By Andrew Irumba
Fort Portal: Alarming findings of the Uganda Demographics and Health Survey, conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), have sent shock waves through the Tooro region and Uganda at large. The report indicated that 40% of children under 5 years old in Tooro Sub region are suffering from stunted growth while nationally the same stands at 26%. To put it more simpler, every 10 children under 5 yrs you meet in Tooro, 4 of them are stunted and need urgent attention. This dire situation highlights a pressing need for intervention and the urgency of addressing nutritional deficiencies in Tooro sub- region and the country at large.
In response to this crisis, Kabarole Research & Resource Centre (KRC) Uganda, a key stakeholder in the field of nutrition and its partners have stepped forward to advocate for change on how children are fed, further calling upon the government of Uganda to intensify efforts to addressing the problem that threatens the lives of future leaders.
According to nutrition experts at KRC Uganda, Stunted growth is a serious issue that can cause chronic long-term effects on a child’s health and brain development.
In an interview with our Chief Spy Andrew Irumba, Eric Oteba, the Programs Manager for Food Systems & Nutrition, together with Uwera Caroline, the Project Officer and Nutritionist at KRC Uganda, voiced their concerns and pleas for action to address the challenge before it escalates to irreversible levels in the affected children. “Did you know that poor feeding of a child at an early age affects their height, weight and brain development? Did you know that the levels of comprehension in class during learning, a child who is poorly fed may understand next week when others who were fed well will understand immediately?“, added Oteba.
The two experts implored stakeholders in the Tooro Sub-Region and the government to redouble their efforts in improving food system which they say is the main cause of stunted growth, cancer and other deficiencies in children’s growth and development .
According to Oteba, there is need to focus on improving food systems, such as food processing, storage, availability, better harvesting practices, recommended pest sides, access to nutritious foods, food preparation and education on proper nutrition, among others to combat the challenge more effectively at the community level, as well as policy advocacy at the national level.
Meanwhile, the experts also highlighted the importance of breast feeding for infants as one of the means of addressing malnutrition comprehensively, not only for the immediate health and well-being of children but also for the long-term development of the child. “Did you know that it’s highly recommended that a mother should exclusively breastfeed her baby for atleast six months, without any other external milk or foods? This is because breast milk has all the necessary nutrients needed by the brain development and the whole body as a whole, including by the way, its height, comprehension levels in understanding, weight, hair development and other features,” revealed the expert.
Watch The Interview Below For Full Details.
Breast Feeding Is Very Important For Your Infants; See Why From The Experts.
More About KRC-Uganda
Kabarole Research and Resource Centre-Uganda (KRC-Uganda) is a well-established NGO operating countrywide in different regions of Uganda.
Founded in 1996 by the current MP Fort Portal City Hon.Alex Ruhunda, with a research mission and a long-term commitment to understanding the measures and drivers of poverty and its solutions, KRC-Uganda has accumulated substantial experience in research and created numerous development programs based on community analyses of the activities which would be most helpful in achieving sustainable and equitable socio-economic development.
Twenty-seven years of experience in community development work led KRC-Uganda to identify a new strategic direction currently being implemented, focused on supporting the need for integration and effectiveness of development research & information, decision-making and implementation, reaching to national levels of research, information and policy formation.
KRC-Uganda is focused on strengthening its skills in the areas of;
- producing in-depth and insightful research for socio-economic development, packaging information and disseminating it to strategic development partners
- facilitating and supporting the process of prioritizing opportunities, selecting partners, and making the decisions that get initiatives successfully started, and
- facilitating the most effective monitoring and interaction between grass root households (especially women and youth), decision-makers and implementers to see each program through the stages of implementation to successful socio-economic sustainable conclusion.
Behind all this, working with partners inside and outside the region like Hivos, Healthy Food Africa, among others, KRC-Uganda also aims to create the support needed to sustain and continuously improve development innovative mechanisms in the region.
