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International Women’s Day: What will it take to achieve gender equality?

By Rémy Ejel, CEO of Nestlé Central and West Africa (CWA) Ltd.

“There should be equality for all – men and women – at all levels, and all ages” was the compelling call from Anna, one of our young female talents at Nestlé CWA Ltd, about gender equality.

During our short conversation in the elevator a few weeks ago, I was struck by the composure, determination and focus of this bright graduate trainee when we talked about her current role – and her inspiring ambition to be a CEO herself in the future.

Quality Education can be achieved through strategic collaborative initiatives by Private Sector and Government as a means to accelerating efforts in attainment of UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.
This has been demonstrated over the years by Nestlé MILO through its support for the President’s Independence Day Awards which recognizes and rewards brilliant Ghanaian students in the Basic Education Certificate Examination, annually.  

Commitment, hard work, dedication to partnership and business excellence contributes to growth and profitability. Distributors of Nestlé Ghana who exhibited these traits in 2019 have been recognized and rewarded accordingly.

DANMAUD LIMITED of Accra won the top two awards of the year at the ceremony, “Best Distributor Award” as well as “Highest Turnover Award”.  Other awards included brand champions for Milo®, Cerelac®, Ideal® and more.
Speaking at the ceremony, Philomena Tan, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, congratulated all for continuously working hard to help ensure growth and development. “Nestlé has grown over the years to become a leader not just in the food and beverages industry but in the area of Nutrition Health and Wellness. This achievement is attributed to the dedication of our business partners who I now refer to us our business partners, who ensure that our quality and nutritious offerings reach individuals and families across the country”. She entreated the partners to continue strengthening the relationship build over the years and look forward to greater achievements in 2020 under the theme, “Lead Growth”.

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Les start-ups SHOPIT, EXPORTUNITY et WAKULIMA respectivement de l’Afrique du Sud, du Benin et de la Tanzanie ont remporté aujourd'hui le ‘‘Sub-Saharan Africa Innovation Challenge’’ lancé par le Centre de Recherche et Développement (R&D) de Nestlé. Sélectionnés parmi un lot très compétitif de 174 candidatures reçues de 27 pays d'Afrique, ces projets de start-ups ont été évalués comme les plus prometteurs par un panel de dirigeants de Nestlé.

En outre, l’initiative MAFANI portée par 2 étudiantes de l'Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis du Sénégal a été sélectionnée comme lauréate de la catégorie universitaire du concours et recevra un prix d’une valeur de 10 000 CHF en espèces.

Les trois start-ups lauréates intègreront, pour une durée de 4 mois, le nouvel accélérateur R&D de Nestlé pour l'Afrique subsaharienne, situé au Centre R&D Nestlé à Abidjan, en Côte d'Ivoire.

Nestlé Ghana Limited engaged its suppliers on Quality and Food Safety as part of the company’s annual suppliers’ quality day event, at its Factory in Tema.

The Nestlé Suppliers’ Quality Day, observed across Central and West Africa Region where Nestlé operates help increase awareness on Quality, Food Safety and Responsible Sourcing to enable suppliers work on meeting the non-negotiable minimum food safety and quality standards. This year’s theme“Food Safety, Sustainability and Supplier Performance” summarizes key areas of Nestlé commitment to support supplier’s to work towards the attainment of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized certifications.

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Nescafé s’est vu remettre le prix twitter de la créativité pour le mois de septembre, récompense qui vient saluer une campagne en ligne très réussie visant à partager les histoires motivantes de jeunes gens.

Au cours des 3 dernières années, Nescafé Africa a rassemblé et partagé via ses plateformes de médias sociaux les histoires Get Started de jeunes Africains de toute l’Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest. La marque a lancé l’initiative Get Started afin d’encourager les jeunes gens à poursuivre et à vivre leurs rêves.

Nestlé has pledged to donate at least CHF 100,000 to fight the Ebola disease in West Africa and to support the efforts of the International Federation of

Selon l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), 91 millions de personnes souffrent de troubles d’origine alimentaire en Afrique provoquant, chaque année, le décès de 137 000 personnes, sur le continent.

La sécurité sanitaire des aliments est une question de santé publique cruciale et aussi un enjeu de développement agricole et commercial important. En effet, la préférence des entreprises agro-alimentaires installées sur le continent africain est de s’approvisionner en ingrédients locaux. Pour ce faire, elles doivent avoir accès à des aliments de qualité et à un prix compétitif pour satisfaire les consommateurs africains de plus en plus soucieux de leur alimentation. En l’absence de ces conditions, elles se voient contraintes d’importer ces matières premières.

La qualité et la sécurité sanitaire des aliments produits sur le continent sont donc le préalable à l’autosuffisance alimentaire de l’Afrique. Dans ce contexte, les méthodes d’analyse des aliments et des productions agricoles sur le continent sont fondamentales.

Elles furent notamment le sujet des discussions passionnées qui ont eu lieu lors de de l’atelier sur « L’utilisation des Méthodes d’Analyse des Aliments à des fins réglementaires », qui s’est tenu les 25 et 26 avril, 2018 au Centre de Recherche et Développement de Nestlé pour l’Afrique, à Abidjan.

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Soutenir une consommation durable et préserver les ressources pour les générations futures constituent sont essentiel pour améliorer la qualité de vie et de contribuer à un avenir plus sain en Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest et dans le monde entier.

En tant que la plus grande entreprise mondiale opérant dans le domaine de la Nutrition, la santé, et la bien être, nous cherchons à réduire l’utilisation de l’eau dans tous nos secteurs, à utiliser des ressources durables et renouvelables et à nous efforcer d’atteindre notre objectif de zéro déchet d’ici 2030, en ligne avec les Objectifs des Nations Unies pour le Développement Durable (ODDs).

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L'Organisation internationale du travail estime que deux jeunes sur cinq sont au chômage ou occupent un emploi qui les maintient dans la pauvreté. Dans la plupart des pays d'Afrique centrale et occidentale, ce taux est souvent beaucoup plus élevé. Cette situation nuit gravement aux éléments socio-culturel et le développement de la région, car le taux de chômage élevé et le manque de possibilités d'emploi de bonne qualité sont des facteurs clés qui déterminent la décision des jeunes de migrer à l'étranger de façon permanente.

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Selon la Fédération internationale du diabète, plus de 199 millions de femmes vivent avec le diabète. Ce total devrait augmenter à 313 millions en 2040. Les recherches ont montré que jusqu'à 70% du diabète de type 2 peut être évité grâce à l'adoption d'un mode de vie sain. Cette année, la Journée Mondiale du Diabète, le 14 novembre, met l’accent sur les femmes et le diabète.

Afin d'aider à faire face à la prévalence croissante du diabète, il est nécessaire d'éduquer et de sensibiliser le public. Cette situation nécessite l'intervention de différentes parties prenantes pour aider à résoudre le problème. En tant qu'entreprise, Nestlé travaille avec différentes organisations et partenaires au sein de notre chaîne de valeur afin d'aider à relever les défis liés à la nutrition.

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En Afrique centrale et de l'Ouest, Nestlé contribue à renforcer la sécurité alimentaire en construisant des chaînes de valeur agricoles fortes et à soutenir des agriculteurs pour augmenter leur niveau de vie. Notre mission est de contribuer à développer des communautés solides et prospères, notamment améliorer les moyens de subsistance de 30 millions de personnes dans les communautés en contact direct avec nos activités opérationnelles, ceci renforce notre raison d’être : « améliorer la qualité de vie et contribuer à un avenir sain ».

 Nestlé on Monday, February 18, 2012, inaugurated a N 5.42 bio (CHF 30.01 mio) ultra-modern Distribution Centre in Agbara, Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the development of the West African nation.

The new Distribution Centre is key to Nestlé’s growth in Nigeria and will further strengthen the country’s role as the largest manufacturing operation for the company in the Central and West Africa Region.  

Chief Olusegun Osunkeye (OON, OFR), Chairman, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, cut the tape to commission the new facility, assisted by Head of Region, Etienne Benet, and Dr Umar Bindir, Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP). 

“By opening our new distribution facility in Ogun State, we will be closer to our consumers and can better adapt our products to their needs and preferences”, Etienne assured the Nigerian consumers.

Les enfants de Pokou-Kouamekro, en Côte d'Ivoire, ont une bonne raison d'être heureux - ils peuvent maintenant apprendre à nourrir leurs espoirs et leurs rêves, dans un établissement approprié construit à cet effet.

This Tuesday, October 17 in Yaoundé, Nestlé Cameroon and the Ministry of Public Health organized a forum on "How to respond to the nutritional challenges in Cameroon? ". The meeting, under the high patronage of the Minister of Public Health, brought together government experts, civil society, scholarly societies, academia and the private sector who discussed solutions to problems nutrition in Cameroon.

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Une cinquantaine d’Entreprises citoyennes de la ville de Ouagadougou se sont mobilisées avec le soutien la Mairie et de la Société Burkinabè de Pédiatrie

Ce samedi 11 novembre 2017, les entreprises citoyennes de Ouagadougou en partenariat avec la mairie de Ouagadougou et la société burkinabè de pédiatrie (SOBUPED), se sont mobilisées autour d’un évènement sportif dénommé « Course pour la vie » (CPLV) dont l’objectif est de contribuer à réduire la mortalité néonatale dans les services de maternité et de néonatologie.

L’objectif visé par cette première édition de la CPLV était de récolter des fonds qui serviront à acheter des matériels d’urgences et des couveuses pour certains hôpitaux de la ville de Ouagadougou.

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Alors que la journée internationale des droits de l'homme est célébrée aujourd'hui, Nestlé, la plus grande entreprise d’aliments et de boissons au monde, réaffirme que le travail des enfants n'a pas sa place dans sa chaîne d'approvisionnement.

Au cours des dernières années, Nestlé a été à l'avant-garde des actions prises pour éliminer le travail des enfants et le travail forcé en Afrique centrale et de l'Ouest.

Selon l'Organisation internationale du Travail (OIT), environ 150 millions d'enfants dans le monde sont impliqués dans le travail des enfants.

En 2012, Nestlé est devenue la première entreprise de l'industrie alimentaire à être un partenaire affilié de la Fair Labor Association et a avoir mis en place le Système de Suivi et de Remédiation du Travail des enfants (CLMRS) suite au rapport décrivant sa chaîne d'approvisionnement en cacao en Côte d’Ivoire.

Permettre à chacun de vivre une vie plus saine et plus heureuse supporte la raison d’être de Nestlé qui est : d’améliorer la qualité de vie et de contribuer à un avenir plus sain. Les défis actuels liés à l'augmentation des problèmes de santé publique conduisent à des changements dans le style de vie.

Partout dans le monde, les gens s'efforcent de vivre de manière saine et épanouissante, parfois dans des situations difficiles. Chez Nestlé, nous touchons des milliards de vies dans le monde entier; des agriculteurs avec lesquels nous travaillons jusqu’aux individus et familles qui consomment nos produits, en passant par les communautés où nous vivons et travaillons, et l'environnement naturel dont nous dépendons tous. Leurs défis sont nos défis. Leur succès est le succès que nous partageons tous.

Nous sommes ravis d'annoncer les demi-finalistes du Prix Création de la Valeur Partagée de Nestlé 2018 .
Sur plus de 1000 soumissions, 56 candidats ont été présélectionnés . Travaillant dans des pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, d'Asie, d'Europe et du Moyen-Orient, ils cherchent chacun à répondre à un besoin croissant de bonne nutrition, d'eau potable et d'opportunités économiques.

Nestlé Nigeria has organized a workshop to introduce beneficiary teachers of its Healthy Kids Global Programme to innovative ways of delivering lessons on nutrition education.

The workshop provided useful insights and learning tools to the teachers who were drawn from Lagos City and Abeokuta.

