Program challenges

With areas of chronic food insecurity and high rates of infectious disease, Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. Improving infant and young child feeding will help move the country from nutrition crisis to nutrition security.

Limited recognition of sub-optimal IYCF practices. Breastfeeding is the cultural norm, but less than half of women practice timely introduction of complementary food. Almost half of children under five are stunted, yet there is limited recognition of the extent of the problem or the long-term consequences on learning capacity and economic productivity.

Limited experience with preventive models. Nutritional interventions often focus on food distribution in emergency situations, with less emphasis on promoting specific behaviors to improve IYCF. Ethiopia will not meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 without an escalation of program efforts related to nutrition, especially breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

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