JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY PRESS STATEMENT ON PARLIAMENTARY NUTRITION WEEK.

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JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY PRESS STATEMENT ON PARLIAMENTARY NUTRITION WEEK.

THEME: EMPOWERING BETTER NUTRITION FOR THE PEOPLE

Dear Citizens of the Republic of Uganda

The Parliament of Uganda, through the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security and its development partners is holding a Parliamentary Nutrition Week 2025 enlightening the status of malnutrition in our country, under the theme dubbed ‘Empowering better nutrition for the people’ which started on 20^{th (}with T.V talk show on UBC) to the 28^thday of May, 2025 in Moroto district.

This week-long event is part of UPA-NS and its partners’ ongoing commitment to raising awareness and advocating for stronger policies to improve food and nutrition security across Uganda. It is designed to highlight the current status of malnutrition, drive national discourse, and champion sustainable and inclusive and lasting solutions, particularly for underserved communities.

Parliamentary Nutrition Week is featuring a wide range of activities including policy forums, community outreach, school-based nutrition and agriculture education, media engagements, and exhibitions, culminating in the celebration of World Nutrition Day on May 28th.

Why the Nutrition Week

Malnutrition remains a significant public health issue in Uganda, with alarming statistics reflecting the severity of the situation. Approximately 29% of children under five years are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition that adversely affects their physical and cognitive development. In addition, about 4% of children in this age group are wasted, which signifies acute malnutrition and highlights the immediate repercussions of inadequate food intake and diseases. Furthermore, around 12% of children under five are classified as underweight, indicating they are not gaining sufficient weight for their age. Micronutrient deficiencies are also critical, with iron deficiency anemia impacting approximately 50% of women of reproductive age, and vitamin A deficiency being prevalent among young children. Additionally, the World Food Programme estimates that around 12% of the population faces food insecurity, with varying degrees of severity. Despite Uganda’s rich agricultural resources and being considered the food basket of East Africa, malnutrition persists at alarming levels, affecting millions of Ugandans, especially children, women, and vulnerable communities.

According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2022, 24.4% of children under five years old are stunted, over 3.2% are wasted, 9.7% [GP1] [GP2] are underweight, and 3.4% are overweight. Additionally, more than 53% of women of reproductive age in Uganda suffer from anemia, which is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. This situation has serious implications for the equality of human capital, education outcomes, and healthcare costs for women, infants, and children. Malnutrition affects children’s growth, their ability to learn, and their disease resistance. It burdens families and health systems, and it undermines Uganda’s economic development by weakening the foundation of our human capital. It remains a major global and national health concern. These statistics underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to combat malnutrition in Uganda

Moroto District and the wider Karamoja sub-region have been selected as the host area due to their high burden of malnutrition, characterized by stunting, wasting, food insecurity, and micronutrient deficiencies, especially among women and children. This location offers an opportunity to spotlight local innovations in food and nutrition, such as school gardens and integrated early childhood development models, and to strengthen the link between policy and community through direct engagement.

According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, 26% of children aged 6–12 in Uganda are out of school, with Karamoja bearing the heaviest burden, where poverty, chronic hunger, and insecurity have left thousands of children behind. Hunger is both a cause and a consequence of this crisis. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Service Delivery Report further reveals that over 50% of learners in Uganda do not receive a meal at school, significantly affecting enrolment and learning outcomes. To achieve Uganda’s Human Capital Development goals under NDP IV, strategic investments in education, nutrition, and health are essential. In Karamoja, the World Food Programme (WFP), in partnership with the Government of Uganda, delivers daily hot meals to over 250,000 learners, helping to retain children in school while boosting attendance and academic outcomes. Through its Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) approach, over 2,000 metric tones of food are annually procured from local farmers thus injecting USD 1.9 million into Karamoja’s rural economy. This commitment has inspired government co-investment, with UGX 500 million allocated under the “Karamoja Feeds Karamoja” initiative which marks a bold step toward a nationally led, sustainable school feeding model. To promote dietary diversity in school meals, over 83 schools have been supported to establish orange-fleshed sweet potato gardens, enhancing both nutrition and food security. In its broader efforts to institutionalize school feeding, WFP continues to support the finalization of the national school feeding policy and the strengthening of coordination structures at both national and sub-national levels. Additionally, more than 60 schools have received energy-efficient cooking stoves, reducing environmental impact and improving the sustainability of school meal preparation.

In recognition of the critical importance of addressing food and nutrition security in Uganda, (UPA-FNS) and its partners will hold a Parliamentary nutrition week in Moroto district as a way of bringing it closer to the communities, creating a linkage between parliament and the communities, raising awareness amongst the communities on matters of nutrition in that particular district and utmost popularizing the activity among members of the public.

This year’s Parliamentary Nutrition Week is aimed at Empowering Better Nutrition for the People through Strengthening Community Nutrition Programs, Integrating Nutrition in Key Sectors in health, education and agriculture, Empowering Households and Individuals.

Calls to Action

We call upon the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to review and roll out a new agricultural extension strategy, strengthening district and sub-county officers’ skills in Nutrition and Climate Smart Agriculture to promote practices like crop diversification, soil conservation, and water harvesting. Integrating nutrition-sensitive methods can promote nutrient-rich crops to improve diet diversity, supporting sustainable food systems, nutrition, and livelihoods.
In terms of the legal and policy framework, we call on the Parliament of Uganda to fast-track the review of a harmonized Food and Nutrition Policy, support the passing of the Food and Nutrition Bill, and establish guidelines for local governments to coordinate nutrition activities in their jurisdictions. Such a policy will protect public health by combating diet-related diseases, promoting well-being, and decreasing healthcare costs. This will address malnutrition, ensuring access to diverse foods while boosting food security through sustainable agriculture.
We hereby urge the Parliament of Uganda to request MAAIF (Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries) to fast-track the development and approval of the National Agroecology Strategy. This strategy is crucial for promoting sustainable farming practices, fostering resilient, diverse access to nutritious food, and addressing the root causes of malnutrition for the future of our nation
We call upon the Government of Uganda to deliberately support the production and consumption of traditional and indigenous foods that are nutritious, locally available, and culturally relevant to regional and cultural contexts. These foods are vital for combating malnutrition, preserving our heritage, and empowering communities to thrive sustainably.

We urge the Government of Uganda to expedite the approval of the draft National Policy on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This will ensure that nutrient-dense agricultural resources are secured, studied, and appropriately deployed to support the nation’s food and nutrition security, income generation and sustainable socio-economic transformation of our societies. This will also foster the contribution of strategies like the establishment of community seed banks in vulnerable regions like Karamoja to ensure timely access to locally adapted seeds.

We call upon the government to put the school feeding policy into action and the minister of education should take charge of it, working in close coordination with other relevant ministries and stakeholders. The Minister should ensure that this policy is enforced in all learning institutions to guarantee that school children have access to safe, nutritious, and adequate meals while at school.

I thank you.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY

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