An assessment of the causes of malnutrition in Ethiopia: A ...

International
initiative Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
World food
summit
resolution
(the right to
food)
• Food security
strategy.
• Safety net and other
food security
programs.
• Poverty reduction
strategy.
• HIV/AIDS orphan
support by HAPCO.
• Social security of
MOLSA for the
urban vulnerable.
• Food biased
approach.
• Care not addressed
well.
• Problem of
malnutrition
increasing.
• No targeting and
subs idies for the
vulnerable.
• No market
stabilization
mechanisms during
food shortages.
• Approach to
problem of food
insecurity not
sustainable.
Recurrent
emergencies.
• Millennium
Development Goals.
• Accelerated rural
development policy.
• Agricultural
development led
industrialization.
• International
assistance.
• Frequent drought.
• Population
explosion.
• High prevalence of
HIV/AIDS.
• Under development
of rural food
distribution systems.
• Macro economic
policy.
• Cultural factors
regarding food
consumption.
• Poor farming
technology.
Conceptual
framework
for the
causes of
malnutrition
• Ethiopia has
accepted the
framework.
• Not used much in
Ethiopia to address
malnutrition.
• Care not addressed
adequately, as it is a
cross-cutting issue.
• No clear indication
as to how each
sector can
contribute to better
care.
• Creating a common
forum for intersectoral
collaboration is a
possibility.
• The presence of the
conceptual
framework.
• International
experiences in
addressing
malnutrition.
• Diffusion of
responsibility
between sectors.
• Lack of
understanding of
roles.
• No binding
institutional
framework for
addressing care as
a cause of
malnutrition.
• No national nutrition
strategy.
As shown in Table 4.5, even though there are promising initiatives based on the
international conventions, initiatives, resolutions, and codes, there remain gaps with respect to
activities related to better caring practices in their implementation. In the wake of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic, having national regulations to enact the international code of marketing
breast milk substitutes is a critical issue to protect the best caring practice (breastfeeding)
from deteriorating further.
Implementation of the baby friendly hospital initiative is also one of the mechanisms
to protect and promote breastfeeding. Above all, use of the global conceptual framework for
analyzing the causes of nutritional problems in the Ethiopian context and designing an
appropriate nutrition strategy is an issue, which is long overdue. Such a strategy is necessary
to achieve the vision of a hunger free, healthy, and productive society. Investing in improved
nutrition should be a top priority for use of Ethiopia’s admittedly meager governmental
resources.
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