Yangon, 3 May 2011 – There is an increased concern that food security and livelihoods programmes need to be linked to improving nutrition. Most South and East Asian countries still encounter problems of under-nutrition, of which the most common are protein-energy malnutrition and vitamin A, iron and iodine deficiencies.
In Myanmar, the major nutritional problems are underweight (31.8%) and stunting in children under five years. (MOH and UNICEF), and over 70% nationally of iron-deficiency anaemia in women and children under five years (DOH).
Boosting agriculture production does not automatically translate into better nutrition at household level and in some cases could have an adverse impact. Donors to the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust (LIFT) Fund attach increased importance to nutrition and as a result, the European Union facilitated experts from the EU Nutrition Advisory Services to help LIFT’s partners ensure that nutrition is fully incorporated into their interventions. “The ultimate goal is to achieve greater impact on underlying causes and nutritional status of women and children and groups with the highest risk of malnutrition through LIFT projects,” said Olivier Maes, Attaché (Cooperation) at the Delegation of the European Union.
LIFT sponsored a workshop on Nutrition for partners from the 1 to 2 May in Yangon to address the underlying causes and nutritional status of populations with the highest risk of malnutrition including women and children in Myanmar. The workshop included presentations on ways of making LIFT’s interventions more effective. Case studies and innovative approaches to nutrition by Save the Children, Action Contre la Faim, Welthungerhife (WHH), and GRET were also discussed.
The participants identified and discussed specific approaches to incorporate nutrition objectives in future programs. In addition, the workshop also strengthened links and exchanged information on actions that have a greater impact on reducing malnutrition.
LIFT was set up in 2009 as a multi donor trust fund to increase food availability and incomes of 2 million people in Myanmar. LIFT works with almost 50 partners in the Delta, Dry Zone as well as in Chin, Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States. The donors to LIFT are Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The donors contracted the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as the fund manager to administer the funds and provide monitoring and oversight for LIFT.
