In addition to chairing the Nutrition for Growth virtual secretariat, which supported donors, partners and the host country in planning, we co-hosted three solution-focused Nutrition for Growth side events which looked at what nutrition priorities should be to drive country-led, fully financed nutrition programming in the future. Following the summit, we supported the WHO in establishing the secretariat for the Alliance for Anaemia Actions and chaired the working group for programmatic implementation. This initiative has brought additional momentum to addressing the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing anaemia for women as well as children, a stagnating indicator across the developing world.
In 2022, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Union to work closely together towards our shared vision of ending hunger, poverty and malnutrition in Africa. The agreement focuses on increased advocacy, supporting nutrition data and analytics, and tracking the progress of member states. As the African Union has declared 2022 the Year of Nutrition, the partnership will strengthen the fight against malnutrition in all its forms across Africa.
Last year, we continued to advocate for increased effective resources for nutrition by aligning government policies with proven interventions and mobilizing political will to keep nutrition priorities high on global, regional and national agendas. For example, in both Indonesia and Bangladesh, our concerted advocacy efforts have led to new legislation on wheat flour fortification and salt iodization, respectively, helping to save the lives and improve the overall health of millions.
Our technical experts continue to participate in globally recognized advisory groups, and Nutrition International serves as the chair or host of several working groups, including GAVA (the Global Alliance for Vitamin A), the Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group, the Nutrition Scaling Working Group, and the Folate Task Team.
