While many African countries have made significant commitments to improve nutrition over the last decade, only modest progress has been made towards achieving nutrition targets. A recent review of the nutrition financing landscape in the region reveals government nutrition spending as well as donor aid for nutrition interventions has been decreasing for countries across the continent.
Four key messages have emerged from the regional nutrition financing review, as well as three calls to action for SUN country focal points in order to sustainably finance nutrition in the Africa region:
Key Messages:
- For every $1 a country invests in nutrition they will gain a $23 return on investment into the prosperity of the country with wide-reaching impact across sectors
- Reaching all African households that need nutrition interventions requires a low-cost/high-reward investment by government going directly into government platforms across Agriculture, Health, Social Protection, Education & WASH sectors
- More government funding for nutrition is needed to avert a worsening nutrition crisis and for countries to make a lasting impact on the prosperity of their country
- Countries must find new external funding opportunities to improve nutrition and harness innovative financing options for nutrition, as traditional donor funding will soon come to an end
Call to Action:
African governments must move quickly to improve their nutrition funding situation by taking the first steps to:
- Review nutrition financing trends in your country under every sector and review whether every sector budget has fulfilled their commitments to nutrition
- Review the immediate funding need and funding gap, and set financing targets for underfunded priorities that need support
- Maximize government programs by integrating nutrition actions and identify new and innovative sources of financing
This resource was co-developed by FCDP and SUN Regional Hubs for Francophone Africa, Anglophone Africa, and the Convergence Hub, with contributions from Tendai Gunda, Tetteh Ogum, Eve Gossiaux, Andoniaina Brice and Zahra Inayat.
For a French translation of this page, click here.
FCDP is a SUN Movement resource available to all 66 SUN Countries. The platform aims to transform the nutrition financing landscape by inspiring and igniting government leaders to elevate nutrition financing as a priority and accelerate impact across sectors.
