Hon. Ndugulile speaking during the discussion

Poor diets and lifestyles among Tanzanians are stretching the country’s healthcare system due to the increase in cases people suffering of non-communicable diseases.

This was revealed over the weekend by the Deputy Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender and Children, Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, during a panel discussion that was held at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro.   

The panel discussion was part of the celebrations to mark the 2019 World Food Day with the theme ‘Our Actions Our Future. Healthy Diets for A Zero Hunger World’. It was jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Porgramme (WFP) and SUA.

More cases reported

Speaking during the discussion, Dr. Ndugulile noted that previously many of the cases reported in hospitals were communicable diseases whereby a patient would stay fit for sometime after treatment before going back to the hospital.

“However, now we’re witnessing an increase of non-communicable diseases whose patients will depend on treatment and medicine for the rest of their lives,” he said while mentioning diabetes, hypertension, renal and kidney failures as among the diseases whose costs for treatment are very high.

“About a thousand patients alone suffering from these diseases cost the national insurance fund about 3.5 billion a year. This even threatens the sustainability of the fund,” he pointed out.   

According to him, kidney transplant at the Muhimbili National Hospital costs about 21 million with dialysis for a patient whose kidneys have failed also costing some huge sums of money every week that majority of people cannot afford.

“The main focus is now on how to prevent people from getting into this by promoting healthy diets and lifestyles and this is the gist of our discussion today,” Dr. Ndugulile revealed.

Undernutrition still a problem

Dr. Ndugulile, who is also a medical doctor himself, also noted that Tanzania on the other hand has cases of under-nutrition -  caused by a diet lacking in enough nutrients that the body needs for good health and/or by disease, poor childcare and feeding, poor sanitation and inadequate access to health services and clean water.

He then threw a challenge to the professors, researchers, students and others partners in attendance to find out the factors behind the trend so that a lasting solution could be found.

On his side, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Omary Mgumba, who presided over the event as the Chief Guest on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, Japhet Hasunga, noted that the Government has taken several measures to address the challenge.

“As you have heard, the country is food sufficient by over one hundred and twenty percent and it’s astonishing to see that the regions leading in terms of food production in the country are the ones also leading in terms of malnutrition cases,” he said.

Deputy Minister Mgumba mentioned the Agriculture Sector Development Programme (ASDP) Phase Two as one of the key pillars for addressing issues around agriculture in the country including food and nutrition security.

2019 WFD message, objective

In his remarks, the FAO Representative to Tanzania, Fred Kafeero, introduction to the 2019 World Food Day and its theme, key and messages that he said were all timely bearing in mind the challenges that Tanzania was facing as explained by the Deputy Ministers.

“However, zero Hunger does not only mean the absence of hunger but also all forms of malnutrition through the promotion of healthy diets and lifestyles,” he said adding:

“This  year World Food Day calls for  action  to  get  back  on  track  towards  achieving  Zero  Hunger  by  2030 with healthy diets in mind.”  

He said that the panel discussion was part of a series of activities aimed at bringing together all the partners and stakeholders to share ideas on how this goal can be achieved through our collective effort. 

“This is testimony that the world is increasingly faced with challenges related to food and nutrition security as populations grow,” he said.

The good news is that affordable solutions exist to reduce all forms of malnutrition, but they require greater global and local commitment and action, he explained adding that with concerted efforts among all stakeholders, through healthy diets and lifestyles Tanzania can achieve zero hunger by 2030.

The World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October to promote worldwide awareness and action for elimination of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Events are organized a week earlier in over 130 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar.

Here in Tanzania events are held across the country with the national level celebrations being held in Singida region where the Chief Guest is expected to be the Minister of Agriculture, Japhet Hasunga.