Media urged to champion nutrition agenda as Kenya battles triple burden of malnutrition

Kenya Union of Journalists secretary general Erick Oduor, Association of Media Women in Kenya executive director Queenter Mbori and Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo when they signed new working agreements to enhance safety and professionalism of journalists across the country/ Handout

Kenya is grappling with a triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising overweight and obesity rates.

This according to nutrition experts is costing the economy billions and straining public health.

Experts have urged the media to step up to amplify nutrition as a national priority, counter misinformation and keep healthy diets at the centre of public debate.

GAIN Kenya country director Ruth Okowa noted the growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and called for stronger partnerships with the media to elevate nutrition as a national development issue.

“According to the 2022 KDHS, 18 per cent of children under five are stunted, 10 per cent are underweight, three per cent are overweight, and 42 per cent of pregnant women experience iron deficiency anaemia,” she said.

“This translates into an annual loss of Sh373.9 billion, or 6.9 per cent of our GDP, as per the Cost of Hunger in Africa Study of 2019.”

She spoke during a Media Roundtable on Nutrition Education and Advocacy with editors and nutrition media champions in Nairobi.

The meeting was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Kenya.

The session sought to highlight Kenya’s mounting nutrition challenges, with millions affected by undernutrition, hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies), and the rapid rise of overweight and obesity.

She reaffirmed GAIN’s commitment to supporting both national and county governments to implement nutrition-related policies and frameworks that improve access to healthier diets.

Okowa explained that GAIN has been working with the Ministries of health, agriculture, and other partners to implement food safety and fortification policies, advance the Kenya Nutrient Profile Model to promote clear food labelling, and support counties such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Machakos and Kiambu to embed food safety and nutrition into their legislative agendas.

“These efforts are aimed at creating an enabling environment for healthier diets while reducing the burden of foodborne diseases and malnutrition,” she said.

Okowa added that through its Vegetables for All project, implemented under the FoodFiti brand, GAIN has reached more than one million urban and peri-urban consumers and trained over 10,000 mama mbogas on food safety, business skills, and proper handling of vegetables.

“This approach not only improves access to fresh, safe produce but also strengthens the livelihoods of small-scale vendors who are at the heart of Kenya’s food supply chain,” Okowa said.

Veronica Kirogo, Head of the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Ministry of Health, pointed out the critical role of the media.

"We have made progress. Stunting has declined from 26 per cent in 2014 to 18 per cent in 2022, but we cannot afford to slow down,” she said.

She stressed that the media can bridge the gap between policy and practice by keeping nutrition visible in public discourse and countering myths and misinformation that undermine good feeding practices.

Representing the Kenya Editors Guild, Millicent Awuor applauded the collaboration between editors and the nutrition sector.

“This engagement opens a new chapter for responsible journalism in health and nutrition. Editors are gatekeepers of public information, and we are committed to ensuring that accurate, evidence-based nutrition messages reach every Kenyan household,” she said.

“Kenya’s nutrition story can change, but only if it is told,” Okowa said. “We urge the media to partner with us and the Ministry of Health to challenge inaction, drive investment and champion solutions already within our reach.”