From coherence towards commitment: Changes and challenges in Zambia’s nutrition policy environment
This article (PDF) in the Global Food Security Journal investigates changes in nutrition policy and action over time in Zambia. An enabling environment for malnutrition reduction includes creating policy and political momentum, and converting momentum to implementation and impact. There now exists coherent policy covering key nutrition issues from several sectors, and multisectoral coordination structures at national level and in pilot districts. However, converting momentum into action faces challenges of limited national political and funding commitment, with increased donor resources currently bridging the gap, and reach into communities is still limited. Another article (PDF) of this edition of the Global Food Security journal describes more positive experiences in setting-up national nutrition policy and programs in Senegal. In the past 15 years, Senegal has made considerable progress in the fight against child undernutrition. The article explores the commitment of actors and coherence between and within sectors. This was linked to changes in nutrition services experienced by communities. The key theme that emerged was the critical role of increased political commitment, materialized and maintained by a high-level national coordinating body for nutrition. The body actively facilitates multisectoral coherence in action for nutrition, overseeing the implementation of a national nutrition program, the effects of which are seen at the community level.