Senegal has a population of about 12 million, with a per-person income of about $830, which is above the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2000, the country has made considerable progress: poverty, child mortality, and malnutrition have all dropped—primarily due to the Government’s steady commitment. However, the recent global food-price crisis heightened vulnerability. By January 2009, the consumer price index for coarse grains had spiked 48 percent within a span of two years. Many poor households saw their purchasing power dwindle rapidly. As a result, food insecurity and malnutrition began to surge again, as families struggled to make ends meet.
The Nutrition Enhancement Program, launched in 2002 and extended in 2006, aimed to enhance nutritional conditions of the most vulnerable people, in particular children under five. It worked to increase the ability of communities to monitor children’s growth and better manage childhood illnesses. The project coordinated with line ministries to increase nutrition-relevant service delivery; with local governments to contract NGOs for community action for nutrition and health; and with the private sector to encourage micronutrient food fortification. During the more recent phase, Senegal’s Government accelerated the community nutrition program to reach close to 50 percent of the target population, with most of the efforts aimed at the regions with the highest malnutrition rates.
Since 2004, malnutrition rates have dropped from 20 to 10 percent in the project areas. The practice of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of an infant’s life nearly doubled to 58 percent; the correct use of bed nets more than doubled to 59 percent.
Highlights:
- The focus on infants increased. By 2007 the community nutrition program covered 20 percent of children under five, with most of the activities aimed at children under two.
- Communities grew more active. Community-based activities expanded to include: monthly growth monitoring and promotion; counseling of pregnant women and mothers of young children; community mobilization for behavior change and essential health services; promotion of infant and young child feeding practices; and community management of acute malnutrition.
- Local solutions improved. As part of the food-fortification strategy being implemented with the private sector, the production of iodized salt (which helps combat malnutrition) among small-scale producers has increased from 6 to 21 percent in less than two years.
IDA’s contribution to the Second Nutrition Enhancement Program is US$15 million (2006–2012). IDA also supported an independent impact evaluation, which demonstrated the clear impact of the program on reducing malnutrition. Moreover, IDA support has leveraged resources from additional partners for: the community management of severe acute malnutrition (UNICEF), food security (World Food Programme) and micronutrients (Micronutrient Initiative). When the country was hit by the global food-price crisis, IDA approved in May 2009 a Rapid Response Child-Focused Social Cash Transfer and Nutrition Security Project that supported the expansion of the Nutrition Enhancement Program.
Partners include the African Development Bank (US$4.5 million), the UN Children’s Fund (US$3.3 million), the World Food Program (US$2.7 million), and the Micronutrient Initiative (US$1.2 million). An indication of the Government’s commitment is its own contribution (US$16.3 million).
Results for the Second Nutrition Enhancement Program are still provisional but suggest a consolidation of the first project’s progress. The program base broadened with the introduction of community management of acute malnutrition in 2008 and social safety nets in 2009. Depending on funding, the next focus area will be fortification of staple foods with micronutrients.
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