Rate of chronic malnutrition currently at 43% in Mozambique

14 June- FAO in Mozambique under the MDG1c project is implementing a nutrition education and home gardens programme aimed at ensuring that vulnerable women and school children are reached with nutrition education for the promotion of appropriate diets and health practices for better nutrition; integrated with promoting increased production of fruits, vegetables and animal food products at the homestead to enhance the potential to address micronutrient deficiencies. 

To guide and facilitate the implementation of field level activities on nutrition education and communication for behaviour change and home gardens, training and educational materials were produced under the project with the participation of relevant partners.

According to Ruth Botão, who coordinates the nutritional component in MDG1c programme, this materials may facilitate the communities learning process.

“The materials that already being used in the field, have been very well received by partners and are already demonstrating a big potential for influencing effective adoption of appropriate behaviour and practices for improving food and nutrition security” she said.

The materials comprise a package that include a training manual for trainers and  counselling cards for use in sessions at community level for both nutrition education and communications for behaviour change and home gardens. 

This programme is expected to directly contribute to national efforts for the reduction of the very high levels of chronic malnutrition in the country.  Mozambique has a very high prevalence rate of chronic malnutrition, currently at 43% (almost one in every two children under-five years of age), and the situation has remained unchanged for the past decades.