THE COHA STUDY ESTIMATES THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CHILD UNDERNUTRITION IN AFRICA
About the Study
The Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study is a project led by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency and supported by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
This continent-wide initiative is placed within the framework of the Revised African Regional Nutrition Strategy (2005-2025), the objectives of the African Task Force on Food and Nutrition Development (ATFFND) and the principles of pillar 3 of the AU/NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
The methodology used was borrowed from the model
developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean (ECLAC) with WFP, and was adapted
to the African context.
The COHA study is being carried out in 12 countries, namely Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Rwanda, Swaziland and Uganda, in three phases.
The study is completed for the first phase countries – Egypt, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda and is currently being carried out in the second phase countries – Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Rwanda.
However, following the Malabo declaration in June 2014, which called upon member states to scale up implementation of the study, additional countries have come forward expressing interest to take part in the study. These include Chad,Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Somalia.
In March 2012, the COHA Study was presented to African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, who met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ministers issued Resolution 898 confirming the importance of the study and recommending it continue beyond the initial stage.
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