Addis Ababa, November 25, 2025 — The NIPN Ethiopia conference concluded today at the Jupiter Hotel, centered on the theme "The Legacy of NIPN Ethiopia: Milestones, Lessons, and the Way Forward," focusing on the importance of data quality, nutrition and food safety related programs, initiatives and policies.
The gathering brought together over 60 attendees, including representatives from government ministries, health institutions, international organizations, university researchers, research institutes, and other stakeholders involved in nutrition and health initiatives.
Under the theme “NIPN Knowledge Outputs,” seven papers were presented, chaired by Dr. Endale Amare, Head of the Nutrition and Food Science Research Division at NEHNCD, EPHI. The first presentation, by Mr. Meseret Woldeyohannes from EPHI, dealt with “Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies in Ethiopia: Policy Implications and Recommendations.” He emphasized the urgent need for interventions to enhance public health, advocating for dietary diversity and community initiatives like home gardening to combat anemia and iron deficiency, particularly among school-aged children. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of improving food fortification, strengthening supply chains, and fostering multisectoral collaboration to ensure greater access to nutritious foods.
The second paper, titled “Improving Equitable Access to Healthy Foods for Ethiopian Women: A Call to Action,” was presented by Dr. Meron Girma from NIPN-EPHI. Dr. Meron underscored the poor dietary quality among Ethiopian women, noting that one-third are at high risk due to low consumption of healthy food groups; over 98% have an inadequate intake of 11 out of 16 healthy food varieties. To address these issues, she called for urgent interventions within the Food System Transformation Roadmap to boost healthy food production, strengthen supply chains, enhance nutrition education, and address disparities in food consumption.
Dr. Tadesse Zerfu from NIPN-IFPRI presented on "Strengthening Multisectoral Nutrition Coordination in Ethiopia," highlighting key barriers such as intersectoral dynamics and subnational capacity, while noting enablers like leadership, neutrality, partner support, resources, and the importance of institutionalization and accountability, all encapsulated in the Common Results Framework (CRF).
These presentations were followed by engaging question-and-answer sessions.
The next session featured four additional papers moderated by Dr. Archana Sarkar, Advisor to NIPN-Ethiopia from GIZ. delving into critical food and nutrition issues in Ethiopia.
Dr. Anteneh Berhane from Haramaya University discussed how Ethiopia should address food and nutrition in pastoralist areas, emphasizing strategies tailored to the unique needs of these communities. Mr. Wakgari Binu from Wolaita Sodo University addressed barriers to the generation and utilization of high-quality data across information systems and administrative levels in Ethiopia, identifying key challenges that hinder effective decision-making.
Dr. Mekonnen Haileselassie from Tigray Health Research Institute elaborated on tackling food safety and quality assurance challenges, stressing the need for stringent measures to protect public health. Finally, Dr. Anchamo Anato from Hawassa University discussed how the government can enhance nutrition education and literacy across all sectors, urging a comprehensive approach to improve public awareness of nutritional needs.
After thanking the presenters, Dr. Archana expressed her appreciation for her collaboration with NIPN-Ethiopia, noting that it felt more like a family than a professional partnership. She emphasized that their strong relationships will endure, regardless of formal contracts. Dr. Archana also reflected on her positive experiences working with NIPN and EPHI leadership, particularly with Dr. Masresha and Dr. Aregash.
Dr. Aregash, in turn, thanked Dr. Archana for three years of successful collaboration and extended her gratitude to the NIPN team, moderators, presenters, and all participants for their contributions to the conference's success. She called on all partners and stakeholders to maintain their collaboration in the future and expressed her appreciation for EPHI leadership, particularly Dr. Masresha of NEHNCDRD.
Following this, Dr. Aregash invited Dr. Masresha to deliver closing remarks.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Masresha Tessema, Director of the Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Non-Communicable Diseases Research Directorate (NEHNCDRD), emphasized that although funding from GIZ has ceased, the NIPN project, initiated in 2018, will continue its vital activities. He noted that the NIPN team will carry on with their work, and the project will undergo rebranding. Reflecting on the past three years of collaboration with GIZ, he acknowledged the positive impact of this partnership, stating that the NIPN/EPHI project will continue operations with minor revisions and structural adjustments.
Regarding regional engagement, the Amhara and Sidama regional state PHIs are effectively implementing NIPN activities, while the recently joined Tigray region and other PHIs and universities responding to NIPN’s policy questions are also making significant progress. The legacy of NIPN will be upheld through the support and collaboration of all stakeholders and partners.
In closing, Dr. Masresha expressed his sincere gratitude to the NIPN coordinator, the NIPN team, and all collaborators for their unwavering commitment and dedication on behalf of EPHI.
