Kasese is one of the Districts in Uganda with the highest burden of stunting amongst children under five years and is ranked 3rd in Uganda and first in the Rwenzori sub Region with the highest prevalence of child marriages and teenage pregnancies (GoU, 2022) (UNFPA, 2021) a situation that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This presents a double burden.
In 2023, GEDA- Uganda conducted a scientific study on the factors associated with stunting for children aged 6-59 months born to teenage mothers in Kasese District. The study revealed that 56.4% of children born to teenage mothers were stunted. This is far above the national and Rwenzori Regional Average stunting rates of 29% and 40.6 %( UDHS, 2016) respectively.
In trying to address these challenges, GEDA-Uganda proposed a nutrition intervention aimed at improving the nutrition status of children under five years born to teenage mothers in Kasese considering Maliba sub-county one of the scientific research target sub counties that came out to be leading with high prevalence of teenage mothers as a pilot sub county.
Addressing different stakeholders at the sub county headquarters in Kabuyiri Maliba sub county during the project inception on Thursday 5th September 2024, GEDA’s senior nutritionist said that the stunting burden was high and thus there was need for different stakeholders to take action.
He further took participants through stunting and it’s effects for them to understand it better, it’s statistics around the globe for them (participants) to appreciate the magnitude of the problem at hand.
He later highlighted that the project being launched was going to be a pilot and has been set as a Parish Nutrition Modal (PNM) that would consider teenage mothers under the age of 18 lactating or pregnant. The project will also work closely with all stakeholders including the VHTs, Health centers staff, sub county leadership among others. Two parishes of Nyangorongo and Isule were given first priority.
Speaking at the same meeting GEDA’s Managing Director Ms.Bihunirwa Medius called upon parents to fight stuntedness and Malnutrition by feeding on balanced diet and further said there is a lot of work that ought to be done by Kasese District stakeholders based on the results that were shared.
The sub county Community Development officer reported increased teenage mothers in the parishes of Isule, Mubuku and Nyangorongo among others.
Closing the inception meeting, Mr. Robert Kiryamuthaka, the area local council three chairperson, concurred with the CDO but urged parents and guardians to invest in education of their children to avoid such scenarios of teenage pregnancies, stuntedness and malnutrition.
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