International Development Grant

Improved Food Security for Mothers and Children

Project Number: CA-3-A035171001

Status: Closed

Country/Region:

Ethiopia 100.00%

Maximum Contribution: $50,000,000.00

Start Date: February 21, 2011

End Date: August 08, 2018

Duration: 7.5 years

Project Description

Malnutrition among young women and children under five exacerbated by diarrheal disease and other infections caused by unsafe water is a major cause of both maternal and child mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia. This project supports Canada’s commitment to improve maternal and child health announced at the G8 Leaders Summit in Muskoka in June 2010. With CIDA’s support UNICEF will improve the nutrition and health of 3 million pregnant and lactating women adolescent girls and children under-five in 100 food-insecure districts in Ethiopia. Project activities include training government health workers to provide community-based nutrition services such as regular screening and treatment of malnutrition in all children under five; breastfeeding and complimentary feeding promotion and nutrition counseling for caregivers; and regular provision of Vitamin A iron supplements and de-worming tablets. The project will also improve water and sanitation services including clean water sources separate toilets for men and women and hand-washing facilities in 40 districts.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved by UNICEF with the support of the Government of Canada in 2015-2016 include: (1) 10 659 332 children received vitamin A supplements; (2) 1 659 470 children received treatment for severe acute malnutrition with a full recovery rate of 90.8% (up from 87% in 2014-2015) and 0 1% mortality (down from 0.3% in 2014-2015); (3) 1 921 304 pregnant women received Iron Folic-Acid representing 70% coverage; (4) 6 236 275 school-age children and adolescents received de-worming treatments; (5) training of 315 health workers on community based maternal and neonatal health and 6 282 agriculture development agents on nutrition-agriculture linkages; and (6) 153 women's groups started to process and distribute complementary food benefiting 46 311 children. (7) 247 health facilities which already had access to water were provided with latrine facilities benefiting 1 295 000 people; (8) 52 437 people benefited from the construction of 77 water systems; (9) more than 396 596 households constructed their own latrines; and (10) 6 579 villages were declared open defecation free and are practicing hand-washing at critical stages. These results have contributed to improving the health status of women and children in targeted areas by increased access to health services clean water and sanitation.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
WGM Africa

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Basic nutrition 61%
Health education 13%
Basic drinking water supply 13%
Basic sanitation 13%

Aid Type: Basket funds/pooled funding

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP

Policy Markers
Level 1 Gender equality
Level 1 Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting)
Level 1 Participatory development and good governance
Level 1 Children's issues
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2010-04-01 to 2011-03-31 $50,000,000 CAD
Geographic Information
400
Project Number: CA-3-A035171001