According to Samuel Adenekan, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager of Nestlé Nigeria, the workshop was aimed at equipping the participants with knowledge about the new trends in nutrition education, enabling them to lead in empowering their pupils to observe good eating habits and engage in productive physical activities so as to improve their health.

The worldwide Nestlé initiative was launched in Nigeria in 2011 with the aim of improving the nutrition status of children aged 6-12 years through education and greater physical activities.

The project is backed by the Lagos and Ogun State Governments, and facilitated by the Centre for

From over 1000 entries received across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East for the 2018 Creating Shared Value (CSV) Prize, four Ghanaian Social Enterprises have been shortlisted among 56 others as Semi-finalists. These interventions each seek to address a growing need for Safe Water, Rural Development and economic opportunities.

The four candidates are, Ignitia Tropical, Saha Global, Moringa Connect and Farmeline.

Ignitia Tropical aims to improve farming in rural communities by helping to provide highly accurate 48-hour forecasts to small-scale farmers daily via SMS, thus helping them reduce loss and increase yield. Saha Global seeks to set up entrepreneurial local women in remote communities to help provide clean and affordable water. Moringa Connect helps empower farmers economically by integrating supply chain to improve farmers’ livelihood and turn their underutilized moringa seeds into beauty products. Farmerline seeks to improve rural development by connecting farmers to financial services, information and quality input to increase their yield and income.

Vice-President of Ghana, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, hosted the 20 winners of this year’s MILO Independence Day Award for basic school students in Ghana at the Flagstaff House, the seat of government in Accra.

The President's Independence Day Award was instituted in 1993 to award scholarship to deserving Basic Education Certificate Examination graduands.

Originally, ten students from each of the ten administrative regions of Ghana were awarded, but the figures were revised in 2001 following a request from the Ghana Education Service to bring parity in the awards, reserving 10 quota each for girls and boys.

Among the goals of the scheme is to reward academic excellence, promote the participation of students in co-curricular activities and to reward good moral conduct.

Nestlé has been recognised as the leading food and beverage company in the Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion Index (D&I), for its efforts in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The index ranked Nestlé 13th overall out of more than 4,000 publically traded companies worldwide. Companies were assessed in four categories: diversity, people development, news controversies and inclusion.

Nestlé is dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive business culture with equal opportunities for all. For example, the company is committed to gender balance by 2018, by increasing the percentage of women managers and senior leaders.

Schoolboy Otniel Djedje (pictured third from left in blue) is now learning about healthy lifestyles after we launched the Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme in Côte d’Ivoire.

Eight-year-old Otniel is one of 82,000 children across Central and West Africa who are taking part in our programme that aims to enhance healthy eating, good hygiene and physical activity.

These classroom-based lessons are helping to teach African children about the importance of nutritious, adequate diet and to get them active. Understanding the benefits of healthy lifestyles and improved hygiene also helps Otniel and his classmates adopt good habits from an early age.

According to the Population Reference Bureau unhealthy diets and physical inactivity contribute to about 12 million deaths worldwide, which are related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, cancer and diabetes.

Alors que nous célébrons la Journée internationale de la femme, nous prenons un moment pour partager les histoires inspirantes des femmes d'Afrique centrale et de l'Ouest, en joignant nos voix à celles du monde entier pour appeler à une action soutenue en faveur de l'autonomisation et de l'inclusion des femmes. Nous sommes ravis de la contribution que les femmes apportent en Afrique centrale et occidentale.

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Nestlé, together with a number of international consumer goods companies, today launched the Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

This Alliance aims to turn the current challenge of plastic waste in Sub Saharan Africa into an opportunity to create jobs and commercial activity by improving the collection and recycling of plastics.

The Africa Plastics Recycling Alliance has been established for companies to:

• Facilitate and support their local subsidiaries to engage proactively in market level public private partnerships, industry collaboration and alliances;
• Share knowledge, encourage innovation and collaborate on technical and other solutions appropriate for Sub-Saharan Africa as well as participate in local pilot initiatives;
• Engage with the investment community, policy makers and others to accelerate the development and financing of the necessary waste management infrastructure and systems.

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Nestlé is engaging with communities around its factory operations to help people lead healthier lives by providing free access to clean drinking water and better sanitation, as part of its commitment to raise awareness on water conservation and improve access to water and sanitation across its value chain .

The company believes access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a basic human right, which helps to reduce mortality and morbidity rates, strengthen community resilience and support personal dignity.

In Central and West Africa (CWA), Nestlé is working with its partners to improve the lives of people across the region by building and repairing damaged water points, raising awareness of the importance of safe water to schoolchildren and teachers, and endorsing best water management practices, as part of its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation .

“Free access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a basic human right,” said Rémy Ejel, Market Head for Nestlé CWA Ltd. “Together with our partners, we aim to make a real contribution to society by helping more people gain access to them,” he added.

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The world needs forests. They are vital to maintain biodiversity and to help combat climate change.

At the same time, forests have suffered since the invention of the plough, as people have cut them down to plant crops for food and cash. The bulldozer just made things worse.

Over 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and deforestation has wreaked havoc. Only 17% of the original forest remains in Côte d’Ivoire, while only fragments of the once magnificent Guinean forest can still be found.

How did this happen, and is cocoa to blame? If so, what is Nestlé and the industry doing about it?

Cocoa from protected forests has no place in our supply chain. We’re working to stop deforestation and the destruction of other natural habits within cocoa, and across our supply chains. We’ve committed to achieving 100% deforestation-free commodities by 2020.

Planting cocoa, alongside other commodity crops and logging, has caused deforestation. However, because it ends up in chocolate, an iconic product, cocoa-related deforestation attracts a lot of attention.

Restoring forest areas

I welcome the media spotlight on cocoa, because it highlights deforestation as a pressing issue for our cocoa sector, but also for West Africa as a whole. While we should work towards stopping cocoa plantations expanding into forests, we need to protect them from all agricultural encroachments.

Addressing deforestation is complex, and given that cocoa is mainly a smallholder crop in West Africa, we must consider farmer’s livelihoods. This is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders, cocoa and chocolate industry, governments of producing countries, cooperatives, farmers and rural communities.

Thirty-three leading cocoa and chocolate-producing companies (World Cocoa Foundation members), have come together with the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to sign the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) Frameworks for Action to end deforestation and restore forest areas. Full marks to everyone for pulling together to achieve this. Special mention goes to The Prince of Wales for the initiation and NGO Mighty Earth for making sure it happened.

When taking action, nothing is easy. In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, people have lived and worked in the forests for decades, and cannot just be moved on. We need to protect the forests while supporting sustainable livelihoods, by growing ‘more cocoa on less land’.

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Nestlé has launched an ambitious Gender Balance Acceleration Plan ‘From Aspiration to Action’ as part of its activities to highlight International Women’s Day 2019.

The world’s largest food and beverage company believes that a gender balanced workforce makes business sense as it helps to boost innovation and performance, which as a result, better serves the needs of its consumers.

Nestlé’s Global CEO Mark Schneider announced the company’s acceleration plan to make gender balance a priority, based on three pillars: bold leadership, an empowering culture and a set of enabling practices.

In the Central and West Africa Region (CWAR), Nestlé aims to bring the Gender Balance Acceleration Plan to life through its multi-pronged initiatives, such as trainings to raise awareness on gender biases, career development and mentoring programmes for women, gender-sensitive succession planning, offering breastfeeding rooms and nurseries at work, as well as the implementation of its Maternity Protection Policy .

Driving innovation

At Nestlé CWAR, increasing the number of women in the workforce and boosting gender balance is helping to drive innovation.

Bunmi Etty-Mfon, Total Performance Management Manager for Technical at Nestlé CWAR, who has led factory efficiency for over eight years to deliver safe, quality products in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, has encouraged and experienced this herself.

“When there’s a good mixture of men and women, team-building activities tend to be more balanced, helping to develop greater empathy among individuals and teams. Diversity stimulates greater effort from everyone, leading to improved decision-making.

“Also, as the majority of consumers in our region are women, it gives us great perspective to lead in innovation,” she said.

Nutrition Health and Wellness Company, Nestlé Ghana has commissioned a production line manned by females from end to end. The first of its kind in the 62 years history of the company in Ghana. According to Management of the company, this initiative is to empower women in its value chain and ensure gender balance in its workforce to maximize productivity.

Philomena Tan, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, who is the second female Managing Director of the company after Freda Duplan, said during the commissioning that, “Nestlé has been taking deliberate steps to empower more women to take up job positions at all levels including leadership. Having a balanced and diverse workforce of men and women, we are able to capitalize on their complementary strengths that allow us to meet the needs of our consumers better and thus generating sustainable growth for the organization. By this commissioning of all female production line, Nestlé is not just giving more women economic opportunities for the sake of it, Nestlé is empowering women to take up more roles to accelerate inclusion and enhance productivity in our workforce”.

Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, speaking at the ceremony, congratulated Nestlé Ghana for championing Gender Balance and diversity in its workforce and being a leading example for others to follow. She urged women in Nestlé who have been given the opportunity to work hard and become torchbearers for other young females to follow.

Nestlé MILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has once again demonstrated its commitment to promoting and rewarding academic excellence in Ghana by recognizing 20 students a boy and a girl each from the then 10 regions of Ghana and 4 students with special educational needs with outstanding performance in the 2018 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Each of the 24 students received attractive winning package including a crystal plaque, a medal, a Samsung Tablet, Cash Prize, Certificate signed by the President of the Republic of Ghana, and one year supply of Nestlé Products at a ceremony held at the Accra International Conference Centre as part of Ghana’s 62^nd Independence Day.

Speaking at the Ceremony His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana said, “These students have brought considerable joy and pride to their families, schools, communities, and to themselves. I am inspired because I know I am looking into the eyes of our country’s future”. He urged the students to continue to strive for excellence and thanked Nestlé for continuously contributing to supporting academic excellence in Ghana.

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Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire is collaborating with UNESCO on an innovative project called the MAGGI Mammies Digital Literacy Project.

According to Thomas Caso, the new Managing Director of Nestlé in Côte d’Ivoire, “this project is innovative because it contributes to women's empowerment and economic development through an approach that takes into account local realities. Our goal is to replicate this partnership in several countries of Central and West Africa and elsewhere in the world, in order to help improve the lives of other vulnerable women and their families".

In Côte d’Ivoire, Nestle works with over 20,000 MAGGI Mammies (women selling products in open markets). Over 85% of the Mammies never had the chance to attend school and only 10% of Mammies have gone through the primary level education. This implies that the majority of these women are functionally illiterate.

The MAGGI Mammies Digital Literacy Project aims at empowering MAGGI Mammies and improving their income, while raising their self-esteem and self-confidence to a higher level through basic literacy training. This Public-Private partnership has been underway since March 2017 and has reached 510 MAGGI Mammies to date. So far, 65% of the participating women can read, write and count at different level of proficiency.

The project provides Mammies with a smartphone that includes an adult literacy App called the “Alphatic”. “Alphatic” was developed by a young female Ivoirian programmer. Mammies access the application at their convenience, progress through numerous stages of literacy training and once every week, gather at a school nearby to review together as a group.

Nestlé Ghana Ltd. and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to forge a strong cooperation in the sharing of scientific and technical information.

The Public-Private-Partnership agreement seeks to enhance laboratory analytical methods alignment and capacity building in laboratory testing of food products to enhance product safety and quality standards. The partnership will also contribute towards the enhancement of technical competencies of personnel and promote best practices.

Under the terms of the MoU, the GSA will collaborate with Nestlé in standardization and alignment of applicable test methods; carrying out inter-laboratory comparisons in agreed scopes; and conduct ISO/IEC 17025, safety and compliance internal audits per agreed schedule between the two parties.

In addition, there will be knowledge exchange on Laboratory Information Management Systems, the use of GSA laboratories for conformance to standards and compliance to set constituent limits per Ghana standards.

