Oxfam has commenced a nutrition project in Dowa, Malawi, with a view to reducing the cases of malnutrition in the country.

The project, Development Diaries understands, is designed to pull together resources to improve nutrition in two other districts: Dedza and Salima.

At 0.24 percent of the total budget in 2018–2019, Malawi’s identifiable spending on nutrition lags behind the regional average of about 1.7 percent.

Oxfam Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa, said the international charity organisation will be working with the district commission’s office, village development committees and other stakeholders.

In Malawi, over 142,000 of the under-five population, which is estimated at 2.9 million children, suffer from acute malnutrition and 42.4 percent or 1.2 million are chronically malnourished, according to Malawi National Statistical Office.

Oxfam, in partnership with GIZ and Civil Society Organizations Nutrition Alliance (CSONA), has distributed T-shirts with nutrition messages, posters and banners to help in raising awareness towards the increased resource allocation campaign.

For her Part, representative of Dowa, Ellen Ndlhovu, welcomed the project, saying it is very important as Dowa district receives very little budget for nutrition programmes despite the district struggling with malnutrition.

Also, Chairperson of the Mphimbi village development committee, Jester Chipala, said the project had come at the right time.

Sources: UNICEF Nyasa Times

Photo source: USAID in Africa