Essential nutrition actions

Through its various country programs, AED has been a key player in initiating and strengthening the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework. ENA stresses the promotion of optimal nutritional practices spanning infant and young child feeding, micronutrients, and women's nutrition, at key times during the life cycle. The framework highlights six priority interventions and six specific contacts with the health system for incorporating appropriate nutrition emphases. Nutrition support is integrated into many different programs in the health and non-health sectors, utilizing multiple program opportunities as a way to reach high coverage of priority target groups. The ENA approach has been initiated in countries in Africa including Senegal, Benin, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Niger; in Asia (Indonesia and India); as well as by donor agencies (USAID, UNICEF) as the overarching approach within which to promote improved nutritional status during the first two years of life as well as during pregnancy and lactation.