For the first time, an award for Nutrition Reporting was presented at the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME). Mr. Ololade Olatunji, Associate Editor of The Nation newspaper emerged winner. Now in its 27^th year, DAME promotes and rewards excellence in journalism. The ‘Nestlé Prize for Nutrition Reporting’ has created an opportunity for nutrition writers to also be recognized and celebrated among their peers. Nestlé is also providing training opportunities for nutrition and health writers who participated in this year’s DAME.

The Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Nestlé Nigeria, Mrs. Victoria Uwadoka said, “We strongly believe that when provided with adequate information and training, the media plays a key role in raising awareness of key nutrition, health and wellness issues among stakeholders and the public. Armed with fact-based information, individuals and families are empowered to make healthier nutrition choices. In line therefore, with our purpose, which is enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, we are collaborating with the Lagos Business School (LBS) to provide training opportunities for nutrition and health writers who participated in this year’s DAME. This will ensure that they are well equipped to fulfil their crucial role in helping to improve Nigeria’s health index.”

On December 5, Nestlé Gabon officially launched « Nestlé for Healthier Kids » program in partnership with the Gabonese Ministry of National Education. The program aimed at helping parents and children lead healthier lives. The ceremony was attended by various stakeholders including, the Minister of National Education, the Director of the National Pedagogical Institute, Directors of schools covered by the program, civil society organizations and media.

In its pilot phase, the program will be implement in five primary schools in the city capital of Libreville and will help more than 1,100 children by the end of the 2018 - 2019 school year to lead healthier lives.

“A healthy child is the pride of his family and of society. Therefore, helping kids to leave healthier live through good nutrition, physical activities, along with good hygiene, healthy hydration and vegetable gardening is more than an engagement, it’s a priority which requires all necessary efforts to ensure happiness and well-being of our children” said Abdoulaye Diongue, Country Business Manager, Nestlé Gabon.

Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are basic elements of life and enablers of healthy living. In various households, communities, and schools, the absence of these enablers affect health, nutrition and wellness, productivity and may even contribute to child mortality.

While there have been improvements over the past decades, about “4.5 billion people still live without a safe toilet and 892 million people still practice open defecation”, according to the United Nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) also estimates that some 842,000 people die each year from preventable conditions like diarrhoea resulting from unsafe drinking-water as well as poor sanitation and hand hygiene.

As today marks World Toilet Day, it is important to raise awareness about the challenges and the actions needed to curb the problem.

In Central and West Africa, Nestlé guided by its purpose of “Enhancing Quality of Life and Contributing to a Healthier Future”, has an ambition to help improve 30 million livelihoods in communities directly connected to its business activities by 2030. This ambition is evident in the company’s global partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) where Nestlé has helped over 300,000 dwellers in rural and farming communities with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Nutrition Health and Wellness Company, Nestlé has called on Private Sector to maximize contribution in building capacity of young people in Africa to take up leadership roles that will enable their development and help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The call was made during the 2018 African Youth SDGs Summit in Accra under the theme “partnership with Youth to achieve the SDGs: moving from Policy to actions” with over 1,000 young Africans, Private sector partners including Nestlé.

Speaking at the summit on “Promoting decent jobs through innovative agribusiness”, Fatih Ermis, Head of Agricultural Services at Nestlé Central West Africa highlighted the role private sector must play to rejuvenate youth interest in agriculture in Africa. “Africa has a declining workforce in agriculture with the average farmer being 60 years old. This situation threatens food security and our journey towards zero hunger. It is therefore important for Private Sector to invest in young people and revive their interest in Agriculture. Mr. Ermis shared how Nestlé is helping over thousands of young Africans to become “agripreneurs” through projects under the company’s Creating Shared Value Approach including Nestlé Cocoa Plan, Nestlé Cereals Plan, Nescafe Plan, Cassava Plan, Feed the future and Nestlé Maize Quality Improvement project in Central and West Africa. He noted that such efforts will help young people see opportunities in rural living which will eventually curb rural exodus and build a sustainable agricultural value chain.

Good Health and Wellbeing of children are fundamental goals for parents and caregivers as well as an indicator for societal development. A key Sustainable Development Goal, Good Health and Wellbeing creates the needed foundation for the growth and development of children.

In observation of International Chefs Day, Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK), a non-branded program under Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value Concept brought together Professional Chefs, Teachers, and Schoolchildren of Asafo Agona East District Assembly Basic School in the Central Region to promote healthier lifestyle through series of practical demonstrations under the theme “Healthy Foods for Growing Up”. The children were grouped based on their career aspirations including Doctors, Teachers, Farmers, Athletes, and Artistes. They were guided by Chefs to prepare recipes with local, familiar and healthy foods and were thought basic healthy eating habits to guarantee them reaching their dreams.

Addressing the school, Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Philomena Tan in a speech read on her behalf said, “We can only build a better future for our children today if we take their nutrition and wellbeing seriously. A healthy child today is an asset to society. Through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids Program and our fortification agenda, we are contributing to fulfilling our 2030 global ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives”. “this is one way we bring to life our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”, she added.

Nestlé Nigeria celebrated this year’s International Chef’s Day by hosting chefs and school children at the company’s headquarters in Ilupeju, Lagos. In line with this year’s theme, ‘Healthy Foods for Growing Up’, fifty chefs from the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria engaged the children in fun activities demonstrating how healthy eating helps children attain their dreams.

The children shared what they wanted to become when they grew up, and for each exciting career choice, the chefs were able to explain how eating healthy foods could help them achieve their great career goals, encouraging good eating habits to carry with them for life.

International Chef's Day, celebrated every 20 October, offers chefs from around the globe a unique opportunity to network, promote their profession to future chefs and make a difference in their local communities through making healthy eating fun and exciting for children.

Speaking at the event, Gbechoevi Benoit, Executive Chef, Protea Hotel encouraged the children to dream big, and to eat right to be their best every day while working towards their career goals.
“As we all know, good food equals good health. Learning to eat the right food in these early days of your life will set you on the right path to live a productive, successful life.”

For the second year in a row, with support from the Ministry of Health, Nestlé Cameroon organized a multi stakeholder Nutrition Forum. The goal of the Forum was to bring together health professionals, teachers, researchers, civil society organizations and the media to exchange on ways to collectively address malnutrition in Cameroon.

Echoing the theme chosen for World Food Day, which is "A #ZeroHunger World by 2030 is possible", the various stakeholders discussed the specific issue of micronutrient deficiencies in Cameroon through the theme" Food Fortification: stakes and challenges to reduce hidden hunger by 2035 in Cameroon."

Micronutrient deficiencies are a major nutritional challenge that must be addressed for the well-being of Cameroonian individuals and families. In Cameroon more than 68% of children aged 0-5 years suffer from Iron deficiency anemia, 39% of children in this age group suffer from vitamin A deficiency and 35% of deaths of these children are related to malnutrition.

“Every day in Cameroon, individuals and families consume over 1 million servings of Nestle food and beverages fortified with micronutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin A, iodine as well as ingredients often lacking in daily diets ” said Thomas CASO, General Administrator, Nestlé Cameroun.

Nestlé Nigeria has emerged overall Champions of the just concluded Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Games. This is the first time Nestlé Nigeria has emerged as both Football and Overall Champions of the Nigeria FMCG Games. Officials of Media Vision Limited, organizers of the games, presented the plaque to the winners in Lagos on Wednesday.

The excitement was palpable as the champions were celebrated and decorated. According to a statement by Media Vision, Nestlé’s dominance at the Nigeria FMCG Games reached new heights as the team hauled in 9 Gold medals, 9 Silver medals, and 4 Bronze medals, inclusive of the Football Gold.

Commenting at the ceremony, Jimmy Sogbesan, Chief Operating Officer of Media Vision Limited, said “FMCG games is an opportunity to drive employee engagement and team building. I would like to commend your team for their conduct on and off the pitch.”

Also speaking at the event, the MD/CEO of Nestlé’s Nigeria, Mr. Mauricio Alarcón, commended his team for making the company proud.

Nestlé Nigeria has collaborated with Lagos Business School (LBS) to run a Sales Academy to train and equip its employees. This is in line with Nestlé’s commitment to the development of human capacity in each country where it operates.

Giving more details on the Sales Academy, Mr. Chandana Fernando, Commercial Manager for Nestlé Nigeria said, “The Sales Academy is a 3-level Accelerated Sales Development Programme aimed at providing participants the support, training, skills and resources required to excel in their careers and to win in the market. The first phase is the ‘Sales College’, which addresses the fundamentals of business. The second is the ‘Aspiring for Sales Leadership Diploma’, which builds leadership skills. The third level is ‘Leading in Sales Strategy,’ targeted at all sales leaders.”

“The Sales Academy is expected to contribute towards transforming our Sales Managers into Business Managers with a competitive advantage in the market place. We are confident that this partnership with the LBS will give each employee the opportunity to develop to the maximum of his or her potential,” said Mauricio Alarcon, MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria.

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Hunger is on the rise and the number of undernourished people has returned to levels from almost a decade ago. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , the number of people facing chronic food deprivation has risen to nearly 821 million in 2017, compared to 804 million the year before. In Central and West Africa alone, about 98.9 million people are undernourished.

In parallel, obesity is a global health issue that has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975, according to the World Health Organization . In Africa, obesity rates are rapidly increasing, particularly in urban areas .

World Food Day , with the theme ‘zero hunger world by 2030 is possible’ reminds us of the imperative to put people’s wellbeing at the heart of our food system.

The solutions exist. What we need now, is for all stakeholders, from farm to fork, to join hands so that everyone in Africa can thrive and live a healthier, happier life.

Affordable nutrition for all

At the top of the agenda is a demand to make healthy, nutritious and affordable food accessible to everyone on the African continent.

Harnessing the power of the private sector, Partners in Food Solutions works the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , Dangoté and TechnoServe in Nigeria to combat malnutrition by promoting fortified foods for local markets, as part of the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods project.

KitKat’s first campaign with Good-Loop, the ethical ad platform, goes live today – supporting the Nestlé Cocoa Plan and Nestlé’s societal commitments through opt-in digital ads.

When a consumer watches one of the KitKat Senses 'Time Traveller' ads through the Good-Loop ad player, a free donation to the Nestlé Cocoa Plan is unlocked. Viewers will have the option of donating to one of three selected projects: school kits, vegetable growing kits, or solar chargers.

The partnership comes as a result ofKitKat’s project on the [email protected]é open innovation platform, which attracted over 100 applications and 15 pitches at ad:tech London 2017.

Read the full press release

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For over 250 years, Coffee has evolved to become part of many cultures, livelihoods, and economies around the world.

According to a study by the International Coffee Organization (ICO), coffee accounts for the primary source of income for more than 10 million households in 25 African coffee-growing countries. The study further estimates that the global demand for coffee will increase by more than 10 million metric tons by 2020.

International Coffee Day is a global celebration that highlights the importance of coffee, raises awareness about sustainable cultivation and fair trade practices within the coffee industry. It is also an opportunity to honour the women and men who grow, harvest the coffee we love and makes the journey of coffee from the farm to our local shops possible.

Nestlé recognises that coffee farmers face many challenges, such as low yields unstable environmental conditions, which affects their livelihoods. To help address these challenges, Nestlé has put in place the Nescafé Plan . Below are 3 ways that Nestlé in Central & West Africa makes sure that the coffee it uses is “ Grown Respectfully ” to deliver you a great-tasting cup of coffee every day.

Nestlé has today pledged to help accelerate the pace towards equal pay for equal work, at an event in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The event was organized by the Equal Pay International Coalition, led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Women, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The main objective is to build a consortium of committed partners to accelerate the pace in closing the gender pay gap and achieving equal pay, in line with target 8.5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Christian Frutiger, Global Head of Public Affairs, made the pledge on behalf of Nestlé: "At Nestlé we aim to provide a workplace that generates equal opportunities for everyone, and in which people are treated with dignity and respect. In line with our commitment to enhance gender balance at all levels in our workforce, we further pledge to work to achieve equal pay for our employees."

