Over 1.4 Million Children Benefited from Seqota Declaration Initiatives This Fiscal Year: Ministry of Health

Addis Ababa, July 5, 2025 (ENA)— The Ministry of Health announced that over 1.4 million children have benefited from the Seqota Declaration Program during the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year.

As part of Ethiopia’s commitment to addressing malnutrition, especially among children under the age of two, the government of Ethiopia introduced the Seqota Declaration, a multisectoral plan to end stunting among children under two years by 2030.

Senior Program Officer at the Seqota Declaration Federal Program Implementation Unit within the Ministry’s Nutrition Coordination Office, Sisay Sinamo elaborated the program's progress and its contribution to helping children in various districts.

Speaking to ENA, he revealed that in addition to reaching children, the program has supported over 2.8 million pregnant and lactating mothers across the country.

 Sisay emphasized that the Seqota Declaration Program follows a multi-sectoral implementation strategy involving the health, education, agriculture, water, women's affairs, and social development sectors.

 In a commitment to end stunting in children under two years by 2030, the program initially targeted 240 districts identified with high levels of malnutrition, Sisay said, adding that it also undergoes an annual impact evaluation to monitor improvements in child health and nutrition.

 According to the most recent assessment, the program helped save more than 100,000 children from malnutrition and prevented over 1,000 child deaths.

 Currently, 334 districts are participating in the program, with over 750 million Birr allocated for its implementation this fiscal year.

 The pilot phase of the program began in 40 districts in the Amhara and Tigray regions, Sisay noted, adding that ongoing efforts are focused on strengthening community ownership and promoting locally driven, sustainable solutions.

 He also emphasized that awareness-raising campaigns are being conducted in collaboration with partners to address deforestation and its impacts on nutrition and overall community well-being.