Feeding Minds: 1,000 Days Plus - documents.wfp.org · Rwanda, Her Excellency Mrs Jeannette Kagame....
Transcript of Feeding Minds: 1,000 Days Plus - documents.wfp.org · Rwanda, Her Excellency Mrs Jeannette Kagame....
Feeding Minds: 1,000 Days Plus
Nourishing Children with the Right Food at the Right Time in the Right Place
A GLOBAL FORUM UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
HER EXCELLENCY MRS SUZANNE MUBARAK
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
21-22 February 2011
BACKGROUND During the summit on the Millennium Development Goals in
New York in September, world leaders joined in a concerted
call to action to end child undernutrition – especially during
the critical first 1,000 Days – from conception through age
two. A comprehensive plan was outlined that is backed by
governments, international organizations, the private sector
and scholars and nutritional experts.
It was announced that, as one of the next steps, a global
forum would be held under the auspices of Egypt’s First Lady,
Her Excellency Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, at the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina on 21-22 February 2011 organised by World
Food Programme in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
The forum will build on the outcomes of Bellagio, Italy where,
in July 2009, leaders and experts from around the world met
to discuss how the historic food security commitments in
L’Aquila could translate into practical strategies to reduce
food insecurity and malnutrition for children.
Among the outcomes of Bellagio, there was clear consensus
that food and nutrition safety nets, such as school meals and
mother and child nutrition programmes, are a critical tool to
tackle food insecurity, malnutrition, ensuring ensure food
access so children can realise their full potential. It was also
agreed that food and nutrition safety nets help nations create
significant economic returns on investment, stimulating the
local economy through local purchase, adding value through
the process.
The international community is increasingly recognising the
benefits of combining school health initiatives, such as de-
worming, with school meals programmes. And it sees these
programmes as potential as a platform to reach younger
children. In February 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the
international community -- through the Education for All
(EFA) High Level Group Meeting Declaration -- underscored
the importance of school health, meals and nutrition
interventions to ensure that all children have access to
sufficient nutritious food.
The global forum “Feeding Minds: 1,000 Days Plus” will
bring together international leaders and decision makers as
well as experts in these fields to examine the importance food
plays in the full childhood nutrition lifecycle. This means
from the first 1,000 days -- where scientific knowledge about
the irreparable damage to children under two compels us to
act -- to also include best practices on school feeding and
health, with special attention required to the nutritional
needs of adolescent girls. We will also examine innovative
nutritional products and solutions and define a child-centric
view of how to improve childhood nutrition. The goal is to
articulate the need for a holistic approach to end the multi-
generational cycle of malnutrition.
Key questions will include:
• Recognizing the clear importance and scientific
consensus on adequate nutrition during the first 1,000
days, how do we ensure an overall healthy childhood
across all critical stages of development – including
pre-school, school years and adolescence, particularly
for girls?
• What nutrition policies, strategies and interventions
need to be prioritised and accelerated for different age
groups?
• What are the nutritional platforms and right nutrition
solutions, including foods for different age groups?
• What are the challenges and how can local and
international multi-sector partnerships, including the
private sector, help to create sustainable programmes
which maximise the potential for multiple impacts?
THE FORUM
The two-day event will begin with a high-level session,
inaugurated by Her Excellency Mrs Mubarak, who will deliver
a keynote speech. United Nations World Food Programme
Executive Director Josette Sheeran will outline the forum’s
goals and objectives. The session will feature addresses from
a number of high-level speakers, including the First Lady of
Rwanda, Her Excellency Mrs Jeannette Kagame.
An exhibition of Egypt’s national nutritional programmes –
from food banks through nutritional fortification and school
meals– will help inform discussions about best practices,
including innovative multi-sector partnerships with the
private sector, international organisations and civil society.
Following the inaugural session, a small group of world
leaders, national practitioners, public and private sector
partners and renowned experts in the fields of the first 1,000
Days nutrition, pre-school nutrition, school feeding and new
nutritional products and solutions will then retreat to
brainstorm on key questions, challenges, solutions and
strategy options for “1,000 days Plus.”
POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
1. Building upon global knowledge of the "1,000 days"
concept, and developing an understanding of national-
level platforms and policies across the "1,000 days
Plus" spectrum. An understanding of successful best
practices from countries showing positive gains on
improving child nutrition.
2. A consensus on what policies, strategies and
interventions need to be prioritised and accelerated to
maximise health and nutrition gains across the child
development spectrum.
3. An understanding of how to increase the availability of
affordable, sustainable and effective nutrition
solutions, including new, ready-to-use, nutritious
foods and the role of various stakeholders in scaling up
these solutions.
4. A high-level strategy for an inclusive child nutrition
strategy and an outline of actions and actors needed to
achieve the 1,000 Days Plus strategy.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE FORUM
Monday 21 February 2011
INAUGURAL SESSION - A global dialogue (Alexandria Conference Centre)
• Keynote address by H.E. Mrs Suzanne Mubarak
• Outline Forum goals and objectives by Ms Josette
Sheeran
• Remarks by H.E. Mrs Jeannette Kagame
GLOBAL VILLAGE RETREAT (Bibliotheca Alexandrina) A smaller group will retreat to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to
participate in facilitated discussions that will take place in
interactive plenary sessions with each “village” focusing on
one of four themes –
1) The First 1,000 days
2) Adolescent girls
3) Pre-School and School Years
4) Nutritional Solutions.
Each village discussion will take place in plenary with a
specific group focusing on one of the four session topics. Each
session will have a high-level chair and key resources to help
guide the discussions.
Session 1: First 1,000 Days
• How well are the health and nutrition needs of children at this age being met?
• What and where are the current “gaps”? • How best can we fill these critical gaps?
Session 2: Adolescent Girls
• How well are the health and nutrition needs of children at this age being met?
• What and where are the current ‘gaps’? • How best can we fill these critical gaps?
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Session 3: Preschool and school years
• How well are the health and nutrition needs of children at this age being met?
• What and where are the current ‘gaps’? • How best can we fill these critical gaps?
Session 4: Nutritional Solutions • How well are nutrition solutions being deployed to
meet the needs of children of different age groups? • What are the current ‘gaps’? • How best can we fill these critical gaps?
Session 5: Identifying the Gaps • Review of ‘gaps’ in policies, strategies and
interventions that need to be prioritised and accelerated to maximize health and nutrition gains across the child development spectrum.
Session 6: Concluding Session A final concluding session will outline consensus areas on child nutrition from conception through school years.
• What have we learned and where do we have consensus?
• An outline of a holistic child-centric nutrition strategy • Next steps • Call to action