High cases of malnutrition worry Kiryandongo

Authorities in Kiryandongo have raised concerns over the rising cases of malnutrition in the district.

Ms Edith Aliguma, the district chairperson, said health centres are burdened with children, expectant mothers nursing malnutrition.

She attributed the health issue to poor feeding.

"We have gazetted an area at all our health centres in district to test malnutrition, and the cases are so high, mothers, children, most of them it's poor feeding, while some rear chicken they never eat even an egg, when they tell them to eat greens, they claim it's for the poor," Aliguma said.

Martin Jacan, the Kiryandongo chief administrative officer, says poor feeding affects brain growth, something that continues to see poor performance of students in schools.

"One time I visited a health centre, children were all rounded and this situation affects the child growth, their brain can never be the same and this is the reason in the previous exams we have not been doing wellm" he said.

"We need to address the matter with urgency."

However, experts accuse government and district leaders of not sharing information on malnutrition and the possible solutions in boardrooms other than communities.

"You are talking about good information and solutions but you are in the boardroom and the people who need this are in the villages, this will not help," Gerald Kakeeto, a nutritionist, said.

Antonio Querido, the Food and Agriculture Organisation country representative, says there is need to encourage people to grow and feed on nutritious foods.

"When we don't invest in nutrition, then we are going to have a stunted population who in turn Wil be a burden in future, stunted doesn't only look at size, even the brain thinking can be stunted and this is very common," Querido said.