In a concerted effort to combat malnutrition and enhance nutritional outcomes, Liberia has convened the 2024 Joint Annual Assessment (JAA) Workshop in Monrovia. The four-day event, running from March 4 to 7 at the Last Mile Health Head Office, brings together a diverse assembly of stakeholders, reflecting the nation’s commitment to addressing its pressing nutrition challenges.
Organized under the auspices of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Secretariat, operating within the Office of Vice President Jeremiah Koung, the workshop underscores Liberia’s dedication to implementing both specific and nutrition-sensitive policies. The SUN Movement, which Liberia joined in 2014, aims to unite governments, civil society, and the private sector to end malnutrition in all its forms.
Participants at the workshop include representatives from various sectors—women’s groups, media, civil society, youth organizations, and other nutrition stakeholders—all united in their mission to improve nutritional outcomes across the country.
Augustine G. Musah, the SUN National Coordinator in Liberia, emphasized the significance of this collaborative effort, stating, “This consultation workshop provides a unique opportunity for the multi-stakeholder platform to come together and document our collective progress over the past year, with specific emphasis on national nutrition targets. It’s a moment to celebrate our successes while identifying persistent challenges.”
The workshop’s agenda is comprehensive, aiming to review the achievements of the past year and reflect on effective strategies and areas needing improvement. By identifying challenges collectively, participants hope to better understand how to fulfill their nutrition commitments and set priorities for the coming year. Key objectives include pinpointing critical gaps that hinder effective action, such as domestic resource allocation, technical assistance, and learning priorities. Additionally, attendees will share their progress and challenges with the SUN Global Movement, fostering an environment of learning and collaboration.
The outcomes of this workshop are expected to significantly influence the future of nutrition initiatives in Liberia, ensuring that commitments translate into tangible results. The event has garnered attendance from several government ministries and agencies, including Agriculture, Commerce, Information, Education, Gender and Social Protection, Health, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, the National WASH Commission, the National Standards Authority, and the National Food Assistance Authority. International donor partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Irish Aid, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, and UNFPA are also actively participating.
The FAO, hosting the UN Nutrition Secretariat in Liberia, has been instrumental in supporting the country’s nutrition initiatives. In collaboration with the SUN Secretariat and the Ministry of Health, the FAO conducted a Nutrition Stakeholder and Action Mapping exercise to identify nutrition stakeholders’ activities across Liberia’s fifteen counties. This initiative aims to inform various multi-sectoral nutrition actors, including line ministries, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and communities, to coordinate the implementation of actions to combat the country’s food insecurity and malnutrition challenges.
The 2023 ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ (SOFI) report revealed that the prevalence of undernourishment among Liberia’s population remains alarmingly high at 38.4% (2020-2022), signifying that approximately two million individuals in the country suffer from undernourishment.
This statistic underscores the urgency of the workshop’s mission and the critical need for effective, coordinated nutrition interventions.
As the workshop progresses, stakeholders remain optimistic that the collaborative efforts and shared insights will pave the way for a healthier, well-nourished Liberia.
Joseph Daniels reports for OK FM Liberia as Executive Mansion Correspondent. With a vested interest in making the voices of people from different walks of life heard, he has covered investigative stories relating to education, health, the environment, corruption, and violence against women and girls, among others. He graduated from the United Methodist University with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Mass Communications in 2020. Joseph is also a fellow at New Narratives, a non-profit organization helping media deliver independent, truthful information to its people so they can make informed decisions.
