Public Health Nutrition Implications of the 2024 Global School Meals Survey Data on School Meals in 26 Selected African Countries
Abstract:
It is argued that more could be achieved if African countries utilise the evidence from the 2024 Global School Meals Survey Report and other data sources to inform their practices, decision making and strategic resource allocation towards the prevention of nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases. If evidence is not consistently translated into decision making, strategic planning and implementation practice, all developmental efforts are unlikely to yield the intended results. Therefore, the incorporation of quantified targets and performance indicators for tracking and reporting is recognised as a major improvement in the transition from the Millenium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2023 adoption of the school meals indicator 4.a.4 on the proportion of school attending children receiving school meals. This study examines the profiles of 26 African countries from out of the total 142 countries across all the continents whose data was captured in the 2024 Global School Meals Report. Data is extracted and analysed to establish the pattern from the 2024 Global Child Nutrition Survey indicators on school meal coverage, sources of funding, infrastructure, nutrition, complementary school health activities and employment. Based on observed trends among the selected 26 countries, recommendations are proposed towards the accelerated achievement of desired school meals targets and realisation of African Union objectives of using the home-grown school feeding approach.References:
[1].
World
Bank. School Health and School Feeding.2016.Available from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/239141496301589942/pdf/Systems-Approach-for-Better-Education-Results-SABER-school-health-and-school-feeding.pdf
[2].
Galloway
R. Global Nutrition Outcomes at Ages 5 to 19 years. Disease Control of
Priorities. Child and Adolescent Health and Development.3rd edition, Chapter 3.Washington
(DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank;
2017.[Accessed 9 September 20226].Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525239/doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-0423-6_ch3
[3].
Nestle
M. Health and Nutrition Deserve More Attention. American Journal of Public
Health.2012;111 (4):533-5.10.2015/AJPH2021.306190.PMCID: PMC 7958021 PMID:
33689437.
[4].
Uauy
R. Understanding Public Health Nutrition. The Lancet.2007;370 (9584):309-10.Available
from: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736
(07)61145-3/fulltext
[5].
Shaorong
Ji. Trends in three malnutrition factors in the global burden of disease:
iodine deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, and protein-energy malnutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition.2024;23 (11:1426790).10.3389/fnut.2020.1426790.PMCID:
PMC11300326 PMID: 39109238.
[6].
Ahmad
R, Akter F, Haque M, editors. Diet and nutrition for non-communicable diseases
in low and middle-income countries. Frontiers in Nutrition.2023;10.
[7].
Patterson
E. What works to improve school lunch nutritional quality – legislation or
self-audit? Public Health Nutrition.2022;25 (7):1735-44.DOI:10.1017/S1368980022000817
PMCID: PMC9991739 PMID: 35356862.
[8].
Angelin
A, et al. School Meals Case Study: Sweden.2025.Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395463366_School_Meals_Case_Study_sweden.doi:10.17037/PUBS.04677487
[9].
Sidane
E. The Brazilian school feeding programme: an example of an integrated
programme in support of food and nutrition security. Public Health and
Nutrition.2012;16 (6):989-94.DOI:10.1017/S1368980012005101.PMCID: PMC10271776
PMID: 23218237.
[10].
African
Union. “Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa” (Assembly/AU/Decl.7
(II)).2003.Available from: https://www.nepad.org/caadp/publication/au-2003-maputo-declaration-agriculture-and-food-security
[11].
African
Union. Assembly/AU/Dec.589 (XXVI) on Home-Grown School Feeding in Africa.2016.Available
from: https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/29514-assembly_au_dec_588_-_604_xxVi_e.pdf.vi_e.pdf
[12].
Watkins
K. School Feeding and the Sustainable Development Goals: An agenda to combat
child hunger, boost education, transform food systems and strengthen equity.Report.2024.London:
ODI (www.odi.org).Available from: https://odi.org/en/publications/school-feeding-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-an-agenda-to-combat-child-hunger-boost-education-transform-food-systems-and-strengthen-equity/
[13].
Institute
of Medicine. Schools and Health: Our National Investment.1997:33-80.Washington,
DC: The National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/5153/chapter/4
[14].
UNESCO,
WHO, UNICEF.FRESH: A Comprehensive School Health Approach to Achieve EFA.2002.Available
from: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000125537
[15].
World
Bank. School Health. At a glance.© World Bank, 2002.http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9779,
License: CC BY 3.0 IGO, https://doi.org/10.1596/9779.
[16].
