AfricaPress-Tanzania: TEMEKE District nutrition committee stakeholders met this week to discuss measures to be taken to reduce stunting and malnutrition.
During a one-day nutrition committee meeting held in Dar es Salaam, participants called on the government to build the capacity of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in relation to nutrition that will help raise public awareness at community level.
Officiating at the meeting, Nutrition Officer Happy Nkunda said the intake of nutritious food remained a big challenge in society.
“Therefore, the community should be reminded to eat a healthy and balanced diet which is important for maintaining good health.”
Stakeholders urged parents to build a culture of taking children to health centres to know their nutrition status, as it was the government’s strategy in child health and nutrition campaign to address malnutrition in children below five years of age.
“At district level, we should also commit ourselves to reducing malnutrition through sensitisation and creating awareness through diverse forums for the purpose of educating people about nutrition issues,” she said.
Ms Nkunda noted that the Social Development Department was reminded to ensure Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf) beneficiaries with children under the age of five accessed nutrition projects and reported on their implementation.
On the same occasion participants recommended cooperation between Tasaf and nutrition officers to reflect the nutritional status of households.
Social welfare stakeholders, however, identified their strategies which included ensuring all children in households were vaccinated and assessing the nutrition status at children’s daycare centres to improve nutrition and reduce stunting in the community.
Assistant Municipal Education Officer (MEO) Martha Shilla said they would continue providing education from primary school level to raise the awareness of children to be good ambassadors for their families and communities in general.
Ms Shilla added that more efforts had been made by schools by establishing vegetable and fruit gardens.
Fruits and vegetables can help protect children against cancer, diabetes and heart diseases because they contain important vitamins and minerals.
Moreover, participants also encouraged people to increase fish and poultry farming, as fish provided nutrients and micronutrients that were essential for cognitive and physical development, especially in children and were an important part of a healthy diet.
Nutritionists recommended to every resident to eat a balanced diet from the five food groups: carbohydrates that give energy, calcium and B vitamins, proteins which are found in meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, fats and sugar.
