per cent of partners are reporting adequately (21 stakeholders in 2016). Despite these limitations, the NURTS has been integrated into nutrition M&E systems. The Civil Society Organisation Nutrition Alliance (CSONA) tracks nutrition financing in Malawi towards Nutrition for Growth commitments. Malawi, through the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS, is in the process of developing sustainable nutrition financing.
Last updated: November 2017
Last updated: December 2016
Last updated: October 2015
"In my new appointment as the Acting SUN Focal Point for Malawi, I will ensure that the national multisectoral nutrition policy and strategic plan, the national monitoring and evaluation and web-based data base and the web-based financial tracking system is in place and rolled out."
Felix Pensulo Phiri
Director of Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS, Ministry of Health
World Food Programme partners with Ireland to fight malnutrition in Malawi
Millions of refugees across Africa face even greater food insecurity amid COVID-19 crisis
Growing food to tackle coronavirus and child malnutrition in Malawi
Impacts of COVID-19 on SMEs in the food system
Reducing stunting through multisectoral efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa
Launch of the SUN business network of Malawi