Gift of the Givers has pledged to continue supporting nutrition interventions in Blantyre by providing food supplements, nutrition and health education to people in 12 health centres in the district.
In an interview, the organisation’s nutrition officer Regina Nthala said the programme seeks to manage undernutrition and overnutrition in adolescents and adults with a focus on people with HIV and Aids and tuberculosis aged 15 and above.
She said: “We are targeting 800 people from whom 200 are severely malnourished and 600 are moderately malnourished.
“We provide three bottles of Sibusiso [500 grammes each], 10 kilogrammes [kg] maize flour, 10 packets of soya pieces for 30 days to severely malnourished clients and 10kg of Likuni Phala for 30 days to the moderately malnourished for four months.”
In a separate interview, Blantyre District Council principal nutrition, HIV and Aids officer Pearson Mphangwe commended the initiative.
“The district does not have resources to cater for that component in the nutrition and health sector. If more partners join us, we will be able to address malnutrition challenges,” he said.
The programme is in line with Nutrition Care and Support Treatment Project developed by Ministry of Health and Malawi Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance.
Last year, the organisation enrolled 817 malnourished patients on food supplements. Out of that figure, 389 recovered and were discharged.
The organisation has been working with Blantyre District Health Office through Blantyre District Council. It has offered to train community-based volunteers to ensure the programme’s sustainability.
