UNITLIFE
Sascha Graumann, UNICEF Representative to Georgia
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Investing in nutrition is a smart investment
Current nutrition situation and landscape:
• As of 2014, 36 per cent of children in subSaharan Africa were stunted
• Absolute number of stunted children in the
region is increasing over time
• Costs – not only to the physical and mental
well-being of young Africans – but to their
societies too
2
UNITLIFE – an innovative funding mechanism
Fight against stunting and other forms of
malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa:
• Tax on extractive industry revenues such as
oil, gold, uranium
• Launched at UNGA in September 2015;
founding members: Congo, Guinea, Mali,
Niger
• “Made-in-Africa” solution — a bold
demonstration of African leadership to tackle a
challenge that affects so many … and to
promote sustainable growth and wellbeing
across the continent
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African extractive industry as revenue source
4
UNITLIFE Programmatic Framework
Fight against stunting and other forms of
malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa:
• Programme framework to build on
the awareness and political
commitment generated by SUN
• Organizations already active in
nutrition programming, linked to
SUN, should be able to submit
proposals
• UNITLIFE aims to support the
implementation for nutrition-specific
interventions which were described
in The Lancet (proven
effectiveness).
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Proven high impact nutrition-specific interventions
Intervention
Preconception
Folic acid supplementation
Pregnancy
Multiple micronutrient supplementation for pregnant
women / IFA
Calcium supplementation
Balanced energy-protein supplementation
Breastfeeding
Promotion of breastfeeding
Preventative
Complementary feeding for food secure and insecure
populations
Vitamin A supplementation (6-59 months)
Preventative zinc supplementation*
Curative
Zinc for treatment of diarrhoea
Feeding for children with MAM
Therapeutic feeding for severe wasting
All
Universal salt iodisation*
Source: Bhutta et al., 2013; Adapted from Table 5.1 Global Nutrition report, 2014. [* includes universal salt iodisation and zinc treatment for diarrhoea]
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UNITLIFE Governance Structure
UNICEF as host of the Trust Fund:
• Governed by Steering Committee, comprising
contributing governments, nutrition partners
foundations, CSOs, private sector, UN
• Technical Secretariat to be located in Geneva
• UNICEF as host is firewalled with independent
Technical Advisory Group (the “TAG”) and an
independent Fiduciary Management Advisor
(the “FMA”)
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UNITLIFE Challenges and Risks
• Public Policy Implications and Reputational
Risks
– Additionality: There is a risk that the proposed mechanism
would divert local resources away from addressing
malnutrition in contributing countries
– The fund is intended to mitigate such risks
• Risk of duplication or diversion of nutrition
funds
– Complementarity
– The funds will generate new funding in addition to ODA
8
UNITLIFE Challenges and Risks
Working with Extractive Industries
• Reputational risks associated with poor
governance records of participating countries
• Risks associated with poor regulatory oversight
and governance in the extractive industries sector
of participating countries
• Consultations with civil society and other agencies
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Malnutrition in Georgia
• Over 1/3rd of pregnant women and children in
Georgia suffer from micronutrient deficiencies
– Anemia: 25.6% of pregnant women and among the causes for
high maternal mortality (36 per 100,000)
– Folic acid deficiency: 36.6% of reproductive age women
– Anemia below 5 years of age: 22.8%
– Stunting: 11.3%
• National burden of malnutrition over 10 years
– USD 1.3 billion
– Approximately 3400 premature deaths
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For more information, please contact
Sascha Graumann
UNICEF Representative to Georgia
United Nations Children’s Fund
9 Eristavi str. UN House
Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia
Tel: 032 2 23 23 88
www.unicef.ge
© United Nations Children’s Fund
October 2015
Cover photo © UNICEF/NYHQ20091183/Randriambola (Girl jumping rope)