Multi-sector Nutrition Plan 2018-2022.

The Vision of the Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan-II (MSNP-II 2018–2022) is to reduce malnutrition so that it no longer impedes people’s potential and performance towards enhanced human capital and overall socioeconomic development. Its goal is to improve maternal, adolescent and child nutrition by scaling up essential nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions and creating an enabling environment for nutrition. The three objectives of the MSNP-II’s are: increase the number of service delivery institutions to improve access to and the use of nutrition-specific services; increase access to and the use of nutrition sensitive services including improving health-related behaviour; and improve policies, plans and multi-sectoral coordination at federal, provincial and local government levels to create an enabling environment to improve nutrition. Improving the nutritional status of its citizens is a major priority of the government. Improving nutrition involves interventions in health and other sectors; thus policies, strategies and plans of the health, agriculture, livestock, water and sanitation sectors emphasize good nutrition and food security. The government is addressing the complex causes of malnutrition through a multi-sectoral approach (pag. 3).
MSNP-II will take the following strategies: 1. Scale up multisector nutrition programmes across Nepal to ensure qualitative, equitable and gender-informed nutrition services for all; 2. Develop positive nutrition behaviour by running advocacy, communication and participation campaigns and through public engagement programmes; 3. Foster cooperation, partnership, coordination and the sharing of lessons learned and best practices on improving nutrition; 4. Promote and use innovative technologies and initiatives for improving nutrition; 5. Internalize and implement nutrition interventions in federal, provincial and local government policies and plans; 6. Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, study and research for evidence-based planning, decision making and implementation (pag. 25). The following key interventions will implemented by the agriculture and livestock sector: 2.2.1 Enhance access to and use of animal product foods. a) Establish livestock and food markets. b) Distribute chilling vats to dairies. c) Raise awareness about consumption of livestock related foodstuff. 2.2.2 Promote and support production and consumption of fish including support for establishing community ponds (pag. 35).
The government’s development objectives are outlined in the Constitution of Nepal, the Fourteenth Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Economic growth, employment promotion, poverty alleviation, post-conflict reconstruction, social transformation and human resource development are the government’s development priorities (pag. 3). Interventions under MSNP-II will promote social inclusion and gender equity especially in the hills and mountains of the Mid-West and Far West and in the central Tarai. MSNP-II will support the socially inclusive, gender sensitive and child-friendly continuum of care (pag. 25). MSNP-II recognizes that poverty reduction is a Government priority and that there is a strong link between poverty reduction, food insecurity and nutrition and chronic malnutrition (pag. 82).