Stunted growth in Ugandan children drops

DEVELOPMENT

Stunted growth among children aged under five in Uganda has reduced to 29% from the previous 33% in 2012.

This is according to Stephen Biribonwa, a senior official in the agriculture ministry.

Biribonwa, who is the principal agricultural officer in charge of food and nutrition, said there has been a general reduction trend in stunting levels.

The trend has seen the stunted growth levels drop from 45% in 1995 to 39% in 2006 and now at 29%.

But the ultimate goal is to go as low as 10%.

"We want to reduce stunting levels although food security was an obstacle in 2017, caused by effects of climate change such as desertification and floods that affected people's crops," he said.

"We need to build resilient communities and an eco-system through the restoration of water catchment areas."

Biribonwa was speaking in Kampala at Makerere University at a centenary event of Netherland-based Wageningen University - which majors in agriculture and research.

An alumnus of Wageningen University, Biribonwa also called for proper methods of agriculture and said human activities that degrade the environment should be minised.

"Communities should also empower and involve women in the entire agricultural value chain."

Anno Galema, the First Secretary of food security at the Dutch embassy, said although food security is paramount, there should be deliberate efforts to ensure commercial agriculture to ensure significant contribution to the economy.

"I think if the government focuses more on encouraging commercialisation of agriculture and providing an enabling environment to farmers, the agricultural sector can contribute more to the gross domestic product (GDP)," he said.

President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly made a case for the need for Ugandan farmers to embrace commercial agriculture - and steer away from subsistence farming.