National News

Households to benefit from nutrition project

 

About 26 000 households will benefit from a K1.2 billion project aimed at improving the health of people in Lilongwe, Salima, Nkhotakota and Dowa.

The project, being implemented by Oxfam in partnership with Catholic Health Commission (CHC), is funded by European Union (EU).

Speaking during the launch at Katelela Primary School Ground in Salima yesterday, guest of honour Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Aggrey Masi said the project is an expansion of Farm Income Diversification Programme phase II (Fidp II).

Masi (C) listening presentations on the project

“The purpose is to enhance management capacity and understanding of nutrition and other nutritional issues related to agriculture,” he said.

Masi said the project is significant to Malawi because malnutrition affects economic development of a country.

EU delegation to Malawi team leader for sustainable agriculture, Mehdi Mahjoub, said the country’s malnutrition level which stands at 37 percent among under five children, means there is a high percentage of children underperforming in school.

“They may grow but they will be unproductive or unskilled citizens in future and that’s why EU is taking a step in helping this project,” he said.

Oxfam deputy director Lingalireni Mihowa said proper interventions have been put in place to ensure proper project implementation

“When we were submitting the proposal we put capacity building in place at partner level as well as at Oxfam level,” she said.  n

Related Articles

Back to top button