Most times the society defines someone malnourished depending on the usual physical defects on a swollen belly and thin body. However some factors like stunting, anaemic, over weight and vitamin deficiencies should be kept in mind.
Malnutrition refers to the imbalance of essential nutrients in the body. The bodies lack iron, folic acid and Vitamin A and B groups. It affects anyone regards of their household income and environment.
Regional nutritionist at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Mansur Toko, explained to health journalists at Golf Course Hotel on 12th August 2015, that the normal nutrition status at 18.5-24.3 BMI is attained after a measurement of body parts( in length, weight and height) is done and signs and symptoms of malnutrition are checked.
Brenda Namugumya from FANTAII( Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance) said ,”Malnutrition can be transferred from one generation to the next if nothing is done about it especially if its chronic malnutrition.”
For a lactating mother or child below 5years, the concern is on how accessible and frequent do they have a meal with all the nutrients besides having carbohydrates only that happens in rural settings most especially.
“Women have no time to prepare a decent meal since they spend half of the day in the farms/gardens with their children trying to fend for their family. They will cook a meal that will keep them satisfied ,most likely with high carbohydrate content like sweet/Irish potatoes,” a journalist from Kabale suggested this on reasons for having malnourished families.
Malnutrition is classified into 3 types that include under malnutrition,(having few nutrients than what the body requires), Acute( It is deadly) and chronic(from generation to generation)
According to Namugumya, 35 people out of 100 have stunted growth; 2.8 million children are stunted ,as well as 3 out of 10 pregnant women don’t have blood, 38 out of 100 children below the age of 5 suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.
South Western and Western region have the highest number of children with stunted growth.
Dr. Elizabeth Madraa , nutritionist from RTUF (Ready to use fortified foods) confirmed the use of RTUF towards improving nutrition status and addressing micro deficiency status,
Therapeutic foods have been produced to solve the problem. Therapeutic foods are foods specifically formulated to be fed to malnourished persons in specific doses like plump nut. These are found free of charge at any health facility.
This was during a media training on nutrition organised by Health Journalist Network in Uganda, and sponsored by USAID Production for Improved Nutrition(PIN). Journalists were appealed to do more extensive reporting on nutrition facts.
Charnis-News 