Key data for Madagascar

NCI24th HRCI8th HANCI15th
HANCI compares 45 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: 41.6% Wasting: 6.4% Proportion of population underweight: 6.4% Source: Government of Madagascar (MICS,2018)

Strong Performance

  • The Government of Madagascar has ensured tenure security for rural populations. Land titling is common and land markets function well. Policy promotes equitable access to common property resources.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • Policymakers in Madagascar benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2018.
  • The Government has fully enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • The Government of Madagascar promotes complementary feeding practices and has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for 96% of children in 2018.
  • In Madagascar, constitutional protection of the right to social security is strong.

Areas for improvement

  • Spending on agriculture (5.9% of public spending in 2018), does not meet government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • 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 Madagascar, the law does not give women economic rights equal to men. Men and women have equal legal access to agricultural land, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Weak access to an improved source of drinking water (55.5% in 2017) and an improved sanitation facility (10.5% in 2017) prevents positive outcomes for hunger and nutrition in Madagascar.
  • Social safety nets in Madagascar 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
?
5.9%201818th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
15%20172nd
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Strong2019Joint 2nd
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Weak201941st
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
78%201815th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 26th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Moderate2019Joint 10th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
Not in Law2019Joint 16th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2006Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 24th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
96%20185th
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2010Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
55.5%201744th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
10.5%201744th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
85.1%201830th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Moderate2015-201918th
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2018Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Fully Enshrined2019Joint 1st