TAWLA backs Tanzania’s newly launched framework to promote healthier food choices

DODOMA: THE Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting stronger nutrition policies and legal safeguards to help protect public health, as Tanzania launched a new framework aimed at promoting healthier food choices.

Tike Mwambipile, Executive Director of TAWLA said the association had worked closely with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in developing the Tanzania Nutrient Profile Model (TzNPM) 2026, which provides a framework for classifying the nutritional content of foods, including sugar, salt and fats.

Speaking today, during the National Nutrition Day celebrations in Dodoma, the director said TAWLA considered nutrition an important public health issue requiring collaboration between government institutions, civil society and other stakeholders.

“Although we are not part of the Ministry of Health, TAWLA has taken pride in being a close partner of the ministry. We have worked together in advocacy aimed at strengthening laws, policies and regulations that protect public health,” she said.

She said the association’s involvement reflected its belief that good nutrition was essential to protecting human health and supporting national development

The director added that women’s health was particularly important because of their roles in families and in raising children, noting that poor health among women could also affect household wellbeing and the country’s development.

She described the nutrient profiling model as an important tool for strengthening nutrition policies and helping consumers make informed decisions when purchasing food.
The framework comes amid continuing nutrition challenges in Tanzania, where undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies coexist with rising concerns about overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases.

According to the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, 30 per cent of children under five were stunted, while four per cent were overweight, highlighting the different forms of malnutrition facing the country.

The Ministry of Health also stressed the importance of changing eating habits, reducing excessive consumption of salt, sugar and fats, and encouraging physical activity.

Speaking at the event, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dkt. Grace Magembe, said nutrition improvement required changes in household food choices, food preparation practices and the wider environment in which people access food.

She said Tanzania had a wide variety of locally available foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains and root crops, but that greater public awareness was needed to encourage healthier dietary choices.

The official also called for collaboration across sectors, including health, agriculture, education, industry and trade, as well as religious institutions and the media, to support nutrition education and healthier lifestyles.

She emphasised that public education alone would not be sufficient without an enabling environment that allows consumers to access and choose nutritious and safe foods.

The government also launched nutrition guidance materials for Muslim and Christian religious leaders, intended to help them incorporate nutrition education into their community engagement and religious activities.

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TAWLA said it would continue working with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to promote access to good nutrition for all Tanzanians, regardless of whether they live in urban or rural areas.