The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement has officially launched the video documentary “Good Nutrition: Key for a Healthy Nation.” The documentary was developed by Action Against Hunger's mission in Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Civil Society Platform (CSP) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). The film aims to showcase the achievements made by the Ministry of Health and its partners in the fight against malnutrition by providing an overview of the main programs and strategies in place in the country for the prevention and the treatment of malnutrition.

The event was attended by representatives from line ministries, civil society, other NGOs, donors, the private sector, and the media. During the launch, remarks were made by the SUN National Coordinator, Action Against Hunger Country Director Sasha Ekanayake, Director of Food and Nutrition at MoHS, Irish Aid, and the permanent secretary in Sierra Leone's Vice President’s Office. All speakers pointed to the fact that the documentary represents a step in the right direction, promoting the gains made in tackling malnutrition.

Indeed, over the past decade Sierra Leone has significantly improved in the fight against  malnutrition as revealed by the national SMART (Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions) survey conducted in 2014 by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and partners. The survey shows that in 2014 12.9% of children were found to be underweight as opposed to 18.7% in 2010, 28.8% stunted as opposed to 34.1% in 2010, and 4.7% wasted as opposed to 6.9% in 2010. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life has also improved from about 30% to 58.8% in 2014.

This is a result of the government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition, which reflects national and international commitments to strategies and programs aimed at improving maternal, infant, and young child nutrition. Unfortunately, despite the successes achieved, these seem not to be sufficiently visible in the field. It is against this backdrop that the documentary was designed to showcase the gains made by providing an overview of the main programs and strategies in the field and the results. The documentary, displayed during the event, was broadcast on national television here and taken to the SUN Global Gathering held in Milan, Italy, at the end of October.

Watch the documentary below: