Advancing MMS for Maternal Nutrition in Africa

Countries have made significant progress since the last meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with many now taking charge of their own MMS agendas and collaborating through a community of practice. Key institutions, such as the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank, expressed strong support for maternal nutrition and MMS. Initiatives like UNICEF’s Maternal Nutrition Acceleration Plan and the Child Nutrition Fund, alongside new advocacy and financing tools, are driving further momentum.

Many countries are shifting from considering MMS adoption to planning for its large-scale implementation. They are moving beyond proof of impact, pilot projects, and demonstrations and leveraging implementation science to inform effective implementation and scale-up. With sufficient financial and technical support available, barriers to scaling MMS—such as resources and supply – should not hold countries back from long-term, sustainable strategies.

The ‘Call to Action’ reflects the collective expertise, experiences, and recommendations of delegates across Africa, developed during the meeting. Grounded in evidence-based discussions and enriched by diverse regional perspectives, it charts a shared path for accelerating the adoption and scale-up of maternal nutrition interventions, notably MMS as a part of essential antenatal care services to improve maternal and child health outcomes in Africa.

The new series of Knowledge Bytes captures the diverse expertise and experiences of nutrition leaders at the meeting. Stay tuned for more!