Siaya County Launches Five-Year plan to Improve Nutrition Status

The County Government of Siaya in partnership with Amref Health Africa in Kenya and CARE Kenya have launched a Nutrition Action Plan to provide a framework for addressing nutritional challenges in the county.

The region has one of the lowest nutritional indicators which is blamed on poor complementary feeding practices and low rates of exclusive breastfeeding, necessitating the investment in nutrition to improve the health of residents.

Launched on January 15, the County Nutrition Action Plan 2018-2022 seeks to address breastfeeding, healthy feeding habits and malnutrition and is based on the National Nutrition Action Plan.

The Siaya Nutrition Plan was funded by the European Union (EU) based on collective research work by various multi-sectoral partners.

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga said the project would go a long way in bridging gaps in nutrition and moving the county towards the goal of a healthy population.

“We are proud of the work being done by Amref Health Africa and the European Union in Siaya already that has brought tremendous progress in improving quality of life,” he said.

Mr Titus Katembu – EU Head of Agriculture and Rural Development speaks during the launch.

Titus Katembu, the EU Head of Agriculture and Rural Development, said promoting nutrition in schools and dairy farming would both improve the welfare of farmers and the health of school-going children. Katembu was also leading a delegation to take stock of progress made by Amref Health Africa’s Maternal and Child Nutrition Project, which was launched in May 2016. Katembu noted that the project has helped to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition, including nutrition of women of reproductive age.

John Kutna, the project manager said that the project had in-cooperated nutrition-
specific interventions through a collaborative approach bringing together various actors.

“In this way we can improve nutrition knowledge through ensuring best practices are well documented and shared.”

Other partners involved in the project include government ministries of Health, Agriculture and
Education, as well as K-MET (NAWIRI).

Amref Health Africa team receives copies of the Siaya Nutrition Action Plan during the launch.

Story and Photos by Dinah Karwitha.