THE African Union (AU) and Nutrition International joined forces today to launch an advocacy campaign focused on reducing malnutrition, particularly in adolescent girls.

Africa is home to more than 250 million adolescents, the largest cohort of young people in the world. 

However, the continent sees an estimated 60 million cases of anaemia in adolescent girls each year, which costs AU member states a staggering $1.38 billion (£1.1bn). 

No region of the world is on track to meet the World Health Organisation’s target of reducing anaemia in women and adolescent girls by 50 per cent.

A new report by the partners, With Good Nutrition, She’ll Grow Into It, promotes an advocacy campaign dedicated to improving the health, well-being and empowerment of girls in Africa through efforts to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia. 

The two-year campaign aims to promote public awareness of how inadequate nutrition harms the health and educational outcomes of adolescent girls.

The campaign also seeks to persuade policymakers to prioritise investment in adolescent nutrition to scale up low-cost, high-impact interventions for the prevention of iron-deficiency anaemia and improved nutrition education.

Speaking at the launch event, AU health, humanitarian affairs and social development commissioner Minata Samate Cessouma said: “Anaemia impairs cognitive functioning, compromises school performance, reduces productivity and affects current and future reproductive health.

“This is why it’s imperative for all AU member states to make reducing it a priority, so that adolescent girls can reach their full potential and be active contributors to strong, prosperous African economies.”

Nutrition International regional director for Africa Dr Richard Pendame said: “Investments made in adolescents and in their futures over the next decade will determine the direction of the African continent and whether it achieves the demographic dividend these young people both promise and deserve.

“As such, the benefits of optimising nutrition in this age group are enormous and demand urgent attention.”