From 2011 to 2018, the prevalence of stunting for children under five decreased slightly from 19.6% to 17%. During the same period, acute malnutrition increased from 8.5% to 9% in 2017 before decreasing to 7.8% in 2018 for children under five.

The rate of exclusive breastfeeding fell from 39% in 2010 to 33% in 2015, before increasing to 42% in 2017. At the national level, the prevalence of diarrhoea is 18% in children under five but in 2017, 16 departments had rates of 30% or more.

Anaemia remains a major public health concern, with rates in children under five rising from 66% to 71% between 2014 and 2017.

Iodine deficiency affects 28% of women and only 47% of the Senegalese population consumes adequately iodized salt.

Remote locations make it difficult for pregnant women and their children to access essential health care services, medicines and other commodities, including vitamins and minerals.

Since 2018, Nutrition International Senegal and the Sahel has been in its strategic planning cycle (2018-2024) and it has worked in collaboration with governments, partners and the Cellule de Lutte Contre la Malnutrition to:

• Reduce by 50% the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant and lactating women, adult women, adolescent girls and children under five in Senegal
• Reduce by at least 20% the prevalence of stunting among children under two in targeted areas in Senegal
• Reduce by at least 20% the number of cognitive impairments in newborns in Senegal
• Reduce the mortality rate of children under five from 50 per 1,000 to 42 per 1,000 live births in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Niger
• Reduce maternal mortality from 392 per 100,000 live births to 285 per 100,000 live births in Senegal

Country Director, Senegal and the Sahel
Dr. Balla Moussa Diedhiou
Email: bdiedhiou@NutritionIntl.org

Nutrition International Senegal
Immeuble Adja Koone Boulevard de l’Est x 2 Bis Point E
BAT 101 1^er Étage
BP 25513 ― Dakar-Fann, Senegal

Telephone: +221 33 869 30 02
Fax: +221 33 824 51 71