SUN Phase II
Scaling-up nutrition in the 1,000 most critical days is a UN-supported programme in 17 districts of Zambia
Zambia has made progress on reducing stunting over the past decade, but it remains a challenge. 35 per cent of children are stunted at five years old (ZDHS 2018), the third highest rate of stunting in the southern Africa region (World Bank 2018). Childhood stunting is an irreversible outcome of growth failure in the first 1000 days of life, from pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday. Stunting is a result of chronic malnutrition.
“Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection and inadequate psychosocial stimulation” - WHO
The causes of stunting are many. They include but are not limited to poverty, urban-rural inequality, gender inequalities (where women have little education, information, limited access to health services), poor diet diversity, chronic food insecurity, low quality of foods, and poor hygiene, water and sanitation.
Stunting has long-term effects on individuals, families, societies and the nation – including diminished cognitive and physical development, poor performance in school, reduced adult economic productivity and increased risk for diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. These negative consequences follow these children for their entire life, and have significant effects on national development.
In response to high stunting prevalence globally, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), a global movement, was formed to help countries overcome malnutrition and stunting. Zambia was among the early adopters, joining the movement in 2010 to implement a programme focusing on the reduction of stunting.
The First 1000 Most Critical Days Programme (MCDP I) was launched as the Government of the Republic of Zambia’s official flagship programme for coordinated nutrition actions for stunting reduction. This was followed by a second phase MCDP II, which is being implemented from 2018-2022. Zambia has identified 37 priority districts for stunting reduction under the MCDP II, and these will receive comprehensive, integrated, harmonized, and large-scale multi-sectoral nutrition interventions using a common approach to deliver services.
The SUN II programme is a 4-year initiative supporting MCDP II led by UNICEF in partnership with the National Food and Nutrition Commission, line ministries, other UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The programme is generously supported by the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany through KFW Development Bank, the Swedish international development cooperation agency (Sida) and UK aid from the British people. SUN II provides a package of interventions in communities that adopt multiple approaches to delivering services to households in 17 districts of Zambia.
USAID also implements Scaling Up Nutrition in 13 districts through SUN TA, the Federal Republic of Germany in 4 districts, through GIZ’s Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience (FANSER) programme, and SNV in 6 districts districts (three overlapping with other partners) under the FCDO-funded Scaling Sustainable Nutrition for All (SN4A) programme.
SUN PHASE II AIMS TO ACHIEVE FOUR KEY EXPECTED RESULTS BETWEEN 2019 AND 2023
- Sustained practice of optimal nutrition behaviours amongst adolescents, pregnant women, mothers and caregivers of children under two.
- Sustained demand for and use of agriculture, health and WASH interventions for adolescents, pregnant women, mothers and caregivers of children under two and communities.
- Quality nutrition information is used by communities, government and partners for evidence-based decisions, action and advocacy.
- Sustained commitment by government and partners for accountable nutrition governance.