Consultancy to develop the National Nutrition Regulation and Guideline for NaNA

Request for Expressions of Interest Country: The Republic of the Gambia Project Title: The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills and Equity Project RISE Grant Number: P1729233 Assignment Title: Consultancy to develop the National Nutrition Regulation and Guideline for NaNA Procurement Method: Individual Consultant Selection (INDV) Reference No.: GM-CPCU - MOFEA-556550-CS-INDV Background: The Gambia is a small country with a total area of about 10,690 square kilometers. It is surrounded on all sides by the Republic of Senegal, except in the West by the Atlantic Ocean. The population is estimated 2.42 million with a high population growth rate of 3.1 percent per year (Census, 2024). The 2017 Human Development Index shows the country rank at 174 out of 189 countries. Efforts to fight poverty have also proven ineffective with poverty levels remaining unchanged in the past decade (the percentage of households living below the poverty line of 1.25 $/day is 48.65 per cent in 2015 (HIS 2015/2016). The average GDP growth of 3 per cent per annum has barely kept up with population growth of 3.1 per cent. Data from the 2019/20 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) showed encouraging results for U5MR having dropped to 34 per 1,000 down from 54 per 1,000 live births in 2013, Maternal Mortality Ratio estimated 189/100,000 down from at 433/100000 live births in 2013. Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread and continue to pose serious public health risks. Anaemia affects 44.8% of children, and only 10.8% of households consume adequately iodized salt even though 77% do consume iodized salt. Vitamin A deficiency affects 18.3% of children under five (MICS 2018). These figures highlight the urgency of interventions such as supplementation, iodization, fortification, and biofortification, supported by regulatory frameworks like the Food Fortification Regulation (2020). Despite these efforts, gaps in coverage and compliance persist, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Strengthe