Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement
Progress Report 20112012

Introduction

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement is a global initiative that brings together governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors and the private sector to accelerate actions that improve nutrition. The 20112012 progress report marks the first comprehensive assessment of the movements early achievements and challenges after its launch in 2010.

Key Objectives of SUN

The SUN Movement is built around three mutually reinforcing pillars:

• Political Commitment: Secure highlevel, multisectoral commitments from governments to prioritize nutrition.
• Funding: Mobilise domestic and international resources to support nutritionspecific and nutritionsensitive interventions.
• Accountability and Monitoring: Establish transparent mechanisms for tracking progress and learning from results.

Methodology of the 20112012 Report

The report combines quantitative data from the SUN dashboard, country case studies, and qualitative inputs from the SUN Secretariat, stakeholder interviews and surveys. It analyses progress across 48 participating countries, representing roughly 75% of the worlds undernourished population.

Major Findings

1. Political Commitment Grows Rapidly

By the end of 2012, 48 countries had formally joined SUN, up from 30 at launch. All signatories developed National Nutrition Action Plans and most integrated nutrition goals into broader development strategies such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or national poverty reduction frameworks.

2. Funding Landscape Improves, Yet Gaps Remain

Domestic nutrition budgets increased by an average of 23% across participating nations. International donor contributions rose to US$2.2billion, with key partners including the World Bank, Gavi, UNICEF and the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation.

However, the report notes that financing is still heavily weighted toward nutritionspecific interventions (e.g., supplementation, fortification) rather than nutritionsensitive sectors such as agriculture, watersanitationhygiene (WASH) and social protection.

3. MultiSectoral Coordination Strengthens

More than 70% of SUN countries established interministerial committees to coordinate nutrition actions. Successful examples include:

• Bangladesh: Integrated nutrition indicators into the national health management information system.
• Ethiopia: Linked the Productive Safety Net Programme with micronutrient supplementation.
• Mexico: Implemented a fortified staple food program through the Ministry of Health and the private sector.

4. Accountability Mechanisms Take Shape

The SUN Dashboard, an online data portal, became a central tool for tracking 10 core indicators, such as stunting prevalence, exclusive breastfeeding rates, and coverage of fortified foods. Countries began publishing annual Progress Reports that are publicly accessible.

5. Civil Society and Private Sector Engagement Expands

Over 2,300 civilsociety organisations joined the SUN coalition, contributing to advocacy, communitylevel monitoring and service delivery. Privatesector participation grew, especially in food fortification and publicprivate partnerships for school feeding.

Challenges Highlighted in the Report

Despite encouraging progress, the report identifies several persistent obstacles:

• Data Quality: In many countries, nutrition data are outdated or lack disaggregation by region, gender or socioeconomic status.
• Resource Allocation: Nutrition still competes with other health priorities, leading to underinvestment in nutritionsensitive sectors.
• Policy Implementation Gaps: National policies are often welldesigned but poorly executed at the subnational level.
• PrivateSector Risks: Concerns about conflicts of interest in food fortification and marketing of unhealthy products require stronger safeguards.

Recommendations for the Next Phase (20132015)

1. Strengthen Data Systems: Invest in regular, highquality surveys and integrate nutrition indicators into existing health and agricultural information systems.
2. Increase NutritionSensitive Funding: Encourage ministries of agriculture, finance and social welfare to allocate a defined share of their budgets to nutrition outcomes.
3. Deepen MultiSectoral Integration: Institutionalise interministerial coordination bodies and align nutrition goals with climatesmart agriculture, social protection and education policies.
4. Enhance Accountability: Adopt transparent publicreporting mechanisms, set clear targets, and link performance to incentives for ministries.
5. Manage PrivateSector Engagement: Develop clear conflictofinterest guidelines, promote responsible marketing, and expand publicprivate partnerships that demonstrably improve nutrition.
6. Scale Up CommunityLevel Action: Build capacity of local NGOs and community health workers to deliver nutrition services and conduct behaviourchange communication.

Impact Stories

Bangladesh reduced stunting among children under five from 41% to 36% between 2010 and 2012 through a combination of fortified rice, communitybased nutrition counseling and earlychildhood development programs.

Peru achieved a 7point increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates by launching a national media campaign and providing lactation support in primary health centres.

Rwanda integrated micronutrient powder distribution into its national immunisation programme, reaching 85% of targeted children in the first two years.

Conclusion

The 20112012 SUN Movement Progress Report demonstrates that strong political will, coordinated action and transparent monitoring can generate measurable gains in nutrition outcomes. While financing and data gaps remain, the momentum built during the first two years provides a solid foundation for scaling up impact in the coming decade. Continued commitment from all stakeholdersgovernments, donors, civil society and the private sectorwill be essential to achieve the ultimate goal: a world where every child has the right to grow, learn and thrive.

For the full report and additional resources, visit the SUN Movement website.