Lesotho Monarch Urges Renewed Commitment To Tackle Malnutrition In Africa

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, News Around Africa Monday, April 3rd, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – King Letsie III of Lesotho has urged African leaders to translate commitments into action in order to achieve nutrition targets in Africa.

Africa, the continent with the highest percentage of stunted children in the world, has struggled to make inroads into combating malnutrition.

Despite regional and national efforts to address malnutrition, almost 4 in 10 of the world’s stunted children live in Africa, with the majority found in just 15 nations.

Studies show that for every $1 invested in nutrition, there is a $16 socioeconomic return, making investing in the nutrition of African people not only crucial to creating a healthy and productive society, but an economic imperative that should sit at the very center of Africa’s transformation agenda.

The monarch gave the charge while speaking during the High-level Dialogue on Nutrition Financing held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. The meeting was hosted by the African Union (AU).

He also stressed the urgency for adequate financing to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms as a prerequisite for achieving AU Agenda 2063 objectives and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

King Letsie, who is an AU Nutrition Champion and also serves as an African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) Champion blamed failure to achieve nutrition targets in Africa on the lack of commitment and political will to take concrete steps.

“Failure to translate political commitment into action remains a primary reason for the low priority that food and nutrition interventions receive from national governments. Therefore, generating country-level political commitment, and translating those commitments into action, backed by adequate financial and human resources, will be critical in accelerating the progress we make towards achieving the 2025 targets”, he said

The king commended the African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) initiative for providing heads of state the opportunity to “demonstrate and offer high-level political leadership in their respective countries”, and for rolling out multi-sectoral nutrition programs coordinated directly by their offices.

“The African Leaders for Nutrition, which I am part of, is at the forefront of using the African year of nutrition declaration to create the necessary political momentum and legislative, policy, and budgetary mechanisms to address malnutrition in Africa.

The ALN is also working closely with the African Union Commission to drive the development of a multi-sectoral policy framework and a nutrition financing target that can unlock resources for nutrition programming”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Feed Africa strategic priority of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has made eliminating hunger and malnutrition one of its four key goals. The strategy sees food and agriculture as a business and wealth-creating endeavor.

AfDB’s Director of Human Capital Youth Skills and Development, Dr. Martha Phiri said under the strategy, the Bank is supporting countries to improve productivity while investing in viable climate-smart, tech-enabled SMEs owned by youth and women along priority agriculture and food value chains.

“The food industry in Africa is projected to reach one trillion by 2030, and for countries that will position themselves well, this will create an opportunity for better nutrition, increased intra-Africa trade, jobs and wealth for youth and women, and increased fiscal revenues”, she stressed.

The meeting culminated in a call to action for increased investments in nutrition across health; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); education; food; and social protection systems, as well as for better food systems and nutrition governance and accountability.