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Medics and experts have warned over rising number of stunted children in East Africa. Latest statistics indicate that one out of three children in the region is stunted.
Aristide Madagasha of Burundi Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network (SUN CSN) yesterday attributed the problem to malnutrition.
Speaking ahead of the East Africa Global Nutrition Report launch, Dr Madagasha said that resources to nutrition-specific programmes in East Africa amounted to only a small fraction of national health budgets.
"Malnutrition has severe consequences on the survival and lifelong mental and physical abilities of individuals and also on national economies," he said.
He said there was urgent need by concerned governments to make political and financial commitments that match the scale of the challenge.
"We are facing a chronic emergency that will not wait for our attention and we must act now and encourage the governments of our region to set funds to deal with this issue," he said.
On his part, Dr Million Shibeshi of the Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition- Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) was optimistic that the challenges would be addressed.
The Global Nutrition Report is a comprehensive data on the status of nutrition around the world, highlighting progress in combating malnutrition, identifying gaps and proposing solutions.
In Naivasha, the number of underweight and stunted minors mainly in areas inhabited by flower farms is on the rise.
Statistics from the Department of Public Health in Naivasha sub-county shows that over 20 per cent of children below five years are under weight.
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