12 Feb 2019

Data generated by international organisations must be compared to that originating at national level for accuracy,  says President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Speaking at the launch of the African Leaders for Nutrition (ALN) continental scoreboard on February 11, Dr Masisi said this could help African leaders to determine whether data was reliable or outdated.

Citing the nutrition accountability scorecard, he said and other leaders were surprised by the data reflected.  

“It can also help to ensure that their national budgets meet priorities and even help come up with the relevant regulation should there be policies and cultural practices that hamper progress in improving the nutrition status of their respective countries,” said the President.

Dr Masisi hailed the accountability of the scorecard, developed by the African Development Bank, as extremely useful but advised that the ALN course should be led by leaders from countries that needed  attention in the area of nutrition.

He applauded ADB and its partners for the relevance, stoutness and responsiveness in performing tasks assigned by the African Union. 

For his part, King Letsie III of Lesotho, who is the AU champion for nutrition, said malnutrition stole from economic potential as it deprived infants and children of a fair chance of life. Africa’s levels of malnutrition, he said, remained the highest compared to the rest of the world while it continued to worsen as  evidenced by the rise in the number of stunted children in Africa from 50.6 million in 2000 to 58.6 million in 2017.

Giving the African leaders a snapshot of the continental nutrition accountability scorecard, ADB’s vice president of agriculture, human and social department Ms Jennifer Blanke said there was need for increasing budgetary allocations towards implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition plans as a way of addressing conditions responsible for malnutrition in Africa.

She said also needed was support and enhancement compliance with mandatory food fortification legislation especially for processed foods to prevent anaemia, vitamin B and iodine deficiencies and formulation of policies on social protection mechanisms to empower women and adolescent girls to embrace health re-enforcing behaviours during pregnancy and early childhood.

The continental nutrition accountability scorecard is a tool aimed at providing concise and actionable information to the heads of state and governments on the status of nutrition in the continent.

The data for the scorecard indicators originate from different national surveys in the countries.ends