National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan 2007-2012.

This document contains the National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan (NNPSP). It lays down a policy statement and a strategic instrument with a national coverage, whose purpose is to serve as the guiding document for all nutrition stakeholders, including Government, civil society and faith based organisations, the private sector and development partners in championing Government priorities on nutrition for the period 2007-2012. The goal of the Policy and Strategic Plan is to have a well nourished Malawi nation with sound human resource that effectively contributes to the economic growth and prosperity of the country.
The overall objective of the NNPSP is to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. More specifically, the instrument aims to achieve, among others, the following key goals: a) implement interventions so as to have lasting improvements in the nutritional status of every Malawian with special attention to vulnerable groups (especially infants, young children, people living with HIV, people in emergencies, pregnant and lactating women, boys and girls in school, the elderly, people with disability and poor men and women); b) promote the adoption of optimal nutrition practices, healthy lifestyles and appropriate dietary habits among men, women, boys and girls; c) expand the coverage of key nutrition services; d) promote nutrition research and the sharing of best practices.
Regarding governance, the NNPSP recognizes the importance of strengthening the national level coordination. As such, the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) is responsible for the coordination of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the NNPSP. The instrument also recognizes the need to strengthen and support nutrition coordination structures at national and local authority levels. In addition, the NNPSP advances the strengthening of sectoral capacity at national and local authority levels in order to effectively coordinate programme implementation at all levels.