For research to inform decisions, evidence must reach decisionmakers. In Ethiopia, the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) promotes outreach of nutrition-related research findings by organizing topical Nutrition Research and Policy Seminars.
These outreach activities are key opportunities to disseminate existing high-level research findings and to promote increased nutrition knowledge among programmatic, policy, and donor decision makers. They also encourage regular interactions between the various sectors and actors involved in implementing the National Nutrition Programme (NNP).
NIPN is hosted by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute with technical support from IFPRI through its Compact2025 initiative. EPHI, which is mandated to lead the National Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Committee, organizes these seminars with support from IFPRI. During the first year of NIPN implementation, four seminars took place, attracting a large cohort of multisectoral stakeholders.
Seminar topics so far have been linked with the National Nutrition agenda:
- Food systems and diets in Ethiopia (September 7, 2018)
- Stunting Reduction in Ethiopia (November 9, 2018)
- Nutrition sensitive agriculture. What does the evidence tell us? (December 7, 2018)
- Animal sourced food and nutrition outcomes (March 7, 2019)
Thus far, according to participants, the topics of the seminar have been relevant to their work and the presentations were easy to follow. Participants also recommend the seminars to other participants. Networking, especially across sectors, is an important element of these events, and the seminars forge linkages between NIPN, EPHI, and the various institutions and ministries involved in nutrition.
NIPN believes it is important to learn from experiences. Every seminar is followed by an evaluation, the feedback from which shapes the agenda of the following seminar. Following the successful implementation of these seminars in the first year of NIPN, EPHI will further expand the reach of these NIPN seminars in the future. The next seminar is planned for May 7 and will be organized in partnership with EPHI’s fourth Health Congress.
