Mzimba district agriculture extension officer Agnes Lungu has encouraged men to take a leading role in promoting sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues among expectant women and adolescent girls.
She said this on Monday at Chafisi Village, Traditional Authority M’Mbelwa in the district during an awareness meeting organised as part of the Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience Programme.
status. | Sarah Phiri
Lungu said there is need to ensure that men provide expectant women and adolescent girls with food nutrients so that they don’t recede into malnutrition.
She said: “Men, you cannot be excluded from reproductive health issues. You are supposed to strive for bouncing babies from your expectant wives and also ensure that the health of adolescent girls is robust.”
“This should encourage you to work hard and invest the money you receive from the Social Cash Transfer Programme into viable businesses to support your wife and children.”
Lungu said when a pregnant woman is not well-fed, it affects the unborn baby.
Chafisi area health surveillance assistant Gerald Chirwa said men are responsible for the provision of most household essentials such as food and clothing; hence, urging them to provide nutritious foods and basic necessities to their wives and adolescent girls.
“Adolescent girls should be provided with food that will make their bodies develop fully,” he said.
Mzimba District Nutrition Coordination Committee member Liz Nyirenda also appealed to people to exercise caution with foods high in oil, salt and sugar.
“Most especially people in their 50s or 60s should reduce their intake of sugar, salt and oil. There have been rising cases of diabetes and blood pressure being exacerbated by lifestyles that involve higher intake of sugar, salt and oil,” she said.
