Oxfam Malawi, a charitable international organisation says Malawi needs to up its effort to improve nutrition among the citizenry arguing improved nutrition is vital in national development.
Steve Kuliyazi, Livelihood resilience Programmes Manager for Oxfam said this in Dowa when introducing the second phase of Increasing Resource Allocation and Accountability for nutrition sector in Malawi – Project.
The second Phase is coming after a successful implementation of Phase one which run from June 2020 to October 2021, according to Kuliyazi.
Speaking to MIJ Online, Kuliyazi said the second phase is expected to run for two years and will also target three districts of Salima, Dowa and Dedza.
He said, the second phase seeks to profile the nutrition agenda so that it becomes the National Agenda. Kuliyazi, added that the project also seeks to lobby for direct funding towards the Principal Nutrition HIV and AIDS Office (PNHAO).
“The Project further seeks to build capacity of nutrition officers, district councils and national level nutrition institutions to lobby for increased allocation and accountability of resources towards nutrition” said Kuliyazi.
Alongside other Oxfam officials, Kuliyazi went to Dowa to introduce the second phase of the project to Stakeholders in the nutrition sector. Briefing them on the Project, Kuliyazi called for concerted efforts for resources towards nutrition to be increased.
On her part, Lusako Kamgondo Principal Nutrition HIV and AIDS Officer (PNHAO) for Dowa district welcomed the second phase with an appeal to Authorities to sensitize the communities on nutrition.
According to Kamgondo, people in the villages are only concerned about boreholes, school blocks and other developments but they do not look at nutrition as development hence need for more awareness.
The second phase of the project is expected to run from January 2022 to December 2023. With funding from German Cooperation through GIZ, the project seeks to achieve increased awareness on nutrition, increased resource allocation towards nutrition sector and accountability for nutrition resources in Malawi.
Officials from Salima District Council and other stakeholders in the nutrition sector in Salima have also been briefed on the project and next is Dedza district which is also a beneficiary in the second phase.