24 January 2001
Lusaka, Zambia — Malnutrition has become a leading cause of child deaths in Zambia, health minister Enoch Kavindele revealed in Lusaka Wednesday.
Noting that the situation posed a big challenge to the government, the minister said malnutrition was to blame for about 80 percent of child deaths and for aggravating mortality from other illnesses.
Many children in the country would not die from diseases such as measles, diarrhoea or pneumonia if they were well nourished, he said.
According to Kavindele, child chronic malnutrition rates in Zambia were over 50 percent and about 30 percent of children were underweight.
He said his ministry was putting into final form a nutrition policy that would be an important tool for Zambia to fight malnutrition.
Government was ready to work with the community and other partners, he said, in order to come up with workable interventions for reduction of malnutrition.
"Health and nutrition education and promotion of household food security are already being implemented, but there is need to do more on prevention of malnutrition," Kavindele said.
Meanwhile, the minister thanked the World Food Programme for donating equipment worth 43,000 US dollars to be used in assessing the nutritional status of children in Zambia.
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