In Uganda, UNICEF and the Government are collaborating in pursuit of zero hunger. Their goal? To incorporate nutrition in the country’s health and essential medicine systems. Ayako Okamura, UN Volunteer Nutrition Supply Chain Officer, worked closely with the Ministry of Health on integrating nutrition supplies in the national health system.
Undernutrition is an important contributor to poor maternal, newborn and child survival and development in Uganda. Stunting (low height for age) and wasting (low weight for height) are key indicators of childhood malnutrition and are the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition.
Both conditions are usually associated with poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition and/or inappropriate feeding and care in early life. Both indicators prevent children from reaching their physical and cognitive potential.