Uganda civil society engages stakeholders on revised national nutrition policy

On 16^th March 2016, the Uganda Civil Society Coalition on Scaling up Nutrition (UCCOSUN) engaged civil society groups to contribute to the new draft National Nutrition Policy at Hotel Africana, Kampala-Uganda. The new policy is being developed to replace the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan 2011-2016.

Among other factors, the new policy is aligned to current legislation, sector specific plans and the East Africa Community food and nutrition policy and nutrition aspirations as per international conventions protocols, the 2025 World Health Assembly Targets and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A total of 50 participants from several civil society organisation’s attended themeeting with moderators from Winsor Consult, Concern Worldwide and the Office of the Prime Minister.

 “Uganda will also adhere to the aspirations of the Africa Nutrition Strategy and adopt a holistic approach to nutrition and development that includes climate change, support to agriculture, strengthening of the health management systems, expanding sanitation and safe water, deepening services that reduce the spread of HIV and increase awareness for all people to embrace better feeding options,” – Boaz Musiimenta, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda.

Silver Ssewannyana, the executive director Winsor Consult Ltd, a development consultancy firm hired by the Office of the Prime Minister to guide the process for designing the National Nutrition Policy 2016 presented the draft policy.

The new policy aims at ensuring that government will promote maternal nutrition and care, including encouraging exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; timely, adequate, safe and appropriate complementary feeding and micronutrient intake between six and 24 months.

Learn more at the Uganda online newspaper New Vision