Nutrition Act, no. 7 of 2024

This Act, divided into ten parts, provides for nutrition security, labelling, packaging and fortification of food, and establishes the National Nutrition Fund. The Act defines the following relevant terms: bio fortification; food fortification; fortification mix; import; label; micronutrient; nutrition security; national standard; package; prohibited substance; food and nutritional supplement. The Act establishes the National Nutrition Council and specifies its functions: ensuring commitment and prioritisation of nutrition in national development, ensuring cross sectoral coherence, increasing support for nutrition, providing policy guidance to the National Nutrition Agency. The Agency provides for: coordinating nutrition and related activities; implementing the National Nutrition Policy; strengthening, harmonising and developing legislation relevant to nutrition; recommending appropriate protective mechanisms and strategies; developing norms, principles, guidelines and protocols for effective nutrition programme and service delivery; increasing national awareness on nutrition issues, through social and behavioural changes; mobilising technical, material and financial resources to support a coordinated response to The Gambia's nutrition problems; promoting the respect for the right to adequate nutrition and the protection, development and attainment of nutrition security; empowering non-state actors, including traditional leaders, non-governmental organisations, women's groups, consumer associations and the youth in disseminating information and providing services connected with the programmes on nutrition; developing guidelines for food fortification and bio-fortification; increasing capacity building and research opportunities; conducting regular inspection of hospitals and other healthcare institutions.
Further matters covered by this Act include: establishment of the Nutritional Technical Advisory Committee and development of the Nutrition Coordination Mechanism; improving nutrition security measures, through undertaking social protection of vulnerable groups, promotion of nutrition education; measures to improve fortification of food; food to be fortified; labelling of fortified goods; nutritional information and amount of minerals; storage and transportation of fortified food; nutrient supplementation; nutrition in schools and learning institutions; nutrition in prisons, hospitals and healthcare institutions; financial provisions and funds of the Agency.