Benin nutrition Experts applauds local nutrition interventions

A team of nutrition experts from Benin have lauded the way Malawi is handling nutrition interventions after visiting one of Oxfam’s impact areas to learn how the initiative is being handled.

The visitors were on Thursday, 14 February, 2019, taken to Mazonga Village in Traditional Authority Kambalame in Salima district where the initiative’s programming is being run without monetary incentive demands by people in the communities.

Oxfam with funding from the European Union, has collaborated with Catholic Health Commission in the project to help sensitise the community members more especially, breastfeeding mothers and under-fives on how best they can improve their nutrition.

According to Oxfam in Malawi’s official Facebook Page, a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative from the Benin visitors said: “It is not easy in Benin to have women and community nutrition promoters to work without a monetary incentive as is the case here in Malawi.”

The organisation’s Facebook post also indicates that: “the 2018 Global Nutrition report notes that Malawi is on track to meet the two global nutrition targets (Under five wasting and under five overweight) with some progress on under five stunting as well.

“The visiting team included nutrition specialist from the government of Benin, members of the civil society, city mayors and representatives from UNICEF and civil society organizations.”

Apart from Salima district, Oxfam in partnership with CHC are also working in Lilongwe Rural, Nkhotakota and Dowa districts, targeting 4000 households.