Right2Grow Advocacy Leads to Landmark MoU Between ECSA-HC and SUN Africa Civil Society Network

Arusha, Tanzania – July 1, 2025 — In a powerful demonstration of the impact of sustained civil society advocacy, the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the East and Southern Africa Civil Society Network for Scaling Up Nutrition (ESA SUN CSN). This milestone is the direct result of ongoing regional engagement and strategic influence led by the Right2Grow (R2G) initiative and its partners.

The pathway to this achievement began in June 2024, when ECSA-HC marked its 50th anniversary in Arusha, Tanzania. Alongside the celebrations, the 73rd Health Ministers Conference convened key stakeholders across the region. During this pivotal gathering, R2G, in collaboration with other civil society organizations, organized a CSO accountability workshop calling for stronger inclusion of community voices and transparency in nutrition and health efforts.

This engagement was instrumental in securing two key R2G recommendations in the final ministerial resolution: recognizing civil society organizations as essential actors in designing and implementing nutrition solutions, and the need for multisectoral approaches to address malnutrition. These commitments signaled a potential shift in how nutrition governance could be managed for better nutrition outcomes.

The initiative laid the foundation for continued engagement between R2G and other actors throughout the following year, particularly around preparations for the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris. These efforts supported countries in reviewing their past commitments, evaluating progress, and advocating for renewed pledges rooted in accountability and inclusive implementation. Through this sustained work, R2G helped position civil society as a central force in driving transparency and political will in national and regional nutrition agendas.

R2G amplified this momentum by engaging SUN delegates from 16 countries during the SUN Anglophone Africa Gathering in Mombasa, Kenya, where it shared key regional progress on accountability and civil society involvement in nutrition governance. This continued in March 2025 at the N4G Summit in Paris, where R2G hosted a side event showcasing its community-led advocacy and social accountability tools, emphasizing the essential role of CSOs and community voices in turning nutrition commitments into action.

The formal signing of the MoU on July 1, 2025, in Arusha marks the culmination of this advocacy. It represents an institutional recognition of the vital role civil society plays in achieving nutrition outcomes and holding governments accountable for their commitments.

Under the MoU, ECSA-HC and ESA SUN CSN will collaborate to reduce malnutrition across member countries, with a focus on establishing a regional nutrition college to train professionals across health, agriculture, education, and social protection sectors. The partnership also includes mechanisms for joint monitoring and regular progress reviews every six months.

This agreement signals a new chapter in regional nutrition governance—one built on shared leadership, accountability, and inclusive policy design. For R2G and its partners, it is a reaffirmation that meaningful, community-driven advocacy can shape policy, influence systems, and drive lasting change across Eastern and Southern Africa.