Addis Ababa, November 10, 2025 (EPH/NIPN) – The Nutrition, Environmental Health and Non-Communicable Disease Research Directorate (NEHNCDRD) at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) held its First Quarter Performance Review Meeting on November 10, 2025, for the 2018 Ethiopian Fiscal Year (EFY).
The review meeting, held at the EPHI National Training Center, brought together divisions, team leaders, project representatives, and staff to assess NEHNCDRD's performance over the past three months against the annual plan. The meeting aimed to identify challenges encountered and discuss strategies for improvement to ensure alignment with the established annual plan.
The moderator of the performance review meeting, Dr. Aregash Samuel, Coordinator of the National Information Platforms for Nutrition (NIPN-Ethiopia) and lead researcher at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), introduced the agenda, emphasizing the session's primary goals: assessing accomplishments from the past three months, identifying challenges, and proposing solutions. During this introduction, new staff members who recently joined various divisions of the Directorate were welcomed, fostering a sense of inclusion and teamwork.
Following Dr. Aregash’s introduction, Dr. Masresha Tessema, Director of the NEHNCDRD, welcomed the new staff members and highlighted the collaborative working environment within the Directorate. He emphasized the significance of the review meeting for assessing progress, identifying challenges, and collectively proposing solutions. Dr. Masresha noted that such forums are essential not only for reviewing activities but also for fostering a common understanding, sharing experiences, and gaining insights into the various initiatives undertaken across different directorates.
The meeting proceeded with progress reports from the Nutrition and Food Science Research Division, the Food Safety and Food Anthropology Research Division, the Environmental Health and Climate Change Research Division, and the Non-communicable Diseases Research Division.
The first presenter, Dr. Endale Amare, Head of the Nutrition and Food Science Research Division at NEHNCDRD, EPHI, provided a detailed update on the activities undertaken by his division over the past three months in alignment with the directorate's 2018 EC plan. In discussing the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) Project, he explained that four key pillars guide its activities: policy formulation, data analysis/data repository, capacity building, and communication. He highlighted the successful execution of the project, including organizing a seminar, a MER_SC meeting, an AC meeting, training sessions, and preparing a newsletter.
Dr. Endale also updated attendees on several initiatives, including Front of Pack Nutrient Labeling (FOPNL), implementation of the Ethiopia's Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs), and the quarterly bulletin on the Cost of Healthy Diet (CoHD). He noted that data collection for the Social Protection Nutrition Sensitivity in Ethiopia (SNaPP) has been completed, with only technical report writing remaining. Additionally, the FBDGs implementation study has been finalized and is currently being piloted in two regions, while the CoHD bulletin is expected to be completed in the second quarter of the annual plan.
Next, Mr. Waktole Gobena Head of the Food Safety and Food Anthropology Research Division provided updates on major projects, including the study on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria related to foodborne diseases. Mr. Daniel Abera, Head of the Non-communicable Research Division, discussed projects focused on healthy lifestyles and Type 2 diabetes, kidney stones associated with chronic kidney disease risk factors, the global school-based student health survey, and the relationship between soil fertility and human health.
Researchers from the Environmental Health and Climate Change Research Division also presented updates on their respective projects. A question-and-answer session followed the presentations.
At the conclusion of the session, a general discussion led by Dr. Masresha addressed participants' concerns about administrative issues, particularly the slow response of support staff to researchers' requests, as well as the lack of professionals and heavy workloads. Dr. Masresha acknowledged these challenges and indicated that some issues require reform. He noted that efforts are underway to employ additional staff and emphasized the need for improvements in disseminating research findings.
Dr. Masresha stressed the importance of integrating activities, stating that research should yield scalable findings and that staff members should have clearly defined areas of expertise. He urged participants to enhance their publication efforts, highlighting that this is vital for both the directorate and their personal career development.
The meeting concluded with a reminder from Dr. Masresha for participants to prepare timely reports, reinforcing the need for accountability and proactive engagement. Overall, the performance review meeting was crucial in highlighting the Directorate's achievements and strengths while addressing challenges and identifying future directions for enhanced performance.
