Increase nutrition-smart investments

The African Development Bank commits to increasing nutrition-smart investments across multiple sectors, including agriculture, health, social protection, and WASH in Africa by at least 20% annually, with a goal of reaching a cumulative total of $9.5 billion by 2030. This investment will prioritize interventions that contribute to reducing malnutrition and improving health and livelihood outcomes, particularly among women and children.

Through this commitment, the Bank will support evidence-based, nutrition-smart, and nutrition-sensitive multi-sectoral interventions aimed at:

• Reducing the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age by increasing access to iron-rich foods, promoting biofortified crops, and strengthening food fortification initiatives.

• Reducing the prevalence of low birthweight by scaling up efforts to enhance maternal and child nutrition interventions that focus on strengthening quality health infrastructure and improving access to nutrition-specific health services, including maternity care and essential nutrition services.

• Reducing the prevalence of stunting in children under five years of age by enhancing nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices that increase the production and consumption of diverse, nutrient-rich foods, while strengthening social protection programs that improve access to nutrient-dense foods, enhance food security, and make nutritious diets more affordable.

• Reducing the prevalence of wasting in children under five years of age by strengthening food security, improving emergency food and nutrition responses, and integrating nutrition interventions into agricultural development programs. At the same time, improving access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene practices that reduce the risk of infections and diseases, and ensuring the safe consumption of nutrient-rich foods.

The commitment will include clear annual investment targets and allocation milestones, with funds directed toward high-impact programs that integrate nutrition into agriculture, health, WASH, and social protection. Investments will focus on, but are not limited to, climate-smart agriculture, food fortification, post-harvest loss reduction, value chain development, improving healthcare infrastructure, enhancing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, and strengthening social protection systems to improve access to safe and nutritious foods.

To ensure accountability and impact, progress will be measured at the mid-term in 2028 to assess investments and make resource adjustments to maximize impact. This commitment reflects the Bank’s broader multisectoral nutrition agenda, contributing to the reduction of stunting by feeding Africa, improving the quality of life for the people of Africa, promoting economic development, and strengthening human capital outcomes across the continent.