The Civil Society Alliance (CiSA) together with other development partners launched a campaign against malnutrition during their annual General Assembly in Kigali on Thursday. The meeting deliberated on ways to scale up nutrition in families. John Robert Mugabe Butera, the chairperson of CiSA observed that malnutrition in various families is due to ignorance of proper feeding. “The problem people have is not failing to get food but understanding the kind of food that is important for their health. Therefore, we need to put more efforts to improve public understanding on nutrition,” he said. The Rwanda Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey ‘EICV’ 2013/14 released in September shows that at least 51 per cent of children under the age of five were stunted in 2005, although the prevalence rate of stunted children has gradually declined over time to about 38 per cent in 2014/15. Svein Langeland, the representative of ONE UN Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and Under nutrition (REACH) project, said there is need for more collaborative efforts from development partners to eliminate malnutrition in the country. So far, five districts namely Kicukiro, Rutsiro, Nyagatare, Rulindo and Ruhango have been cited among districts that are highly affected by malnutrition. The meeting recommended tangible solutions to curb malnutrition such as improving core nutrition actions countrywide. Government has endorsed the set up of Rwanda Nutritious Foods Factory, a joint venture between the government and a private company which will produce nutritious food for babies and pregnant or breastfeeding women. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
