Ntchisi communities hail NGO for nutrition interventions

Communities in Traditional Authority Malenga in Ntchisi have commended Amref Health Africa, a non- governmental organisation, for implementing various nutrition related interventions in the area.

Speaking yesterday during a cooking demonstration the NGO organised, group village head Mteya attributed the reduction in the number of malnourished under-five children to nutrition interventions Amref Health Africa is implementing in the area.

He said: “Through Amref, people in this area have now acquired nutrition knowledge and skills such that our children no longer fall sick often.

“It is encouraging to note that communities have been trained in how best they can prepare and eat six food groups using locally available foods.”

Ntchisi District Council principal nutrition and HIV and Aids officer Edna Nakanga Mwangonde commended Amref for the interventions in the district which has almost a 50 percent stunting rate among children.

“It is worrisome to note that despite producing a lot of crops, Ntchisi has high stunting levels because many people sell all their produce after harvest,” she said.

Mwangonde said stunting prevention requires a multi sectoral approach and asked communities to practise what they learned during cooking demonstrations.

Nchisi district Amref project officer Virginia Kayoyo said the interventions are under the Canada-Africa Initiative to Address Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality Project funded by Global Affairs Canada.