Podcasts
This N4D podcast delivers a series of constructively challenging conversations with decision makers on driving political change to end malnutrition. It is not only about nutrition for nutritionists. Its themes of country ownership, political leadership, vested interests and many more are relevant to everyone interested in sustainable development, disaster risk management and humanitarian assistance.
Our Podcast team
Carmel Dolan
Chris Leather
Jeremy Shoham
NEW MINI – SERIES
More and better financing for nutrition
How can nutrition financing strongly align with country needs?
Ahead of the Nutrition for Growth summit, N4D is launching a new podcast mini-series on how to increase and improve nutrition financing. The series kicks off with N4D’s directors outlining the main issues and most recent initiatives for better financing for nutrition, such as the World Bank Nutrition Investment Framework and N4D’s own policy brief (in progress).
Other podcasts will feature in-depth conversations with country leaders and global experts on current financing challenges for nutrition, particularly in situations of protracted crisis. Challenging discussions will cover hot topics, such as innovative financing approaches, barriers/enablers for both domestic and external financing – and aligning financing mechanisms with country nutrition action plans.
Latest Episode
Episode 17:
Meera Shekar
More and better financing for nutrition
Sharing a global perspective on country-led financing
For the next instalment in the mini-series on “More – and Better – Financing for Nutrition”, N4D are taking it global in a discussion with Dr Meera Shekar, who was, until recently, the World Bank Global Lead for Nutrition. She is the main author of the World Bank Nutrition Investment Framework 2024, a crucial document in understanding what it’s going to take to move global nutrition financing from where it is now to where we want to be in 10 years, in tackling all forms of malnutrition. Meera highlights key messages from the framework, including the US$30 billion per annum required for nutrition (significantly higher than 2017’s estimate) – and that every dollar invested in nutrition brings a return of $23.
N4D’s directors quiz her on making the case for innovative financing, how countries can more effectively advocate for domestic funding, and how global systems such as the SUN Movement can support country-led approaches for financing. Meera’s responses offer important insights into how countries and global structures can better advocate for funding nutrition. Listen now and be part of this important conversation.
NOTE: Meera refers to UHC in the podcast, which stands for Universal Health Coverage
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2025
Our Guest
Meera Shekar
From 2003–2024, Dr Meera Shekar was Global Lead for nutrition with the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice. She led the global and country-level Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) costing and financing analyses in the World Bank, and authored the World Bank Nutrition Investment Framework.
Episode 16:
Felix Phiri
More and better financing for nutrition
The impact of high-level political leadership in Malawi on mobilising nutrition financing and improving nutrition outcomes
In this episode, Felix Phiri, who until recently played a lead role in the Government of Malawi coordinating multisectoral nutrition actions, highlights how leadership from the Office of the President helped accelerate progress across sectors towards national nutrition targets and how progress has been slower when this high-level political leadership has not been present. He explains how nutrition officers and budget lines were integrated into sectors and at local authority level increasing capacity to scale up multisectoral interventions. The role of parliamentarians and civil society in promoting and sustaining the required political commitment is another key message. Felix´s experiences at the heart of government efforts on nutrition for over 20 years are essential listening for nutrition leaders in other countries and everyone involved in supporting country led nutrition action.
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Episode 15:
The N4D Team
More and better financing for nutrition
The N4D Team kick off the series
The N4D Team introduce the latest mini-series on the weighty theme of more and better financing for nutrition in the run up to the Nutrition for Growth summit, an event through which national and international pledges are made towards reducing levels of malnutrition globally.
In this first episode we set the scene for why this mini-series is important, locating this within current initiatives and studies intended to galvanise better financing for nutrition ahead of, during and post the N4G summit. One highly significant piece of work is the newly published World Bank Nutrition Investment Framework that we recommend as essential reading for our listeners.
The N4D team also discuss some of the key messages from a policy brief on ‘more and better financing’ for nutrition’ that they have been working on together with a number of country nutrition specialists. This policy brief covers current financing challenges for nutrition, particularly in situations of protracted crisis, and some of the reasons for this. The policy brief will be disseminated in the build-up to the N4G summit.
This introductory podcast signposts subsequent planned episodes in the mini-series, including a deep dive into the current state of financing for nutrition actions in situations of protracted crisis, through conversations with nutrition leaders from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Niger and Yemen. We will then broaden out the series to speak with nutrition leaders from more stable contexts. This will be followed by further episodes with global financing experts exploring issues such as the global financing landscape, advocacy for better financing and innovative financing approaches.
