COMCEC
Malnutrition in the OIC Member
Countries: A Trap for Poverty
affluent is a poor guide for policy. An integrated agenda which aims to provide healthy food to
all people and encourage them to physically exercise is necessary (Uauy, Garmendia, and
Corvalan 2014).
3. Ensuring a strong integration of global, regional and national policies
In many regions within the OIC, there are strong policies, but the challenge in many places is
successfully translating those policies from global policies (WHA targets), to regional policies,
to national policies which can be effectively implemented at the community level. The 2016
Global Nutrition report highlighted the need for national governments and regional bodies
make SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) nutrition
commitments (International Food Policy Research Institute 2016). If nutrition goals and
targets are not SMART, measuring progress towards implementation, and ensuring
government accountability, will remain a challenge. A review of the 122 national nutrition
plans found that just under half had targets which linked to the World Health Assembly
targets; if there plan contained targets, only two thirds of these were SMART (International
Food Policy Research Institute 2016). The OIC should ensure that all countries within the
region have integrated the WHA targets into national policies and that the targets are SMART.
The Regional Economic communities also represent a potential ally in developing strong
nutrition policies, and ensuring accountability for countries in their regions. Yet, they are not
as effective as they could be. Regional economic communities within the OIC, many of which
have nutrition and agricultural policies, can foster stronger vertical policy coordination by
encouraging mutual learning accountability at the regional level. However, competing
mandates between regional bodies (especially in West Africa), and a lack of strong
communication between countries and regional bodies are hampering this effort.
4. Enacting policies is not enough, a critical focus on implementation is necessary
In many of the country case studies, the design of policies was sound but the implementation
of these policies was challenging. The case studies highlighted the challenge of both horizontal
coordination between ministries involved in nutrition and of ensuring that national level
policies were implemented effectively at the subnational level. Improving vertical coordination
is a critical avenue for improving implementation of nutrition programmes. Building on
existing decentralised structures contributes to greater local ownership and the kind of inter­
sectoral cooperation happening at the central level must be replicated in local governments
(Institute of Development Studies 2013).
5. Increased spending on nutrition and health is needed
Effective implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive policies will not be
possible without adequate financing and budgeting for nutrition and health. In all five case
studies, low levels of health spending by the government were cited as a key challenge.
Genuine political commitment to reducing malnutrition only manifests when adequate and
reliable funding is made available. Sustainable financing for nutrition is also likely to improve
coordination in order to prevent corruption and overlap (Institute of Development Studies
2013). Harnessing global knowledge on the long-term costs of malnutrition for nutrition
advocacy should be a key avenue for mobilising funds and commitment of Ministry of Finance.
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