Iringa Regional Commissioner (RC) Amina Masenza has commended the 'Ruaha Milling Company Limited' for supporting government efforts to combat malnutrition for producing nutrition meal in Iringa.
RC made the statement during the launch of Mama Msosi Nutrition Campaign in Iringa, yesterday, which aims at promote nutrition to combat malnutrition as well as to promote sanitation and environmental conservation.
He said the company has been in the forefront of combating malnutrition in this region by supplying fortified maize flour (unga) adding vitamins and minerals to foods to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
Masenza said that ‘Mama Msosi Nutrition Campaign’ is one of the ways to improve Nutrition for the family and to eliminate the problems caused by Nutrition.
"Nutrition experts tell us that children who have had the best Nutrition services, during the first 1,000 days of their life that begin since the mother gets pregnant until a child who is two years old gets lasting benefits," she said.
She said that is when the baby builds the foundation for body growth and mental development.
Unfortunately the effects of childbirth in his physical growth and mental development due to poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of his life cannot be adjusted for the rest of his life.
According to the study (TDHS, 2015/2016) it has noted that the status of Women's and Child nutrition remains poor in Iringa region.
About 28 percent of pregnant women have anemia. 42% of children have been stunted, 13.8 percent have a decrease in weight, 3.6 percent are thinner and only 7.2 percent are fed supplements.
Iringa Region in collaboration with various stakeholders has been taking action to deal with malnutrition.
These include providing nutrition education at health, providing malnutrition, encouraging community to develop proper intake habits and following a healthy lifestyle, promoting hygiene, clinical care when a mother discovers to be pregnant.
