NUTRITION International is the latest international organization to relocate to the country’s capital Dodoma following decision by President John Magufuli to relocate the government’s administration from the port city of Dar es Salaam.
Opening the charity’s new office downtown, Minister of State President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Governments), Suleiman Jafo, said the government is pleased with the decision of an international nutrition advocacy organisation for opening an office in the city.
He stressed that nutrition is the mainstay of the economy and that dozens of children and women in the country were still struggling with health challenges, thus slowing economic progress at the household level and the nation at large.
“You need appropriate nutrition if you want a better human capital for production. The nutrition challenge comes with a lot of health complications, thus undermining ones’ development,” he said.
Although, the government had made headways in improving nutrition, official figures indicate stunting only reduced from 50 per cent in 1991 to an average of 32 per cent. He said the most affected are children and pregnant women who in the end face complications for either being anemic or stunt.
“The latest government decision was to embark on a form of contract between my ministry and regional commissioners to ensure we improve the sector,” he said, adding: “The plan helped adopt a commitment to conduct annual reviews and the next review will be this June.”
Nutritional International President Joel Spicer said the organisation was pushed with the score of malnutrition in the country.
He says 27million people in the country are below the age of 20 and without good nutrition; That the government ought to address risks that come with lack of proper nutrition.
According to the president, the organisation plans to invest its technical and financial support to help the government replicate the available nutrition benefits.
“One in every three people are suffering from some forms of nutrition…people become more exposed to diseases and therefore increase health expenses,” he said.
Dr Daniel Nyagawa, NI Tanzania Country Director, says the organization with over 20 years’ experience has been operating in the country for the past three years and working head-to-head with the government and other stakeholders to improve maternal and child health, universal salt iodization, vitamin supplementation and technical assistance.
