2021 was a “Year of Action” for nutrition. The global community rallied around several milestone events, including the launch of the Scaling Up Nutrition 3.0 Strategy, the UN Food Systems Summit, the launch of the U.S. Government Global Nutrition Coordination Plan 2.0, and—the culminating event—the 2021 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit.

As USAID Advancing Nutrition’s Director of Country Programs, I’m proud of the contributions we have made toward strengthening policies and programs to improve nutrition globally. Our 58 country program staff continues to work hand-in-hand with governments and organizations across 12 countries around the world to improve the nutritional status and health of vulnerable populations, all while navigating the challenges brought on by a global pandemic.

This past year, we expanded our reach by establishing partnerships in Niger, Burkina Faso, Kenya—in addition to strengthening existing ties in Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Kyrgyz Republic. As a direct result of the incredible work of our staff and partners, we are now in the midst of developing key relationships in four additional countries: Honduras, Uganda, Nigeria, and India.