Malawi gets Ireland support to improve nutrition in-take
Ireland on Friday granted over 1.6 million Euros to Malawi, through the UN International Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF), to improve nutrition in-take during the year starting from November 2009.
Irish ambassador to Malawi, Mac Ghabham, said investment in nutrition is vital for social and economic development in Malawi.
“Investment in nutrition is vital for social and economic development of the country. This link has been neglected in other countries but it is not the case in Malawi,” he said.
Gabham said the support is directed at three government priority areas of treatment of acute malnutrition, finalising preparations for the implementation of National Vitamin A Fortification Programme and Intensification of Nutrition Education which are under Malawi’s National Nutrition Policy and Strategy Plan.
UNICEF Malawi Representative, Carrie Auer, said the funding will enable government to scale up nutrition programmes to all 28 districts.
“The funding will also spearhead nutrition education campaign aimed at improving infant feeding and child care practices among caregivers,” she added.
However, Principle Secretary for Nutrition in the Office of President and Cabinet, Dr Marry Shawa (
pictured) said the assistance will hasten the process of fortifying sugar in the country with vitamin A and gauge consumer acceptability.
Shawa therefore said a study that has been conducted on sugar fortification has been welcomed by many Malawians; hence part of the money that the Irish government has given Malawi will help the rolling out of sugar fortification in the main sugar plants of Dwangwa and Nchalo
She added that the sugar that will be fortificated will be only used in Malawi and not for export.
Vitamin a deficiency is a major challenge in Malawi and about 60 percent of Malawian under five children,70 percent of women and 57 percent of men suffer from acute vitamin a deficiency that result in loss of the countries energies and productive potential.
Congratulations for the grant! You are doing great work in that department. We see it. Keep it up Dr Shawa and your crew!
Makobidi ndiye mukulandira koma kuti muloze ntchito yomwe zagwira kusowa. Ntchito kupakira m’matumba mwanu, anthu wopanda chisoni inu.
I thought HIV AIDS rate has gone down and the number of people dying of AIDS has also reduced due to the work from this department, did you check some statistics about HIV/AIDS? Where are the ARVS coming from? Are they obtained free for Malawians?
Koma anthu odwale mukuwatsala bwanji ?
Chikhamu zoonadi zimene ukunenazi motipano ayamba kale kuganiza njira zodyera ndalamazi muzinva ma meeting ku mangochi 4 days,osamapangira ma office bwanji.My fellow malawians let us learn to use grants effectively so that those affected may benefit please.
Thanks for the grant.But malawians should allocate to the required areas,because other african countries like Tanzania funds like these are usually misused.
The auditor general has to follow all the expense details. The money must not be spent on meetings, travelling and allowances. Govt offices should have boardrooms.
Nutrition education should actively promote growing and eating of foods rich with Vitamin A and other vitamins and minerals.
Department of Nutrition and HIV and AIDS must tell Malawi if at all a part of this big grant will go back to Ireland and the west through paymenet of benefits (salaries, air travel, children’s education) to international “technical” experts. Does the grant not include mid term and end of project reviews – led by international people who will be paid out of the same grant?