WHO.NCD
Microdata Repository. Global School-based Student Health Survey.2026.Available
from: https://extranet.who.int/ncdsmicrodata/index.php/catalog/GSHS/?page=1&ps=15&repo=GSHS.
[17].
Langford
B, et al. The WHO Health Promoting School framework for improving the health
and well-being of students and their academic achievement.2014.https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008958.pub2.
[18].
Soenarnatalina
M, et al. The Importance Of Student Health Record Books In School To Realize
Children’s Health.Opcion.2019;35 (Special Issue 22):2899-2921.ISSN
1012-1587/ISSNe: 2477-9385.
[19].
UNESCO.
Integrating Health and Wellbeing into Education and Planning: A Handbook.2025.Available
from: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/integrating-health-and-well-being-education-policy-and-planning-handbook.
[20].
WHO,
UNESCO. Making Every School a Health Promoting School.2021.Available from: https://www.who.int/initiatives/making-every-school-a-health-promoting-school.
[21].
Bodewig
C. Investment in Children’s Future: Shining a Light on School Meals Data.2025.Available
from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/11/20/an-investment-in-children-s-future-shining-a-light-on-school-meals-data.
[22].
WHO.
Assessment of National Education Systems for Health (ANESH).2023.Available
from: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/mca-documents/adolescents/anesh_uploaded-web_v2-27-june-2023-final.pdf?sfvrsn=8b75a8dc_3.
[23].
Global
Child Nutrition Foundation. School Meal Programs Around the World. Results from
the Global Survey of School Meal Programs.2024.Available from: https://gcnf.org/global-survey/.
[24].
Gustafsson-Wright
E, Osborne S, Sharma A. Real-time Performance Data for Improved Education
Outcomes.2021.Available from: https://policycommons.net/artifacts/4143083/how-can-real-time-performance-data-lead-to-better-education-outcomes/4951598/.
[25].
UNICEF.
Feeding Profit: How food environments are failing Children, Feeding Profit: How
food environments are failing children. Child Nutrition Report - UNICEF DATA.2025.Available
from: https://data.unicef.org/resources/feeding-profit-2025-child-nutrition-report/.
[26].
Koh
HK. Translating Research Evidence into Practice to Reduce Health Disparities: A
Social Determinants Approach. American Journal of Public Health.2010;100 (Suppl
1):572-5.doi:10.2015/AJPH.2009.167353.
[27].
Hammond
Abu-Odah. Identifying Barriers and Facilitators of Translating Research
Evidence into Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review of Reviews. Health and
Social Care in the Community.2022.https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13898.
[28].
Sigavaru
R, Irudhaya M. Understanding Inclusive Education, the Barriers and Ways to
Promote Successful Inclusion in Our Education. Shanlax International Journal of
Arts Science and Humanities.2023;11 (S1i2-Nov):111-5.0.34293/sijash.v11iS1i2-Nov.7328.
[29].
World
Food Programme. From the School Gate to Children’s Plate: Golden Rules for
Safer School Meals - Guidelines.2019.Available from: https://reliefweb.int/attachments/f4009571-4497-330f-9f84-b86851d813dd/76126.pdf.
[30].
Scarparo
Ana Luiza Sandee. Training food handlers working in school feeding: theory and
practice. Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and School Feeding (CECANE UFRGS),
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Federal University of Rio
Grande do Sul (UFRGS).2017.Available from: https://centrodeexcelencia.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/TrainingFoodHandlersInSchoolFeeding-1.pdf.
[31].
Berejena
T, Kleynhans IC.A Training Framework for Food Handlers in the National School
Nutrition Programme in Gauteng Province. African Journal of Food, Agriculture
Nutrition and Development.2024;24 (4).
[32].
Buorn
D, et al. A review of Education for Sustainable Development and Global
Citizenship Education in Teacher Education.2017.Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321483754_A_review_of_education_for_sustainable_development_and_global_citizenship_education_in_teacher_education.
[33].
Amin
H. Education for sustainable development and global citizenship education in
the GCC: a systematic literature review. Globalisation, Societies and Education.2023.Available
from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14767724.2023.2265846.
[34].
Locke
A. Impacts of Global School Feeding Programmes on Children’s Health and
Wellbeing Outcomes: A Scoping Review. BMJ Open.2025;15:e093244.doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093244
PMCID: PMC12496081 PMID: 41043853.
[35]. Rieckmann M. Education for Sustainable Development Goals. Learning Objectives.UNESCO.2017.ISBN: 978-92-3-100209-0.
