National Nutrition Policy & Key Strategies.

The present national nutrition policy is a commitment of the government to improve the health and nutrition status of the people of Sudan.
The overall purpose of this policy therefore is to define a framework through which available technical, human, and financial resources may be mobilized in order to ensure the health and nutrition status of all Sudanese citizens is significantly improved.
Specifically, this policy is intended to: (i) define a single guiding framework under which multi-sectoral activities related to improving nutrition status of the population can be carried out, (ii) promote national development through investment in human resources, (ii) ensure that the current deterioration in nutritional status of individuals of all ages is addressed equitably with respect to gender, ethnic groups, geographic area, and physiological vulnerability, (iv) ensure standardised and high quality nutrition services are delivered throughout the country through defining guidelines, developing capacity and building partnerships, (v) ensure that sufficient capacity exists to prevent and address malnutrition in emergencies through community mobilization, application of standards, capacity development of skills, and planning to sustain improved services, (vi) develop ways to encourage individuals, families, and communities to make positive choices to the best of their capacity to safeguard their own nutrition status and wellbeing, (vii) guide resource mobilization, project implementation, structural development and capacity building in relevant sectors at local and Federal levels in order to address direct and underlying causes of malnutrition, (viii) improve the nutrition information evidence base through strengthening information systems, analytical capacity, advocacy, and collaboration mechanisms.
In order to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, a number of key strategies will be implemented by the strategy in order to reduce the prevalence rate of nutrition disorders, including: (i) ensure the prevention and treatment of nutrition related disorders in emergency and non emergency situations, (ii) reduce nutritional risk for individuals throughout their life-cycle through implementation of integrated health, nutrition, and food security interventions, (iii) increased optimal use of available food and micro level resources to maximize nutritional benefit, (iv) reduce nutrition risk caused by excess morbidity through increased coverage and accessibility of quality of basic child health care services (IMCI), (v) ensure that the nutritional needs of people living with HIV & AIDS and their families are adequately addressed, (vi) ensure quality food production that meets food safety standards, (vii) increased knowledge & awareness & improved nutrition practice at community level, (viii) increase skills and capacity of nutrition staff and non nutrition staff working in areas related to the direct and underlying causes of malnutrition, (ix) strengthen nutrition information, research, and nutrition advocacy systems, to feed into national and local planning, analysis, monitoring and evaluation.
In the context of governance, the National Nutrition policy involves work between a wide variety of institutions and sectors, and as such planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation will require the participation of many stakeholders. The FMoH will lead the process of development of an implementation plan to roll out the National Nutrition Policy over a five year period. This will encompass Federal and State level activity.