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

Table 2.8: Macro and cross-cutting issues and the expected changes that lead to improved
nutritional status.
Macro and cross-cutting issues
– basic features
Expected change that will lead to nutritional
improvement
International
International markets characterized by export of low
price primary commodities and import of expensive
manufactured goods. Balance of payment deficits.
Trade agreements: Ethiopia’s participation is restricted
due to quality standards and stiff competition.
Diversify export products and services; encourage
foreign direct investments; provide incentives for export
sector.
Follow requirements set by export markets; train staff to
meet quality requirements; strengthen Ethiopian Quality
and Standards Authority
National
Natural resource endowment: Diverse agro ecologies
but face degradation. High s oil erosion. High potential
for irrigation.
Human resources: Population growing rapidly; but
remains predominantly rural
Formal public sector institutions at federal, regional,
woreda levels – executive, legislative
Private sector development: Peasant farming; largescale
commercial farms; cooperatives.
Review of policies & strategies – SDPRP,
Rural Development Sectoral Development Programme
(SDP); Education SDP; Health SDP; Water SDP;
Roads SDP. All programs are under either
implementation or preparation.
Promote land use planning; provide incentives for onfarm
& off-farm conservation; encourage small-scale
irrigation.
Advocacy for birth control; expand small-scale non-farm
activities.
Increase efficiency in service delivery; improve
responsiveness to the problems of the electorate.
Encourage production and services; introduce local
production for market; find export markets for products.
Publicize and reflect nutrition at woreda level action in
all program strategies; publicize and include nutrition
components of strategies; potable water as a nutrition
strategy; road sector critical for nutrition improvement.
Household and community level
Poverty; low access to information & technology;
declining household asset holdings.
Livelihood systems: Agricultural production in rural
areas using family labor is common. Face resource
degradation and insecurity of tenure. Not yet engine for
economic growth. Small-scale non-farm activity limited.
Social/ traditional institutions: Attitudes and behavior
lead to improper feeding of infant; little support for
mothers during pregnancy
Cultural patterns: Heavy workload on women & girls;
harmful traditional practices; limited female control of
economic resources.
Design and implement multi dimensional programs to
address poverty. Build and maintain household assets.
Community planning; employment generation;
encourage division of labor; introduce resource
conservation techniques; registration and certification of
land ongoing; establish formal lease arrangements.
Undertake interventions to improve birth weights;
provide proper food to the mother and adequate rest
period post-partum.
Reduce work, improve water, energy availability; reduce
number of early marriages, enforce legal rights to
common property; set up legal assistance for women.
2.3.1.1. International level
The issues of concern at the international level are mainly with reference to
international trade, international conventions, and commitment, international and bilateral
donors, and Non-Governmental Organizations. Other issues with a global dimension such as
the MDGs, PRSP, food security, and emergency food aid, and so on, could have some impact
on or relationship to the nutritional status of Ethiopians 6 . Among these, international
6 Numerous political, cultural, social, economic, and other types of international contacts and relations
are concluded on bilateral and multilateral basis, some of which are remotely related the problem of
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