First Foods Africa
Tackling child food poverty and malnutrition
About
Globally, one in four children under 5 years of age (181 million) live in severe child food poverty. About one-third of these children (59 million) live in sub-Saharan Africa. Children living in severe child food poverty miss essential nutrients required for survival, growth and development. Evidence shows that severe child food poverty drives the persisting high rates of undernutrition – both stunting and wasting – in the African continent.
Innovative large-scale approaches are needed to improve children’s first foods, food environments and food practices. UNICEF is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation – in partnership with national governments, development partners and private sector leaders. UNICEF’s First Foods Africa initiative will support local production and consumption of nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable first foods for young children, especially those most vulnerable to malnutrition and related poor survival, growth and development.
UNICEF’s First Foods Africa aims to respond to child food poverty, building on UNICEF’s expertise and experience with local and regional production of ready-to-use therapeutic foods. It is guided by the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020–2030 and the UNICEF Vision on Food Systems for Children. First Foods Africa is a central component of the UNICEF Africa Strategy, contributing to the African Union Agenda 2063, for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.