N4D are not experts in financing but our listeners can look forward to a number of podcasts where we will be in discussion with knowledgeable people who understand what enables and hinders domestic (i.e. from national treasury) and external financing (often called aid or development assistance); and how these financing mechanisms align with national and sub-national multisectoral nutrition action plans.
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Our Guest
The N4D Team
Episode 14:
Steve Collins
Impediments to scaling up the management of acute malnutrition
The role of plant based ready to use formulae
This podcast features Dr Steve Collins who was key to the development of the globally recognized community base management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) approach. Everyone in the international nutrition sector will know how Steve’s pioneering work helped to build the evidence for ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) and the programme approach to empower communities and the parents of malnourished children to be actively involved in the effective and safe recovery of their malnourished child at home.
Globally, it is reported that there is now 20% coverage of treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition which is a substantial improvement compared to the pre-CMAM era. However, this is still a frustratingly low level of coverage and as Steve argues could be significantly higher if cheaper RUTFs were employed. Furthermore, Steve believes the real percentage coverage is probably much less than the globally cited 20% and that agencies which proclaim this coverage are not following the science. In response to the slow pace of progress, Steve and colleagues have built the evidence base for a cheaper plant based (rather than milk based) RUTF to overcome one of the key obstacles to scale up which is affordability. Steve shares his experience of how the evidence around plant based RUTF efficacy hasn’t penetrated the normative UN agency guidance for acute malnutrition treatment postulating why robust study findings have met with such resistance from several agencies. Part’s of his analysis of the RUTF story are critical and challenging and as the discussion unfolds, Steve discusses the role of international agencies and the aid system in perpetuating obstacles to transformation of aid including support for the localization of capacity and response.
N4D hope to have follow up podcasts with WHO, UNICEF and country actors concerned with scaling up CMAM.
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Our Guest
Dr Steve Collins
Valid Nutrition – CEO and founder
Steve is a medical doctor with a doctorate in nutrition. He started working in humanitarian relief in Sudan in 1985, allocating and monitoring general ration distributions in West Darfur. Staying in villages that had been afflicted by famine, he gained first-hand insight into how impoverished communities with high levels of acute malnutrition interact with humanitarian relief.
MINI – SERIES
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Making international support more effective
In this mini-series, we discuss with nutrition leaders from country and global levels how to make international support for country-led nutrition action more coherent and effective. With our guests, we review progress over the last 15 years since the 2008 Lancet Nutrition Series. We touch on the key developments since this seminal publication including the SUN Movement, the Global Nutrition Report, Nutrition for Growth, linking nutrition to climate change, food system and other issues. We aim to identify concrete recommendations for what could be changed or introduced, building on successes to date, for international support to better address country priorities and needs.
Episode 13:
N4D Team
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Our Guest
The N4D Team
Episode 12:
Afshan Khan
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Episode 11:
David Nabarro
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Episode 10:
Gladys Mugambi
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Strengthening domestic resource mobilisation and donor coordination
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Episode 9:
Sisay Sinamo
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Episode 8:
Said Shamsul Islam Shams
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
Our Guest
Said Shamsul Islam Shams
Episode 7:
The N4D Team | Mini series Introduction
Country Led – rhetoric or reality?
Making international support more effective
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2024
From KIPPRA: Eldah Onsomu, Isabella Kiplagat, Mohamednur Duba plus from KNBS: Mr. James Gatungu and Samuel Kipruto
Understanding NIPN. Conversations with Country Actors, Kenya
In this podcast:
Kenya:
In this podcast we hear from Eldah Onsomu, Isabella Kiplagat and Mohamednur Duba in the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and James Gatungu and Samuel Kipruto from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) about the Kenya NIPFN platform. The positioning of NIPFN within these institutions, both which sit in the State Department for Planning, appears to be a pretty perfect fit. KIPPRA is mandated to provide policy guidance across all of Kenya’s ministries and to take policy research to impact whilst KNBS is mandated to generate and host quality data and its analysis.
In a short period of time, not helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya NIPFN has made massive strides in country including its visually impressive dashboard, several influential policy briefs and the elaboration of a harmonised nutrition indicator framework to monitor progress of the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP).
The vision for NIPFN Kenya is even more impressive with plans to devolve NIPFN to 47 counties, and to produce county policy briefs which will feed into new County Nutrition Action Plans. There are also efforts being made to get the Treasury to include a nutrition code to help track government and development partner spend on nutrition and for these data to be used to update a finance study conducted a few years ago. We also get to hear a growing confidence within the NIPFN Team that the platform can be sustained should international development partner financing reduce or cease.
