The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka
GOVERNMENT requires about $600 million for the full implementation of the National Nutrition Strategy (NSS) for the years 2014 to 2018 that was launched by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Bulawayo recently.
VP Mnangagwa launched the strategy during the Business Conference at the just ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), where he was the guest speaker.
The launch of National Nutrition Strategy followed the launch of the Food and Nutrition Security Policy (FNSP) of Zimbabwe by President Mugabe in May 2013.
Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa told Sunday News that the National Nutrition Strategy encompassed essential ingredients that would guide Government on how to run a proper nutrition programme in the country.
Dr Parirenyatwa said the budget for the strategy would be funded from various sources, among them UN agencies, donor organisations and the private sector with Government assuming the primary responsibility to mobilise the required resources.
He said funding for the strategy would be spread over the five years of its implementation while budgeting for fiscal resource allocation, planning and implementation of strategies under each goal of the overall strategy would be done by line ministries in collaboration with other partners.
The health minister also pointed out that overall direction and support in resource mobilisation tracking, and strategy implementation would be provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care through the National Nutrition Department.
“This document will be multi-sectoral. It’s not only one ministry that is going to be responsible for its implementation, but different line ministries will play a part. We are very excited because the document has a lot of essential ingredients on how to run a proper nutrition programme in the country.
“The total budget of the strategy is estimated at $599,6 million. Those funds some of them may come from various partners, some of them may be allocations to different ministries. It doesn’t have to come all at the same time. We can then parcel it out as we start our programme systematically. Yes that is the global figure but we may get various sources of that,” he said.
Resources for the strategy would be allocated to three critical areas, among them direct health and nutrition interventions proven to reduce stunting in children under the age of five by one-third.
Funds will also be directed to activities such as nutrition information systems, human resources for nutrition service management and co-ordination, and resource mobilisation.
The third and last area of the strategy where funds will be allocated is in strengthening multi-sectoral interventions that complement direct health and nutrition.
Dr Parirenyatwa said the strategy would be reviewed after its five years of implementation and Government would come up with another strategy for another five-year period.
Launching the National Nutrition Strategy, VP Mnangagwa said addressing issues of nutrition remained top on the agenda for Government which would also assume the primary responsibility of resource mobilisation for funding.
He said food and nutrition security exists only when all people, at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for a healthy and productive life.
VP Mnangagwa also pointed out that food and nutrition insecurity leads to a vicious cycle of malnutrition, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired mental and physical development, reduced productivity and poverty, resulting in compromised respectability and dignity.
“The implementation of this strategy will require the participation and involvement of stakeholders at all levels from the community to the national level. The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s national nutrition department shall spearhead implementation of the strategy with the Food and Nutrition Council maintaining its co-ordination roles of multiple stakeholders,” he said.
The launch of the National Nutrition Strategy comes against a backdrop of data showing that 7 700 children and mothers are dying every year due to micronutrient deficiency, lack of essential vitamins and minerals required in the body (iron, vitamin A, zinc, and folic acid).
Cognitive growth losses in children are expected to debilitate about 900 000 of the existing population of children under the age of five years, resulting in future productivity deficits equivalent to $16 million in annual GDP.
About 500 000 workers are said to be suffering from malnutrition, leading to a cumulative effect of the country losing about $43 million of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually.
