Zimbabwe Civil Society Organisations Scaling Up Nutrition (ZCSOSUNA) is pushing Zimbabwe’s government to commitments which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART) in preparation for the 2020 Japan Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G) expected to be held from 17 to 18 December 2020.
ZCSOSUNA Advocacy and Communications Officer Kudzai Chavhunduka speaking to journalists in Harare today said the alliance is concerned that there is no substantial report to provide information on the progress that has been made so far concerning the country’s commitment during the 2013 London Nutrition for Growth Summit.
“According to the Global Nutrition Report 2019, Zimbabwe has made progress in meeting its 2013 commitments, but there were challenges in assessing this progress due to language which was not clear and specific and also the tracking systems and capacity to track this progress was poor,” Chavhunduka said.
“It is against this background that we as the civil society are calling on the government to seize this perfect opportunity presented by Japan Nutrition for Growth 2020 Summit to make commitments which are SMART and rejuvenate the fight against malnutrition.”
The Advocacy and Communications Officer went on to say that the year 2020 presents a perfect opportunity for the government to renew its commitment towards the fight against malnutrition in all its forms.
“The Tokyo N4G summit provides a historic opportunity to transform the way the world tackles malnutrition. The summit will signal the beginning of a new race toward a healthier, better-nourished future, a race to end malnutrition in all its forms in all countries and Zimbabwe cannot be left out,” she said.
“This comes at a critical time, with only 5 years to achieve the World Health Assembly targets on Maternal, Infant and Young Child nutrition and 10 years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Commitments to be made at the summit will focus on health, food, resilience, promoting data-driven accountability, securing new investment and driving innovation in nutrition.
Zimbabwe committed to reducing stunting by at least 40% by 2025 and maintain low acute malnutrition status at below 3%.
The country address food and nutrition security in the context of economic growth and development.