Since 2011, Nestlé has increased the number of women in leadership positions every year, by embedding gender balance principles in all human resources practices, including recruitment, succession planning and promotion. All Nestlé markets have an action plan on diversity and inclusion, including mentoring programs, flexible working arrangements, gender balance and unconscious bias training, a maternity policy in place, as well as breastfeeding and nursing rooms.

Nestlé has today again been recognized as one of the most engaged companies in the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Announced at UN Headquarters in New York at the start of the UN General Assembly week, Nestlé was reconfirmed as a Global Compact LEAD company.

Nestlé has demonstrated its commitment to the UN Global Compact by sharing best practices and providing leadership in activities that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each year Nestlé reports on its progress towards the UN Global Compact ten principles

"The key to long-term success for our company is to create value for our shareholders and society. We call this Creating Shared Value, which fully reflects the aims and goals of the UN Global Compact. We are proud to be a LEAD company," said Christian Frutiger, Global Head Public Affairs, Nestlé.

Nestlé joined the UN Global Compact in 2001.  It is proud to be part of a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders that are contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  Nestlé’s priorities are in those areas where business interests most closely match those of society. These include nutrition, with a special focus on children; developing thriving and resilient rural communities; and stewarding natural resources for the future, above all water.

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Nestlé and Ashoka have kick-started a social investment accelerator program to accelerate social entrepreneurship and boost economic development of Africa, on 10^th September 2018.

12 social entrepreneurs from Benin, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa will learn new tools and methodologies to help refine their business model and become investment ready. This is essential to find the right hybrid of corporate structure to gain access to finance. These selected young social entrepreneurs are working in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, education, e-commerce, water and sanitation.

A select number of employee experts in legal affairs, accounting, business support, technology and marketing from across the continent will be mentoring these social entrepreneurs during the next five months. They will prepare their final submission to angel and social impact investors to access financing.

In Central & West Africa, three start- ups are part of the initiative. Exportunity Global Trade hub (Benin) is an exclusive virtual market, which connects vendors and sellers through Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) intra African trade.

Project Maji designs (Ghana), develops, and builds environmentally sustainable solar-powered water kiosks across sub-Saharan Africa. The water kiosks are designed to work reliably in the harshest environments with minimal running costs.

This year’s Africa Green Revolution Forum, attended by over 3000 African and International Agriculture and Nutrition leaders – including heads of state and ministers – featured a strong Nestlé presence, led by R&D Abidjan and RSA Sub Saharan Africa.

Headlining on a panel entitled “Healthy Diets – From Aspiration to Reality”, featuring stellar figures in the world of nutrition such as World Food Prize laureate David Nabarro and Africa Food Prize laureate Ruth Oniango, Nestlé R&D Abidjan Centre Head Joëlle Abega-Oyouomi profiled the Centre’s work in valorizing African raw materials into nutritious, fortified cereal products suited to African tastes and pockets.

Meanwhile, in “Raising Food Safety and Quality Standards", a panel event opened by African Union Rural Economies and Agriculture Commissioner Josefa Sacko, Nestlé RSA Sub Saharan Africa Regional Head John Bee outlined the West African Grains Improvement programme, reducing aflatoxin contamination in locally sourced grains so that they can meet our stringent quality and safety standards; while generating extra income for tens of thousands of farmers, at least half of them women.

According to Joëlle, “this is the first time Nestlé has been invited to this prestigious event, and we were one of the only private sector actors to represent this time, which positions us as a clear leader in providing safe, nutritious food for African individuals and families”.

Nestlé brings to life its purpose: “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”, by providing Akooko and Esikasu communities in Ghana with Water and Sanitary facilities through its partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Akooko and Esikasu are farming communities in the Eastern Region of Ghana with about 3,000 and 2,000 inhabitants respectively. Cocoa farming is the main occupation of these two communities, which are strong contributors to local sourcing for industries in the cocoa sector.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities, however, as basic resources for everyday life elude these two communities contributing to poor healthy living standards.

The community of Akooko now has a borehole producing about 192,000 litres of water per day distributed through 8 standing pipes in vantage locations. In Esikasu, 2 boreholes have been drilled while broken water points have been refurbished to serve the community sufficient water daily in addition to a “biodigester” toilet facility.

Secretary General of IFRC, El Hadj As Sy who visited Ghana for an advocacy conference on Global Road Safety, conducted a field visit with some officials of Nestlé and IFRC Ghana to Akooko and Esikasu to evaluate the Ghana WASH project and interact with beneficiaries to reflect on its impact.

Quality is a non-negotiable priority for Nestlé, a company committed to offering tasty and safe products all over the world. This commitment to quality is evident in Côte d'Ivoire, where the Swiss company has been operating for nearly 60 years, with a head office in Cocody and two factories: a MAGGI factory in Yopougon and a second for Nescafé in Abidjan Zone 4. Every day, 1000 employees and collaborators (including subcontractors) and more recently, employees of the Research & Development Centre and the Distribution Centre work meticulously to apply the company’s strictest quality standards, right from the stage of selection of suppliers and raw materials, through the product design and manufacturing process till the finished product.

"To be awarded the Ivorian Quality Award before the whole nation is a great pride, a recognition and a sign of encouragement to continue our efforts. This award celebrates first and foremost the excellence of employees of Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire, who ensure our success as the company’s greatest asset," said Patricia Ekaba, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Manager for Nestlé Cote d’Ivoire who received the prestigious award. The Prime Minister presented the award on the 6 August 2018, at the Presidential Palace, the eve of the Ivorian National Day, in the presence of the President of the Republic and representatives of the government, state and international institutions as well as members of the diplomatic corps. Also present was the Swiss Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, His Excellency Thomas Litscher.

The power of youth, their resourcefulness and ingenuity are strong contributing factors to the development of economies around the world. However, the majority of young people lack economic opportunities, which unfortunately leads to high levels of youth unemployment, underutilized talents and skills.

A publication by the African Development Bank on Jobs for Youth in Africa indicates that “of Africa’s nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35, one-third are unemployed, another third are vulnerably employed and, only one in six is in wage employment”.

The commemoration of International Youth Day on 12 August therefore provides the needed platform to find solutions to these challenges by exploring the opportunities for the development of youth in Africa and the world at large. Under the global theme, “Safe spaces for youth”, this year’s International Youth Day highlights the importance of providing safe physical and digital spaces that harness the full potential and abilities of young people to ensure inclusiveness and to promote development.

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Nestlé Central & West Africa Limited, a subsidiary of the world’s leading Food and Beverage Company, has appointed Mr. Rémy Ejel as its new Market Head.

Mr. Ejel joins Nestlé Central & West Africa Region (CWAR) from Nestlé Southern Africa Region where he was the Market Head.

He takes over from Mr. Kais Marzouki who has been assigned to Nestlé Philippines as the Market Head.

Mr. Ejel’s appointment takes effect from 1st July 2018.

His main responsibility will be to lead Nestlé’s operations, which spans over twenty-five (25) countries of the region by ensuring that Nestlé thrives and delivers on its purpose of enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

Providing some of the region’s most iconic brands such as MAGGI®, MILO®, CERELAC®, and NESCAFÉ®, Nestlé employs directly more than 5,200 people and provides work to thousands more. With nine (9) factories and three (3) co-packers across Central & Western Africa, Nestlé has invested more than CHF 215 million in CWAR over the past few years,

Breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way to ensuring child health, proper growth and development.

In support of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week themed “ Breastfeeding: Foundation for Life” Nestlé launches the second edition of its campaign «Breastfeeding, it takes all of us».

The campaign encourages mothers to breastfeed and calls on other family members to support by creating the enabling environment for mothers to breastfeed. Through the simple message: “ breastfeeding requires the support of everyone”, the company aims to encourage partners, family members, friends, health care providers, and workplaces to all pitch in to help mothers exclusively breastfeed up to 6 months of age and continue breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond as recommended by World Health Organization.

While breastfeeding is usually the norm in Africa, many babies are given other foods or liquids before the age of 6 months or are not breastfed until they reach the age of 2 years. Increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels for infants and young children could save over 800,000 children’s lives a year worldwide, prevent 20,000 maternal deaths due to breast cancer, and add over USD 300 billion to the economy each year according to the medical journal, The Lancet.

Over 17,615 farmers under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan (NCP) in Ghana are set to benefit from a GHS 5.2million premium package. The package is as part of Nestlé’s commitment to develop thriving and resilient communities within its value chain.

Effective July 2018, Nestlé through its implementing partners, Cocoanect and Ecom Agro industrial Corp Ltd will pay each farmer GHC14 per certified bag, which is about 14.3% increment on the GHC12 paid in 2017.

During launch of the package, selected farmers were rewarded with materials including wellington boots, cutlass, sprayers, pruners and solar television set for their commitment towards fulfilling NCP key pillars – Better Farming, Better Cocoa, Better Lives.

The Nestlé Cocoa Plan (NCP) falls under the Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach, which brings business and society together, creating sustainable economic value that also produces wider benefits for society.

Under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan, Nestlé aims to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and the quality of their produce, in line with the company’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. Under the NCP, Nestlé collaborates with partners like Ecom, International Cocoa Initiative, Cocoanect and Cocoa Merchants.

Speaking at the launch of the Premium Package, Nana Agyeman Badu, Chief of Mankraso/Kunsu in the Ashanti Region congratulated all farmers under the plan for taking the necessary steps to get certified. Nana Badu acknowledged Nestlé as a credible partner to farmers. He encouraged all farmers to take capacity building trainings seriously and urged them to adopt good agronomic practices learnt from the workshops to improve their yields.

Redeem D/A Primary School from Nkwanta South in the Volta Region have emerged overall winners of the 2018 MILO® U-13 Champions League, surpassing over 48 schools across the country. For their reward as the overall champions, Redeem D/A Primary School will receive an amount of GHS15,000, the ultimate Milo U-13 Champions League trophy, medals and assorted Nestlé products. Sepe Timpon M/A Primary School, Ashanti Region and Myohang Forces Primary, Western Region as the first and second runner ups will receive GHS5,000 and GHS2,000 respectively with medals and assorted Nestlé products.

The MILO® U-13 Champions League was launched in May 2018 and unfolded in three major stages; District, Regional and National finals with over 20,000 schoolchildren participating.

Nestlé Nigeria’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon has been appointed as second Vice President of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA). The announcement was made at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association in Lagos on Tuesday. Mr. Alarcon has been involved in the direction of the association for the past one year as a member of governing council. He will play a key role in the governing council and management committee.

NECA is committed to building a vibrant and sustainable Business Membership Organisation that is responsive to the needs of its members. It works towards this commitment by providing advice, guidance, training and development programs. Since its inception, the association has grown to become the voice of business in the promotion of an enabling environment for enterprise competitiveness and growth.

Speaking during the AGM, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, Director General of NECA said, “Mr. Alarcon will no doubt lend his wide ranging industry experience towards enhancing NECA's role of providing consultation and advisory services as well as promoting the development of the workforce of our members and other organisations. We are happy to have him on board.”

Nestlé has today helped launch a new free online academy to help aspiring chefs take the first step towards a culinary career.

The WORLDCHEFS Academy, an online portal and mobile app, will cater to students that may not have the means, mobility or flexibility to attend full-time culinary school.

The curriculum covers all the basic theory for chefs: food service operations, culinary theory, food hygiene and sanitation, basic cooking, and culinary nutrition. Students can learn through the web-based platform or via the mobile app, which offers an offline study mode.

At the end of the course, participants can complete an online assessment and receive their WORLDCHEFS 'pre-commis' chef certificate and badge – an important first step for anyone looking to apply to work in a professional kitchen. The program links to the WORLDCHEFS certification and is intended to be the first step on the culinary career path.

