Mandera West MP Adan Yusuf Haji is leading delegates drawn from the region for the Eastern African Parliamentary Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition(EAPA-FSN) conference in Uganda.
Haji is the chairman of the EAPA-FSN which, together with other partners, is hosting the 6th General Assembly and Capacity Development Parliamentary Dialogue on Food Systems and Nutrition at Speke Munyonyo Resort in Kampala.
The regional conference started on November 26 and will end on November 30, 2024.
The dialogue is co-organised by the EAPA-FSN Executive Committee members, the National Assembly of the Republic of Uganda, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
The theme for the meeting is “Healthy Diet for all, promoting climate smart forgotten Indigenous Nutritious Foods for Better Nutrition”.
Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Anita Annet Among in a speech read on her behalf by Gomba West MP Robina Gureme Rwakoojo during the opening ceremony stated that the conference came at the right when African nations were battling malnutrition among citizens.
"The theme of this year’s Annual General Assembly is both timely and highly relevant. It is crucial that our actions today reflect the urgency of the challenges we face," said the Speaker.
Haji in his opening remarks called on member states to invest more resources in dealing with malnutrition through the promotion of indigenous food.
He added that statistics of the number of people malnourished in the region were scary and required adequate attention and resources to deal with.
“Study has revealed that 700 million people in the world are malnourished and one in every five people are malnourished in Africa. There is a need to venture into traditional crops to tackle food security and nutrition challenges," he said.
He added: "The importance of healthy diets cannot be overstated. Malnutrition, in all its forms including undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies continues to pose a significant challenge to the people of Eastern Africa".
He explained that the effects of poor nutrition are far-reaching, contributing to stunted growth in children, weakened immune systems, reduced productivity, and a decline in overall health.
The chairman noted that promoting indigenous, nutritious foods is a key part of the solution to this complex issue.
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