YADAM FOUNDATION HOSTS REGIONAL WORKSHOP
Addis Ababa — March 24, 2026 — The YADAM Foundation convened a high-level, two-day Regional Experience‑Sharing and Advocacy Workshop at the Inter Luxury Hotel on March 23–24, bringing together government officials, technical experts and development partners from Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Addis Ababa, Somali, Afar and Harari to accelerate Ethiopia’s response to malnutrition.
Centered on priority areas including large‑scale food fortification (LSFF), multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), nutrition governance and financing, the workshop aimed to align multi‑sector efforts and scale proven interventions across regions.
Opening the event, YADAM board member Dr. Tilaye Gete warned that ending stunting requires coordinated, well‑funded action. “We must move beyond siloed efforts — align policies, enforce regulations and secure sustainable financing to protect the health of our mothers and infants,” he said.
Day one featured two panels. The first, on LSFF implementation, highlighted regulatory and operational gaps that hinder fortification. Participants from the Food and Beverage Industry Research and Development Center and the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority urged unified enforcement and consumer awareness campaigns to boost demand for fortified products.
The second panel examined maternal health systems and MMS pilot programs. Regional leaders from Oromia and Somali shared successes in training and community engagement but flagged supply chain challenges in pastoralist areas and inconsistent domestic financing. Participants toured the Wakene Food Complex in the afternoon to observe fortification processes, underscoring calls for stronger public‑private partnerships to help manufacturers manage production costs amid competition from cheaper, non‑fortified imports.
On day two, discussions shifted to institutionalizing nutrition governance and mobilizing local resources. Presentations on the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) from Amhara and Afar highlighted progress toward poverty graduation but noted persistent budget and environmental constraints. Oromia’s institutional model — the Food System and Nutrition Coordination Office (FSNCO) was showcased as an example of formalizing multi‑sector coordination under regional leadership to strengthen accountability. Amhara finance official urged creation of dedicated local budget lines for nutrition monitoring and follow‑up. As Seqota Declaration Federal Program Delivery Unit indicated 6 billion Ethiopian Birr has been mobilized by federal and regional governments for stunting reduction — a signal of growing political commitment to nutrition.
In closing, YADAM CEO reaffirmed the foundation’s vision of contributing towards social transformation where by nutrition guides policy and action,” and he pledging continued collaboration to ensure workshop commitments translate into measurable improvements for mothers and children across Ethiopia.
