RC urges joint action to fight malnutrition
DODOMA: DODOMA Regional Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Senyamule, has called for urgent, joint and sustained action to tackle malnutrition, underscoring its importance as a driver of sustainable development and a national strategic priority.
Speaking in Dodoma during the Regional Annual Review Meeting on the implementation of the Nutrition Compact, the Regional Commissioner described the issue as both national and strategic, noting that the sixth-phase government has prioritised it by signing nutrition compacts with all regions across Tanzania.
“It is evident that proper nutrition is a catalyst for sustainable development across sectors such as industry, health, agriculture, education, trade and the economy. However, these goals can only be realised once the negative impacts of poor nutrition and malnutrition are addressed or eliminated,” she said.
Citing the 2020 demographic survey, Ms Senyamule said stunting among children under the age of five in Dodoma stands at 30.7 per cent, slightly above the national average of 30.4 per cent.
On wasting, she said the region has made progress, reducing the rate to 1.4 per cent from 5.5 per cent recorded in 2016. Similarly, underweight cases have dropped to 11 per cent from 17 per cent in 2016.
“Although we have made progress, the situation is still not satisfactory,” she noted.
To strengthen evidencebased interventions, RC Senyamule said the region has adopted ward-level statistics to identify councils with high malnutrition rates.
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She added that Dodoma Regional Secretariat, in collaboration with the University of Dodoma (UDOM), has embarked on surveys to establish accurate figures on stunting, wasting and underweight levels.
She said Chamwino District Council has already begun the process, with collected data currently being analysed.
She directed other councils to start similar surveys immediately and ensure completion before the end of the 2025/26 financial year.
Highlighting other ongoing initiatives, Ms Senyamule said a mass drug administration campaign is set to reach 613,784 school children aged between five and 14 years, aimed at preventing and treating schistosomiasis and intestinal worms.
She noted that the drugs will be administered in schools in November to avoid disrupting end-of-term examinations.
