USAID, JICA and Ajinomoto Signed Memorandum of Understanding on Weaning Child Nutrition Improvement in Ghana

On May 30, 2012, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto) signed a memorandum in Accra, the capital of Ghana, confirming collaborative efforts to increase the nutritional well-being of children during the weaning period. The signing of the Memorandum for Collaboration is a historic moment between the Governments of Japan and the United States, as it marks the first time that the Japanese and American Governments have come together with the private sector to improve nutritional status.

This will be the first time for a Japanese company to work collaboratively on the basis of a Global Development Alliance (GDA) scheme with USAID. This is also the first time a memorandum on a public-private partnership has been signed by all three parties, including JICA.This partnership between Japan, JICA, and USAID, which will utilize their combined expertise, will be a platform on which to build future public-private sector activities across numerous stakeholders on nutrition in Ghana.