ANC2024 / ANEC IX

Overview

The 9th Africa Nutrition Conference (formerly known as the Africa Nutrition Epidemiology Conference, but still retaining its signature acronym ANEC) will be held in the historic and picturesque city of Cape Coast in Ghana 7th to 11th October 2024. In line with the philosophy of the African Nutrition Society (ANS) and its ANEC conferences, the ANEC IX Conference theme has been chosen to highlight and reflect the succession of global and regional crises and issues currently impacting on nutrition and health, and their implications for research, practice, advocacy and the training of nutrition and health professionals in Africa.

This year’s theme addresses key critical global issues which impact food and nutrition security and the food supply chain. The theme also reflects current global dialogues and national commitments to food systems transformation for a better world. In recognition of the importance of, and to motivate government actors, policymakers, programme implementers and international development partners, we have chosen a policy-practice-facing theme with sub-themes that speak directly to national needs, commitments and targets for their food systems by 2030.

ANEC IX brings together students, academics, trainers and practitioners, as well as government and non-government actors, multilateral and bilateral organizations. The conference provides a forum for exchange of new knowledge and innovative approaches for the management of national priorities.  Such discussions are complemented by country specific public engagement activities. The conference partners with media and modern communication technologies, assisted by supporting social marketing and advocacy efforts.

Conference Theme

"FOOD AND NUTRITION IN A CHANGING WORLD: Implications for nutrition security and health"

Sub-Themes

Track 1: Food Systems and Nutrition in Africa

Food systems transformation is a major area of global health and nutrition security interest. In this track, key focus areas include:

  • Monitoring and tracking food systems transformation
  • The food environment and their implications for health and disease
  • The nutrition transition in the context of Africa’s food environment and non-communicable diseases
  • Climate Change and Food in the Circular Economy
  • Traditional Knowledge, promotion and transformation of Africa’s indigenous food resources and their implications for the food industry 

Track 2: Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing

This theme will explore issues relating to nutrition across the lifecycle in health and disease including pre-pregnancy maternal, infant and young child nutrition, Immuno-nutrition in health and disease, and nutrition in the management of diseases.

Key focus area include:

  • Food, nutrition security and the developmental origins of health and disease
  • Hidden hunger - Micronutrient nutrition /deficiency in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • School Health and Nutrition (beyond the first 7,000 Days)
  • Epidemiological trends in nutrition and lifestyle-related chronic diseases including cancers in Africa
  • Nutrition in the therapeutic management of disease
  • New technologies and nutrition surveillance methodologies and the quality and reliability of measurements for nutrition monitoring, decision-making and policy

Track 3: Training and Capacity-Building for Nutrition

This theme will cover education, training and professional practice in the fields of nutrition and dietetics across Africa.

Key focus areas include:

  • Pedagogical issues and harmonization of nutrition and dietetics curricula in Africa
  • Current global trends and shifts in education and training emphasis and scope.
  • Country experiences on training, licensure and nutrition and dietetics professional practice.
  • Nutrition education and communication in professional practice 

Track 4: Special Events

(Debates/Roundtables/Panel Discussions Nutrition Governance in Africa; the African Diaspora in Nutrition)

This track will feature Expert Panel/Round Table discussions and a debate on cross-cutting contemporary issues with policy implications at national and regional levels

Track 4A: A Roundtable Discussion: Nutrition governance in Africa

Key focus areas:

  • What is important for nutrition governance in Africa?
  • New directions and roles of Centres of Excellence for Nutrition in Africa: generating research evidence for policymakers
  • Exploring policies, national, regional commitments, targets,
  • Nutrition leadership
  • Challenges and opportunities 

Track 4B: A Debate: The African Diaspora and Nutrition Training and capacity-building

Key focus areas include:

  • African scientists and experts in the diaspora – “Brain drain or brain gain”?
  • Contributions of Africans in diaspora to the Nutrition landscape in Africa.
  • Challenges and opportunities for collaboration and building research, leadership and advocacy capacities