SMN is organizing the seventh African Nutrition Epidemiology Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco from October 9 till 14. This year’s theme for the conference is “Nutrition dynamics in Africa : Opportunities and challenges for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals’’. During the conference, nutritionists from different backgrounds (health, agriculture, human sciences etc…) will gather.

The incentives beyond the chosen theme are multiple:

First, the International Conference on Nutrition recently held in Rome recommended to raise the profile of nutrition within relevant national strategies, policies, actions plans and programs, and align national resources accordingly to improve nutrition by strengthening human and institutional.

Secondly, FAO and WHO  were called, in collaboration with other United Nations agencies, funds and programs, as well as other international organizations, to support national governments, upon request, in developing, strengthening and implementing their policies, programs and plans to address the multiple challenges of malnutrition.

Thirdly,  further efforts and a strong global partnership for development are needed to accelerate progress and reach the goals  not accomplished by 2015 concerning the Millennium Development Objectives.

Fourthly, WHO nutrition strategies implementation 2010-2020 will be at their  mid term in 2016. Time to  have an insight on these strategies outcomes..

Fifth, Morocco more now than before is gearing its Sustainable development policies toward the South and hopefully will permit a fruitful sharing and  high performances in Nutrition, Health and Society