Around the world, countries are outlining ambitious new strategies for tackling nutrition through a multi-sectoral approach, yet there has been little evidence that these plans actually translate into better nutrition for women and children. On July 28, 2016, SPRING launched the final reports from the Pathways to Better Nutrition Case Studies. Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens presented the main findings and recommendations from this work. After more than two years of data collection in Nepal and Uganda, SPRING found that in these two countries their national nutrition action plans have positively influenced priority and financing for nutrition. We also documented the importance of building sustainable structures and systems for nutrition, strengthening human resources for nutrition, aligning donor efforts with national nutrition plans, as well as coordination, advocacy, and adequate funding.
The event was opened by USAID official Kelly Saldaña (Deputy Director of the Office of Health, Infections Diseases, and Nutrition (HIDN) in the Bureau for Global Health at USAID), who emphasized the importance of ”active commitment from country leadership at all levels and all sectors.” USAID Official, Rob Bertram (Chief Scientist in USAID’s Bureau for Food Security) closed the program with a call to action, “Nutrition pulls together a lot of things, many challenges, many solutions, many points of entry, and many opportunities… Now it’s up to us going forward to think about how we live up to this multi-sectoral promise that we keep hearing about. No one set of interventions is going to do it, we all need to work together.”
Multi-sectoral nutrition experts from around the globe joined Ms. Pomeroy-Stevens in presenting experiences with the development and implementation of national nutrition action plans and how to augment the impact of nutrition policy. Guest speakers included Madhu Kumar Marasini (National Planning Committee, Nepal), Ssansa Mugenyi (Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda), Patrizia Fracassi (SUN Movement), Patrick Webb (Nutrition Innovation Lab), Helen Connolly (American Institutes for Research), and Mary D’Alimonte (Results for Development).
Learn more about the Pathways to Better Nutrition Case Studies
Listen to the Pathways to Better Nutrition Case Studies dissemination event
Pictured (above): Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens (SPRING) presents the final results from the Pathways to Better Nutrition Case Studies in DC July 28th, alongside Ssansa Mugenyi (Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda) and Madhu Kumar Marasini (National Planning Commission, Nepal).
