Ethiopia steps up efforts to prevent child wasting

Addis Ababa, August 18, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia is strengthening its efforts to prevent child wasting through government ownership, increased investment, stronger health systems and community engagement, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Health Mebratu Massebo said.

Speaking at a regional review and learning meeting on child wasting in Addis Ababa, Mebratu said Ethiopia is giving the prevention of child wasting greater priority and is working to strengthen the health system while ensuring communities play a leading role in program implementation.

He said ending child wasting requires more than treating acute malnutrition, emphasizing the importance of prevention, early detection of risks, community-based systems and access to essential health services and nutrition supplies.

According to Mebratu, Ethiopia is also bringing together different ministries to address the multiple factors contributing to malnutrition, including food insecurity, poverty, climate shocks and displacement.

He noted that the country's system enables the Ministry of Health to coordinate with sectors including agriculture, education, social protection, women and disaster risk management.

He further said the government has increased its financial commitment to nutrition, including funding for severe acute malnutrition programs, while nutrition has become one of the major budget priorities.

The government increased the annual budget fivefold last year and by 26 percent this year, according to Mebratu, who also emphasized the importance of data in guiding government decisions, saying information from different nutrition and health platforms is being used to improve data quality and strengthen interoperability.

The remarks were made during a regional review meeting bringing together representatives from 11 African countries and regional and international partners to assess three years of progress in preventing child wasting.

WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Ethiopia Professor Francis Chisaka Kasolo said Africa continues to bear one of the heaviest burdens of child wasting globally.

He called for sustained political commitment, predictable investment, stronger partnerships and national systems capable of preventing wasting, detecting it early and providing timely, quality care.