ZAMBIA MAINSTREAMING NUTRITION WITHIN LIVESTOCK KEEPING COMMUNITIES

Cooking demonstrations are helping farmers better 

understand how to prepare and preserve their produce

The African Union declared 2022 the year of nutrition as one way to reiterate the need for the continent to address its challenges of hunger and nutrition. Malnutrition remains high on the continent and is a leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. At the same time, rapid urbanization has enabled the increase in obesity and non-communicable disease related to diet.

The burden of these challenges affect the physical and cognitive development of children and; more recently, coupled with global challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the challenges that Africa continues to face in enhancing good nutrition.

Zambia has been confronting issues of nutrition predominantly through its Ministry of Health. The 2018 Zambia Demographic Health Survey reveals that the country’s prevalence rate of stunting is 35%.