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Although children across Uganda are eating three square meals daily, experts argue that the majority are eating the same type of food, a trend that has triggered high malnutrition cases.

“Only seven out of 100 children are consuming the right diet, meaning that 93 out of every 100 children are on the wrong diet,” Charles Asiimwe, a food system and nutrition consultant at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) disclosed.

As a result of what he described as ‘wrong diet,’ Asiimwe said: “Many children have become obese (overweight), wasted, stunted or underweight.”

Asiimwe added that the wrong food consumption has also not spared adults.

“The adults, too, are no better. They are eating junk food. Unhealthy foods are highly liked among adults, the educated, and the rich. You tell them this food is bad but they say, we will eat it,” he said.

As a result, Asiimwe said, the country has registered a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes even among children.

Previously, experts said NCDs were predominantly among adults.

Asiimwe said the rise in NCDs among children is a dangerous red flag that parents must take keen interest in.

This rise, experts said, is also largely attributed to the fact that children tend to follow the eating habits or patterns of their parents.

So, if parents eat fast foods such as chicken and chips, experts said, children will also follow this pattern and retain this similar habit throughout their adult lives.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for 74% of all deaths worldwide.

WHO officials estimate that 41 million children under the age of five are overweight or obese, with the majority of these suffering from NCDs.

Death Trap

Lifestyle, experts said, is the main driver of the problem, especially for children and adults living within urban centres.

“Low dietary diversity (eating the same kinds of foods daily) significantly interplays with children’s growth. There is a great association between dietary diversity and a child’s growth outcomes. Having inadequate minimum dietary diversity significantly increases the risk of being stunted, wasted, or underweight among children,” Jackie Kirabo, a nutrition specialist and consultant with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Uganda said.

“Stunted children fall sick more often, miss opportunities to learn, perform less well in school, and grow up to be economically disadvantaged and more likely to suffer from chronic diseases. Children who suffer from growth retardation as a result of poor diets or recurrent infections tend to be at great risk of illnesses and death,” she added.

Dr John Mudusu, a nutritionist, said: “Where there is malnutrition, other diseases will emerge including NCDs. Life is what you eat. A weak body can be attacked easily by disease. A weak body is a sick body. Bad nutrition is the number one cause of sickness.”

“As a parent or caretaker, pay attention to the type of food you give children, how it is prepared, the frequency and who serves also influences how much a child eats. Milk, beans, potatoes, peas, greens (vegetables), and fruits are good types of food even if fed to children repeatedly. Eggs are expensive but can be eaten occasionally. Also, porridge made from unprocessed maize flour is good, plus groundnuts. These are common foods. Children first need energy, then proteins,” he added.

What is wrong with Uganda?

According to experts, although Uganda is the food basket of the East African Community (EAC), the eating habits of the population have left children and adults exposed to malnutrition challenges.

“We are rich in food, but having food does not guarantee food consumption. That is why you see Toro region which has plenty of food has some of the highest stunting levels in Uganda. Where does the food end? In most cases, food from Toro ends up in markets in Kampala,” Asiimwe said.

“Food availability does not necessarily mean it is being consumed correctly. Food might be available but how you perceive the food, the selection depends on mindset (attitude) and perception about certain food,” he added.

To curb the merging challenges, experts said there is a need for government to fast-track the Scalping up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) strategy for Uganda for the year 2023 to 2030.

Experts from various government ministries, departments, and agencies, the academia and private sector under the lead of the Ministry of Trade from March 13-14, 2024, started reviewing the SBN strategy so that it easily guides actors in the food value chain.

If fulfilled, the undersecretary in the trade ministry, Oyo Andima, said the SBN strategy will guide business actors in food production, processing, marketing, transportation, trade, storage, waste management to consumption, including hotels, to ensure that Ugandans feed on safe, healthy and diversified food.