Northern and Eastern Uganda suffer high levels of malnutrition

Northern and Eastern regions of Uganda have continued to register high levels of malnutrition mainly in children under the age of five.

Samalie Namukose, the Assistant Commissioner Nutrition Division in the Ministry of Health, malnutrition has been a result of poor feeding due to food shortage and poverty.

She stated that stunted growth, anaemia, low- birth weight and being underweight are synonymous with many children from the Eastern and Northern regions

“These form signs of malnutrition mainly in the hard-to-reach areas of the regions as compared to the urban areas. This is mainly caused due to Poor feeding due to shortage of food and poverty in the affected areas,” she said.

According to Yania Kulino, the In-Charge Invepi Health Center II in Terego district, in Northern Uganda, the number of patients with malnutrition apparently surpassed the number of parents with other illnesses

“Malnutrition accordingly has also impacted on the financial envelope of the country, and also increase in mortalities among children and mothers,” she noted.

It is also said to have led to an increase in the percent of deaths number of patients with non-communicable Diseases, some of which have been caused by malnutrition.

However, according to the Ministry of Health, there has been some reduction in stunting from 25 percent to 24 percent, a figure expected to reduce at least by 2025

At least 53% of children within five years of age were found to be anaemic, 32% of women and 16% of men aged 15 to 49 were also anaemic According to the 2016 Demographic Health Survey.