NIPN Ethiopia Celebrates Achievements and Reflects on Future Directions

The conference commenced with welcoming remarks from Dr. Masresha Tessema, Director of the Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Non-Communicable Diseases Research Directorate (NEHNCDRD) at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). He noted that this event marks the conclusion of the NIPN Project’s funding phase but emphasized that its impact would continue under the leadership of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and EPHI. Over the past eight years, the project has made significant contributions across various sectors, including health, agriculture, and education, through extensive collaboration with governmental organizations and local partners.

A major achievement has been, he noted, the promotion of a multisectoral approach to nutrition, fostering coordination among stakeholders. The project has also focused on long-term capacity building, supporting over six PhD students and conducting numerous short-term training sessions to strengthen the nation’s nutrition capabilities.

As the moderator of the opening ceremony, Dr. Masresha then invited Dr. Getachew Tollera, Deputy Director General for Research and Technology Transfer at EPHI, to deliver opening remarks and officially open the conference. Dr. Getachew pointed out that the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) has made remarkable contributions since its inception in 2018, playing a vital role in shaping nutrition policies through evidence-based decision-making and collaborative efforts with various stakeholders. Dr. Getachew Tollera highlighted that, guided by the motto “Bringing Evidence to Decision Makers,” NIPN has effectively addressed critical nutritional challenges by conducting tailored policy analyses that informed national strategies, including the National Nutrition Program II and the Food and Nutrition Strategy. He noted that the support of its Advisory Committee and the Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Non-Communicable Diseases Research Directorate at EPHI has been instrumental in generating critical insights into Ethiopia’s nutrition landscape.

Although funding for the NIPN project ends in November, Dr. Getachew emphasized that EPHI is committed to sustaining NIPN’s legacy and continuing its influence on nutrition policies and initiatives in Ethiopia. NIPN has focused on building the capacity of stakeholders through training programs that enhance their skills in monitoring and evaluating nutrition-related data. The implementation of NIPN activities is currently underway in the Amhara and Sidama regions, further expanding its reach. As NIPN transitions, the lessons learned and successes achieved will be carried forward to ensure ongoing improvements in nutrition outcomes across the country.

Prior to Dr. Getachew’s address, keynote speeches were delivered by Ms. Hiwot Darsene, Lead Executive Officer of the Nutrition Coordination Lead Executive Office at the Federal Ministry of Health, and Ms Tanja Dorn, Project Manager at the Green Innovation Center with GIZ, spoke on behalf of Dr. Archana Sarkar, who is Advisor to NIPN-Ethiopia from GIZ.

In her keynote address, Ms. Hiwot, a member of the NIPN Advisory Committee, highlighted NIPN’s essential contributions to Ethiopia’s nutrition landscape, particularly in ensuring food security through evidence-informed decision-making. She noted key achievements, including the expansion of the Seqota Declaration and improvements in school feeding programs, while calling for continued collaboration among stakeholders to sustain NIPN’s legacy.

Ms. Dorn emphasized the significant contributions of the initiative to food and nutrition security through collaboration with Ethiopia and Germany. She highlighted the EU-BMZ initiative’s role in enhancing evidence-based nutrition programming, improving data management, and fostering collaboration across sectors. Key achievements during the implementation phase included the establishment of regional partnerships and critical tools like the national nutrition data repository. She expressed gratitude to all partners for their commitment and reaffirmed that these efforts have laid a solid foundation for a healthier, more resilient Ethiopian population.

Following the formal opening ceremony, Dr. Endale Amare, Head of the Nutrition and Food Science Research Division at NEHNCDRD, EPHI, moderated a session themed “NIPN Ethiopia: Contributions, Achievements, Challenges, and Lessons Learned.” Three papers were presented: one by Dr. Aregash Samuel, Lead Researcher at EPHI and NIPN Coordinator; another by Ato Bedasa Tesema from NIPN/EPHI; and a third by Dr. Meron Girma, also from NIPN/EPHI.

Dr. Aregash discussed NIPN’s contributions to Ethiopia’s food and nutrition programs, including NNP-II, FNS, and the Food Systems Transformation. Ato Bedasa introduced the NIPN Dashboard as a key knowledge output tool, while Dr. Meron focused on NIPN’s sustainability and future direction.

The session concluded with a stakeholder reflection, moderated by Dr. Tadesse Zerfu from IFPRI, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, ESSP Program, Sidama region RIPN, Ministry of Water and Energy, and Tigray Health Research Institute.

The final presentations, moderated by Dr. Aregash, emphasized the importance of integrating NIPN’s processes and outputs into existing regional programs. The session titled “NIPN Sustainability: Integrating NIPN’s Processes, Outputs, and Objectives into Existing Programs to Ensure Sustained Impact” included discussions on the experiences of sub-national partnerships in the Amhara and Sidama regions, showcasing effective strategies for local implementation of NIPN initiatives.