Project to end malnutrition launched in Kabale

Kabale RDC Mr Godfrey Nyakahuuma and Dr Daisy Owomugasho, the Executive Director of Hunger Project, sign to launch programme. PHOTO | EMMANUEL ARINEITWE

What you need to know:

  • Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

Although Uganda has experienced a substantial reduction in the prevalence of stunting from 45 per cent in 2000 to 29 per cent in 2016, undernutrition in all its forms continues to be a development challenge especially in districts of Kabale, Nwoya, Maracha and Bugweri with the highest prevalence rates of stunting in Uganda ranging between 22.9 per cent to 40.6 percent. 

Stunting is simply defined as the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. 

Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

To address this, the Hunger Project has launched the Right to Grow Project in Kabale District.

The five-year project which will be implemented in Kitumba and Kamuganguzi sub counties is to ensure that all children to reach their full potential; and no child under the age of five is undernourished aligned to SDG 2.2, ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

The project will run under the theme; “It is possible to have a Uganda with zero hunger and malnutrition,” is global program being implemented several African countries, like Uganda, Mali, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Burkina faso among others with funding from the Netherlands. 

According to Dr Daisy Owomugasho, the Hunger Project Executive, malnutrion levels are still high in some districts. She cites poor feeding and childcare practices, poverty and shortage of nutritious and diversified foods, inadequate adaptation to climate change risks, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as limited access to safe water among others as the main causes of this.

Ms Owomugasho said in Uganda the program is being implemented in only 10 districts.

“The project that aims at addressing stunting and malnutrition for children under five years, which has been a prevalent problem in Uganda. We have about 26 per cent of children under the age of five who are malnourished and stunted, and this brings a lot of challenges including limited growth. We hope that by the end of the project, we would have addressed the challenge of malnutrition,” she said.

The State Minister for Industry who is also Ndorwa West MP in Kabale District, Mr David Bahati, commended Hunger Project Uganda for bringing the project to the district.

Mr Bahati in his speech, read by the Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma, asked farmers to embrace soil restoration practices like mulching and use of manure saying that this will not only help to control soil erosion and landslides but improves crop yields.
“The challenge we are facing as a district is limited land holding of less than three acres per household and declining soil facility. Land holdings are fragmented and an average household has 6 - 7 plots of land. To ensure food security, we must address the issue of land fragmentation, declining soil fertility and rampant soil erosion and landslides by embracing soil restoration practices and manuring. Once this is addressed, we shall be able to have healthy people and good nutrition as explained by scientists Mr Bahati said.
The minister also appealed to the local government staff and civil society organizations working in the district to sensitize households on nutrition and good farming practices so as to secure the future of our people.

Kabale District LC5 Chairperson, Mr Nelson Nshangabasheija and the district Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Edmond Ntimba commended the Netherlands for funding the project and promised to work together with Hunger Project Uganda to fight malnutrition within the district. 

The district senior fisheries officer, Ms Jennifer Twebaze, who is foreseeing the project in the district, said that fight against malnutrition, requires concerted efforts. She called on all stakeholders in the district to join efforts so as to realize zero malnutrition.

According to UNICEF, over 2.4 million children in Uganda are stunted due to lack of iron, zinc and vitamin A in their diet, which is an irreversible condition.  

Between 2013 and 2015, it is estimated that more than 500,000 young Ugandan children died. Of these deaths, nearly half were associated with undernutrition. Undernutrition is responsible for four in 10 deaths of children under five.