The Social and Economic Impact of Child Undernutrition Lesotho Vision 2020 on Lesotho

The Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) study is an African Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) initiative through which countries are able to estimate the social and economic impacts of child undernutrition in a given year. In March 2012, the regional COHA study was presented at the Fifth Joint Meeting of the AU Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance and the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the meeting, the ministers issued a resolution confirming the importance of the study and recommending it to continue beyond the initial stage. Twelve countries have been initially selected to participate in the study.

However, following the Malabo Declaration, passed in June 2014, by the African Union Heads of State and Government, on Nutrition Security for Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa, which called for all Member States to participate in the study, and noting the invaluable contribution of the COHA study in highlighting the consequences of child undernutrition, many more African countries have requested to be part of the study.