Kigali, January 25, 2017 – The Social Cluster Ministries  have held an orientational meeting with all stakeholders involved in nutrition programs in Rwanda, to discuss strategies for better implementation and coordination of various interventions. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Health.
On behalf of the Chair of the Social Cluster Ministries, the Minister of Health, Dr Diane Gashumba thanked the Governement partners for their continious contribution in the fight againt malnutrition and their commitment in ensuring a better coordination that will guide the interventions at all levels. 

“ Rwanda Governement is thankful to the support you provide to the Social Cluster Ministries in improving the lives of Rwandans and with a better coordination, I am sure we will be able to successfully fast tracking the achieve our goals, especially in the fight against malnutrition and stunting,” said Minister Diane Gashumba when addressing the partners. 

Participants in the meeting were taken through the National Early Childhood Development Program, (NECD) by its National Cordinator, Dr Anita Asiime. The ECD programme’s mandate is to coordinate all interventions that support adequate Early Childhood Development for children from their conception to six years of age with a specific focus on prevention and reduction of stunting as well as the coordination of all the wider nutrition and hygiene interventions. The programme will also deal with the link of nutrition with social protection, food fortification with micronutrient and most importantly, a strong coordination of the targeted interventions from national to village level.

“It is really good to see how with support from implementing partners, the integration approach is becoming a reality where our communities are benefiting from combined interventions including the improvement of their health status, hygiene and nutrition, but also promoting family values, education and child protection,” assured Esperence Nyirasafari, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion. 
The new strategic areas of the programme include investment and integration of nutrition and ECD during the first 1,000 days, promote adolescent and maternal nutrition and the integration of nutrition, WASH and Family planning.

The stakeholders who attended this Social Cluster Ministries meeting included the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, USAID, World Food Programme, FAO, World Vision, World Relief, European Union Delegation, ADRA, Concern, Global Communities, SFH, FXB Rwanda, CRS, Access to Health, ADRA, Plan International, CNFA and AEE Rwanda. 
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For more information, please contact: Mr Malick KAYUMBA, Tel: Tel: +250 788 350 035, Email: malick.kayumba@rbc.gov.rw