More than 473,000 Ugandans are reportedly affected by malnutrition and stunting, including 122,100 children aged between six and 59 months, prompting calls for stronger government action in the worst-affected regions.
The Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security has held a meeting with civil society organisations to discuss the growing challenge of malnutrition, particularly in the Karamoja and Busoga sub-regions.
Alliance chairperson Peter Okeyo said the rising cases required urgent action and greater cooperation among stakeholders.
"We have seen an increase in cases of malnutrition, especially in Karamoja and Busoga, and there is a need for all stakeholders to come together and find lasting solutions," Okeyo said.
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Members of Parliament are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss the problem and explore practical interventions, with particular attention to nutrition among school-going children.
Okeyo said the meeting would seek ways of ensuring that children have access to nutritious food while at school.
"We want Members of Parliament to discuss this challenge and come up with practical solutions, particularly to ensure that children in schools have access to nutritious food," he said.
He also emphasised the importance of proper nutrition in preventing disease and encouraged households to increase their consumption of vegetables and other nutritious foods.
"If people eat well, they can prevent many diseases. We need to encourage the consumption of vegetables and other nutritious foods. People in Busoga, for example, should return to eating more traditional vegetables," Okeyo said.
The alliance secretary, Brenda Nabukenya, who is also the Luweero District Woman Member of Parliament, expressed concern over persistent food insecurity in Karamoja despite the region's agricultural production.
"It is unfortunate that there are people working and producing food in Karamoja, yet many people in the region continue to suffer from hunger. Some of the food produced is sold, leaving local communities without enough to eat," Nabukenya said.
She also raised concern about the use of agrochemicals in food production, calling for greater attention to safe agricultural practices.
"People are using too many chemicals when growing food. This can expose consumers to serious health risks, including cancer, while at the same time affecting the quality of the food we eat," she said.
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Nabukenya called on the government to strengthen efforts to promote safe farming practices and improve food production.
Damali Ssali of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition said the parliamentary meeting would equip legislators with information on nutrition and provide an opportunity to review policies and legislation affecting food and nutrition security.
"The meeting will provide an opportunity to equip Members of Parliament with information on nutrition and also discuss the policy and legislative issues that need to be addressed," Ssali said.
Dr Peterson Kato Kikomeko, who heads an association of lecturers and trainers in nutrition-related disciplines, highlighted the scale of malnutrition in Uganda and called for collective action to address the problem.
The stakeholders said tackling malnutrition would require coordinated efforts involving Parliament, government agencies, civil society organisations, communities and other actors in the food and nutrition sector.
