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

violating the basic tenets presented above, have also been developed in considering different
sorts of nutrition interventions.
2.1.3. Historical Background
The science of nutrition emerged in the early twentieth century with the development
of scientific research and enquiry in biochemistry and related sciences. With increased depth
of research and better capability in the development of instruments for the measurement of
objective indicators and outcomes, since World War II the attention of the scientific
community as well as the development community has shifted to broader aspects of child
survival as a dominant policy goal. In recent years, more attention has focused on attaining
adequate micronutrient intake and other selective health interventions as dominant strategies
(Pelletier & Frongillo 2002, 2).
As pointed out above, serious focus on human nutrition in Ethiopia started in 1960s
with the assistance of American and Swedish experts. The Ethio-Swedish Pediatric Clinic,
later called the Ethiopian Nutrition Institute (ENI), was established as a semi-autonomous
agency in 1968 under the Ministry of Health to deal with serious problems of malnutrition.
This was done through training and research and by collecting and disseminating data and
information on nutritional status among various groups in Ethiopia. Since the early years, the
institution has been technically assisted and nurtured by Swedish bilateral assistance. Various
support programs on nutrition were also forthcoming to ENI from UNICEF and WHO in the
1970s and 80s. FAO through its Technical Cooperation Program had been involved in an
effort to develop nutrition policy in the 1980s under the auspices of the Ministry of
Agriculture and the former National Committee for Central Pla nning.
In December 1986, a workshop was held at Alemaya University on the development
of a Food and Nutrition Strategy through the participation of local and international experts.
The workshop resulted in guidelines for the formulation of the strategy. Preparation continued
with a team of multidisciplinary Ethiopian experts and the draft strategy underwent a series of
revisions until the change of government in 1991.
In the 1990s, there was a major shift of emphasis and ENI was transformed into
Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), with a narrower focus on
micronutrient and health-related clinical investigations. In one of the recent unpublished
documents of the World Bank, it is indicated that there has been a decline in the prominence
given to nutrition in programs and policy debates in the 1990s, concurrent with the departure
of professionals from the Research Institute and due to a fragmentation of nutritional
responsibilities to government agencies such as the Ministry of Economic Development and
Cooperation, the then Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health (MOH). However,
drawing in part on earlier work on a Food and Nutrition Strategy, the National Food Security
Strategy initially received government approval in 1996. A revised version was approved in
March 2002 (FDRE 2002).
In November 2003, another attempt was made by the MOH to draft a National
Nutrition Policy based on the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) (MOH 2003b). A draft
proposal for a National Nutrition Policy was presented for discussion at MOH. The
underlying causes of malnutrition are outlined in the document and priority areas of
interventions are presented in the document. The behavior change communication (BCC)
approach is taken as the basis for defining the objectives, priority actions, and strategies for
the implementation of those actions, centered on the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA). It
was intended that this document would be implemented as a component of the Health Sector
Development Program III and, for cross-sectoral initiatives under the policy, as a component
of relevant development programs in other collaborating sectors. However, the document
never reached either stakeholders for discussion or higher officials for approval.
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