Kenya Launches Platform To Address Malnutrition

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Kenya on Monday launched a national information platform to help address the growing challenge of malnutrition in the country.

According to Eric Wafukho, chief administrative secretary for the National Treasury, the project s designed to popularise data generation and dissemination of information in an effort to improve nutrition status among local communities.

“The project brings together and analyzes existing information and data from all sectors to support the development of evidence-based policies and programs to improve human nutrition,” Wafukho said during the launch in Nairobi.

He said the project was intended to enhance information dissemination and provide a better understanding of Kenya’s nutrition status among national leaders and policymakers.

Wafukho said that the National Information Platform for Food Security and Nutrition project “is expected to help fast-track Kenya’s achievements of national and international targets on food security and nutrition.

“We are racing against time to achieve the vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 2 of ending hunger and reducing malnutrition and stunting levels as we committed.”

Veronica Kirogo, head of the Division of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health said that the country was facing a triple burden of malnutrition – nutrition, overweight and obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.

Kirogo, therefore, called for multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing the triple burdens with the aim of giving populations better lives by reducing malnutrition and stunting.

The nutrition project will be implemented jointly by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (Xinhua/NAN)