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Nestlé’s MAGGI brand is celebrating contemporary African cuisine and promoting healthy lifestyles with a unique online nutrition education series called MAGGI Yelo Pèppè . Starting on 20 June 2018, this thirteen-week programme will highlight the numerous challenges that modern African women face when trying to balance providing nutritious and healthy food for their family, with all the other demands of a modern life.

MAGGI has been inspiring millions of women to use local ingredients to cook tasty meals for their families through its highly successful nutrition roadshows. With its Yelo Pèppè series, MAGGI is adopting a new and innovative way to connect with the modern consumers who are increasingly watching online video content. Connecting with their consumers through a completely original drama series, is the latest way MAGGI sets out to show that healthy cooking can be exciting without having to compromise on taste.

Pupils of Duabone R/C Primary School, a beneficiary school in the Agona East District, of the Central Region of Ghana, now grow and eat more vegetables, to maintain a healthier lifestyle, thanks to the collaboration between Nestlé and the Ghana Education Service, as part of implementation of the Nestlé for Healthier Kids .

Under the Nestlé for Healthier Kids, a global flagship programme, the company is supporting parents and caregivers on their journey to raise healthier kids. At Nestlé, we believe that by helping new generations eat and drink better and move more, we enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. The company has set an ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030.

In Ghana, the nutrition education component of Nestle for Healthier Kids helps to raise nutrition and health knowledge and promotes physical activity among school-aged children. The programme is implemented with additional key modules such as vegetable gardening, healthy hydration, physical activities, and nutrition quiz. The Vegetable Gardening module teaches Pupils the importance of including vegetables in daily food intake, and how to grow them using the right farming tools and methods.

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Nestlé is making significant headway in its commitment to eradicate child labour in its supply chain.

In 2012, Nestlé was the first company in the cocoa industry to implement a pioneering Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation system (CLMRS) in Cote d’Ivoire in partnership with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). As a result, child labour has been reduced by 51% over a three-year period in its supply chain. Based on this success, Nestlé is now rolling out the system in Ghana while continuing to grow it susbstantially in Côte d’Ivoire.

Mathilde Sokoty, the Head of Human Rights for the Nestlé Cocoa Plan in Côte d'Ivoire explains: "At Nestlé, we believe that every child’s place is in school. Understanding the complexity of child labour allows me to better engage with parents and communities and come up with solutions adapted to each situation."

In Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, Nestlé has built and renovated about 46 schools and trains farmers on the importance of children getting a good education. As of 2017, 40,728 children, aged 5-17 years, are being monitored, 7,002 children were identified as working on farms and 5,232 children have been helped in the upstream cocoa supply chain in Côte d’Ivoire.

Celebrating the Day of the African Child, key partners are recognising the positive impact Nestlé has on the lives of children in Africa.

Nestlé fully supports the 2018 theme for the Day of the African Child “Leave No Child Behind for Africa’s Development” which is celebrated on 16 June. Through its newly launched Nestlé for Healthier Kids global initiative, Nestlé’s ambition is to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030. The company wants to help the new generations eat and drink better as well as exercise more. It aims to achieve this by focusing on three areas: improve knowledge using research, offer innovative programmes and services and offer more nutritious food and beverages for children and families, in line with the company’s commitments to reduce sugar, fat and salt and fortify its products with vitamins and minerals.

Throughout Central and West Africa, key stakeholders have recognised Nestlé’s efforts to bring to life its purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future as well as deliver solidly against its 41 Creating Shared Value commitments.

Nestlé Nigeria PLC, in collaboration with International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) / 2Scale, is helping farmers improve their livelihoods by empowering smallholder farmers on sustainable farming practices under the initiative, Nestlé Nigeria & IFDC/2Scale Project Sorghum & Millet. The partnership aims to improve grain quality and productivity.

Addressing food quality at the farm level

Nestlé, together with its implementing partners, has made significant impact in the past two years, training over 7905 sorghum and 1069 millet farmers on good agricultural pre-harvest and post-harvest practices. 22% of these farmers are women. The farmers testify to a significant increase in income. This change is due to an increase in productivity, improved crop quality and the availability of a ready market, which eliminates the negative influence of middlemen.

Before Nestlé Nigeria & IFDC/2Scale Project Sorghum & Millet’s intervention, the yield per hectare was 0.9 tons.

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Nestlé has set the bold global ambition of making 100% of our packaging either recyclable or re-usable by 2025, as part of its pledge to play an active role in combatting plastic pollution.

The company aims to help consumers dispose of used materials in the right way, while promoting a market for recycled plastics by continuing to increase the proportion of recycled plastics in its packaging.

This vision – for none of its packaging, including plastics, to end up in landfill or as litter – is global in vision but local in execution.

Waste management solution in Ghana and Nigeria

Nestlé is looking to develop the well-organised collection, sorting and recycling schemes across all countries where it operates.

In Central and West Africa for example, Nestlé is supporting the Ghanaian government’s efforts to better manage plastic waste, as one of eight founding members of the Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises (GRIPE). As part of this coalition, Nestlé is working with other major industrial companies including Unilever and Coca-Cola, to integrate sustainable waste management solutions and advocate for improved waste management practices in Ghana. With a population of more than 28 million, the country has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today, but has a severe and fast-growing waste management problem.

The coalition’s main aims include: contributing to increased collection and recycling rates across the country, provide employment opportunities through scalable recycling solutions, and engaging with the government to help tackle the problem of plastic waste.

Nestlé has joined hands with millions of persons to celebrate the benefits of milk for a healthy living on this year’s International Milk Day, a day set aside to highlight the important role and contribution of dairy farmers and to raise awareness about the goodness of milk.

In line with the company’s purpose of “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”, Nestlé is helping individuals and families live healthier and happier lives. Milk is considered an essential part of a healthy diet and forms the foundation for health in many cultures as it is a good source of high-quality protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients needed for a healthy growth, even beyond childhood.

Nestlé in Central and West Africa supports governments’ efforts to improve nutrition, notably by way of public education and providing affordable nutritious food and beverages, such as milk. On 1^st June 2018, Nestlé-Ghana organized a media workshop on the importance milk plays in maintaining health and wellbeing. The event aimed to empower journalists to educate the public on healthier diet choices by sharing expertise from a range of national nutrition experts such as Dr. Nii Lante Amissah, Lecturer at the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences of the University of Ghana who shed more light on the importance of milk for all stages of life.

Speaking at the workshop, Managing Director for Nestlé-Ghana, Mrs. Freda Duplan said: “as we celebrate World Milk Day, I reaffirm Nestlé’s commitment to address undernutrition through micronutrient fortification and our ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030”.

Today we are announcing a reorganization in Sub-Saharan Africa. These changes will ensure our Sub-Saharan Africa business continues on a healthy growth path, delivering affordable nutrition to as wide a population as possible.

Effective August 1 2018, the Central West Africa Region (CWAR) will become a Key Market for the Nestlé Group. Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, currently part of Nestlé’s Equatorial Africa Region (EAR), will join CWAR.

We will also expand the Southern African Region (ZAR) to include the Horn of Africa, Southern, Eastern and Island clusters of EAR. The new, enlarged region, headquartered in Johannesburg, will be renamed the Eastern and Southern African Region (ESAR).

Our team in EAR has done a tremendous job, but after trying for nearly ten years, we can no longer sustain the cost of the regional head office with the size of the business there. So, we plan to close the office at the end of July, redistributing the responsibilities between the head offices of the two other regions on the continent in Accra and Johannesburg.

The positions of those who work in the country / cluster offices across EAR are not affected by this closure of the regional head office. Consumers, customers, trade and wholesale partners, and suppliers of our operations across EAR countries / clusters will also not be impacted.

We understand this is unsettling for those employees affected. We will strive to minimize the impact of the changes, holding consultations with them to achieve this. We are very grateful for their contribution to the growth of our business in Sub-Saharan Africa and will do our utmost to give them strong support through this process.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 91 million people in Africa suffer from health problems related to food, causing the death of 137,000 people on the continent each year.

Food safety is a critical public health concern and an important issue in agriculture and economic development. Many agro-industries and food companies present in Africa rely on available local raw materials for production. To ensure a reliable supply of raw materials, they must have access to quality raw materials at a competitive price to meet the growing demand of African consumers who are increasingly concerned about food quality and safety. In situations where these raw materials are not readily available, these companies are compelled to import these raw materials.

Food quality and safety of food on the content is therefore the prerequisite for Africa's food self-sufficiency. In the implementation of a viable food security system in Africa, scientific methods of analysis of manufactured products and agricultural raw materials play a fundamental role.

To discuss this important issue, the Nestle Research and Development Center for Africa, Abidjan hosted participants of a workshop on "The Use of Food Analysis Methods for Regulatory Purposes", from the 25 and 26 April 2018.

For the past 2 decades, Nestlé MILO® has been devoted to the cause of promoting active lifestyles and unearthing talents through its Sports Development Programs in Schools including the MILO® U-13 Champions league.

On Friday May 4, Nestlé MILO® in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service launched the 2018 edition of the MILO® U-13 Champions league with a ceremony at its Head Office at Dzorwulu, Accra.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Freda Duplan Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana said that Nestlé has an ambition to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030 and the MILO® U-13 Champions League is one of the key initiatives the company is using to achieving the ambition.

In 2017, Nestlé launched more than 1000 new, nutritious products and contributed to over 41,000 job and traineeship opportunities through its Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative. Furthermore, the company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by over 30% in the last 10 years. The 2017 Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value report (pdf, 15Mb) details the company’s progress on key commitments.

'Mumm' from Egypt and 'Fishers and Changemakers' from the Philippines are the joint winners of Nestlé’s 2018 Creating Shared Value Prize. The two social entrepreneurs have won CHF 150'000 each for their outstanding work in nutrition and rural development.

Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider presented the Prize to the winners at this year’s Creating Shared Value Forum in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we take a moment to share the inspirational stories of women in Central and West Africa, joining our voices with many around the world to call for sustained action towards women empowerment and inclusion. We are excited about the contribution women are making in Central and West Africa.

From over 1000 entries received across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East for the 2018 Creating Shared Value (CSV) Prize, four Ghanaian Social Enterprises have been shortlisted among 56 others as Semi-finalists. These interventions each seek to address a growing need for Safe Water, Rural Development and economic opportunities.

The four candidates are, Ignitia Tropical, Saha Global, Moringa Connect and Farmeline.

Nestlé Nigeria Plc has today inaugurated its Milo Ready-To-Drink (RTD) beverage production plant to meet the growing consumer demand. This 4.1 billion Naira investment will help create 100 additional jobs.

We are excited to announce the semi-finalists for Nestlé’s 2018 Creating Shared Value Prize .

From over 1000 entries, 56 applicants have now been shortlisted . Working in countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, they each seek to address a growing need for good nutrition, safe water and economic opportunities.

Four (4) candidates out of those shortlisted, come from the Central and West Africa Region specifically Ghana.

Children in Pokou-Kouamekro, Côte d’Ivoire will no doubt be sporting huge smiles in this New Year for one of the simplest reasons- they can now learn to nurture their hopes and dreams, in a suitable facility built for this purpose.

Nestlé Nutrition Line (NNL), a public service radio program by Nestlé Ghana Consumer aiming to educate Ghanaian consumers on good Nutrition, has been awarded for “Best Content” at the 6^thNational Public Relations and Communications Awards by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana.

As Human Rights Day is being celebrated today, Nestlé the world’s largest food and beverage company, reiterates that Child Labour has no place in its supply chain, as it continues to assess and address human rights impacts across its business activities.

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Selon le rapport 2017 sur le Programme commun OMS/UNICEF, plus de 3 millions de personnes n'ont pas accès à une source d’eau améliorée et plus de 8 millions n'ont pas accès à l'assainissement au Ghana. Bien que déjà impliquée dans la lutte contre ces problèmes, Nestlé a mis en place un partenariat avec la Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (IFRC) afin d’améliorer l’accès à l’eau, à l’assainissement et à de meilleures conditions d’hygiène pour 76 300 personnes vivant dans 50 communautés productrices de cacao situées dans les régions de l’est du Ghana et de l’Ashanti. Cette initiative est conforme à l’ambition qu’a Nestlé d’améliorer les moyens de subsistance de 30 millions de personnes vivant dans les communautés directement liées à ses activités commerciales.

