Country-Level Nutrition Advocacy | Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project (FANTA)

FANTA leveraged country-level nutrition advocacy activities to increase political and social commitment to nutrition. FANTA’s country-level nutrition advocacy activities actively engaged government and nongovernment stakeholders by providing current, evidence-based information about the risks of malnutrition for the long-term health and economic productivity of the population and by promoting government accountability while strengthening governance for addressing malnutrition. We tailored our advocacy efforts to a country’s nutrition situation so that we could be more effective in igniting change and making strides toward the desired outcome of comprehensive nutrition service delivery.

Two of the tools we used in the advocacy process are PROFILES and country-specific nutrition costing models. PROFILES is used to estimate the benefits of improved nutrition on health and development outcomes and, conversely, the consequences to individuals and to society if nutrition does not improve. Country-specific nutrition costing models estimates the costs of implementing comprehensive nutrition services. We developed the costing models in country and based them on local costs. Stakeholders are engaged in deciding which nutrition interventions will be costed and the period of time for which estimates should be calculated.

Using a combination of PROFILES and costing tools provided an understanding of the gains that could be achieved by reducing and preventing malnutrition and how much it would cost to provide the needed services. The estimates generated from PROFILES and costing models are the cornerstone of the nutrition advocacy process.