MORE than 500 women from five wards in Mutasa district have welcomed a programme meant to fight stunted growth in children in Manicaland.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
The women underwent a 26-week long training course on hygiene and diet diversity promotion programmes to fight the effects of stunted growth prevalent in the district.
The extended nutrition impact positive practice approach (Enippa) programme is a direct nutrition strategy implemented under the Livelihoods and food security programme sponsored by the Department for International Development through the Food and Agricultural Organisation and implemented by Practical Action Southern Africa.
“This is a great programme, as we are now ready to tackle stunted growth in Mutasa,” Martha Saruwaka of Ward 11, one of the 545 women, who were part of the programme, said.
The nutritional context in Zimbabwe is characterised by chronic malnutrition, with a high prevalence of stunting (27,6%) and low global acute malnutrition (3,3%), within which significant geographic, age, gender and socio economic disparities exist.
In Manicaland, Mutare has the highest stunting prevalence at 47,2% followed by Mutasa with 40,1% and Makoni at 38,7% for children aged 6-59 months.
While the prevalence of acute malnutrition and underweight children declines slightly compared to the early 1990s, stunting has increased by about 40% .
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In a speech read on his behalf at the graduation ceremony held recently, Mutasa district administrator, Tendai Kapenzi said stunted growth is being caused by the economic crisis that is currently prevailing in the country, among other factors.
“The main determinants of stunting in Zimbabwe are linked to poor dietary diversity among children, repeated infections, poor water and sanitation conditions in the home, poor care from mothers and caregivers due to competing demands on women’s time and a general lack of knowledge on optimal infant and young child feeding,” he said.
“The prevailing macro-economic situation in the country also contributes to the situation. Food insecurity and malnutrition are recurrent in Zimbabwe linked to perennial droughts and poor agricultural productivity. Also the lack of high impact integrated nutrition-sensitive interventions plays a very considerable role in why these key causes are not addressed.”
Vongai Nyabanga, the project’s nutrition officer, said the obligation of the whole training is to improve nutrition security among small scale farmers.
“The Enippa cycle aims to improve the nutrition security and care practices of B group farmer households either affected by, or at risk of suffering from, malnutrition through participatory nutrition/health learning and diet diversity promotion. The cyles aim to facilitate knowledge and skills sharing of both men and women using locally available resources,” she said.
“The concept is focused around there being easy and viable solutions accessible to all participating families. We are happy that the villagers embraced the programme and we are destined for an improvement as far as stunted growth reduction is concerned in Mutasa.”
The cycles provided participants with knowledge and skills in practical behaviour change, micro-gardening – for improved household nutrition security and participatory cooking demonstrations – for improved nutritional status, feeding and care practices.
Last year, the Zimbabwe Vulnerable Assessment Committee (Zimvac) found that up to 36% of children have stunted growth, which experts say has not only affected them physically, but has also slowed their mental growth because of poor diets.
Practical Action acting Mutasa district supervisor, Lamack Mahohoma said more men need to participate in the programme.
“This project has managed to bring people together to discuss dietary issues from diversification to the preparation and preservation of food. My main worry is that, mainly, women are dominating the cycles.
“I am urging men, traditional leaders, community leaders, religious heads and others, to play a key role in Ennipa cycles since they all play a role in determining what are deemed acceptable practices within a community,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2010-11 found that stunting affects more than 30% of all Zimbabwean children under five, one of the highest rates in the world.
The problem is especially prevalent in 10 districts located in the four provinces of Matabeleland North, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Masvingo.
At the launch of the Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Security Policy in 2013, the government said malnutrition accounts for more than 25% of deaths among children under the age of five.
