The program will contribute to reducing malnutrition --an underlying factor for more than fifty percent of all child deaths in Ethiopia and a contributing factor for low birth weight resulting mainly from poor nutritional status of women before and during pregnancy. Ethiopia's low birth weight incidence --14%-is one of the highest in the world.
The launch event was attended by senior Ethiopian Government officials, Donald Booth, United States Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ethiopia's popular singer Chachi Tadesse, the Hiwot Children and Youth Club and representatives of international and local organizations across the country.
The 53 million USD program to be implemented by Save the Children and its partners was designed in line with Ethiopia's National Nutrition Program (NNP) and the Health Sector Development Plan IV (HSDP-IV). ENGINE will be implemented in 100 woredas of Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and SNNPR.
According to Ned Olney, Country Director for Save the Children, "Ethiopia has taken a number of steps that have brought positive outcomes in terms of addressing challenges associated with nutrition over the past several years. Apart from developing National Nutrition Strategy and National Nutrition Program, Ethiopia puts nutrition as a major component of the Health Sector Development Plan which aims to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality."
Today, nutrition is one of the packages of the Health Extension Program; over II million children under five years old receive bi-annual doses of vitamin A supplementation and mass de-worming. The Community Based Nutrition program has been scaled up to more than 300 woredas.
According to Ethiopian popular Singer Chachi Tadesse, "Everyone of us has a role to play in helping to improve the nutritional status of women and children. I am committed to doing what I can to save lives and to support the life changing impact that nutrition has on education, health and economic outcomes for Ethiopian women and girls."
Save the Children will implement ENGINE with the following partners the Feinstein International Center and Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Jhpiego, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications Programs, Land 0' Lakes Inc. International Development and Valid International.
According to Dr. Eileen Kennedy, Professor of Nutrition and former Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and currently seconded to the global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) initiative, "We know the most cost effective nutrition interventions are those that reach women and children up to the age of two. Healthy nutrition and healthy life start within the first 1,000 days." Continued Ken'nedy, "we look forward to working with the Government of Ethiopia, Save the Children and all the partners to empower a new generation of women and girls to survive and thrive."
Contacts:
Dr. Habtamu Fekadu, Chief of Party, ENGINE
Save the Children
Phone: +251.11.3728455
Mobile: +251.911.513640
Email:
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Getachew Dibaba, Communications Specialist
Save the Children
Phone: 011-3-72-84-55
Mobile: 091 1-12 52-01
Email:
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