The expected outcomes of the National Action Plan for Nutrition (NAPN) in Cameroon are the reduction of neonatal, infant and child mortality rates related to undernutrition and overnutrition (SDGs 2 and 3). The implementation of the National Nutrition Policy will enable by 2030 to reduce morbidity and mortality rates related to undernutrition and overnutrition in children, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women and the elderly, through the improvement of their nutritional status in accordance with Sustainable Development Objective No. 2: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”.
The government’s priority nutrition interventions focus on:
– promotion of good infant and young child feeding practices through early and exclusive
breastfeeding for up to six months, introduction of complementary feeding from the age of
six months and continuation breastfeeding up to 24 months;
– promotion of community nutrition in health areas at the national level;
– prevention of micronutrient deficiencies, including vitamin A supplementation and
deworming of children 6-59 months of age, the use of zinc in the treatment of diarrhoea,
iron and folic acid supplementation of pregnant women and breastfeeding women and
home fortification using micronutrient powders;
– implementation of the baby-friendly hospital initiative; and
– improvement of the management of acute malnutrition, particularly through the
implementation of the National Protocol for the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition.