COVID19 has affected many aspects of our lives. Its impact on nutrition and food security stands out as a major one in low-income countries like Ethiopia. The presentation is made based on a desk review of various studies made at national and global levels to stimulate programmatic dialogue and promote action. It attempts to build likely scenarios of the impact of COVID19 on health and food systems and what can be done to mitigat the impact of COVID19 on the progress made to date on nutrition in Ethiopia.

1. THE IMPACT OF COVID19
ON THE NATIONAL
NUTRITION LANDSCAPE:
POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Alem Hadera Abay
Public Health Nutritionist (MPH, BA )
June 18, 2020

2. NUTRITION AND MORTALITY TRENDS
Good progress but still the 4th
global contributor.
COVID19 would disrupts the
progress in nutrition &
mortality reduction to date.
“COVID19 induced hunger” or
“famine” is likely – rise in SAM
caseloads by 24%(UNICEF
Ethiopia)
This can be avoided if proper
mitigation strategies are in
place.
Source: DHS
123
88
67
55
77
59
48 4339 37
29 30
0
50
100
150
2005 2014 2016 2019
Child, Infant & Neonatal Mortality
Trends
Child Mortality Infant Mortality Neonatal Mortality

3. COVID19 IMPACT ON NUTRITION: SCENARIOS
Livelhoods & Food
System
Consumption
Income & Unemployment
Safety net & Food assistance
Markets & Food Price
Food supply, standards & safety
Health Systems
Service Coverage,
Access,
Demand,
Supplies & personnel
D
I
S
R
U
P
T
I
O
N
Information &
Communication
Misinformation
Overload
Disensitization
Illness
Diets
Malnutrition in
All its forms
Death &
Impairmen
t
Adapted from UNICEF framework

4. IMPACT SCENARIOS ON HEALTH SYSTEM
Disruptions to the already streched health system are converging to a breaking point, if
not revitalized promptly COVID19 induced hunger is inevitable.
Components of the Health System that are likely
to expreince shocks/disruptions include
Routine ANC & IYCF services- CMAM,
supplementation(Vit. A & Iron Folate),
deworming, & outreach services.
Routne immunization and campaignes. Unicef
reporeted cancelation of measles & polio
campign & >1,052 cases
Demand for health services – 9% ARI cases in
Ethiopia (MoH, Mar. 2020).
Stocks of essential drugs, supplements &
premixes
Weakend referal systems- capacity(personnel
& equipments) in care centers.
DHS, 2019
46.8
57.9
45 47
20
38.3
39
43
2005 2014 2016 2019
VAS EPI
123
88
67
55
77
59
48 4339 37 29 30
0
50
100
150
2005 2011 2016 2019
Child, Infant and Neonatal
Mortality
Child Mortality Infant Mortality Neonatal Mortlity

5. IMPACT CENARIOS ON THE FOOD SYSTEM
Consumers coping - divert to staples for cheap
souces of energy, frequency of meal reduced &
avaoid certain foods like dairy, vegitables & meat.
More jobs are lost in the informal sectors- daily
laborlores, street food vendors & shops.
Income declined in the service sectors especially
SMEs(80%).
Increase in food price-50% HH avoided dairy,
meat, poultry; 22% vegetables- eggs, meat, garlic,
ginger, lemon.
Rise in MAM & households who need relief
assistance. NDRMC appealed for USD1.65 B
funding to 16.4 M.
Ethiopia was already responding to food insecurity,
desert locust, floods and protracted displacements.
Reported diruptions to the food system to date include;
Source: IFPRI, 2020

6. MISINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
So many “experts” & conflicting
messages on prevention & diets.
Breastfeeding one of the proven cost-
effective action under threat.
‘False beliefs’ about certain diets-
Munch on your garlic & chilis.
The cyber media & FM radios
contributed to such myths.
Decline in health seeking behavior
for essential health services as health
personnel are seen as “threats” and
not part of the solution.

7. MITIGATION STRATEGIES: ADAPTING HEALTH SYSTEM
Separation of routine health services from
emergency COVID19 services & change community
perceptions & build confidence.
Adapt, Sustain & Expand essential nutrition action
aligned with health services- ENCU CMAM/MIYCN
guides
Preposition essential supplies like supplements,
vaccines, essential drugs, premixes etc.
Active case finding of COVID19 with prompt
referrals to care centers in line with our preventive
health policy v/s postmortem testing.
Equip & capacity develop health professional at all
levels- PPEs, testing tools etc
COVID19 emergency services strengthened with
manpower, equipment & confidence building of the
public on the effectiveness of such services in the
care centers

8. ADAPTING THE FOOD SYSTEMS & LIVELIHOOD
Expand & Sustain production, & marketing of healthy and affordable
foods
Market regulation & enforcement for selected basic food commodities-
13
Industrial scale food fortification and biofortification
Homestead production of vegetables and fruits-urban agriculture
Continue to structure our open markets & incentivize to sustain
changes- Atkilt Tera was good news! – Labor cost on the rise ?
Strengthen and expand safety & regional food banks net to most
vulnerable – Follow up on the new appeal.
Continue to engage & acknowledge the private sector & the
community in relief & recovery efforts.

9. POLICY & PLANING CONSIDRATIONS
Rethink lockdown policy. Focus on social distancing and safety instead.
Adapt & expand essential health services and nutrition action. Innovations
and revising existing protocols and guidelines are key in the COVID19 era.
Preposition all essential supplies by anticipating COVID19 induced crisis.
Incentivize SMEs through temporary subsidies, tax relief and linking to
markets.
Open markets but regulate them especially for basic staples.
Expand safety net and relief operation. Encourage private sector &
community participation.
Equip health facilities & separate them from COVID19 care centers.
Sensitize & train media to tackle misinformation & build public confidence
on health services and align their messages focusing on healthy diets & social
distancing and not on fear mongering messages that may lead to ‘learned
helplessness’.

10. THANK YOU
AMESEGNALEHU
GELATOMA
YEKENIYELEY!