Reduce the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years from 29% to 20%

The government of Uganda, through the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP) policy guidance for nutrition programming, appreciates the fact that nutrition is central to national development through human capital development, increased productivity and ultimately the sustainable transformation of our country. The double burden of malnutrition, characterised by diet-related non-communicable diseases, is increasing, and so is undernutrition, especially among children, women of reproductive age and other vulnerable groups.

Strengthening coordination of the implementation of interventions and priority actions outlined in the Second Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP II) is critical. Government, through the UNAP II, commits to strengthening a multisectoral/whole government approach to enhance nutrition and is mindful of joint responsibility at all levels and with all stakeholders to accelerate progress towards attaining better nutrition outcomes in Uganda. The government will adopt deliberate measures to enhance UNAP II, implementing ministries, departments and agencies (MDA) to integrate nutrition-related actions in policies, strategies, programmes and plans and to enhance effective implementation of MDA nutrition actions.

Specifically, the government will: strengthen the multisectoral platform to enhance mainstreaming nutrition service delivery; strengthen health, trade and industry, agriculture, animal industry, fisheries, lands, housing, urban development, refugees and disaster management, behavioural and mindset change, among others, to promote nutrition for all (focusing on those most left behind with investments targeting women, children, the elderly, refugees and persons with vulnerabilities due to location to enable improved livelihoods and resilient communities against the growing number of shocks caused by climate extremities); and foster coherency of a whole government/multisectoral approach of action beyond the individual UNAP-implementing MDAs whilst allowing MDA-led interventions in line with its mandate to further the significance of nutrition in nation building and development.

The UNAP further indicates government commitment to consolidating action to build food systems that promote safe, sustainable and healthy diets whilst supporting biodiversity, as underscored at the UN Food Systems Summit, with emphasis on country position. The government will build partnerships with the business community, committing to establishing and building a robust nutrition-related business network/platform to scale engagement with the business industry at all levels.

The government will champion awareness and behavioural change-related interventions informed by key drivers of malnutrition whilst being sensitive to the local context. National budget coordination architecture with governments, donors and multilaterals remains key for the delivery of multiyear flexible financing, which helps chronically at-risk people meet immediate needs and address long-term needs, underlying determinants and factors in shocks, and it also enables the scale-up of rapid and early response to shocks.