Ngoma District has launched a malnutrition sensitisation campaign to check nutritional diseases among children below five years of age.

Angelique Uwamahoro, in charge of health in the district, said that a recent survey carried out by community health workers indicates that 1% of children less than five suffer from malnutrition, while 0.5% have severe malnutrition in the district.

The official, however, added the figure represents a very small population of children under five and there is need for a proper survey to come up with a realistic figure of the malnourished children.

"With the new campaign, we are going for every child. What we have represents only 12.9% of the children and cannot thus be valid and reliable,” she said.

Ephigenie Mukandoli, the district vice Mayor in charge of Social affairs, said many children suffer from chronic malnutrition in villages.

"Recent trends are not in our favour and do not show any significant positive change,” she said.

"Ngoma cannot wait to pay the price of malnutrition. We have enough food in this district all we need is to advise people on proper feeding habits.”

Pierre Mbarushimana, 47, a teacher in the district blames malnutrition on ignorance. He observed that malnutrition could be one of the major causes of infant mortality rates in rural areas.

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