A group of over 460 community health workers from Gasabo District will be trained in various skills and techniques in the fight against malnutrition in the region.

Speaking to The New Times on Sunday, the district’s Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Marie Louise Uwimana, said that the seminar scheduled to begin early next month would jointly be organised by the district, Kibagabaga Hospital and Intrahealth.

"Fighting malnutrition in the entire district is among our priorities for this year, which is why we want to train health counsellors on how best they can teach residents to avoid diseases like Kwashiorkor,” Uwimana said.

She explained they intend to carry out a screening exercise to ascertain the current situation of malnutrition in the district, which would enable them to easily fight it.

Uwimana observed that some of residents are ignorant about proper feeding in their households but added that the district’s plan is to change their mindset by equipping them with basic knowledge.

Claudette Muhongerwa, a health counsellor in Jari Sector, welcomed the training program, saying that this will equip them with the appropriate skills to benefit their respective communities.

Phoebe Kamikazi, a resident of Nduba Sector, urged the district to regularly organise such training programs, emphasizing that the majority of residents have food but don’t know about healthy eating.
   
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