Reducing Stunting through Multisectoral Efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper lays the groundwork for more effective multisectoral action on reducing stunting, by analysing and generating empirical evidence useful for informing the joint targeting of nutrition-sensitive interventions in the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using information from 33 recent Demographic and Health Surveys, measures are constructed to capture a child’s access to food security, care practices, healthcare and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in order to identify gaps in access among different socio-economic groups and relate access to these nutrition drivers with nutrition outcomes. Three main questions are addressed. (a) What is the extent to which children have inadequate access to the underlying determinants of nutrition? (b) What is the association between stunting and overlapping deprivations in adequate food and care practices, health and WASH services? (c) What are the sectors that have the greatest impact on stunting?