Tanzania: Nutrition Profile

Speeches Shim

In Tanzania, Latifah Ali, 10, and Lilian, 6, hold sweet peppers given to them by their grandfather, John Mkeni, a beneficiary USAID's Tanzania Agriculture Productivity Program, part of Feed the Future.
  • Tanzania

    Flag of Tanzania

  • Population

    55.6 Million

  • Pop. Under 5

    9.7 Million

  • % Stunting

    34% Of Children Under 5

  • % Underweight

    16% Of Children Under 5

Photo credit: Fintrac, Inc.

Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy has many adverse consequences for child survival and long-term well-being. It also has far-reaching consequences for human capital, economic productivity, and national development overall. The consequences of malnutrition should be a significant concern for policymakers in Tanzania, where 34 percent or 3.3 million children under 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting or low height-for-age) and 58 percent or 5.6 million suffer from anemia, according to the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

USAID Programs: Accelerating Progress in Nutrition

As of January 2018, the following USAID programs with a focus on nutrition were active in Tanzania. Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, emphasizes agriculture as a driver of economic growth through a strategy that encompasses five core investment areas: agriculture, nutrition, policy, infrastructure, and institutional capacity. Building on the Tanzanian National Nutrition Strategy and Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan, USAID/Tanzania is delivering nutrition-specific interventions and implementing social and behavior change programs that bolster nutrition in the critical 1,000-day window between pregnancy and a child's second birthday. Programming also integrates nutrition-sensitive efforts through agriculture activities with the aim of improving families' access to and consumption of nutritious foods. In Tanzania, Feed the Future supports activities in Dodoma, Iringa, Manyara, Mbeya, Songwe, Morogoro, and Zanzibar.

  • Feed the Future Tanzania Mboga na Matunda Activity
  • Youth Economic Empowerment
  • ASPIRES Nutrition
  • Feed the Future-supported Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING)
  • Feed the Future Tanzania Nafaka II Activity
  • Feed the Future Tanzania Land Tenure Assistance Project
  • Solutions for African Food Enterprises (SAFE)
  • Feed the Future Mwanzo Bora Nutrition Project
  • Feed the Future Irrigation and Rural Roads Infrastructure Project
  • Feed the Future Innovation Labs
  • Food for Peace

For more information, read the Tanzania country profile [PDF, 376KB].