Learn about our work and read our report about NIPN here
Visit:
NIPN | GIZ | KIPPRA Kenya | KNBS Kenya
Further reading:
NIPFN Kenya Publications
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Our Guests
Director Economic Management Unit
Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA).
Isabella Kiplagat, PhD
Senior Policy Analyst Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis.
Mohamednur Abdi Duba
Communications Officer. Corporate Communication and Media Department. Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)
James Gatungu
NIPFN Project Manager (since commencement in Kenya in 2019). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Samuel Kipruto
Senior Economist/Statistician and Senior Analyst/Advisor to NIPFN. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Episode 6, Part 2:
Mohamed Ag Bendech, Mahamane Issiak Balarabé, Mababou Kebe and Aregash Samuel Hafebo
Understanding NIPN. Conversations with Country Actors, Niger & Ethiopia
In this episode (No. 6, part 2), N4D interview several country actors, about the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN). N4D have been working closely with global and country actors over the past year as part of an evaluation of NIPN commissioned by GIZ-C4N. This innovative and highly successful programme which is currently implemented in 9 countries, is gathering momentum with the prospect of being adapted and adopted in other country contexts.
In this podcast:
Niger: Balarabe, Mohamed and Mababou discuss how proud they are of the hard won achievements with implementing NIPN in Niger. Key amongst these has been the systematic collation and cleaning of complex data sets, the analysis of this data based on priority policy focussed questions including nutrition and climate change, gender disparities and food systems considerations. They also discuss the tough decisions they have had to take and enormous amount of collective effort to get NIPN to where it is now….as central to Niger’s efforts to monitor progress with tackling malnutrition.
Ethiopia: Dr Aregash Samuel Hafebo from EPHI in Ethiopia explains why this Public Health Institute under the MoH is such a good fit for NIPN in terms of its role vis is a vis the National Food and Nutrition Strategy and the monitoring of this strategy’s implementation. She also describes the areas NIPN Ethiopia are excelling in like the posting of meta data sets on the NIPN dashboard in a country where the data sharing culture is weak as well as how NIPN plans to devolve to 6 regions where EPHI currently have offices.
Learn about our work and read our report about NIPN here
Visit:
NIPN | GIZ | NIPN Niger | NIPN Ethiopia
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Our Guests
Mohamed Ag Bendech – NIPN Niger
Analyst with NIPN Niger on Food Systems and Nutrition. Previously in Mali with Helen Keller International, UNICEF and FAO as a nutrition specialist.
Mababou Kebe – NIPN Niger
A socio-demographer with extensive experience in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of statistical development projects and programmes.
Mahamane Issiak Balarabé – NIPN Niger
Coordinator of NIPN in Niger. Extensive experience in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of statistical development projects and programmes.
Aregash Samuel Hafebo – NIPN Ethiopia
A nutritionist, senior researcher in the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). She serves as the coordinator for the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN) project since 2019.
Episode 6, Part 1:
Christoph Langenkamp and Rebecca Heidkamp
Understanding NIPN. Conversations with Global Actors
In this episode (No. 6, part 1), N4D interview two global actors, Christoph Langenkamp and Rebecca Heidkamp, about the National Information Platform for Nutrition (NIPN). N4D have been working closely with global and country actors over the past year as part of an evaluation of NIPN commissioned by GIZ-C4N. This innovative and highly successful programme which is currently implemented in 9 countries, is gathering momentum with the prospect of being adapted and adopted in other country contexts.
In the podcast Christoph describes how the original vision and focus for NIPN moved from a programme largely about harnessing existing nutrition data in country to a programme focussing on multi-sector nutrition data and it’s role in informing policy development and multisector nutrition planning.
Rebecca Heidkamp provides a context for NIPN in relation to other global nutrition data initiatives describing what is unique about the NIPN approach but also cautioning how governments need to prioritise budgets for national nutrition information platforms within their nutrition action plans.
Learn about our work and read our report about NIPN here
Visit:
NIPN | GIZ | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Our Guests
Christoph Langenkamp
Programme Director ‘Knowledge for Nutrition’ (K4N)
giz.de
Rebecca Heidkamp
Associate Research Professor,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Episode 5:
The N4D Team
Reflections on the podcast series so far
In Episode 5, the N4D team reflects on what we have heard so far during our first three conversations and identifies key lessons learnt and emerging issues. We know what needs to be done to end malnutrition, but we do not have the political will. In the words of Shawn Baker, nutrition must become a political non-negotiable. We heard how we already have very good internationally agreed principles to guide the way that aid is provided but the aid system urgently needs reforming to ensure that those principles are translated into reality. More sustainable progress is possible even in countries affected by protracted fragility and conflict if there is a more nuanced understanding of local political and economic contexts, longer term, more integrated approaches and greater trust in local actors and systems.
