Seqota Declaration

INTRODUCTION

In 2015, the Government of Ethiopia made a high level fifteen-year commitment to end stunting in children under two years by 2030. This commitment, known as the Seqota Declaration (SD), is operationalized through a multi-sectoral program involving nine different sector ministries including Ministries of Health; Agriculture; Education; Water, Irrigation and Energy; Women, Children and Youth, Transport and Finance, MOLSA and Culture and Tourism. The Seqota Declaration has a 15-year roadmap divided into three phases: Innovation, Expansion and Scale-Up phases.

VISION

To see Ethiopian children being free from malnutrition

GOAL

To end stunting in children under two by 2030

MISSION

Seqota Declaration works to end stunting in Ethiopia for children less than two years through effective coordination and collaboration of sectors, communities and development partners, focusing on high impact nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions and social behavior change communications with special consideration for cross-cutting issues such as gender mainstreaming, environment and integrated community development approaches.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The Seqota Declaration innovative phase investment plan has 10 strategic objectives to which all stakeholders (government sectors ministries, regional bureaus, development partners and technical partners) are contributing resources using the common planning framework.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF WOMEN, CHILDREN UNDER TWO AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: ENSURE 100% ACCESS TO ADEQUATE FOOD ALL YEAR ROUND

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: TRANSFORM SMALLHOLDER PRODUCTIVITY AND INCOME

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: ENSURE ZERO POST-HARVEST FOOD LOSS

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5: ENHANCE INNOVATION AROUND PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS (CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE)

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6: ENSURE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO WATER, SANITATION AND ADOPTION OF GOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7: IMPROVE HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8: IMPROVE NUTRITION STATUS OF PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN AND CHILDREN
THROUGH NUTRITION SENSITIVE PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET PROGRAM (PSNP) 4 INTERVENTIONS

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 9: IMPROVE GENDER EQUITY, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND CHILD PROTECTION

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 10: IMPROVE MULTISECTORAL COORDINATION AND CAPACITY

THE SEQOTA DECLARATION ROADMAP

INTRODUCTION

The Seqota Declaration Roadmap is executed in three phases over a 15-year period each phases spanning a period of five years innovation phase (2016 – 2020), expansion phase (2021 – 2025) and National scale-up phase (2026 – 2030).

SEQOTA DECLARATION IMPLEMENTATION PHASES

THE INNOVATION PHASE (2016-2020):

Focuses on the implementation of priority intervention packages that is now being monitored and evaluated to generate learning’s and evidence to inform the design and implementation of the expansion phase.
The Innovation Phase was launched in Amhara and Tigray regions and their excellences the Regional Presidents of Amhara & Tigray regions lead its implementation. Seqota Declaration as a model of a Government-led multi-sectoral nutrition commitment where the federal and regional governments have made a financial commitment to accelerate its implementation. A high level inter-ministerial steering committee leads the innovation phase implementation while every six month the performance is measured through the high level forum review using accountability score cards.

EXPANSION PHASE (2021-2025):-

Will reach more vulnerable woredas across the country before a national scale-up phase. Lessons learned from the innovation phase woredas will be used as an input for the expansion phase woredas.

NATIONAL SCALE-UP PHASE (2026-2030):-

The National scale up involves full-blown implementation of evidence-based, innovative and socially-sensitive multi-sectorial interventions. It will be implemented on all woredas of the country.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE ‘SEQOTA’ DECLARATION

Addressing the high prevalence of stunting in SD woredas follows three path ways; Nutrition specific, nutrition sensitive and infrastructure interventions .The nutrition specific intervention includes: health & nutrition services which mainly focus on the first 1000 days plus window of opportunity, SAM management and micronutrient supplementation. The nutrition sensitive intervention focuses on transforming small holder productivity & income, school health & nutrition, women empowerment & income generation etc. The third Intervention is an infrastructure intervention which includes; WaSH, large-scale water infrastructure, PSNP etc. The expected out comes of these interventions are improving dietary diversity through production and availability of nutrient dense foods, better maternal & child care services as well as personal and environmental hygiene which leads to the broader vision “to end stunting in children under two years by 2030 in Ethiopia.” With multi sectorial involvement of sector ministries in collaboration with key development partners, private sectors, universities and research institutions.

SEQOTA DECLARATION INNOVATIONS