Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- The United States Government has launched a new nutrition program, Empowering New Generations to Improve Nutrition and Economic Opportunities, commonly known as ENGINE, which will support the Government of Ethiopia’s efforts to improve the nutritional status of women and young children. The ENGINE program will provide nutrition and health services to 3.1 million children under the age of five, half a million pregnant and lactating women and 3.2 million women of reproductive age in 100 woredas (zones) in the Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and SNNP regions. The ENGINE program will also provide nutrition services to 2.7 million households participating in agricultural and livelihood programs sponsored by USAID. In addition, ENGINE will provide nutrition and health services for women and children in the rural areas who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through partial funding provided by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The ENGINE program is designed to break the cycle of malnutrition, an underlying factor for more than fifty percent of all child deaths in Ethiopia, resulting mainly from the poor nutritional status of women before and during pregnancy.

While launching this unique program, the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr. Donald Booth, affirmed that, “The design of the ENGINE program reflects our appreciation of the fact that nutrition is as much about food security as it is good health. Food security is not only about the quantity of food but also the quality of the diet and utilization of the food. ENGINE recognizes that undernutrition is a multi-faceted problem, which requires a multi-sectoral solution. As such, ENGINE links both of President Obama’s initiatives–Feed the Future and Global Health–to achieve healthy nutrition for Ethiopians.”

USAID’s lead partner, Save the Children, will implement ENGINE in cooperation with the Feinstein International Center and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications Programs, Land O’ Lakes Inc., and Valid International.

Over the next five years, the U.S. Government expects to devote $50.8 million dollars in funding to the program.

See Also

Press Release ENGINE Launch 10-25-11 {PDF, 84KB]

Remarks by Ambassador Booth ENGINE Launch 10-25-11 {PDF, 42KB]

USAID Ethiopia Nutrition

USAID Ethiopia Feed the Future

USAID Ethiopia Global Health

USAID Ethiopia PEPFAR