In its upcoming SANBio event, Finding Solutions through Technical Innovations, and its Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency is working to accelerate improvements in nutrition and health within African countries
In its upcoming SANBio event, Finding Solutions through Technical Innovations, and its Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency is working to accelerate improvements in nutrition and health within African countries.
The Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio), a NEPAD research, development and innovation platform on health and nutrition, will host its annual networking event for regional and international stakeholders in Pretoria, South Africa on February 27-28, 2018.
This year’s theme is `Commercialisation of Research Technologies’ and will explore innovations in the biosciences, the role of data and technology in nutrition and health, cultural changes towards entrepreneurship in research, innovative infrastructure, and future trends and funding models.
SANBio aims to connect companies with investors and academics with industries and policy makers, as well as setting up discussions between renowned experts and young people.
The event will also include two pitching competitions and an exhibition on companies’ bioscience innovations.
In addition, the Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa (IFNA), launched by NEPAD and JICA in 2016, is moving forward with plans to help African governments implement nutrition policies, with the aim of ending malnutrition in Africa in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
IFNA activities are scheduled to run between 2016 and 2025, with ten countries targeted in its pilot phase: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.
The initiative is intended to identify and share good practices through a mutual learning process between all partners, and scale up action on nutrition through incorporating the comparative advantages of each participating country.
IFNA operates on three levels, the first being a partners meeting, an advisory function held biennially, where good practices and results on interventions are shared and operations are reviewed.
The second is the Steering Committee, comprised of AfDB, FAO, IFAD, JICA, JIRCAS, NEPAD Agency , UNICEF, WB, WFP and WHO, which gather annually to endorse work plans, review annual reports, review the list of target countries, and amend IFNA guidelines.
The third operation level is the Secretariat, hosted at the NEPAD South Africa offices and comprised of a Chief Official, Programme Coordinator, Technical Staff, and Secretary, who act as the coordination body and ensure IFNA’s effective implementation.
