Launch of the National Operational Plan for Food and Nutrition Systems 2025–2030, and the Accelerated Anemia Action Plan

Your Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished Government and Development partners,

Dear UN colleagues,

It is a true honor to speak on behalf of United Nations in Egypt at the official launch of the National Operational Plan for Food and Nutrition Systems 2025–2030, and the Roadmap to Accelerate Anemia Reduction in Egypt. 

This event reflects the deep and sustained commitment of the Government of Egypt to placing food systems, food security, and nutrition at the very core of its human capital development agenda—and doing so through visionary, multisectoral, and evidence-based approaches.

We commend the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health and Population team in positioning food systems and nutrition as integral components within national developmental priorities and acknowledge these sustained efforts as transformative.

We also extend our appreciation to the different ministries represented here today, whose collaboration has been key to developing the plans. Your participation reflects an important fact: that transforming food systems and improving nutrition outcomes cannot be the responsibility of one institution or sector alone—it is a shared national endeavor where cross-sectoral cooperation will yield greater impacts. 

Today’s launch follows a series of major national investments and initiatives, which include: 

• The National Food and Nutrition Strategy (2022–2030)
• The recently launched Stunting and Malnutrition Prevention Programme
• The National Flour Fortification Programme
• The Takaful and Karama
• The First 1000 days programme
• The CODE of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
• The accreditation of Health Facilities to be Baby-friendly

All are clear expressions of Egypt’s progress and ambition.

The Roadmap to Accelerate Anemia Reduction on its turn will improve the health of pregnant women and their children, and could contribute to improving academic performance among school children. It is a wise investment for Egypt - it is estimated that for every US$ 1 invested in reducing anemia in women, US$ 12 in economic returns could potentially be produced.

In parallel, the country has shown strong leadership to converge the food system and climate action agendas, notably by championing climate-smart agriculture and integrating food systems resilience within its national climate strategies.

Recent advancements include efforts to promote sustainable local food production, reduce food loss and waste, and enhance sustainable rural livelihoods and value chains. These actions reflect a comprehensive and integrated approach that positions Egypt as a regional leader in food systems transformation.

We look upon the National Operational Plan for Food and Nutrition Systems and the Roadmap to Accelerate Anemia Reduction as means to improving not only food and nutrition security, but also social and economic outcomes. 

Economic prosperity, social cohesion, and national resilience begin with a food ecosystem that is not only nutrition-sensitive but also addresses inequities and reduces gaps by reaching the most vulnerable population groups, including women, children, the elderly, and others.

As we look ahead, we recommend four critical enablers that we believe will ensure the successful implementation of this plan:

1. Strong multisectoral coordination mechanisms to ensure alignment and convergence across all sectors and systems—health, agriculture, education, social protection, and beyond.
2. Robust accountability and monitoring frameworks that track progress, foster transparency, and drive continuous improvement.
3. Investment in data systems and evidence generation, allowing policymakers to make timely, informed decisions and scale up what works.
4. Sustainable financing and capacity development, ensuring national ownership and long-term resilience of systems.

The UN is committed to supporting these enablers—whether through technical support, policy guidance, institutional strengthening, or innovation and knowledge exchange.

Distinguished participants,

We are standing today at a pivotal juncture—one where vision and commitment must now translate into coordinated action, sustained results and collective accountability.

The policies are in place, the leadership is strong, and the momentum is real.

Let us keep building this success together, hand in hand, to nourish every child, empower every woman, and ensure that Egypt’s food systems are not only resilient and productive, but truly transformative

I thank you.