Malnutrition and multiple inequalities in urban areas in Madagascar

For several years now, Madagascar has been working to fight malnutrition via a national policy and several successive nutrition action plans, including the recent Pnan-3 plan. The latter aims to improve the nutritional status of the population, in particular of the most vulnerable groups, taking a multi-sectoral approach, of which this project is a part.

“Aintsoa” is a combination of the Malagasy words “aina” (life) and “soa” (beautiful, good). The Aintsoa project title was chosen because the project intends to enable the population concerned by the project to have a better life. While fighting malnutrition, it will also tackle its underlying causes in terms of health, social and gender inequalities.

A multi-sectoral approach

The project is being implemented by GRET and the social business Nutri’zaza. It includes actions focusing on:

> specific nutrition: to improve access to food products suited to women and children’s needs, promote their consumption and recommended food and healthcare practices;

> sensitive nutrition: strengthening of vulnerable urban households’ food security; deployment of an urban agriculture strategy in partnership with the Antananarivo urban council; strengthening of access to social services and sanitation in partnership with Diotontolo, a sani-market social franchise; awareness-raising on diet-related non-communicable diseases;

> governance: application of quality norms for fortified products, discussions between stakeholders on the subject areas developed by the project.

In addition, specific actions are conducted transversally to reduce gender inequalities inherent to these issues.

Project locations

This project is being conducted in the cities of Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Morondava, Toliara, Toamasina, Antsiranana and Mahajanga, for a period of five years (2022 to 2026).

Project objectives

Improve vulnerable households’ nutrition through access to local fortified products.
Strengthen health and social systems for women, children and the most vulnerable groups to improve their wellbeing.
Support national public policies on nutrition, agriculture and healthcare, and favour private sector involvement in the fight against malnutrition.

Expected results

The local affordable fortified products offer for women and children is improved. These products are more widely distributed and promoted in urban areas.
Nutri’zaza’s social and economic model is strengthened, as is its institutional footing.
Specific eating, hygiene, sanitary and healthcare practices are strengthened.
Social services for vulnerable households are implemented on a pilot level and established services are scaled up.
The National office of nutrition, Ministries of Public Health, Trade and Agriculture are supported to develop national public policies. Project results are capitalised on and widely disseminated to key nutrition actors and stakeholders.

Key figures

1 million children aged 6 to 24 months, 400,000 children aged 3 to 5, 1 million children aged 6 to 14, and 10,000 women of childbearing age have access to a fortified food that is suited to their respective nutritional needs.
12,000 households benefit from one of the social services provided.
7,500 households have access to sanitation infrastructure.
800 households in Antananarivo have vegetable gardens.

Ongoing project

Start date 01/01/2022 end date 31/12/2026