Malnutrition in Uganda has multiple underlying causes and conquering it requires contributions from all government sectors at the national and local level as well as the engagement of the development community and private sector. At the national level, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Nutrition Secretariat coordinates nutrition policies and activities while at the district level District Nutrition Coordination Committees (DNCCs) play an integral role in coordinating nutrition activities.
The DNCC Initiative aims to strengthen nutrition leadership and governance at both the national and district levels. The initiative is a partnership among the OPM Nutrition Secretariat, the Ministry of Local Government, FANTA, and Wageningen University and Research Centre for Development Innovation, and has three main objectives:
- To strengthen the national oversight and support structure for the DNCCs
- To enhance awareness of and commitment to nutrition among local level stakeholders including technical and political leaders, implementing partners, and community members
- To strengthen DNCC capacity to plan, budget, leverage existing resources for, advocate for, and monitor nutrition activities
The Initiative focuses on 10 districts in the Feed the Future zones of influence in the southwest (Kamwenge, Kasese, Kisoro, Ntungamo, and Sheema) and north (Amuru, Dokolo, Lira, Masindi, and Oyam) regions. The following resources provide guidance on approaches to strengthen nutrition leadership and governance at the local level.
- Implementation Guide: DNCC Initiative Approach to Strengthening Nutrition Governance in Uganda
- Brief: The DNCC Initiative Approach and Lessons Learned
- Brief: Ensuring Consistency Across Nutrition Coordination Committees: Composition, Roles, and Responsibilities
- Brief: Experiences in Planning for Nutrition at the Local Government Level
- District Nutrition Coordination Committee Initiative: Year 1 Lessons Learned
- District Nutrition Coordination Committee Initiative: Year 2 Lessons Learned
