Acting for the First 1,000 Days

15 November 2024
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at the National Nutrition Forum in Cotonou, Benin, we participated in the launch of the nutritional supplementation project for the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to age two), a critical period for children’s physical and cognitive development.

 

This initiative to scale up the use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) builds on lessons learned during the pilot phase currently underway in the 3A health zone in Ouémé. It is the result of a collaboration between the National Food and Nutrition Agency, the Ministry of Health of Benin, and Nutriset Group.

 

Today, 37% of children in Benin suffer from chronic malnutrition.

 

 

Our ambition is to build a Benin where every child can grow, thrive, and even dream big, free from the barriers of malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies

Minister of State Abdoulaye Bio Tchané during the forum’s opening remarks.

 

With an investment exceeding $250 million and strong partnerships with the Ministry of Health, local governments, technical and financial partners (TFPs) led by UNICEF Benin, and the private sector, this ambitious program aims to improve the nutritional status of pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children. The goal is to effectively combat child malnutrition and strengthen human capital.

The project specifically plans to:

  • Provide nutritional supplements for pregnant women (Enov’Mum™) and children ages 6 to 23 months
    (Enov’Nutributter® Plus), along with free prenatal consultations
  • Deliver community-based care for 360,000 cases of acute malnutrition
  • Establish a local production facility in Benin for these nutritional supplements to enhance accessibility

The rollout will begin progressively in 2024, targeting 10 additional municipalities with the highest rates of malnutrition, with full nationwide deployment planned by 2028.

In collaboration with our technical and financial partners (TFPs), we are proud to join forces with the Government of Benin to continue fulfilling our mission: Fight against malnutrition.

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