Stakeholders in Trans Nzoia County met for a two-day consultative meeting in the county nutrition technical forum to address the persistent malnutrition issues in the county. According to the 2022 demographic survey, malnutrition remains a significant problem in the county, with stunting growth cases at 21.3%, wasting at 33.3%, and underweight at 11.1%.
Lydia Kimani, the county nutritionist, highlighted the importance of eradicating all forms of malnutrition, stating that it affects school performance and cognitive development, ultimately affecting productivity in adulthood. She emphasized the need for stakeholders to collaborate with the education sector to ensure children in schools are healthy and performing well.
To address this concern, the county health department unveiled a range of interventions aimed at combating malnutrition. The department is collaborating with the Department of Agriculture, which is doing nutrition-sensitive crops, focusing on crops that contribute to eliminating poor nutrition in the county. The department is also partnering with the social protection unit and children’s department, among other line ministries, to achieve the goals of eradicating malnutrition.
During the meeting, Kimani highlighted the importance of the Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) in combating malnutrition. The BFCI focuses on the promotion of breastfeeding, which provides several benefits to infants, including improved immunity, food security, and bonding with the mother. She emphasized the need for community support in promoting optimal breastfeeding practices.
Kimani stated that health workers would receive training on disseminating the message to the community, as well as monitoring and implementing the breastfeeding program. The BFCI program has received support from USAID Ampth Uzima, which has provided funding for the initiative.
“The training has been an eye-opener, and we have been able to establish the role of each stakeholder,” said Kimani. “There is a need for teamwork to eradicate malnutrition, and we are confident that after five years, we will see improvements in indicators such as anemic mothers, underweight children, and babies born with a weight below the average of 2.5kg.”
Kimani also stressed the importance of pregnant women adhering to a balanced diet and attending clinics regularly, as this would ensure the birth of healthy children. The Department of Health plans to take the BFCI message to grassroots levels to sensitize communities and enlist their support in combating malnutrition.
Through early detection and intervention, the cost of malnutrition can be reduced. Lydia Kimani noted that when health screening is taken to the community level, there can be early detection of any form of malnutrition, hence will not be severe, which does not require admission. The stakeholders agreed to meet regularly for monitoring and evaluation to ensure the Trans Nzoia County population of about 1.1 million is not affected by any form of malnutrition.