ANTANANARIVO, June 8, 2026 — The World Bank Group has approved US$90 million in additional financing to strengthen Madagascar’s flagship nutrition program, reinforcing efforts to combat child stunting and improve health outcomes for millions of vulnerable children and families. The financing package includes US$80 million from the International Development Association (IDA) and a US$10 million grant from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF).

This additional support builds on the Improving Nutrition Outcomes Program, a 10-year initiative launched in 2017 to reduce child stunting by 30 percent, reaching 600,000 children by 2028.

The financing will scale up access to essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition services, benefiting more than 5 million people across Madagascar’s most vulnerable regions.

Madagascar has made notable progress over the past decade. National stunting prevalence declined from 42 percent in 2018 to 37 percent in 2025, while program-supported regions recorded reductions of up to 19 percent. However, challenges remain significant. Stunting still exceeds 47 percent in parts of the south and southeast, and child wasting has increased in recent years. While national maternal mortality has also declined, from 426 to 298 per 100,000 live births, according to the latest MICS 2025 data, it remains high, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to accelerate progress and reach acceptable levels.

The new financing will help close remaining gaps and ensure continuity of essential services through the program’s final stretch, contributing to the World Bank Group’s broader goal of delivering quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030. 

The GFF contribution will play a critical role in strengthening primary health care systems, expanding integrated health and nutrition services, particularly for adolescents, reducing barriers to access, upgrading health facilities, and supporting the training and deployment of health workers.

Since Madagascar joined the GFF as a partner country in 2017, US$35 million in GFF grants have helped leverage nearly US$243 million in World Bank Group financing, alongside technical assistance to improve health financing, workforce planning, service monitoring, and access to essential health products.

Contacts: 

In Madagascar: Dia Styvanley, +261 34 78 254 44, dstyvanley@worldbank.org

For GFF: Richa Bhattarai, +202 243 9219, rbhattarai@worldbank.org