BY UCHIZI MBANGE
The country’s district councils have been challenged to be proactive in ensuring that more resources are allocated in their nutrition sector, as doing so can spur national development.
OXFAM Malawi, one of the leading international organisations working in various sectors in the country including the nutrition sector, said the field was key in turning socio-economic tables around.
“Most district councils in the country have no proper budget lines for the nutrition sector, and this does not provide adequate support for the implementation of its programmes,” OXFAM Livelihoods and Resilient Manager, Steve Kuliyazi, said on Monday in Dowa during District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC) briefing meeting on the project introduction of Increasing Resource Allocation and Accountability for Nutrition Sector in Malawi Phase II.
According to Kuliyazi, there is need to provide capacity building to members of DNCC, Council, District Executive Committee (DEC) so that they can be able to lobby and ensure that budgetary allocations for the council are increased.
He hailed government for providing 2.9 percent allocation for 2021/2022 national budget which give hope that the sector was being considered as a priority area.
Catherine Tsoka, Nutrition, HIV and AIDS officer in the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS (DNHA) admitted that district councils have faced funding challenges in the implementation of nutrition programmes.
