Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA – His Majesty King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho, African Union Nutrition Champion, issued a powerful call to action urging African leaders to place child survival and nutrition at the centre of national development priorities, following a field visit to Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa.

Hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and Nutrition International, and accompanied by representatives from the Government of Canada, the visit highlighted the lifesaving impact of integrating cost-effective nutrition interventions into routine health systems. His Majesty met with health workers, mothers and their children, and personally administered vitamin A supplementation to children under five, a proven intervention that strengthens immunity, reduces preventable deaths by up to 24% and helps protect against common childhood illnesses, including measles and diarrhoea.  

Ethiopia’s integrated nutrition services include Growth Monitoring and Promotion, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, maternal and child nutrition screening, and the identification and management of acute malnutrition. These services are provided through routine health systems and community outreach platforms, ensuring that vulnerable women and children are reached consistently and equitably. 

The approach follows a life-cycle framework, with particular emphasis on the first 1,000 days — from pregnancy through a child’s second birthday — a critical window for physical growth, brain development, and long-term health. In addition to service delivery, strong promotion activities are implemented to encourage optimal breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, dietary diversity, maternal nutrition, and care-seeking behaviors. This integrated model demonstrates how strengthening primary health care systems with cost-effective nutrition interventions can deliver measurable, sustainable results. The visit reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to accelerating progress toward ending preventable child deaths and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to survive, grow, and thrive. 

“Africa is facing an urgent child survival crisis driven by preventable causes,” said His Majesty King Letsie III. “What I have witnessed today is deeply encouraging and shows the transformational impact of treating child survival and nutrition as core development priorities delivered through strong health systems. Africa cannot afford to treat these interventions as peripheral; they must be central to all government planning and investment.”  

Globally, malnutrition contributes to nearly half of deaths among children under five, often alongside preventable infectious diseases. Across Africa, millions of children continue to miss out on essential nutrition services during the critical first 1,000 days, a window that determines whether a child survives, grows and reaches their full potential, underscoring the urgency for governments to scale up evidence-based solutions.  

Ethiopia continues to demonstrate how integrated primary healthcare services can improve child nutrition outcomes. Her Excellency Dr. Mekdes Daba, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to child survival, stating, “Ethiopia’s primary health unit is providing high-impact health and nutrition interventions to improve child survival and nutrition. By scaling up [these interventions], Ethiopia is making positive progress in reducing child and neonatal mortality. The Seqota Declaration is a showcase of a government-led, multisectoral initiative to end stunting in Africa.” She added that, with political will and partnership with the African Union and other development partners, we can make positive progress and address the challenges that affect child survival and nutrition.   

“How is it possible that for the first time in over 20 years we are losing more children this year than the year before? Every child who dies from an easily preventable cause is an unacceptable loss that calls us to wake up and focus our efforts where they matter most,” said Joel Spicer, President and CEO, Nutrition International. “We are here to witness progress and to better understand the challenges, so we can more effectively support government efforts. African leadership has both the power and the potential to remind the world that protecting every child from the beginning is our collective duty.” 

As the African Union’s Nutrition Champion, His Majesty King Letsie III’s visit is part of ongoing efforts to accelerate progress toward ending preventable child deaths and ensuring that every child not only survives but thrives. The visit also reinforces the importance of continental leadership, advocacy and partnership in accelerating progress on child survival across Africa. 

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