Uganda

Uganda’s multi-sectoral platform (MSP) meets regularly, convened by the Office of the Prime Minister. In 2017, annual workplans for the 2011-2016 Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP) – which has been extended by a year to ensure continuity – were developed to ensure improved coordination. During the reporting period, a parliamentary forum on nutrition was formed and oriented on nutrition programming, resulting in a productive nutrition parliamentary debate. A Nutrition Development and Donor Partner Group (NDPG) has been set up, with an agreed workplan in place. The MSP membership has, during the reporting period, expanded at both national and district levels, with the inclusion of stakeholders such as the trade industry and water departments at the local governmental level. At the district level, there are 10 approved multi-sectoral nutrition action plans, with 45 remaining in draft form. 10 districts have also developed nutrition advocacy plans. The reporting mechanism within districts is not fully developed, but efforts to address this are underway.

Last updated: November 2017

The Strategic Review of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, undertaken by the National Planning Authority, has relied on the involvement of the MSP. This review analysed Uganda’s preparedness in achieving the Goal and its targets and uncovered the extent to which policies, legal frameworks, and institutions address nutrition. Gaps and recommendations of interventions to attain SDG 2 have been identified. A focus of 2017 has been to ensure adequate technical capacity and resources in the development of a multi-sectoral nutrition security policy. This policy, as coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister, is in the final stages of development. The enforcement of mandatory food fortification remains weak and existing regulations on the code of marketing breast-milk substitutes is not fully operational.

Last updated: November 2017

The multi-sectoral nutrition plan is nearly completed, with most stakeholders having aligned their actions with the UNAP and second National Development Plan (NDP II). The country’s operational common results framework is the UNAP, as it spells out the roles of all stakeholders, defines the long-term objectives the implementation process, and the coordination mechanism. The Ministries of Health, Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries have interventions designed based on the sectoral polices of the NDPII implementation strategy.

Last updated: November 2017

Costed sectoral plans for the implementation of the UNAP are in place, however, they need further analysis to identify funding gaps for interventions. The Minister of Finance, amongst others, have been informed of on-budget and off-budget nutrition financing, however, donors and development partners track their spending independently, without sharing their findings annually with the MSP. Although the UNAP is costed, funding sources are unclear, which renders the process of building a coordinated mechanism for multi-year funding the more important.

Last updated: November 2017