On 19 May 2011, the Islamic republic of Mauritania joined the SUN Movement with a letter of commitment from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development. At the time, had established a multi-stakeholder, multi-sector platform on nutrition, the Permanent Technical Committee (CTP). The committee was put in place under the framework of the National Nutrition Development Council (CNDN) created in 2010 as the convening body. The inter-sectoral Action Plan on Nutrition (PAIN) sought to ensure that nutrition and food security gained attention from all relevant ministries and stakeholders.
Mauritania
Progress
Nutrition situation
27.9%
Under Five Stunting
14.8%
Under Five Wasting
1.3%
Under Five Overweight
41.1%
0-5 Months Exclusive Breastfeeding
37.2%
Woman Anaemia 15-49 years
8.4%
Adolescent Overweight Male
16.9%
Adolescent Overweight Female
20.1%
Adult Overweight Male
24.5%
Adult Overweight Female
6.9%
Adult Obesity Male
19.3%
Adult Obesity Female
8.5%
Adult Diabetes Male
9.4%
Adult Diabetes Female
Strategic objectives
- Bringing people together
- Coherent policy and legal framework
- Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework
- Financial tracking and resource mobilization
The National Nutrition Development Council (CNDN) and its technical standing committee, created in 2010, form the multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder platform (MSP). A revision, per decree, is proposed, within the strategic multi-sectoral plan on nutrition to improve the operations of this system. A coordination framework for nutrition is in place and functioning, for handling emergencies, chaired by the Ministry of Health. The CNDN is decentralised in four regions albeit not operational. Strengthening of national and regional coordination is ongoing, through the establishment of common tools and revision of the Decree creating the CNDN. The newly-established UN network will enable more systematic joint annual planning and monitoring – in addition to the civil society network, which is very active. Support groups exist for parliamentarians and journalists, whilst donor and private sector commitment remains limited.
Last updated: November 2017
2016
In 2010, before Mauritania joined the SUN Movement, the National nutrition development council (CNDN) was established by Prime Ministerial Decree, an interministerial platform supported by a permanent multi-player Technical committee. Today, although the latter does meet, the CNDN is not yet operational. Furthermore, the civil society and United Nations networks have been established but the lack of active donors in the area of nutrition is a recurring challenge. Since 2014, seven regional multisectoral commissions on nutrition have been supported by civil society.
Last updated: December 2016
2015
The multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral platform is the National Nutrition Development Council (CNDN), which was established in 2010 and has support from a permanent technical committee. The Government focal point is the Director General of Economic Policy and Development Strategies for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development. These structures bring together all the ministries that play a role in nutrition, the United Nations, NGOs and the private sector, but donors are not represented there for the moment. Three regions have recently set up ‘Coordination commissions for the Development of Nutrition’. These are responsible for providing guidance, coordinating and tracking nutrition actions. This brings the number of these structures to seven in total for the 15 regions across the country.
Despite the steps taken by the government, the donors and the private sector have not been organised into a network yet. The costs associated with the presence of a REACH facilitator (since 2008) are now taken on by the Government, and nutrition has been included in the planning document for UN agencies (UNDAF). The country is working on bringing together civil society stakeholders to improve the structure of their actions. The establishment of dedicated networks would help to improve the platform’s results and ensure better participation among stakeholders.
Despite the steps taken by the government, the donors and the private sector have not been organised into a network yet. The costs associated with the presence of a REACH facilitator (since 2008) are now taken on by the Government, and nutrition has been included in the planning document for UN agencies (UNDAF). The country is working on bringing together civil society stakeholders to improve the structure of their actions. The establishment of dedicated networks would help to improve the platform’s results and ensure better participation among stakeholders.
Last updated: October 2015
The completion of the 2016-2030 Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity Initiative has enabled nutrition mainstreaming to be analysed across different legislative texts. Nutrition is considered in the new national health policy towards 2030 and in the 2017-2020 National Health Development Plan. The implementation of pro-nutrition political and legal frameworks, particularly on salt iodisation and wheat flour fortification, remains a challenge. A roadmap for improving large-scale fortification and an implementing decree for the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is being developed.
Last updated: November 2017
2016
Nutrition appears in the development plan (SCAPP 2016/2020), in the process of being drafted, and the National health development plan. The creation of nutrition directorates at the Ministry of Education and the Food security commissariat will facilitate its sectoral integration. The fortification of foods and iodation of salt are compulsory (a decree will be adopted creating an alliance for the fortification). However, the Code on breast milk substitutes is not being transcribed and mechanisms are needed that guarantee the laws are correctly applied.