However, reform requires engagement with politicians in donor countries to raise awareness that the political risks of maintaining the status quo are greater than doing things differently.
Please join the debate!
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Episode 4:
Shawn K. Baker
Malnutrition is a political choice
In this episode, the N4D team discuss with Shawn Baker. Shawn is the Chief Program Officer with Helen Keller Intl and was formerly head of nutrition for USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has also occupied senior leadership roles in international multistakeholder initiatives including the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and the Global Nutrition Report. Shawn talks about his life journey from rural northwest Pennsylvania and studying marine biology to a lifelong career in public health nutrition. He highlights success stories from countries that have reduced malnutrition, the ingredients of success as well as challenges that are hindering progress around the world. He highlights the qualities needed by nutrition leaders at national and international levels. For background information on issues discussed, please see the episode notes below. Please share your comments, ideas and experiences.
Please join the debate!
Reading list:
- For multiple micronutrient supplements: Home – Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies (hmhbconsortium.org)
- For small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements: Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (ucdavis.edu) and Nutrition leaders urge scale-up of new intervention to prevent child malnutrition and mortality – Helen Keller Intl
- For updated guidelines on wasting: Guideline WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in infants and children under 5 years (magicapp.org)
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Our Guest
Shawn K. Baker
Chief Program Officer, Helen Keller Intl. Shawn leads Helen Keller’s efforts to support our world’s most vulnerable communities through strengthening food and health systems using scientifically proven solutions that are feasible, scalable, and equitable
Episode 3:
Karima Al-Hada´a:
Sustainable solutions to malnutrition in Yemen
In this episode, Carmel, Chris and Jeremy discuss the politics of adopting more sustainable solutions to malnutrition in Yemen with Karima Al-Hada´a. Karima is the Planning & Liaison Specialist in the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Secretariat in Yemen, Assistant National Food Systems Convenor and a member of the global SUN Movement Executive Committee. The SUN Yemen Secretariat, within the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), is the lead national entity responsible for coordinating all investments and actions for nutrition across sectors, throughout the country. Karima discusses the opportunities and challenges of scaling up development actions to prevent malnutrition and strengthening public systems, alongside humanitarian assistance. For background information on issues discussed, please see the episode notes below. Please share your comments, ideas and experiences.
Please join the debate!
Reading list:
- You can find information and analysis on the political situation in Yemen here:
- Crisis Group Org
- Find out more about N4D´s work in Yemen
- You can also find a link to the Yemen Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan on that page.
- We recommend reading the Chatham House paper, on aid strategies in ‘politically estranged´ settings, mentioned by Chris at the end of the podcast.
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Episode 2:
Habib Ur Rehman Mayar:
Trusting local actors and solutions in conflict affected countries
In this episode, Carmel, Chris and Jeremy discuss the politics of aid in fragile states with Habib Ur Rehman Mayar, Deputy General Secretary of the g7+ Secretariat and Executive Director of g7+ Foundation. The g7+ is an intergovernmental organisation made up of conflict-affected countries, providing a platform to collectively voice the need for national dialogue and reconciliation; advocate for effective development cooperation founded on the principles of country ownership, transparency and mutual accountability; and facilitate sharing of first-hand experience and good development practices. In this conversation, Habib advocates for reforms to the international aid system to support country led, sustainable development and solutions to conflict.
Reading list:
- Read about the G7+ here
- Learn about the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States and the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS)
- Find out more about N4D´s work in Yemen
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Episode 1:
The N4d Team
Discuss paving the way for challenging conversations on driving political change for nutrition and development.
In this first episode of ¨The Politics of Ending Malnutrition¨, the N4D Directors, Carmel, Chris and Jeremy, discuss the purpose of the Podcast and how it relates to N4D´s country focussed strategy. They explain how the series of exciting and challenging conversations with decision makers will explore the way in which political and economic issues enable and hinder the scale up of evidence-based solutions to end malnutrition around the world.
Reading list:
For the definition of political economy quoted by Chris and a guide to understanding political economy analysis and thinking and working politically, learn more here
For information on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus
The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement
To read background on CMAM – the Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition and the barriers to scale up and how they might be overcome
Credits: Recorded edited and published by: N4D & Nutriat.co
Theme tune: Saraweto, used with kind permission of Just East of Jazz
© N4D Group 2023
Our Guest
The N4D Team
Available on all major podcast platforms