Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia

Multi-sectoral nutrition governance has been hailed as an effective mechanism to reduce undernutrition. Ethiopia has adopted the approach and has been implementing nutrition programmes with some success, but undernutrition remains high for a range of reasons. This study explores political economy ch...

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Autores principales: Ayele, Seife, Zegeye, Elias Asfaw, Nisbett, Nicholas
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Institute of Development Studies 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171252
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author Ayele, Seife
Zegeye, Elias Asfaw
Nisbett, Nicholas
author_browse Ayele, Seife
Nisbett, Nicholas
Zegeye, Elias Asfaw
author_facet Ayele, Seife
Zegeye, Elias Asfaw
Nisbett, Nicholas
author_sort Ayele, Seife
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Multi-sectoral nutrition governance has been hailed as an effective mechanism to reduce undernutrition. Ethiopia has adopted the approach and has been implementing nutrition programmes with some success, but undernutrition remains high for a range of reasons. This study explores political economy challenges facing Ethiopia in nutrition programme design, coordination and implementation, and looks at root causes that remain less understood. Using reviews of literature, qualitative interviews and a deep-dive study of two interventions, the study finds that the policy narrative has shifted in Ethiopia from the historically dominant narrative of ‘food and production security’ to ‘food and nutrition security’. The former ad hoc and reactive responses to droughts and famines have given way to an understanding of the complexity of undernutrition, its causes and consequences. However, in several critical areas, multi-sectoral nutrition coordination under the federal Ministry of Health, and regional bureaux of health, has been ineffective for many reasons, including lack of accountability mechanisms; perceived coordinator bias; inadequate staffing and resources; and low priority often given to programmes, which results in undernutrition – the ‘silent problem’ – being side-lined to ‘competing priorities’. As envisaged in the Food and Nutrition Policy, the study recommends setting up a well-equipped, and independent, multisectoral governance structure, and offers several recommendations that can reinvigorate the process towards sustainably reducing undernutrition.
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spelling CGSpace1712522025-02-19T14:31:24Z Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia Ayele, Seife Zegeye, Elias Asfaw Nisbett, Nicholas nutrition policies programmes malnutrition food security nutrition security governance implementation nutrition policies Multi-sectoral nutrition governance has been hailed as an effective mechanism to reduce undernutrition. Ethiopia has adopted the approach and has been implementing nutrition programmes with some success, but undernutrition remains high for a range of reasons. This study explores political economy challenges facing Ethiopia in nutrition programme design, coordination and implementation, and looks at root causes that remain less understood. Using reviews of literature, qualitative interviews and a deep-dive study of two interventions, the study finds that the policy narrative has shifted in Ethiopia from the historically dominant narrative of ‘food and production security’ to ‘food and nutrition security’. The former ad hoc and reactive responses to droughts and famines have given way to an understanding of the complexity of undernutrition, its causes and consequences. However, in several critical areas, multi-sectoral nutrition coordination under the federal Ministry of Health, and regional bureaux of health, has been ineffective for many reasons, including lack of accountability mechanisms; perceived coordinator bias; inadequate staffing and resources; and low priority often given to programmes, which results in undernutrition – the ‘silent problem’ – being side-lined to ‘competing priorities’. As envisaged in the Food and Nutrition Policy, the study recommends setting up a well-equipped, and independent, multisectoral governance structure, and offers several recommendations that can reinvigorate the process towards sustainably reducing undernutrition. 2020 2025-01-29T12:57:54Z 2025-01-29T12:57:54Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171252 en Open Access Institute of Development Studies Ayele, Seife; Zegeye, Elias Asfaw; and Nisbett, Nicholas. 2020. Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia. IDS Working Paper March 2020. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/15200
spellingShingle nutrition
policies
programmes
malnutrition
food security
nutrition security
governance
implementation
nutrition policies
Ayele, Seife
Zegeye, Elias Asfaw
Nisbett, Nicholas
Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title_full Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title_short Multi-sectoral nutrition policy and programme design, coordination and implementation in Ethiopia
title_sort multi sectoral nutrition policy and programme design coordination and implementation in ethiopia
topic nutrition
policies
programmes
malnutrition
food security
nutrition security
governance
implementation
nutrition policies
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171252
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