Key data for Comoros

NCI33rd HRCI44th HANCI42nd
HANCI-Africa compares 45 African countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 31.1% Wasting: 11.2% Proportion of population underweight: 11.2% Source: Government of Comoros (DHS,2012)

Strong Performance

  • Relative to other HANCI countries, Comoros’s medium/long term national development policy (Strategie de croissance acceleree et de Developpement durable (SCA2D)) assigns strong importance to nutrition.
  • Comoros has introduced a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism to support delivery of the National Nutrition Policy/Strategy.
  • 91% of the population of Comoros in 2017 has access to an improved drinking water source.
  • In Comoros 92.1% of women aged 15-49 were visited at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel in 2012.

Areas for improvement

  • Spending on agriculture (0.2% of public spending in 2017), does not meet government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • Comoros’s spending in its health sector (3.4% of public spending in 2017) does not fully meet (15%) commitments set out in the Abuja Declaration.
  • Extension services are the preserve of government and poor farmers have no say in setting policy priorities. The agricultural research and extension system is not properly reaching out to poor farmers. There is no policy promoting gender equity in access to extension services.
  • In Comoros, the law gives women and men equal economic rights and equal legal access to agricultural land. However, these laws are not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Comoros does not yet have a National Nutrition Policy/Strategy.
  • Policymakers in Comoros do not benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2012.
  • The Government of Comoros does not promote complementary feeding practices and has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for only 11% of children in 2018.
  • Weak access to improved sanitation facilities (35.9% in 2017) obstructs better hunger and nutrition outcomes.
  • In Comoros, constitutional protection of the right to food and the right to social security is weak.
  • Social safety nets in Comoros are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
0.2%201745th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
3.4%2017Joint 40th
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Moderate2019Joint 34th
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Weak2019Joint 40th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
87.3%201211th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 41st
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Weak2016Joint 29th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 27th
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 9th
Constitutional right to social security
?
No2009Joint 26th

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 16th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
11%201842nd
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
No2018Joint 42nd
Population with access to an improved water source
?
91%20179th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
35.9%201724th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
92.1%201226th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Strong2018-20216th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
No2019Joint 33rd
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
No2012Joint 37th
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Many Aspects Enshrined2019Joint 13th