Due to the increase in the number of malnourished children in Uganda, Food for the Hungry, a non-profit NGO has today boosted National Medical Stores (NMS) with a donation of medicines worth $ 180,000 (Shs 600 million) to fight the challenge of malnutrition among young children in Uganda.
While handing over 5.1 million doses of vitamin A capsules and albendazole tablets to the National Medical Stores Headquarters in Entebbe, Malvern Chikanya, the country director Food for the Hungry, said the donated medicines will help to address child poverty and ease access to basic essential medicines so that no child is left behind.
Chikanya said Food for the Hungry is committed to promoting development in the country and to partner with the Ministry of Health to address child malnutrition.
Dr. Charles Olaro, the Director Clinical services at the Ministry of Health, noted that the national deficiency of Vitamin A stands at 7% and the prevalence of iron Anemia is at 53%.
Dr. Olaro said the Ministry of Health is committed to end all forms of malnutrition and that thousands of children in Uganda suffer from undernutrition and thus the donated medicines will help to promote health survival.
According to UNICEF, more than one third of all young children globally are stunted.
Between 2013 and 2015, it is estimated that more than 500,000 young Ugandan children died of causes associated with undernutrition.