Tracking Malnutrition in South Asia: 9 Years On

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00:03 When it comes to food and nutrition security,

00:05 economic indicators are deceptive.

00:08 In South Asia,

00:09 where we've seen some of the most rapidly developing economies in the world,

00:12 we also see the most undernourished populations.

00:15 It's called the South Asian enigma.

00:17 And for 9 years,

00:18 SAFASI,

00:19 the South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative,

00:22 worked to investigate this trend.

00:24 Over two phases,

00:25 the multi-dor trust fund administered $23.8 million

00:30 in small but flexible seed grants.

00:32 These grants funded 100 activities to analyze the root.

00:36 Causes of undernutrition

00:38 to advocate for greater government commitment

00:41 to develop evidence-based regional and national policies,

00:44 and to pilot innovative programs to build capacity and

00:48 improve food and nutrition services in South Asia.

00:51 So 10 years ago,

00:52 the conversation about nutrition focused primarily on the health sector.

00:56 Very few people were talking about cross-sectoral collaboration,

01:00 whether it was with agriculture,

01:02 water and sanitation,

01:03 or education.

01:05 And Seffansi really was the first effort to do so in South Asia.

01:09 Just as an example,

01:10 in Nepal,

01:12 a Seffansi supported multi-sectoral nutrition project demonstrated that when

01:17 people are given a choice

01:19 of which areas to focus on,

01:21 communities that prioritize access to clean water and sanitation,

01:25 in addition to direct nutrition interventions,

01:29 experienced a reduction in wasting,

01:32 underweight,

01:33 and stunting.

01:35 Saffanonzi's work targeted South Asia's most vulnerable women and children,

01:39 disenfranchised indigenous groups,

01:41 and ethnic minorities.

01:42 For example,

01:43 with Safanzi's support,

01:44 local tribes in the Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh received

01:47 training to produce nutrition and cooking videos in 3.

01:50 Indigenous languages

01:57 through community screenings,

01:59 more than 2000 people in the most remote areas of

02:01 the country learned the importance of consuming nourishing local foods.

02:06 Nutrition is the foundation for building human capital.

02:11 As a result of better nutrition,

02:13 children are 3 times as likely to escape poverty as adults,

02:18 and women are more likely to own their own businesses.

02:23 By placing women

02:24 at the center of project implementation,

02:27 Safancy also helped to positively shift gender.

02:31 The Social observatory project in Bihar in India empowered local women

02:36 to collect data from more than 10,000 households.

02:40 These data strengthened the monitoring capacity of rural

02:43 livelihood projects and helped these communities to understand

02:47 how the market,

02:49 the government,

02:50 and their own behavior

02:52 affects nutrition outcomes.

02:55 Across borders,

02:56 Safanzi's regional programs and knowledge sharing events have sparked

03:00 a new era of cross-country dialogue and cooperation.

03:04 This small nimble program has catalyzed big,

03:07 meaningful change,

03:08 and we see even more opportunities to

03:11 continue this work and help communities thrive

03:14 in South Asia

03:15 and beyond.

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When it comes to food and nutrition security, economic indicators are deceptive. In South Asia, where we've seen some of the most rapidly developing economies in the world, we also see the most undernourished populations. It's called the South Asian enigma. And for 9 years, SAFASI, the South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative, worked to investigate this trend. Over two phases, the multi-dor trust fund administered $23.8 million in small but flexible seed grants. These grants funded 100 activities to analyze the root. Causes of undernutrition to advocate for greater government commitment to develop evidence-based regional and national policies, and to pilot innovative programs to build capacity and improve food and nutrition services in South Asia. So 10 years ago, the conversation about nutrition focused primarily on the health sector. Very few people were talking about cross-sectoral collaboration, whether it was with agriculture, water and sanitation, or education. And Seffansi really was the first effort to do so in South Asia. Just as an example, in Nepal, a Seffansi supported multi-sectoral nutrition project demonstrated that when people are given a choice of which areas to focus on, communities that prioritize access to clean water and sanitation, in addition to direct nutrition interventions, experienced a reduction in wasting, underweight, and stunting. Saffanonzi's work targeted South Asia's most vulnerable women and children, disenfranchised indigenous groups, and ethnic minorities. For example, with Safanzi's support, local tribes in the Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh received training to produce nutrition and cooking videos in 3. Indigenous languages through community screenings, more than 2000 people in the most remote areas of the country learned the importance of consuming nourishing local foods. Nutrition is the foundation for building human capital. As a result of better nutrition, children are 3 times as likely to escape poverty as adults, and women are more likely to own their own businesses. By placing women at the center of project implementation, Safancy also helped to positively shift gender. The Social observatory project in Bihar in India empowered local women to collect data from more than 10,000 households. These data strengthened the monitoring capacity of rural livelihood projects and helped these communities to understand how the market, the government, and their own behavior affects nutrition outcomes. Across borders, Safanzi's regional programs and knowledge sharing events have sparked a new era of cross-country dialogue and cooperation. This small nimble program has catalyzed big, meaningful change, and we see even more opportunities to continue this work and help communities thrive in South Asia and beyond.

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SAFANSI Video 012720 v7 FINAL

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