Policy overview of the multisectoral nutrition planning process: The progress, challenges, and lessons learned from Burkina Faso.

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition is a multifactorial problem, and multisectoral planning is an indispensable tool. The objective of this study was (a) to evaluate the extent to which nutrition is integrated into policies and (b) to describe the process used by the government of Burkina Faso to reform its policy frameworks and multisectoral nutrition planning. METHODS: This was a qualitative study, and data were collected in two key steps: first, through a policy overview conducted in 2015 and, second, in November 2017, through a document review and individual stakeholder interviews with 32 key actors involved in national nutrition planning. RESULTS: The extent to which nutrition is integrated into development policies varied from one sector to another. Since 2014, Burkina Faso has initiated nutrition planning through a multisectoral approach involving six sectors. This process was implemented in three key stages. Progress includes revision of national nutrition policy towards multisectoral perspective, formulation of a consensual and quality multisectoral nutrition strategic plan, creation of nutrition budget line, and establishment of nutrition technical secretariat. CONCLUSION: To improve the anchoring of multisectoral coordination bodies at the supra-ministerial level, mobilizing resources and promoting sector accountability are key next steps that would contribute to the success of the implementation.

Mapping Nutrition Interventions, a Key Analytical Tool for Informing the Multisectoral Planning Process: Example From Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: The government of Burkina Faso, along with the United Nations Network for Nutrition (UNN), activity REACH (Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and undernutrition) partnership, conducted a mapping of nutrition interventions and stakeholders to identify the best approaches for scaling up priority nutrition interventions and to strengthen a multisectoral response to fight malnutrition. OBJECTIVE: The objectives include describing the process used to map a set of country-prioritized nutrition interventions and to describe how the results contributed to the multisectoral nutrition planning process in Burkina Faso. METHODS: The mapping exercise was designed as a cross-sectional study using the Excel-based Scaling Up Nutrition Planning and Monitoring Tool (SUN PMT) to collect, store, and analyze data. RESULTS: The results present different analyses produced by the SUN PMT for 29 prioritized nutrition interventions. The analyses include the distribution of nutrition stakeholders for each intervention, the calculation of geographic and population coverage for each intervention, and the utilization of delivery mechanisms to reach beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: The mapping of key nutrition interventions and stakeholders supporting those interventions in Burkina Faso was an important tool in the multisectoral planning process. The exercise made it possible to identify gaps and needs; launch a discussion on nutrition planning and the scaling up of interventions; and mobilize sectors and development partners around nutrition.

Addressing Chronic Malnutrition through Multi-Sectoral, Sustainable Approaches: A Review of the Causes and Consequences.

Chronic malnutrition, including stunting, is an important example of a global challenge that spans multiple sectors, specifically health, agriculture, and the environment. The objective of this paper is to review current knowledge on the causes and consequences of chronic malnutrition and their relationship with multiple sectors. Understanding the causes includes approaching chronic malnutrition from the basic, underlying, and immediate levels. The causes reach from macro-level environmental influences to specific micronutrient intake. In order to effectively address stunting, it is important to understand the timing of stunting and the ability of individuals to catch up in terms of linear growth, cognitive ability, and immune function. The consequences of chronic malnutrition are transgenerational and they have an impact at the individual, community, and national level in the short- and long-term. There are still many gaps in knowledge regarding both the causes and consequences of chronic malnutrition, particularly when it comes to the interaction with agriculture and the environment, and understanding these gaps is important to addressing the burden of chronic malnutrition through evidence-based interventions.