Multi-sector programmes at the sub-national level: A case study of the Seqota Declaration in Naedir Adet and Ebinat woredas in Ethiopia

Abstract

ethiopia has made strides in addressing undernutrition and making nutrition a national priority. Through two multisector nutrition programmes that began in 2008 (National Nutrition Programme I (NNPI), which was implemented from 2008- 2015, and the National Nutrition Programme II (NNP II) from 2016- 2020), it has been able to reduce the prevalence of stunting from 58% in 2000 to 38.4% in 2016 3 . Dissatisfied, however, with the uneven distribution of progress in reducing child undernutrition across the country and with the lack of focus on nutrition-sensitive interventions, the Government launched the Seqota Declaration (SD) in July 2015 to accelerate the pace of NNP II. The SD, which is the Ethiopian Government’s innovation and commitment, aims to end stunting among children under the age of two by 2030 through accelerated delivery of nutrition services offered by six government sectors (agriculture; health; education; water, electricity and energy; social affairs; and women, youth and children). While interventions focus on reducing all forms of undernutrition in Ethiopia, there is a focus on tackling stunting in particular.