The African Development Bank has inked a grant financing agreement with Ethiopia in its efforts to end the stunting and malnourishment of children in the country.
The grant agreement valued at 1.3 billion birr was signed during a ceremony held in the Ministry of Finance (MoF). It will be used to support nutrition-specific interventions, including the building of infrastructures to support nutrition programs implemented in various parts of the country.
State Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, H.E. Yasmin Wohabrebbi said this grant pact will support the implementation of the Seqota Declaration, in which Ethiopia has shown its high-level commitment to end child undernutrition.
Wohabrebbi also explained the achievements made by Ethiopia in improving child and maternal nutrition following the Seqota Declaration and said the financing agreement will be deployed to further eradicate the underlying causes of chronic undernutrition and stunting among children.
Government is hopeful that the financing agreement will build on and supports the execution of the Food and Nutrition Strategy of Ethiopia towards the delivery of high-impact nutrition-specific infrastructure interventions across multiple sectors such as agriculture, sanitation, education, health and environment.
The Amhara and Tigray regions have been selected due to the prevalence of high stunting; financing agreement will be implemented in woredas under the Seqota Declaration program.
The financing also looks to improve infrastructure for effective service delivery, livelihood support, promotion of nutritious food crops, livestock development, strengthening institutional systems, capacity building of health institutions.
The deal was signed by H.E. Ms. Yasmin Wohabrebbi, State Minister, Ministry of Finance, and Abdu B. Kamara, Deputy Director-General, East Africa Regional Development, and Business Delivery Office, African Development Bank Group signed the Agreement on behalf of the Ethiopian Government and the African Development Bank respectively.
