Since 2005, Ethiopia has succeeded in reducing high levels of malnutrition and hunger throughout the country. Yet, HIV and its impact on nutrition remain an issue. Almost 800,000 people are living with HIV while around one million children have been orphaned by the disease. FANTA is currently ramping up efforts to ensure effective implementation of nutrition assessment, counseling, and support (NACS) at the federal and regional levels in Ethiopia to help improve the quality of life of people living with HIV and others.
Over the past four years, FANTA provided support to the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia in collaboration with implementing partners to revise national nutrition guidelines and to develop and deliver nutrition training for health care workers. To help increase awareness and government support for nutrition interventions, FANTA also worked with the Federal Ministry of Health to develop a multifaceted advocacy strategy.
In the coming year, FANTA will be working with Regional Health Bureaus located throughout Ethiopia to ensure high quality of sustainable NACS services. Each bureau that is implementing NACS is currently responsible for supervision, monitoring, and training at health facilities, along with reporting on indicators for the U.S. President’s Emergency Response to AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
To provide such support, FANTA has recently appointed advisors to five Regional Health Bureaus along with a monitoring and evaluation specialist to help maintain the high quality of NACS services, while also working to establish and sustain robust monitoring and evaluation systems that will be integrated into the federal government systems.
By building capacity at both the national and regional levels, FANTA is working to foster sustainable nutrition systems throughout Ethiopia to enhance the lives of people living with HIV and those who have been orphaned by the disease.
FANTA Resources
Nutrition Assessment, Counseling, and Support (NACS): A User's Guide
