Insecurity, climate change blamed for slow progress in war on malnutrition in Garissa

Security challenges and climatic change have been cited as the biggest hindrances to addressing malnutrition in children and mothers in the reproductive stage in Garissa County.

Speaking during the launch of the Garissa County Nutrition Action Plan, Dr Farah Amin Hassan, the Garissa County medical director, said several health facilities used in addressing malnutrition in the county had been closed as a result of insecurity.

He said drought had also been an impediment in fighting malnutrition in children under the age of five and mothers in the reproductive stage, noting that a lot of effort is needed to reverse the trend.

Dr Hassan, however, noted that medical personnel had been sent to Hulugho and Fafi sub-counties, the most affected by insecurity caused by constant terror threats along the border.

PARTNERS

The function was also attended by representatives of International Medical Corp (IMC), Unicef, Mercy-USA, ActionAid and other donors.

A maternal and child nutrition programme was launched that Dr Hassan said would ensure all work done by donors and the government is coordinated into one to avoid confusion.

“We have seen there are many actors involved in addressing malnutrition and there is a need to bring together an action plan for all our partners so that everything is coordinated into one to produce a document and to mobilise resources to address this problem,” he said.

Garissa Deputy Governor Abdullahi Hussein, who was chief guest during the function, said malnutrition in the county had drastically declined since the inception of devolved governance.

He noted that in 2008, malnutrition was at 25 per cent compared with the current 11.4 per cent.

He said malnutrition was a threat to the county’s sustainable development goals because it affects the education of children.

He added that there was a need to sensitise and involve communities in the fight against malnutrition.