By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The Division of Nutrition and Dietetics is currently developing a multisectoral Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP) 2023-2027.
This follows the successful implementation of the previous KNAP 2018-2022 which resulted in significant progress in reducing malnutrition, particularly the prevalence of stunting which reduced from 26% in 2014 to 18% in 2022.
The new five-year plan will employ a multi-sectoral approach to accelerate and scale up efforts in combating malnutrition and promoting good nutrition practices across the life course.
It aims to accelerate and expand efforts against malnutrition, involving stakeholders from various sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and international organizations like UNICEF and WHO.
It will also build on successes and lessons learned from the implementation of the previous KNAP. The development process has been widely consultative collecting proposals from multisectoral nutrition stakeholders at both the national and county level.
In a workshop that started on June 17, stakeholders will define priority areas, key outcomes, and strategic objectives for the KNAP.
Detailed strategies and interventions will be proposed to effectively achieve these objectives, supported by performance indicators to monitor progress.
Additionally, comprehensive activities for each objective will be outlined.
The Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP) 2023-2027 is a comprehensive and multisectoral framework aimed at further reducing malnutrition and promoting good nutrition practices across Kenya.
The key components and strategies of KNAP 2023-2027 include the multisectoral Approach, Stakeholder Engagement, Priority Areas, Detailed Strategies and Interventions and Performance Indicators.
KNAP 2023-2027 has a development process of consultative workshops where initial workshops are held to gather input from stakeholders and continuous engagement with stakeholders to refine and finalize the plan.
The Nutrition Action Plan has effectively addressed Malnutrition through various strategies. These include conducting intensive campaigns and programs to enhance maternal, infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN). One of the key initiatives is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, which has proven to be beneficial.
Additionally, community-based nutrition education programs have been implemented to increase awareness about healthy eating practices, proper infant and young child feeding, and maternal nutrition.
These efforts have significantly contributed to the reduction of Malnutrition.