Nestlé has been awarded Top Food and Beverages Sustainability award in Ghana, by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Millennium Excellence Foundation, at the Maiden edition of the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards.

Nestlé Burkina Faso, in partnership with the Mayor of Ouagadougou and the Burkinabé Pediatric Society have organised the first edition of the corporate fund raising sports event called "Race for Life," with the aim to purchase incubators for the newborns. The event was was held on November 11, 2017 at the BCEAO's airy space located in Ouagadougou in 2000 and brought together more than fifty companies.

There are over 199 million women living with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. This total is likely to increase to 313 million in 2040. Research has shown that up to 70% of Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The theme for this year’s, World Diabetes Day on November 14, highlights women and diabetes.

On November 9 and 10, 2017, two scientific symposiums were held in Yaoundé and Douala to mark the end of the training of 106 Cameroonian healthcare professionals in the postgraduate program in pediatric nutrition at the prestigious Boston University Medical School in the United States. They were part of 650 professionals trained across Central and West Africa. The graduation ceremony took place in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, and the Ministry of Higher Education.

It is estimated that more than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from some degree of micronutrient deficiencies, the most prevalent being iron, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. Micronutrient deficiencies affect maternal, infant and young child health in Ghana. Consequences of this can lead to mental impairment, poor health, low productivity among others. In Ghana, 24% of all child mortality cases are associated with undernutrition. Annual cost associated with child undernutrition is estimated at 4.6 billion GHS, which is equivalent to 6.4% of the GDP. This affects sustainable development as child mortality associated with undernutrition has reduced Ghana’s workforce by 7.3%. (Source: Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2015).

The International Labour Organization estimates that that two out of every five young people either are unemployed or have a job that keeps them in poverty. In most Central and West African countries, this rate is often much higher. This situation seriously undermines the cultural fabric and the development of the region as elevated unemployment rate and a lack of good quality job opportunities are key factors shaping young people’s decision to migrate abroad permanently.

Nescafé has been awarded Twitter Creative Award for the month of September after a successful online campaign sharing the inspiring stories of young people.

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Nestlé s'associe une fois de plus à l’Association Mondiale des Sociétés de Chefs (World Society of Chefs’ Societies- Worldchefs) pour célébrer la Journée mondiale des chefs et promouvoir une alimentation saine pour les enfants. Au Nigéria, Nestlé organise l'événement en collaboration avec l'Association Nigérienne des Sociétés de Chefs.

Cette année, le thème de la Journée internationale des chefs est « Foods For Healthy Heroes », qui permettra de sensibiliser les enfants à une alimentation saine en les laissant faire preuve de créativité avec la nourriture. Nous visons également à inspirer les chefs et à fournir des idées de recettes nourrissantes et amusantes pour les menus des enfants.

Nestlé is once again joining forces with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs) to celebrate International Chefs Day and to promote healthy eating to children. In Nigeria, Nestlé Nigeria is organising the event in collaboration the Nigerian Association of Chefs’ Societies.

Nestlé Cameroon and the Ministry of Public Health have organized a forum on the theme: “responding to the nutritional challenges in Cameroon ". The forum, under the high patronage of the Minister of Public Health, is a gathering of government experts, civil society, academic societies, academia and the private sector to discuss solutions to nutrition challenges in Cameroon.

In Central and West Africa, Nestlé is helping to boost food security by building strong agricultural value chains and supporting farmers to enhance their livelihoods. Through our purpose of “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”, one of our ambitions is to develop thriving, resilient communities by improving the lives of 30 million people living in communities directly connected to our business activities by 2030.

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Les femmes sont des contributrices majeures dans les communautés locales et le développement, et renforcer et fiabiliser leurs moyens de subsistance aide à assurer un développement durable à long terme qui transforme leurs communautés. Dans nos efforts visant à renforcer le pouvoir d’action des femmes dans la région, nous reconaissons le rôle de la femme rurale, en leur célébrant la journée internationale de la femme rurale fixée par les Nations Unies au 15 octobre.

Women are key contributors to local communities and development, and empowering them to have a reliable source of livlihoods helps to ensure long-term sustainable development that transforms their communities. In our efforts to empower and develop women, we recognise the role of rural women, by celebrating them on the United Nations International Day of Rural Women on October 15.

Nestlé Nigeria has innovated once more by introducing MILO energy food drink in a ready to drink format to meet the nutrition needs of active children in a convenient packaging.

Milo is made from natural products like cocoa, malt, and milk and contains no preservatives. It provides essential nutrients such as proteins as well as Nestlé’s blend of vitamins, ACTIV-GO (vitamins B3, B2, B6, B12, vitamin C, and vitamin D) and minerals including calcium and Iron. A pack of 180 ml MILO® RTD gives children nutritious energy that keeps them performing at their best throughout the day.

Aboulaye Konda, a coffee farmer from Bla in Côte d’Ivoire, is one of more than 147,000 farmers worldwide who are now benefiting from access to sustainable coffee farming practices and technical expertise rolled out by Nestlé.

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Aboulaye Konda, planteur de café de Bla en Côte d’Ivoire, est l’un des plus de 147 000 agriculteurs dans le monde qui bénéficient désormais des conseils en matière de culture durable du café et de l’expertise technique mise en place par Nestlé.

Ce propriétaire de 48 ans dispose d’une plantation de café de 9 hectares qui fait partie de la coopérative Ecopab : il a rejoint Nescafé Plan en 2013, une initiative mondiale lancée en 2010 visant à améliorer la chaîne d’approvisionnement du café en soutenant et en formant les planteurs à appliquer les principes de la botanique pour augmenter à la fois leurs rendements et sa qualité.

As part of its global ambition to help 50 million children live healthier lives, Nestlé is committed to its purpose of “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future”. The company believes that by further decreasing sugars, sodium and saturated fat in our foods and beverages, we can improve health outcomes and decrease non-communicable diseases ( NCDs).

Our efforts and activities focus on the importance of this year’s World Heart Day on September 29, which highlights the stark reality that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death globally, claiming over 17 million lives each year.

Milo®, the energy food drink for future champions, has been recognized as Product of the Year at the 2017 edition of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) awards held in Accra.

The award comes in a time where Nestlé Ghana is commemorating 60 years of providing quality and nutritious food to families in Ghana

Nestlé has today announced a new ambition for its global youth initiative: Nestlé needs YOUth. By 2030, Nestlé will help 10 million young people around the world have access to economic opportunities.

Increasing the share of renewable energy by using solar panels, spent coffee grounds or wood chips to power its factories is just one example of many initiatives that helped Nestlé become No.1 in the food products category in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).

Nestlé opens bidding for CHF 500,000 sustainability prize

Nestlé and Ashoka have today invited submissions for its 2018 Creating Shared Value (CSV) Prize, worth up to CHF 500,000.

The CSV Prize is open to social enterprises, commercial enterprises and nonprofit entities. Applicants have a chance of winning a cash prize of CHF 400,000 to help grow their business further, a pitch opportunity at the World Water Forum in Brasil in 2018 and a prestigious Ashoka Fellowship.

English version

Nestlé et Ashoka invitent aujourd’hui, le public à soumissionner pour le prix 2018 de la Création la Valeur Partagée d’une valeur allant jusqu'à 500 000 francs suisses.

Le prix est ouvert aux entreprises sociales, aux entreprises commerciales et aux entités à but non-lucratif. Les candidats auront la chance de gagner un prix en espèces de 400 000 francs suisses pour développer leur activité, une opportunité de présenter leurs initiatives au Forum mondial de l'eau au Brésil en 2018 et une prestigieuse bourse Ashoka.

Lancé en 2010, le prix est une initiative axée sur les entreprises pour aider à relever les défis de la nutrition, de l'eau et du développement rural en soutenant l'objectif de Nestlé visant à améliorer la qualité de vie et à contribuer à un avenir plus sain

English version

At Nestlé, we believe that helping to develop thriving, resilient communities starts with education and promoting decent employment and diversity. Our goals to impact the lives of young people are part of our ambition to helping improve the lives of 30 million people living in communities directly connected to our business activities. This forms one of our three long-term ambitions and 42 commitments – in support of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) – set out in the ‘Nestlé in society: Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2016’ report.

English version

Chez Nestlé, nous pensons que nous avons un rôle essentiel à jouer, tant en Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest que dans le reste du monde, afin de motiver les personnes à mener une vie plus saine et plus heureuse.

C’est d’ailleurs cette idée qui a poussé notre fondateur Henri Nestlé à créer, il y a 150 ans, des céréales pour nourrissons qui ont sauvé la vie d'un enfant. Et depuis, notre raison d’être est d’améliorer la qualité de vie et de contribuer à un avenir plus sain ».

Aujourd’hui, alors que nous sommes la plus grande entreprise agro-alimentaire du monde, nous aspirons à aider, d’ici 2030, 50 millions d’enfants à mener une vie plus saine.

At Nestlé, we believe we have a vital role to play in inspiring people to lead healthier and happier lives in Central and West Africa and across the globe.

Enabling healthier and happier lives supports the company’s purpose which is: enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. We live in times of immense challenge, unprecedented change and extraordinary possibility leading to changes in lifestyle and the increased public health concerns.

All over the world, people strive to enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives, sometimes in difficult situations. At Nestlé, we touch billions of lives worldwide; from the farmers we work with to the individuals and families who enjoy our products, the communities where we live and work, and the natural environment upon which we all depend. Their challenges are our challenges. Their success is success in which we all share.

En Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest tout comme dans le monde entier, Nestlé s’investit à améliorer la qualité de vie et contribuer à un avenir plus sain.

A travers la mise en place d’un environnement qui donne la priorité absolue à la sécurité et à la santé, l’entreprise cherche à atteindre cet objectif en favorisant tout d’abord la sécurité et la santé de ses collaborateurs ce qui les aide à faire des choix éclairés pour leur propre santé.

Enhancing the quality of people’s lives and contributing to a healthier future are key to Nestlé in Central and West Africa and worldwide.

The company aims to do this by starting with the safety and health of its people, the employees, from creating a culture in which safety and health are top priorities, to helping them make more informed decisions about their own health.

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On World Water Day, we’re all being asked ‘Why waste water?’ Instead of rejecting wastewater, we should focus to reduce and reuse it wherever possible, to help preserve this vital natural resource.

But worryingly, over 80% of wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Many countries, treat only 28% of the wastewater they generate while around 8% of industrial and municipal wastewater is treated.

Since its establishment in 1957, Nestlé Ghana Ltd has over the past sixty years been committed to promoting Nutrition, Health and Wellness of individuals and families in Ghana. On the occasion of the 60^th independence of Ghana, the company, as old as Ghana’s independence, reflects on its significant contribution to other relevant sectors such as Education, Youth and Sports and Agriculture to create shared value for society.

Nestlé is committed to enhance gender balance in its workforce and empower women across all its value chain.

Nestlé’s efforts to drive gender balance and women’s empowerment ties in with this year’s theme celebration “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”, which focuses on rallying support to change the world of work to be more gender inclusive (International Women’s Day 2017).

In 2016, the company launched the Diversity and Inclusion Framework, setting out its business case for a strategy that will make an impact across innovation, society and culture.

Nestlé has today announced its new 2020 commitments together with three bold ambitions for 2030, in support of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Nestlé is providing locally made bamboo bikes to help child labour officers in Ghana monitor their work on the fields as part of its commitment to prevent and eliminate child labour from its supply chain.

The company has teamed up with Ghana Bamboo Bikes, a social enterprise in Bekwai in the Ashanti region, which aims to create employment opportunities and training for skilled and unskilled young people, especially women.

