Joint News Release

The Gambia Joins Other African Countries in Undertaking Ground- Breaking Study of the Impact of Child Undernutrition

Banjul Gambia, 12 December 2018 – The Government of The Gambia today launched the ground-breaking study of the impact of child undernutrition on the economy - its theme, ‘Eliminating stunting in The Gambia is a necessary step for sustained development’. This is the latest in a series known as the Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study which examines the effects of child undernutrition on health, education and national productivity on a country.
COHA is a pan-African initiative led by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
“The Gambia Government recognizes the crucial role nutrition plays in economic development” said H.E the Vice President and Minister for Women’s Affairs, Ousainou Darboe, as he launched the COHA study. He further noted that the Cost of Hunger in Africa study provides the necessary evidence base needed for directing urgent investment to advance human capital and more specifically, nutrition.
So far, 15 countries have completed the study, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, and most recently in Niger. The findings show that countries are incurring significant losses raging between 1.9 and 16.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually due to the effect of malnutrition.
Speaking on behalf of the African Union and NEPAD Agency, Bibi Giyose noted that Cost of Hunger in Africa study should not be an end in itself but the beginning of something much bigger. “It should lead to more investments, real commitment and change”, she emphasized.
Among dignitaries present at the study launch were Hon. Mambury Njie, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Claudiana Cole, Minister of Basic and

Secondary Education, and Mrs Serafine Wakana, United Nations Resident Coordinator. All reiterated the importance of undertaking the study in The Gambia, citing the study’s role in advocating for nutrition as a development priority. Also present to witness the launch were representative heads from, FAO, UNICEF, UNESCO and UNAIDS, and WFP Africa Office representatives from Ethiopia and other senior government and NGOs representatives.
“The current demographic profile of The Gambia reflects a large and growing youth bulge”, said Wanja Kaaria, WFP Representative and Country Director. “This represents great economic potential, but only if, families and the government adequately invest in their health and education systems and stimulates new economic opportunities for them as todays investment is tomorrow’s saving.”
The Gambia Cost of Hunger in Africa study is being implemented under the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), with the support of WFP. Together, they will organize a three-day capacity-building and training workshop for the National Implementation Team (NIT) on methodology, data collection and analysis. The NIT comprises a multi-sectoral team from various government ministries and will be responsible for conducting the study.
For media inquiries and requests contact:
Pa Modou Phall, NaNA/Banjul, email: modoucheyassinphall@yahoo.com; tel: +220 9954038 Margaret Agama-Anyetei, Africa Union Commission, email: Agama-Anyeteim@africa-union.org Priscilla Wanjiru, WFP/Addis Ababa, email: priscilla.wanjiru@wfp.org; tel: +251 967001929 Wanja Kaaria, WFP/Banjul, Email: wanja.kaaria@wfp.org; tel +220 9969697
George Fominyen, WFP/Dakar, george.fominyen@wfp.org ; tel: +221776394271
David Orr, WFP/Rome, email: david.orr@wfp.org; tel: +39 066513 3179
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