Signature of exchange of notes & grant agreement between Japan, JICA and UNICEF Comoros

Moroni, 20 November, 2018 - On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, His Excellency OGASAWARA Mr. Ichiro, Japanese Ambassador to the Comoros based in Madagascar, and Dr S. Marcel Ouattara, UNICEF Representative in Comoros, proceeded to the signing of the Exchange of Notes on the financing of the Project of " Scaling up treatment of severe acute malnutrition" in the form of a grant amounting to nearly one million six hundred thousand dollars ($ 1,600,000) in the presence of Mr. Souef Elamine Foreign Affairs Minister and Dr. Mohamed Rashid Mbaraka Fatma, Health Minister.
On that occasion, a grant agreement was also concluded between Monsieur Hironobu Murakami, Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Dr S. Marcel Ouattara.

The Union of Comoros is faces an alarming nutritional situation affecting the most vulnerable, mainly children under 5 years old. According to data from the Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2012, one in three children suffers from chronic malnutrition, 11% of children suffer from acute malnutrition including 4% in the severe form.

Many children do not have the basic nutrition services they need to survive and thrive. In 2017, Comoros recorded a total of 1,565 children with severe acute malnutrition, representing only 13% of the expected number of cases, nearly 12,500 children.

Malnutrition accounts for almost half of all deaths among children under 5 years. For those who survive, the consequences of stunting - an irreversible condition which inhibits the physical and intellectual growth of children - cast a shadow over their lives; harming their health, academic performance and potential future income. Malnutrition therefore also has an impact on the country’s social and economic development.

Conscious of this worrying observation, the Comorian Government places the improvement of nutrition among its priority axes in order to accelerate development and bring the country to emergence by 2030. The country, accompanied by its partners, has already realized significant progress in access to nutrition services, but a high number of children are still deprived of their rights to nutrition.

With funding from Japanese Government, the Comorian Government, with technical support from UNICEF, will contribute to reducing the mortality of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition by improving the quality of care provided, by implementing appropriate treatment throughout the territory, by strengthening the capacity of stakeholders but also by rehabilitating and equipping some Intensive Recovery and Nutrition Education Centers (CRENI) for the admission of children, including improvement of water facilities and sanitation.

Through funding from Japanese Government, the Government of Comoros with the support of UNICEF will spare no effort to fight against severe acute malnutrition, and thus contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
 

Other information about the project:

Prevent mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition through appropriate treatment, capacity building, family support and rehabilitation and equipment of health facilities / CRENI.

About JICA

As the Agency for Implementing Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Japan, JICA provides solutions to the needs of developing countries, based on a range of aid methods such as technical cooperation, ODA loans and grants. Its activities are valued for its effectiveness in promoting sustainable economic and social growth. JICA is active in more than 150 countries. In Comoros, his interventions are focused on improving maternal and child health and nutrition. Its achievements since 2010 include (i) the provision of equipment and inputs for immunization, maternal and child health and nutrition, (ii) support for the implementation of the National Strategy for Community Communication in Nutrition and (iii) the introduction of the «5S-Kaizen-Total Quality Management » quality improvement approach in hospitals and administrative structures of the Ministry of Public Health.
 

About UNICEF

UNICEF is present in 190 countries and territories around the world to reach the most disadvantaged children. UNICEF works for every child, every day, everywhere, to build a better world for all. For more information on UNICEF and its work visit our site: www.unicef.org Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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