East Africa Regional Policy Dialogue – Policies to transform markets for nutritious foods
The East Africa Regional Policy Dialogue, held on 8–9 April 2025 in Mombasa, brought together key stakeholders from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to explore how effective policies can transform regional markets for nutritious foods.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Health, Kenya, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi), the dialogue highlighted growing momentum across the region to adopt evidence-based regulations. Discussions covered national policy progress, lessons from Ghana and South Africa, and opportunities for regional harmonization. Kenya’s new nutrient profile model and the push for front-of-package labeling were among the major highlights.
The event builds on work under the Global RECAP program and ongoing efforts by ATNi and APHRC to support healthier food environments. As part of this, ATNi is leading the East African Market Assessment (EAMA) in Kenya and Tanzania to better understand processed food availability, consumption trends, and the role of both local and multinational companies. This work follows findings from ATNi’s 2024 Global Index, which revealed that products sold in low- and middle-income countries are significantly less healthy than those in wealthier markets.
Six policy areas with high potential impact were discussed:
- Marketing policies
- Fiscal policies
- Procurement standards
- Front-of-pack labeling
- Reporting and disclosures on healthiness of food portfolios
- Regional policy alignment.