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Adama, August 26, 2025 (NIPN) -- The National Food and Nutrition Strategy (NFNS) Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Steering Committee (MER SC) convened on Monday at the Robi Hotel to assess multi-sectoral progress in food and nutrition initiatives across FNS implementing sectors.
The meeting, organized by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN), was aimed at evaluating sector-specific annual progress reports, facilitating discussions on transforming Ethiopia's food system, and outlining future strategies for food and nutrition initiatives.
Chaired by EPHI and co-chaired by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), the MER-SC provides technical support for monitoring, evaluation, and research components of the NFNS. EPHI organizes regular quarterly meetings of the MER-SC to monitor the implementation of the strategy, with NIPN-Ethiopia offering financial and technical support for these efforts.
Dr. Aregash Samuel, the NIPN-Ethiopia coordinator and lead researcher at EPHI, warmly welcomed the participants and emphasized the unique composition of the MER-SC, which includes sectors, universities, and regional public health institutes. She noted that this meeting would serve as a vital platform for knowledge sharing among researchers and health experts from ministerial offices, higher learning institutions, and public health institutes.
Dr. Aregash highlighted the importance of universities finding ways to support sectors in their regions and encourage regional public health institutes to establish similar collaborative platforms locally. She also underscored EPHI's role in chairing and coordinating the MER-SC to effectively implement the NFNS.
Furthermore, the NIPN Coordinator mentioned that the NIPN initiative, supported by the EU and GIZ, is crucial in providing both technical and financial support for the MER-SC, thereby fostering multi-sectoral collaboration. Dr. Aregash pointed out that NIPN has assisted two public health institutes, Amhara PHI and Sidama PHI, enabling various universities and PHIs to address five key policy questions through strategic partnerships.
Finally, she explained that each quarterly meeting includes need-based training, and this time, participants will engage in a six-day nutrition leadership training to enhance their skills.
Multi-sector annual progress reports were presented by nine sector ministries, including EPHI and the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA). Key presentations during the workshop highlighted annual sector-specific performance reports, focusing on both achievements and challenges in improving nutrition outcomes. Additionally, Dr. Aregash provided an update on the Policy Studies Institute (PSI project with EPHI, while Dr. Anbissa Muleta from the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) briefed attendees on the progress of the Ethiopian food system transformation, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and nutrition.
Participants engaged in interactive discussions and Q&A sessions, fostering collaborative strategies for future initiatives. Dr. Aregash facilitated the morning presentations and discussion sessions, while Dr. Abebe Ayelign from Addis Ababa University led the afternoon session.
The training on Ethiopian Nutrition Leadership for MER SC and Food and Nutrition Technical Committee (FNTC) members is scheduled to continue through August 31 and will include a series of training sessions aimed at strengthening leadership in nutrition. These sessions, facilitated by experts from various sectors, are designed to empower attendees with the skills and knowledge necessary to enhance nutrition leadership and management in their respective fields. Participants will cover essential topics such as food and nutrition basics, adolescent and maternal nutrition, effective communication skills, leadership, management, and power and influence, among others.
Over 20 health and nutrition professionals and senior researchers from academia, research institutes, and multi-sectoral offices are attending the MER-SC meeting, and 24 trainees with six facilitators are in the training.
(EPHI-NIPN)
