Research Report No. 1562020 Focus 13, 2006.
2020 Vision Discussion Paper, 2005.
2020 Vision Discussion Paper, 2004.
Undernutrition remains a major source of human suffering and an obstacle to national economic and human development in many African countries. This report investigates undernutrition's persistence, drawing on case studies of the public response to the problem in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda. Analyzing each nation's policymaking structures, political actors, understanding of undernutrition, and the timing of public responses, the author explains why none of these four nations has mounted an effective campaign to eliminate undernutrition. The author identifes several different causes of this shortcoming, with one underlying flaw in the various public responses standing out: a fundamental failure on the part of political leaders to see undernutrition as a grave problem that undermines development efforts in their nations. The author concludes that an effective response to undernutrition in these countries requires the formation of national advocacy coalitions that can raise public awareness of the problem, highlight policymakers' duty to ensure the nutrition of their citizens, and link proper nutrition to general national development. This report should serve as a resource for advocates, researchers, and others concerned with undernutrition in Africa.
Todd Benson was a research fellow in IFPRI's Food Consumption and Nutrition Division when he carried out the research for this report. He now is a senior research fellow in IFPRI's Development Strategy and Governance Division.
The report is available for download in PDF format as an entire document or by chapter.
- Full Report
- Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, List of Boxes, Foreword, Acknowledgments, Acronyms and Abbreviations, and Summary
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Policy Processes
- Chapter 3: Nutrition as a Public Policy Concern
- Chapter 4: Institutional Study
- Chapter 5: Nutrition in National Policy Processes in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda
- Chapter 6: Prospects for Increasing Allocations of Public Resources to Improve Nutrition
- Appendix A: Interviewees
- Appendix B: Sample Interview Guide for Institutional Study in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda
- Appendix C: Sample Interview Guide for Institutional Study in Ghana
- References
- Report Covers
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