Various stakeholders have committed to support governments agenda to end malnutrition in the country.
The stakeholders made the commitments at the launch of the Scaling Up Nutrition 3.0 strategy on 2 September 2021 by President Lazarus Chakwera.
According to one of the stakeholders, UN Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres, the UN is committed to continue supporting Malawi’s nutrition agenda as part of the overall development plan for Malawi.
“We will continue advocating and providing technical support and resource mobilization to scaling up nutrition,” said Torres.
Traditional leaders who were represented by Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V stated that chiefs will be nutrition champions in their communities but also encourage communities including men to participate in all nutrition activities and other public health promotion interventions
Members of Parliament have also not been left behind in the promotion of nutrition because they pledged to ensure legislation on matters of food and nutrition are passed in parliament but also advocate for the increased budgetary allocation for nutrition in all local councils.
The private sector through its representative Phillip Madinga, who is also Standard Bank Chief Executive Officer, said they will continue to implement and support nutrition interventions as part of corporate social responsibility but also develop and implement work place nutrition policies that address overweight, obesity and nutrition related Non Communicable Diseases such as hypertension, gout and diabetes.
Adolescents on the other hand have committed to abstain from drugs alcohol and substance abuse to promote their well being for well being.
The media fraternity was represented by Media Council of Malawi chairperson Wisdom Chimgwede who spoke about how the media is committed to set aside time everyday in all electronic and digital media platforms on food and nutrition, additionally, the media will continue to raise awareness on prevention, control and management of all forms of malnutrition in all media platforms.