Nestlé’s Maggi Cooking Caravans are travelling through Central and West Africa to provide nutritional expertise, culinary hygiene advice and healthy eating cooking tips to consumers and ‘Maggi mammies’.

Nearly 3.7 million consumers, of whom over one million are Maggi mammies – women sellers in the open market – in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal, are learning about balanced nutrition and cooking safety.

A self-made woman: the story of Chrystèle a push cart operator in Cameroon

According to the United Nations' Global Youth Unemployment report, 11.3% of young people living in Sub-Saharan Africa were unemployed in 2016 and this is expected to increase to 11.6% in 2017.

Imagine if your favourite chocolate bar tasted just as good, but with much less sugar.

This could soon be a reality, thanks to a major breakthrough by Nestlé scientists.

Using only natural ingredients, researchers have found a way to structure sugar differently. So even when much less is used in chocolate, your tongue perceives an almost identical sweetness to before.

The discovery will enable Nestlé to significantly decrease the total sugar in its confectionery products, while maintaining a natural taste.

How 100 Trillion Bacteria in Your Gut Keep You Healthy Let’s hear it for the microbiome!

Nestlé Senegal praised by the Minister of Commerce and MPs for its leadership in salt reduction

Nestlé has been recognised as a global leader in reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change across its supply chain.

The international not-for-profit CDP has included Nestlé in its first supplier engagement leader board. CDP assessed actions to reduce emissions and lower climate-related risks in the supply chain in the past reporting year.

Standing up for people’s rights in Central and West Africa

The rights of thousands of people in the workplace, marketplace and community are fully supported and reinforced by Nestlé in Central and West Africa.

MILO and NESCAFÉ receive Gold Award at 10^th AAG Gong Gong Awards

Nestlé brands Milo and Nescafé received Gold last week Saturday, at the 10^th Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) Gong Gong Awards, themed “Impact of Digital Advertising on Global Market”. 

Milo’s “Milo ActivGo Soccer” was awarded Gold for best TV advert 2015 in the Food & Confectionary category while Nescafé’s “Nescafé Get Started” received Gold for best Digital advert 2015, also in the Food & Confectionary category. 

Nestlé Nigeria commemorates 150 years of good nutrition with factory tour

Nestlé Nigeria, organised this week, a factory tour with key stakeholders to celebrate 150 years of nutrition, marked by the creation of Farine lactée (Cerelac) which saved the life of an infant.

Boosting better sanitation and improving livelihoods in Central and West Africa

Alice Nkuegue and her children from Cameroon are only one family out of thousands of Africans who now have access to improved sanitation and clean water.

How does research and development make an impact on people’s lives in Central and West Africa?

In a region where non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, are increasingly affecting the health of Africans due to unhealthy diets and lack of exercise, we’re looking to encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles through our scientific expertise and knowledge. 

Nestlé celebrates 150 Years of ‘Good Food, Good Life’ 

From drinking your first Milo, waking up to a bowl of Golden Morn, having a break with a cup of Nescafé or watching your mum cook a nutritious lunch or dinner with Maggi, Nestlé food and beverages have touched most of us throughout our lives.

Nestlé Professional and Nestlé Healthy Kids unite again this year with the World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs) to celebrate International Chefs Day 2016 on October 20.

Thousands of women in rural communities in Central andWest Africa are reaping the rewards from Nestlé’s agricultural support andcapacity-building programmes to increase their yields, crop quality and incomelevels.

Nestlé Milo helps the next generation of champions take their first step

Using water sustainably in Central and West Africa: How we’re doing this

At Nestlé we aim to produce products and deliver services that are safe and high quality.

To do this, we have the responsibility to ensure that we use water as efficiently as possible in Central and West Africa and worldwide.

The Nestlé Start Healthy Stay Healthy “Superbabies” are back, supporting World Breastfeeding Week. Nestlé Start Healthy Stay Healthy educates parents and caregivers on the right nutrition and feeding practices in the First 1000 Days – including breastfeeding as the best nutritional start in life.

Last year we reached 20 million mothers globally through educational campaigns like Superbabies.

Breast milk provides the best nutrition for baby. It’s why Nestlé promotes the World Health Organization’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and beyond, followed by the introduction of adequate nutritious complementary foods along with sustained breastfeeding up to two years of age. It’s also why we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week every year the first week of August.

The protective effects of breast milk go far beyond its benefits during infancy and childhood. It plays a role in reducing the risk of developing health conditions in later life such as obesity and diabetes.

Our dedication to the best nutrition for babies ensures we create welcoming breastfeeding environments also for our employees. Our Global Maternity Protection Policy ensures maternity, paternity and adoptive parental leave and is one of the most progressive programs of the industry. This includes supporting breastfeeding in the workplace by having more than 200 breastfeeding rooms available to mothers globally.

This year, our Superbabies campaign encourages everyone around breastfeeding mothers to support them during this important period. Support them by using the hashtag #HelpMomsBreastfeed.

Julius Maggi, the founder of the brand that still bears his name, was a man obsessed. He dreamt, in the last decades of the 19th Century, of creating food products that would become as ubiquitous as salt and pepper, foods that would nourish workers for a fair price and a brand that no-one would ever forget.

Today, as the company celebrates its 150 years, the Maggi brand of seasonings, soups and stocks is one of Nestlé’s billion dollar brands.

Read more: www.nestle.com/media/newsandfeatures/magic-maggi-history-of-cubes-consommes-creativity

More stories on our Nestlé News Feed: www.nestle.com/media

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Imagine being so strong that you could lift a young bull up onto your shoulders. Legend has it that Greek athlete Milon of Croton, who won six Olympic events during the 6^th century BC, could.

This is the stuff of myth, of course. Aside from obvious animal rights issues, even if you could lift a bull, would you want to? Sounds a bit hairy.

But Milon’s myth captures the spirit of Milo, the brand that delivered on our no bull promise – to help build the energy of kids in Australia suffering from poor diets and malnutrition during The Great Depression.

In 1934 Nestlé Australia food scientist Thomas Mayne developed a powdered chocolate malt drink that people could mix with water or milk, and drink hot or cold. He launched Milo at the Sydney Royal Easter Show that year, and drank a cup every day until he died aged 93.

We started making Milo at a factory in Smithtown, Australia in 1935. It still makes Milo more than 80 years on, and Milo’s success is such that it is now the leading cocoa malt beverage across the globe which is made in 24 other factories worldwide, and sold in more than 40 countries.

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As the world’s largest food and beverage company, we aim to make our food and beverages tastier and healthier, while providing affordable choices to help Africans care for themselves and their families.

In Central and West Africa (CWAR), the impact of the rising rates of non-communicable diseases such as stroke, cancer and diabetes, are affecting the health and well-being of the African population due to unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

At Nestlé, we can make a significant contribution to tackle these health challenges in the region and worldwide by promoting healthier lifestyles, driving science-based nutrition and health solutions, and working with public health authorities and organisations.

Whether it is in terms of convenience, health or pleasure, we are able and committed to create trusted and safe products and programmes to enhance people’s lives. Here are ways we are doing this in the region.

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At Nestlé, we have established a culture based on the values of trust, mutual respect and dialogue.

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Actions from the private sector will be key to ensuring the success of the UN’s climate change agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. You can read more about our commitments to sustainable business in the full version of the 2015 ‘Nestlé in society: Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments' report (pdf, 17 Mb) which is available online now. A summary version (pdf, 4 Mb) of the same report was published in March.

The full report was prepared ‘in accordance’ with the comprehensive option of the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 guidelines and Food Processing Sector Supplement.

Reporting according to the G4 Comprehensive option requires the company to collect and publish data on its work in areas like human rights, diversity and gender, climate change, biodiversity, governance and fighting corruption.

The data published in the report will be updated every year so stakeholders can benchmark the company’s progress in these areas through Nestlé’s commitments to society.

The signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, committing countries to work to combat global warming, coincides this year with Earth Day.

Nestlé is proud to support both efforts through our Nestlé in Society commitments.

Our agronomists have delivered over 3.68 million free coffee and cocoa plants to farmers in Central and West Africa in 2015 through our Nescafé Plan and our Nestlé Cocoa Plan, helping reach the UN’s Earth Day goal of planting over 7 billion trees in the next 5 years.

We’re also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut waste and increase the use of renewable energy across our business.

So far we’ve reduced our GHG emissions per tonne of product by 20% since 2010.

View the interactive graphic on our 39 commitments.

Nestlé Waters has opened a new manufacturing plant in Abaji, Nigeria. The 25 million CHF factory will produce Nestlé Pure Life water.
 
It is Nestlé’s most modern water processing facility in Central and West Africa.
 
The facility will complement Nestlé Waters’ existing factory at Agbara in the Ogun State.
 
As well as processing water the new site will be home to a Technical Training Centre for Nigerian engineering students.
 
And as part of our commitments to improve access to water and sanitation across our value chain, we will provide free access to clean drinking water from taps at the gates of the new factory to an estimated 1,000 local people.  This follows similar initiatives at our Agbara and Douala factories.
 

Schoolgirl Wafikat Nasr is now learning about the benefits of good nutrition and healthy lifestyles after we launched the Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme in Côte d’Ivoire.

Eight-year-old Wafikat is one of thousands of schoolchildren who are taking part in Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme lessons on healthy diets, good hygiene and physical activity.

These classroom-based activities are helping to teach children about the importance of balanced meals and to get them active. Understanding the benefits of healthy lifestyles and improved hygiene also enables Wafikat and her classmates to foster good habits from an early age.

In Sub-Saharan Africa malnutrition is a growing health problem, especially among young children and school age children.

‘Good Food, Good Life’ is the pledge we make to billions of consumers in Central and West Africa (CWAR) and worldwide. 

To meet this promise we ensure that our products and services are high quality and safe.

We also aim to make sure that our foods and beverages are healthy and satisfy the tastes and needs of African people.

In the region, the double burden of malnutrition is a reality. Undernutrition is increasingly affecting children and women of reproductive age. At the same time, obesity rates are rising in children aged under five.

As the world’s largest food and beverage company, we can make a significant contribution to tackle these nutrition challenges in CWAR and across the world.

Saly Kone is proud to help improve people’s diets in Côte d’Ivoire

Saly Kone is a mother who works in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire selling Maggi bouillons and spices for Nestlé. Her job has given her financial independence, and she plans to give her daughter a full-time education.

As one of more than 15,000 ‘Maggi Mammies’ working in Côte d’Ivoire, Saly also has the satisfaction of knowing that the products she sells help to improve people’s nutrition. That’s because we’ve fortified them with iodised salt and iron to help address micronutrient deficiencies.

We’ve also funded training for women like Saly across Central and West Africa on the importance of good nutrition, balanced diets and culinary hygiene. They then pass on this knowledge to consumers.

On 29th March 2016, Nestlé and Cameroon’s Ministry of Women Empowerment and Family signed a partnership agreement to reinforce their collaboration with the objective of promoting the wellbeing of families and women. This is a key milestone in Nestlé Cameroon’s ambition to support local authorities respond to national nutrition and health challenges.

“Nestlé’s ambition to be the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company is highlighted in this partnership. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Family is in line with our global commitments to promote healthy diets and lifestyles, and provide education programmes for good nutrition and feeding practices”, stated Hervé Barrere during the launch ceremony.

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Mother-of-six Alice Nkuegue and her children (pictured) now have access to clean drinking water, after we installed a new water tap near their home at the Nestlé factory in Douala, Cameroon.

Alice is one of thousands of local people who now have access to free safe water, having previously walked about seven kilometres to fetch and buy potable water from a private source.

Clean drinking water brings numerous social, economic and health benefits. For example, safe supplies in Douala have significantly reduced the number of children who get sick from waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and typhoid. Easy access to clean drinking water also enables Alice to cook food safely for her family.

‘Good Food, Good Life’ is the promise we make to billions of consumers around the world. 

