‘Prioritise nutrition interventions’

Dowa district principal nutrition, HIV and Aids officer Lisungu Kamkondo has urged stakeholders in the district to prioritise their support in nutrition interventions.

Speaking on Wednesday during a nutrition advocacy meeting, he also called for a budgetary vote for nutrition interventions, saying only healthy people can participate in development projects.

Said Kamkondo: “My office is failing to address nutrition issues, including malnutrition, because of inadequate resources.

“Dowa currently has a stunting rate of 39.1 percent among under-five children. The prevalence of anaemia stands at 64 percent and low birth weight at 7.6 percent.”

She said they have not fully implemented interventions because of inadequate funding.

“I ask chiefs to play a role in clearing myths surrounding iron and folic acid tablets and micronutrient powder given to girls and children to boost their blood levels,” said Kamkondo.

She also asked households not to sell all their foodstuffs to protect their children from malnutrition.

Parliamentary Committee on Nutrition, HIV and Aids chairperson Darlington Harawa said Dowa was not performing well in nutrition because of lack of good coordination among organisations implementing nutrition programmes.

“We also do not have adequate funding, but this is also the same at national level,” he said.