Members of the Ethiopian Parliament Sensitized on Malnutrition

About 80 Members of the Ethiopian Parliament have been sensitized on malnutrition situation, current nutrition policy and programmatic environment and the roles they should play to tackle the problem. The Federal Ministry of Health-led sensitization workshop was held for three days in Adama town of the Oromia Regional State.

In his key note address, Dr. Efrem Tekle, Directorate Director of Maternal and Child Heath in the Ministry said, 'We now have you Members of the Parliament to back us in our efforts to fight against malnutrition throughout the country.'

Since everyone and every sector has a role to play in the reduction of malnutrition, Members of the Parliament as higher decision-making bodies are asked to play their roles in reinforcing multi-sectoral coordinated efforts and even promoting good nutrition as they fan out to their respective electoral districts themselves.

Speaking during the occasion, Israel Hailu, Head of Nutrition at Save the Children in Ethiopia and ECSC-SUN lead, has asked Members of the Parliament to push the National Nutrition Program implementing sectors to work in a coordinated manner and install a budget line for nutrition sensitive activities as well. For long, this has been one of the key advocacy ‘asks’ almost all nutrition players and the Federal Ministry of Health itself posed as crucial if positive changes around nutrition are to happen. 

The Seqota Declaration, the Government’s commitment to end child undernutrition by 2030, has been stated as a favourable policy environment and an opportunity for Members of the Parliament to urge implementing sectors to live up to their commitment.

The sensitization event was fruitful in getting participant Members of the Parliament to be well aware of the scale of malnutrition problem in Ethiopia, the hurdles to address it and their roles to be part of the solution. ‘’We are now well aware malnutrition is a pressing issue that every one of us should be working hard to address. As Members of the Parliament, we should monitor what the National Nutrition Program implementing sectors are doing on nutrition and question them if they really mainstream nutrition. We will have also responsibility to raise awareness of the public as we go out to our constituency through the Standing Committees we belong to,’’ one of the participants said. With a plan of action they have developed during the workshop, they have enthusiastically vowed to support any efforts made to curb the burden of malnutrition in the country.

Save the Children as key nutrition player and government partner has played an instrumental role in the organization and facilitation of the event. It has unreservedly provided technical and financial support through the Irish Aid funded Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition and its Gates Foundation advocacy project.

By Kenaw Gebreselassie, Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling up Nutrition [ECSC-SUN), Save the Children in Ethiopia