To fulfil that promise we ensure that our products and services are high quality and safe.

We recognise too, our responsibility to ensure that we use water as efficiently as possible.

Globally, withdrawals by industry, by agriculture and by communities are set to exceed supply by 40% by 2030, according to the 2030 Water Resources Group.

As the world’s largest food and beverage company, we can make a significant contribution to helping address this problem, not just in our factories but in our supply chains and in our other facilities too.

Each innovation is a step towards a more sustainable future for our business and for the communities in which we operate, part of what we call Creating Shared Value.

We know it’s our job to save water.  Here are ways we’re doing this in Central and West Africa (CWAR).

Over one million women in Asian and African farming communities have been empowered through their work with Nestlé, according to a new report.

Launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, the annual Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value report also sets out the company’s progress during 2015 in the area of gender balance, noting that 34 percent of leadership positions worldwide are held by women.

“We have always believed that in order to prosper we need the communities we serve and in which we operate to prosper as well,” said Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe and CEO Paul Bulcke.

“Our 39 commitments go beyond compliance and are based on common sense values we believe in, that form the foundation upon which we build our actions in Creating Shared Value.”

The Nestlé in society report, which is published alongside our 2015 Annual Report, gives insights into the company’s progress in the areas of nutrition, water and environmental and social sustainability.

Read more about Creating Shared Value in action.

Jeanne Kindo Kouakou leads the women’s association in Yaokouakoukro village, Côte d’Ivoire. Women suffer social and economic marginalisation in such cocoa-growing communities, and she works hard to empower them locally.

Supported by Nestlé and our partner the Fair Labour Association (FLA), the association helps women in nearby villages increase their incomes by teaching them entrepreneurial skills – from farming to how run a business.

Jeanne and other women run a Nestlé plant nursery. We’re helping them by supplying plantlets, technical assistance, training on female empowerment and financial support.

Higher household incomes encourage parents to send their children to school, rather than to work on cocoa farms.

On 2nd March, Nestlé Cameroon supported the graduation ceremony of the Efficient Nutrition Education ACTiOn (ENACT) programme at the University of Dschang. ENACT was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to strengthen student’s capacities to plan, conduct and evaluate nutrition education interventions.

Nestlé’s sponsorship reaffirms the company’s support to public health authorities in addressing the challenge of the double burden of malnutrition through its focus on nutrition, health and wellness. Globally, the company has made commitments to be part of the solution to nutritional challenges through the provision of high quality, nutritious and safe foods and beverages, the promotion of healthy diets and regular physical activity, and the building of collective nutrition knowledge. 

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Scientific evidence suggests that chilli peppers may help prevent weight gain, but you run the risk of setting your mouth on fire. Now Nestlé scientists believe that cinnamon could offer a cooler alternative.

Working with colleagues from the University of Tokyo, they looked at how effectively cinnameldehyde (a cinnamon extract) and capsaicin (a chili pepper extract) raised energy expenditure and fat oxidation levels in 15 healthy men.

Obesity results in an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, so greater energy expenditure (through exercise or diet) helps prevent weight gain. Through fat oxidation, the body converts fat into energy.

The scientists found that the cinnamon extract significantly increased the men’s energy expenditure. Both this extract and the chilli pepper extract significantly raised fat oxidation levels.

To be effective, capsaicin needs to be consumed in amounts that the men found too spicy. However, the scientists believe that the cinnamon extract could potentially be used in foods to help prevent weight gain.

Read the full study in the journal Scientific Reports.

Nestlé has assisted in and helped fund the development of the first iron deficiency test that does not require taking a blood sample. The work could benefit millions of people by making it easier and cheaper to detect the condition.

Iron deficiency affects more people than any other health problem, according to the World Health Organization. Women and children are particularly at risk, and left untreated it can cause serious mental and physical harm.

Most iron-deficient individuals are unaware that they need more iron. This is because current tests require taking blood and laboratory facilities to analyse it.

The new test for iron deficiency, described in research published in Nature Communications (pdf, 500 Kb), takes about a minute and provides immediate results.

It involves using a small optical fibre to shine a blue laser light onto the lower lip. If zinc protoporphyrin – a chemical compound found in the blood of iron deficient people – is present, then it gives off a fluorescent light in response.

In addition to supporting such research, Nestlé is committed to reducing the risk of iron deficiency through micronutrient fortification, and provided more than 183 billion servings of fortified food worldwide in 2014.

Read more about how we’re fortifying Maggi bouillon cubes with iron.

The crowd erupts as the young Ivorian football star scores a goal...

He wheels away in celebration, and shares a high five with two-time African Footballer of the Year, Didier Drogba, former star of the Côte d’Ivoire national team and top club sides including Marseille and Chelsea.

But this isn’t the African Cup of Nations Final, played out in front of thousands of spectators. It’s a match played on a dusty pitch in a small village in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa-producing nation.

And the goal scorer is a small child, playing alongside his countryman and hero. It’s the stuff of dreams.

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KitKat has become the first global confectionery brand sourced from 100% certified sustainable cocoa, supplied through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan that aims to improve lives in farming communities and the quality of beans.

“Nestlé is proud that KitKat is the first global confectionary brand to be sourced from 100% sustainable cocoa,” said Sandra Martinez, Nestlé’s Head of Confectionery.

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Cocoa-producing communities under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan (NCP) are benefiting from better sanitation and safe drinking water in Côte d’Ivoire.

Thousands of Ivorians from 110 villages are now able to use clean drinking water and sanitation facilities, as part of Nestlé’s established partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Villagers in about 80 NCP communities are working together as part of an independent initiative called Community led total sanitation (CLTS), which was introduced earlier this year to encourage communities to voluntarily improve their surrounding living areas and end open defecation.

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Nescafé is partnering with Facebook to launch an immersive video, pioneering new technology just released for the platform.

The Nescafé ‘Good Morning World’ video stars people in kitchens across the world, performing the hit song ‘Don’t Worry’ using spoons, cups, forks and a jar of coffee. Uniquely, viewers can rotate their smartphones through 360° to explore the video, the first time this has been possible on Facebook.

“We know young coffee lovers pick up their phone at the start of every day looking to be entertained by real experiences. The 360° video allows us to be engaging in an innovative way,” said Carsten Fredholm, Senior Vice President of Nestlé’s Beverage Strategic Business Unit.

Nescafé recently teamed up with Google to offer the first virtual reality coffee experience through the Nescafé 360˚ app. It also became the first global brand to move its website onto Tumblr, to strengthen connections with younger fans by allowing them to create and share content.

The Nestlé brand is one of only six globally to partner Facebook for the launch of this technology.

Nestlé continues to reinforce its efforts to empower women in the cocoa sector in Côte d'Ivoire.  Through our collaboration with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) Nestlé has provided machines to grind cassava for more than 200 women from three associations in the localities of Dioligbi, Gazolilié and Sanhoukro, from 11 to 15 August 2015.

Nestlé Central and West Africa has two initiatives focused around selling hot Nescafé in crowded areas and open markets while creating job opportunities for youth.

Nestlé is tackling infant mortality in Central and West Africa with a series of workshops on neonatal resuscitation.

The company has led Neonatal Resuscitation programmes since 2012 to provide healthcare professionals, including paediatricians, general practitioners, nurses and midwives across the region,with the skills to save newborn babies after birth by providing artificial respiration.

Training includes simple actions such as drying, providing warmth,clearing the airways, stimulating breathing and giving bag and mask ventilation within the one ‘golden minute’ of life to save babies’ lives.

Neonatal deaths

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about one quarter of all neonatal deaths globally are caused by birth asphyxia, making it one of the top three causes of neonatal deaths. 

Worryingly, Central and West Africa has the highest rate of infant mortality worldwide, where one in eight infants die under the age of five.

Premature births and low birth weight are two complications in pregnancy that may require neonatal resuscitation skills. The effective delivery of such interventions to help babies breathe at birth can help prevent a large number of infant deaths.

Neonatal resuscitation skills are extremely important in low resource settings where access to antenatal care is poor and the incidence, mortality and burden of long-term affects from birth asphyxia is high.

Neonatal training

To address this issue, Nestlé is working with professional associations and healthcare institutions like the Nigeria Medical Association, the Midwives Associations of Cameroon and the Paediatric Department of the Volta Regional Hospital in Ghana to run Neonatal Resuscitation workshops.

Training is also organised in partnership with the Swiss Society of Neonatology, the Ministry of Health and the Association of Francophone Paediatricians in Africa (APANF) in French-speaking countries.

Such workshops have already taken place in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria.

To date, over 4,000 healthcare professionals in Central and West Africa have been trained to reduce neonatal asphyxia and mortality in children aged under five.

About 60 neonatalresuscitation kits and 300 bag valve masks, or manual resuscitators, havebeen donated by Nestlé to each respective Ministry of Health in Cameroon andNigeria. A video clip has also been released to train more healthcare professionals.

“We appreciate Nestlé’s support to help healthcare professionals contribute to infant survival through these neonatal workshops,” said Dr Chiedozie Achonwa, consultant paediatrician and Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association.

Cutting infant mortality rates

Nestlé’s efforts to address infant mortality is part of its commitment to provide education programmes to healthcare professionals to benefit maternal, infant and young child nutrition and health,and continue to reduce newborn mortality rates in Central and West Africa.

It is also part of the company’s pledge in theregion to meet the United Nations Development Programme’sfourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to Reduce Child Mortality by reducing the under-five mortality rate by two thirds between 1990 and 2015.

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Nestlé is helping to boost the expertise of healthcare professionals in Central and West Africa through a number of training programmes, scientific symposiums, conferences and workshops covering topics that are related to maternal and infant nutrition and health.

The company is doing this through the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA), which is part of the Nestlé Nutrition Institute (NNI). The NNI is a non-profit organisation that offers a variety of on-and offline unbranded educational services to healthcare professionals,with a focus on the first 1,000 days of life from conception to the child’s second birthday.

The NNIA aims to train African paediatricians and healthcare professionals on gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition to boost their competences in these specific areas.

In Centraland West Africa, a significant shortage of qualified healthcare professionalsimpacts on the countries’ ability to fight disease and provide essential,life-saving interventions. By investing in their training and education, Nestlé aims to build healthcare professionals’ capacity in nutrition and develop strong networks of professional experts.

Nutrition resource

The NNIA is a nutrition resource for healthcare professionals in Africa and a multi-disciplinary educational organisation dedicated to the science of nutrition on the continent.

In 2014alone, about 6,500 healthcare professionals have been trained through NNIAactivities. Nearly 9,000 of them are also registered to its website.

The NNIA collaborates with professional associations and healthcare institutions across the region, and supports scientists through annual scientific awards with award money invested into research. It also offers short and middle term scholarships to healthcare professionals in public health nutrition.

Building capacity in maternal and infant nutrition

As part of NNIA’s activities, the annual CWAR Advanced Nutrition Workshop (CANUP) brings together healthcare professionals such as doctors and paediatricians from allover Central and West Africa.

The CANUP workshop, organised in both English and French-speaking countries, shares resources, research and training on maternal and infant nutrition based on the latest scientific data.

Since 2011, atotal of 275 paediatricians have received training, who in turn, went on totrain about 3,000 other healthcare professionals.

This year,Nestlé piloted the first NNIA International Course in Applied Nutrition (ICAN) aimed at nurses and midwives from English-speaking countries in Central and West Africa.

The courseaims to provide them with practical nutrition knowledge and the latestevidence-based nutrition related topics for use in their daily roles.

Topicsinclude the importance of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life andlong-term health. After this successful pilot, Nestlé is considering rolling out the course to French-speaking countries in the region next year.

International collaboration

The NNIA, in collaboration with the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), also offers postgraduate training to African paediatricians on gastroenterology and nutrition.

It aims to boost the number of trained paediatrics in these areas of expertise, who will then extend this knowledge to other healthcare professionals.

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