Every year on May 25, Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Africa Union’s forerunner, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), on that date in 1963.
On July 9, 2002, the OAU was transformed and remodeled into the African Union. The African Union will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2022.
The theme of the 2022 Africa Day celebration is Nutrition, and the AU’s goal is to strengthen agro-food systems, health systems, and social protection systems in order to accelerate human, social, and economic capital development on the African continent.
Covid-19 has exposed African nations’ economic vulnerability as well as deficiencies in their health and food systems. COVID-19 threatens many countries’ human capital gains over the last decade.
Many African countries have sacrificed malnutrition reductions to keep the virus at bay. Waste will increase as food insecurity concerns grow. To protect the poor and vulnerable, immediate action is required.
Interventions aimed at the most vulnerable populations must invest in human capital. Continued efforts are required, including advocacy in high-risk regions and communities, strengthening social protection systems, and protecting access to healthy food and nutrition for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, such as small children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people, and others.
The goal of Africa Day 2022 is to raise awareness and consciousness about nutrition and health issues in Africa.
Thus, the theme of Africa Day 2022 is to promote food security and strengthen Africa’s agricultural system.
The importance of health, nutrition, and the protection of vulnerable communities is not only critical for Africa as a whole, but also a critical component of India-Africa relations; thus, it is a very relevant and must-implement agenda in the context of Africa’s current health, agriculture, and food crises.
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