The Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the African Union (AU) Commission, Prof Julio Rakotonirina, has stressed that “nutrition is a right for every child, regardless of their geographical or economic background.”

He said this at the launch of the First Foods Africa Initiative in Cotonou, Benin, describing the programme as “a decisive step towards eradicating child malnutrition and building resilient food systems across the continent.”

Spearheaded by UNICEF, the First Foods Africa Initiative will support local production and consumption of nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable first foods for young children, particularly those most vulnerable to malnutrition and its devastating effects on survival, growth, and development.

The initiative also aims to address child food poverty, building on UNICEF’s expertise in the local and regional production of ready-to-use therapeutic foods.

It is guided by the UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020–2030 and the UNICEF Vision on Food Systems for Children, forming a central pillar of the UNICEF Africa Strategy in support of the continent’s development agenda.

Prof Rakotonirina emphasised that the initiative is not “just another programme but a promise to Africa’s children.”

He explained: “It is a promise that no child will be left behind, that no child will be condemned to hunger when we already have the solutions to protect them.”

According to UNICEF, the First Foods Africa Initiative has three core objectives:

1. Incentivise local production of nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable first foods - in Africa, by Africa, and for Africa’s young children under five.
2. Strengthen policy environments to protect, promote, and support access to these foods for children across the continent.
3. Stimulate adequate consumption of nutritious first foods through large-scale social marketing and behaviour change programs.

Reiterating the AU Commission’s commitment, Prof Rakotonirina declared: “With the launch of First Foods Africa, we affirm that good nutrition is a right. Hunger is preventable.

"The African Union Commission is working hand in hand with UNICEF, member states, regional bodies, and the private sector to amplify this initiative.”

He added: “It is our continental call because investing in children’s first foods means we are investing in Africa’s first and greatest wealth and its people.”