Zambia Civil Society calls for more nutrition funding at parliament

On 14 October 2015, the Zambia Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance spoke before the Expanded Committee on Estimates of Revenues and Expenditures at parliament to share an analysis of the 2015 national budget from a nutrition perspective.  The Alliance Country Coordinator William Chilufya shared findings that show that funding to nutrition specific and sensitive spending is spread-out across six line ministries and that nutrition spending has increased from 2014. He highlights that while there has been an increase, more needs to be invested in nutrition to make an impact on the nutrition crisis in Zambia.

“Malnutrition is devaluing the Zambia’s human capital. In spite of these challenges, the funding to Nutrition has continued to be undesirably low.” – William Chilufya, Country Coordinator, Zambia Civil Society Alliance.

William Chilufya specifically identifies a small increase in funding to the National Food and Nutrition Commission. He called for the government to increase resources to the commission in line with the commitment made at the Nutrition for Growth Summit (to increase nutrition funding by 20% annually). Members of parliament agreed that nutrition was an important issue and Mazabuka member of parliament Gary Nkombo shared that until such a time that the Zambia incorporated the Bill of Rights in the Constitution where access to clean water and food became a right, the issues of proper nutrition remained farfetched. He added that nutrition on its own was an intricate issue.

Read more at Mwebantu and the Lusaka Times