The Global Adolescent Nutrition Network (GANN), hosted by the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), are delighted to be joining Nutrition Dialogues as a new mobilizing partner. The GANN brings together a vast network of over 250 members, including researchers, academics, programmers, government representatives, donors, and UN agencies.
The GANN is committed to joining Nutrition Dialogues and its partners in meaningful discussion and exploration of the most urgent and powerful ways to improve nutrition for all, in particular adolescents, ahead of the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris.
Adolescent Nutrition: A Critical Period of Development
Adolescents make up 16% of the world’s population, or 1.6 billion people. Globally, adolescents (10-19 years) experience undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, anemia, and overweight/obesity.
Despite being a critical period in young people’s development, where they face a high burden of morbidity and mortality, adolescent nutrition has often been an overlooked area of research.
The GANN seeks to address this lack of data and resources, and to ensure that adolescence is factored into nutrition policy and practice so that all young people are nutritionally supported.
With its diverse network, the GANN aims to:
- Identify emerging research.
- Share operational experiences.
- Disseminate relevant information.
- Help bridge the disciplines of nutrition and other sectors.
Youth Voices in Nutrition Dialogues
We are very happy to see youth voices being included in the Nutrition Dialogues in the form of the ‘Children’s Workshops.’ Through our partnership with Nutrition Dialogues, the GANN will use its expertise and experience to ensure even greater youth representation and put more attention on key priorities for adolescent nutrition.
Implications of the Partnership
In preparation for N4G in Paris in 2025, and beyond, the implications of this partnership are:
- Helping to support all stakeholder voices at N4G
By connecting our network to the work of the Dialogues and advising on best practices for youth engagement. - Calling on government and donors to prioritize adolescents
Advocating for commitments specific to adolescents, aiming to exceed the 6% of commitments related to adolescents at N4G Tokyo 2021. Learn more in the GANN’s advocacy brief. - Ensuring inclusive language and representation
Fostering intergenerational dialogue and encouraging co-research opportunities to enhance resilience across communities. - Encouraging co-creation from start to finish
Engaging young people, researchers, policymakers, and governments in generating and activating knowledge together.
Training and Principles of Youth Partnership
The GANN is delighted to have already had the opportunity to host a training session for the Nutrition Dialogues, where these issues were discussed in more detail.
This training was grounded in the seven guiding principles of youth partnership, developed by the GANN:
- Empowerment
- Transparency
- Recognition
- Respect
- Inclusivity
- Intentionality
- Consistency
Experts from GAIN and Western Sydney University, who are members of the network, shared their experiences on youth engagement during the session.
A Shared Vision for Adolescents
The GANN is encouraged by the partnership and the platform to continue to elevate their voice on adolescent nutrition. Supporting the GANN’s vision that every adolescent from 10 to 19 years of age is nutritionally supported and afforded opportunities for optimal health and nutrition despite past nutritional challenges.
For more information about the GANN and to join the membership, visit the GANN webpage.
