Civil society leveraged the adoption of the SDGs at the United Nation’s Post2015 Summit as an opportunity for global development actors to prioritize critical areas to achieve sustainable development. Much attention was placed on youth leadership, gender equality, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Nutrition gained significant traction as a nexus for health and gender equality in the battle to end hunger and poverty. Partnerships and coalitions such as 1,000 Days, the International Coalition on Advocacy for Nutrition (ICAN), and the Alliance to End Hunger were among those that held events during several UN Intergovernmental Negotiations, produced reports and advocated to world leaders for widespread inclusion of nutrition throughout the SDGs.
As the Millennium Development Goals’ neared their expiration, the 2015 Global Nutrition Report was launched and circulated globally. Civil society and many multi-laterals not only contributed to its content, but are collaborating with other actors to asses how the report’s findings will become realized in Post2015 implementation toward the SDGs.
On 25 November 2015, The Hunger Project-Uganda, in partnership with UCCO-SUN (Uganda Civil Society Coalition on Scaling up Nutrition) hosted a day-long discussion in Kampala, Uganda about nutrition and its cross-cutting implementation to achieve sustainable development. Attendees Compared and assessed evidence, statistics, case studies and calls to action from the 2015 GNR, the 2015 Hunger Index, and the 2015 Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index in light of Uganda’s Post 2015 Nutrition Agenda.
Acknowledging that nutrition hinders productivity, Dr. Daisy Owomugasho, Country Director of The Hunger Project-Uganda, urges that it be a priority at all levels for successful development in all sectors. Dr. Ellen Barclay of UN-REACH and Dr. Owomugasho summarized that [Uganda] should improve education and social programs for mothers, children and the elderly so as to end malnutrition; support small farmers especially women and indigenous people, prevent and manage natural disasters such as flooding, and protect the crop variety and farm animals.
Though Uganda ranks 25th in the GHI’s ranking of countries’ nutrition policies, there is a significant gap from their realization into implementation. However, civil society attendees to the discussion believe that the policies – many newer and reconfirmed – show political will to strengthen implementation and evidence for it. The concern is that without a bottom-up strategy, implementation will not “trickle down” to the grassroots level where it is most needed for due impact. Daisy, Program Director of The Hunger Project-Uganda, proposed that the strength of political commitment can be judged in comparison to those key issues for nutrition that civil society is prioritizing in consideration of the SDGs.
The government is not the only stakeholder that falls short of nutrition implementation. Civil society is burdened by 3-5 year program funding, which leaves – at best – only half of the ideal amount of time to successfully implement a [nutrition] project that will yield sustainable results. Dr. Barclay supported this in saying, “If nutrition were easy to accomplish, we would have done it already.” How true this is.
Stunting affects 33% of children under the age of five in Uganda. According to Mr. Abel __, Uganda’s ____, inadequate measures for malnutrition could cost the country US$7.7 billion by 2050, instead of a growth of US$1.7 billion of growth if addressed holistically and fully. Political leaders must be engaged now to facilitate their undertaking of nutrition initiatives and the adoption of more conducive policies in both economic and social sectors.
Ideally, stakeholders will operate in collaboration with one another.
Key reactions from the audience
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There is need for concrete action to address malnutrition backed by financing and scale up.
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The accountability of stakeholders needs to be improved
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Significant reduction in malnutrition is possible by 2030.
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Development of policies in the country is already a political commitment, albeit nutrition should also be mentioned in the current manifestos in the campaigns.
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Issues of malnutrition are being feared by political figures in the current political sphere because they believe it a big issue that will be held to them when they get into power.
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Communities need to be sensitised on what to look at when deciding to choose politically.
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Communities should be encouraged to end their own hunger instead of getting it from the top.