Half of Bushenyi kids are stunted - Expert
OVER50% of children aged below five years in Bushenyi district are stunted, the district health officer has disclosed.
By Chris Ahimbisibwe
OVER50% of children aged below five years in Bushenyi district are stunted, the district health officer has disclosed.
Dr. Celestine Barigye attributed this to mothers who give birth to children when they are malnourished themselves.
Barigye said some women get miscarriages due to malnourishment when pregnant.
Referring to the 2006 report titled ‘Uganda demographic and health survey; the status of nutrition of children and adults’, Barigye called upon all the stakeholders to address the problem immediately.
He was officiating at the launch of a 21-day Yellow Care campaign at Ishaka Adventist Hospital in Bushenyi district.
The campaign, funded by Marie Stopes International and MTN Uganda, aims at preventing malaria in pregnancy.
At the function, MTN gave out 300 vouchers to pregnant women to enable them access free antenatal care, deliver from a hospital and get post-natal care. They also donated over 250 treated mosquito nets to children below the age of five.
Barigye said despite the large amount of food produced in the district, both children and adults suffer from malnourishment.
“Although some researchers have attributed the problem to parents selling all the food they harvest, there is also need to look at the way people prepare their food,†he said.
Citing China, Barigye called for stringent measures to restrict couples on the number of children they can produce to check population growth.He said families with many children are finding it hard to look after them.
“Many resources, especially land, are becoming a problem. Parents should have that in mind when deciding the number of children to produce,†he said.
Barigye urged telecommunication companies to install toll-free lines in hospitals to save women in labour.
OVER50% of children aged below five years in Bushenyi district are stunted, the district health officer has disclosed.
Dr. Celestine Barigye attributed this to mothers who give birth to children when they are malnourished themselves.
Barigye said some women get miscarriages due to malnourishment when pregnant.
Referring to the 2006 report titled ‘Uganda demographic and health survey; the status of nutrition of children and adults’, Barigye called upon all the stakeholders to address the problem immediately.
He was officiating at the launch of a 21-day Yellow Care campaign at Ishaka Adventist Hospital in Bushenyi district.
The campaign, funded by Marie Stopes International and MTN Uganda, aims at preventing malaria in pregnancy.
At the function, MTN gave out 300 vouchers to pregnant women to enable them access free antenatal care, deliver from a hospital and get post-natal care. They also donated over 250 treated mosquito nets to children below the age of five.
Barigye said despite the large amount of food produced in the district, both children and adults suffer from malnourishment.
“Although some researchers have attributed the problem to parents selling all the food they harvest, there is also need to look at the way people prepare their food,†he said.
Citing China, Barigye called for stringent measures to restrict couples on the number of children they can produce to check population growth.He said families with many children are finding it hard to look after them.
“Many resources, especially land, are becoming a problem. Parents should have that in mind when deciding the number of children to produce,†he said.
Barigye urged telecommunication companies to install toll-free lines in hospitals to save women in labour.