Last updated: December 2016
2015
The regulatory framework for nutrition includes fortification of oil and flour, universal iodisation of salt, an infant and young child feeding strategy, the promotion of maternal leave and the National Communication Strategy for Changing Behaviours. A draft of the Code of Marketing Breast-Milk Substitutes is being studied. There has been a national nutrition development policy since 2006, which has given rise to a strategy for social mobilisation, advocacy and communication, which would warrant being updated, and a national protocol for comprehensive handling of acute malnutrition (PCIMA).
National and sectoral policies and strategies in most key sectors, such as agriculture and food security, poverty reduction, public health and social protection, take nutrition into account. They have been updated and are long-term, up to 2020. Finalising directives on integrating nutrition into sectoral policies should enhance their effectiveness.
National and sectoral policies and strategies in most key sectors, such as agriculture and food security, poverty reduction, public health and social protection, take nutrition into account. They have been updated and are long-term, up to 2020. Finalising directives on integrating nutrition into sectoral policies should enhance their effectiveness.
Last updated: October 2015
The 2016-2025 Strategic Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Plan and common results framework is awaiting political validation. As a reference document for nutrition-related interventions, it does not contain an action plan, but forms a policy framework for all actors involved. A planning workshop for implementation is scheduled, to operationalise this Plan, prioritising actions that contribute to nutrition and evaluating the actors’ implementing capacity. In the longer term, annual progress reviews will enable monitoring, in the absence of an adequate information system. The specific interventions in the common results framework will be operationalised through scaling plans that are being produced on treating acute malnutrition, promoting good feeding practices for infants and young children, combating the lack of micronutrients.
Last updated: November 2017
2016
In May 2016, the 2016-2025 National strategic multisectoral plan (PSMN) – including a common results framework which will be the reference document in matters of nutrition – was technically validated during a workshop attended by the ministerial departments and key partners. The common results framework will serve as a basis for stakeholders’ annual action plans. It should be noted that the water and sanitation sector is increasingly committed to the total sanitation strategy piloted by the communities.
Last updated: December 2016
2015
The priority identified by Mauritania for 2015 is to finalise the Intersectoral Action Plan on Nutrition (PAIN) by incorporating the observations of the various sectors. This will allow 2015-2020 PAIN to include some sectoral interventions which contribute to nutrition, to specify their timing and to include a follow-up and evaluation system and capacity-building activities. Once it has been finalised, it needs to be validated and costed in order to serve as a common results framework. The need for increased coherence between programmes, funding difficulties and the lack of qualified human resources have been identified as the main challenges that PAIN needs to overcome. It should be noted that some components of PAIN have been partially implemented.
The programmes under way are harmonised with the national nutrition policy and are nutrition-specific or contribute to nutrition (via social protection, water, sanitation and hygiene).
The programmes under way are harmonised with the national nutrition policy and are nutrition-specific or contribute to nutrition (via social protection, water, sanitation and hygiene).
Last updated: October 2015
The cost of nutrition-specific interventions is estimated at USD 76 million over the next 10 years and an anal-ysis of existing interventions will enable funding gaps to be identified. It has been estimated that a regular increase in public funding to 45 per cent over 6 years (2017-2022) would be necessary to fund specific interventions. The com-pletion of the Cost of Hunger study is expected to assist in ensuring predictable funding over a number of years for nutrition.
Last updated: November 2017
2016
Resources have not yet been estimated for the PSMN, but this is a priority for 2016-2017. Thanks to the 2013 to 2016 budget allocation monitoring process, however, the country has an overview of the breakdown of sectoral allocations contributing to improving nutrition. These are also mainly the technical directorates (Food security commissariat, national nutrition programme, Emel food programmes) and state projects benefiting from allocations contributing to nutrition.
Last updated: December 2016
2015
Most participants wish for a specific budget line to be created for nutrition within the State’s budget and for a mechanism to be put in place which tracks expenses by sector. The regional workshop on the follow-up of budget allocations for nutrition has allowed dialogue to be initiated with various government sectors.
Last updated: October 2015
SUN Government Focal Point
Abbas Sylla,
Directeur Général des Politiques et Stratégies de Développement, Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances
Donor Convenor
- TBC
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