Harare — THE national malnutrition level for children under five years of age continues to increase owing to poverty, a senior Government official has said.

Speaking at an official handover of vehicles, computers and printers by the United Nations Children's Fund in Harare yesterday, the deputy director for administration and logistics in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Arnold Kanjanga, said the vehicles and computers would enable smooth running of nutritional programmes.

Unicef donated 10 vehicles plus 10 000 litres of fuel, 10 computers and their printers to the ministry.

"A detailed analysis of the national nutrition and food security assessment report reveals that both acute and chronic forms of malnutrition are increasing with some parts of the country more affected than the others," said Dr Kanjanga.

He said under weight for under fives increased from 13 percent in 1999 to 16,6 percent in 2005/6 while stunting - the chronic form of under nutrition rose from 26,5 percent to 29,4 percent during the same period.

Wasting, the acute form of under nutrition, remained stable at 6 percent over the years.

However, another survey by the Zimbabwe National Nutrition and Food Security Assessment of October 2007 showed that the prevalence of underweight slightly increased to 17,4 percent, wasting was 4,1 percent and stunting 28,9 percent.

Dr Kanjanga applauded the donation by Unicef saying it would go a long way in implementation of nutritional programmes in provinces.

He said the computers would enable provinces keep up-to-date information on the nutrition status in their respective provinces while the vehicles would assist in their operations.

Unicef country representative Dr Peter Salama said his organisation was committed to supporting Government in reducing infant mortality.

Child nutrition, he said, accounted for a third of all under fives' deaths countrywide.

"It is all about partnership between Unicef and Government that will enable us change those statistics," Dr Salama said.

Dr Salama commended the 13 percent allocation of national budget towards health as a tremendous achievement.