The ‘Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG), developed through a collaborative partnership among the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education, was launched on 16 March 2022. The development of the Guideline was coordinated by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI).
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Dr.Liya Tadese indicated that 54 percent o households in Ethiopia consumed only four of the seven recommended food categories. Women and children consumed even less categories of food, Dr.Liya said adding that this has led to stunting and other health issues.
Minister of Education, Prof.Berhanu Nega, who was present on the occasion said more than 1.9 million students are benefitting from a countrywide school feeding program, as part of achieving national nutrition targets. Prof. Berhanu added that efforts are underway to integrate educational content focused on ‘Food-Based Diet' into the curriculum with the view to improving the national food culture.
Ethiopia is one of the eight African countries who have developed ‘Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. (FBDGs)’