Episode 15: The N4D Team. NEW MINI SERIES. More and better financing for nutrition
The Politics of Ending Malnutrition - Challenging Conversations with Decision MakersShow Notes
The N4D Team introduce the latest mini-series on the weighty theme of more and better financing for nutrition in the run up to the Nutrition for Growth summit, an event through which national and international pledges are made towards reducing levels of malnutrition globally.
In this first episode we set the scene for why this mini-series is important, locating this within current initiatives and studies intended to galvanise better financing for nutrition ahead of, during and post the N4G summit. One highly significant piece of work is the newly published World Bank Nutrition Investment Framework that we recommend as essential reading for our listeners.
The N4D team also discuss some of the key messages from a policy brief on ‘more and better financing’ for nutrition’ that they have been working on together with a number of country nutrition specialists. This policy brief covers current financing challenges for nutrition, particularly in situations of protracted crisis, and some of the reasons for this. The policy brief will be disseminated in the build-up to the N4G summit.
This introductory podcast signposts subsequent planned episodes in the mini-series, including a deep dive into the current state of financing for nutrition actions in situations of protracted crisis, through conversations with nutrition leaders from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Niger and Yemen. We will then broaden out the series to speak with nutrition leaders from more stable contexts. This will be followed by further episodes with global financing experts exploring issues such as the global financing landscape, advocacy for better financing and innovative financing approaches. N4D are not experts in financing but our listeners can look forward to a number of podcasts where we will be in discussion with knowledgeable people who understand what enables and hinders domestic (i.e. from national treasury) and external financing (often called aid or development assistance); and how these financing mechanisms align with national and sub-national multisectoral nutrition action plans.
Please join the debate! Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz © N4D Group 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Politics of Ending Malnutrition - Challenging Conversations with Decision Makers
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N4D is in conversation for a second time (check out previous short podcast at N4G Summit) with Madam Manty Tarawalli, Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, discussing Sierra Leone's nutrition progress since joining the SUN Movement in 2012. An acknowledged leader in politics and development, the Honourable Minister is spearheading country-led initiatives to tackle malnutrition: “When you demonstrate leadership as a country by saying to partners, this is the approach you want to take and these are the reasons & expected outcomes you foresee, you get partners following that drive. Without that leadership you get confusion and people doing whatever they want to do,” she affirms.
Like many Latin American countries, El Salvador’s malnutrition problems are increasingly more likely to be Type 2 diabetes amongst eight year-olds than stunting amongst children under 5. Elisa Gamero, Chief of Health and Nutrition Projects in the Office of the First Lady, paints a picture of how the country is tackling high rates of both undernutrition and child overweight/obesity and increased consumption of ultra processed foods. In recent years, El Salvador has made big strides in putting nutrition high in the political agenda, including new laws promoting a healthy start in life, launch of a youth platform, work with the private sector, a national nutrition strategy and more aligned action by UN and other international partners. A multisectoral approach and resource mobilisation, both domestic and international, lie at the heart of these initiatives. “It was not easy at first… when we first convened these actors, they look at each other [around] this table and say ‘what do I have to do with nutrition? This is a health perspective.’ But when we started developing the actions and they feel that they could connect with all the actions that surround the reduction of malnutrition in El Salvador, they're fully and strongly committed.” SUN’s Latin America regional learning hub and technical support are other features that El Salvador counts as gifts from the SUN Movement - “it’s so important that we learn from countries with a similar political approach and context”.