Regional Conference in Lomé Adopts Joint Action Framework on Child Nutrition

Health

Friday, 15 May 2026 09:19

Regional Conference in Lomé Adopts Joint Action Framework on Child Nutrition

(Togo First) - The Togolese capital Lomé hosted a landmark regional conference on nutrition and early childhood development from May 11 to 13, bringing together ministers and delegations from twenty-two West and Central African nations. Organized by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Togolese government, the WHO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), the three-day gathering concluded with the adoption of a joint call to action, the Lomé Declaration, centered on six commitments to be implemented over the next three years.

A Shared Diagnosis

Speakers highlighted common challenges across the region. One in four children suffers from stunting, while 65 million women are affected by anaemia. In the Central African Republic, the chronic malnutrition rate stands at 40%, with maternal mortality reaching 800 deaths per 100,000 live births. In Chad, refugee flows driven by conflict in neighboring countries are placing additional strain on an already overstretched health system.

Tony Verheijen, the World Bank Group's representative in Togo, noted that the absolute number of malnourished children in the region continues to rise, driven by a combination of soaring food prices, shrinking household purchasing power, security crises and cuts to development aid.

Four Operational Priorities

In her address, WFP Regional Director Kinday Ndella Samba outlined four priority areas: integrating health services at every point of contact with women and children; transforming food systems to make nutritious foods both accessible and affordable; investing in girls' education as a lever against malnutrition; and strengthening families' purchasing power through social protection systems and income-generating employment.

The World Bank also highlighted financing mechanisms such as the Global Financing Facility, and stressed that concrete, quantified commitments would need to be implemented within the next twenty-four months.

The Lomé Declaration

The closing session was chaired by Togolese Minister of Social Solidarity, Gender, Family and Child Protection, Martine Moni Sankaredja, who formally closed the proceedings and urged delegates to turn pledges into action.

The Lomé Declaration, formally titled Appel à l'action pour la nutrition et le développement de la petite enfance (Call to Action for Nutrition and Early Childhood Development), was read aloud by Dr. Marthe-Augustine Kirimat, Minister for Gender Promotion, Women's Protection, Family and Child Affairs of the Central African Republic, on behalf of all participating states.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.