‘Work on measures to improve nutrition among children’

TANGA Regional Commissioner Waziri Kindamba has emphasised on the vital role of regional leaders supervising the implementation of measures aimed at improving the nutrition of children in the region.

He reminded them that it is essential to work towards creating a future generation that is better off than the current one.

Mr Kindamba emphasised the importance of the resolution mandating all 11 councils in the Tanga Region to allocate 1,000/- for each child’s nutritional needs in school, as it plays a crucial role in building a stronger and healthier generation.

“Growth and nutrition are critical issues. We are shaping the future. We must raise a generation that is better than us, and they will do the same,” he stressed.

“To ensure that our nation’s children can effectively compete on global platforms against those from larger nations, it is essential for us to adopt a more comprehensive nutrition approach,” he added.

As a result, he believes that leaders and Tanzanians in general must prioritise nutrition and growth.

Neglecting the factors that impact a child’s development is equivalent to planting a ticking time bomb that will detonate in the future, Kindamba warned.

According to the Regional Commissioner, President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s priorities have included ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment by providing funds.

“It is imperative that the leaders work together to rectify the shortcomings in achieving the desired goals, such as establishing school nutrition clubs, increasing the number of small businesses that enrich food with essential nutrients, and enhancing the proportion of schools providing nutrition programmes,” Kindamba pointed out.

Pili Mnyema, Tanga Regional Administrative Secretary, praised Local Government Councils for their accomplishments in improving child nutrition, despite the obstacles they faced during implementation.

According to her, stunted growth in the Tanga region has decreased from 34 per cent in 2018 to 21.4 per cent in 2022, while underweight has decreased from 15.6 per cent to 11.2 per cent in 2022.

Ms Mnyema stated that the implementation of nutrition interventions by councils, such as allocating 1,000/- for each child, will lead to a reduction in the prevalence of stunted growth and malnutrition.

According to Sakina Mustafa, the Regional Nutrition Officer of Tanga, there are several obstacles to enhancing children’s nutrition in the area. These comprise insufficient nutrition funding, inadequate provision of food in schools, and poor compliance with Nutrition Days in rural areas.

She asked all leaders to work together to ensure that children get enough food at school so that they can pay attention in class. She also discussed the distribution of vitamin A drops to children, claiming that the programme has so far been successful.