Save the Child organization has asked communities within Busia to end child hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition in order to mitigate the 15% stunting rate in Busia.
The organization has embarked on training nutritionists and other healthcare stakeholders in the County to champion proper eating habits among children.
Speaking during the Cost of Diet and Data Validation workshop in Busia Janerose Ambuchi who is the Director Health Services said that their focus is on the first 1000 days of the child growth, preprimary and those in school to make sure they are fully nourished.
According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 it shows that the stunting rate in Busia County stands at 15%.
“The top challenge could be the kind of food and feeding practices. We need a holistic strategy to prevent children from becoming malnourished. So far, the intervention by County nutritionists is paying off though we are working hard to improve even further”, said Ambuchi.
However improper eating habits have seen the wasting rate going up from 2.2 % to 2.8% which is a worrying trend that needs urgent interventions.
“Busia as a County is blessed with different varieties of foods, but due to ignorance people fail to observe the required diet which is essential for child development”, she said.
According to the preliminary results from the research done by Cambridge University in the two Sub Counties, Matayos and Teso South, on the cost of diet, it shows that some of the foods thought to be affordable are not and people are not consuming the food that they produce.
The sentiment was echoed by Scholastica Navade, one of the County Nutrition Coordinator who noted that most households in Busia are food insecure and have stuck to old and cultural eating practices prompting the rise of wasting rates.
The preliminary results of the research show that both the poor and the middle class are struggling to put food on the table because of the high cost of living.
“People have shifted their attention to eating a lot of sugary and fatty foods thinking that it is healthy. We produce a lot of food but unfortunately, we sell 60% of the same to buy snacks and red meat,” said Navade.
The scale-up in the fight will see the organization partner with the County government of Busia to reach out to stakeholders in health, agriculture, and education to structure plans on improving dietary intake, increasing food production, link small-scale farmers to the market, and monitor school feeding programs for ECD children.
Stunting among children under five years of age negatively impacts their health and overall development, including their cognitive development in the short and long term.
By Victoria Magar and Absalom Namwalo
