BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR
First Ladies from six African countries are scheduled to meet tomorrow (September 20) in New York to discuss the most effective solutions to end malnutrition in women and children, Global Alliance for Imrpoved Nutrition (GAIN) has announced.
After the function, the First Ladies will also sign a declaration showing their commitment towards the fight against malnutrition and extreme poverty among women and children in their respective countries.
In her communication made available to The Sunday Times, GAIN international media relations advisor Manuela Mirkos discloses that women and girls suffer 60 percent of all malnutrition with gender discrimination and social practices contributing to female suffering, inequality and child and maternal deaths.
“With the occasion of the UN review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the alliance decided to offer First Ladies from Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal and Sierra Leone an opportunity to discuss the most effective solutions to end malnutrition in women and children and sign a declaration,” says Mirkos.
According to her, Malawi’s First Lady, Madamme Callista Mutharika and Secretary for Nutrition, HIV and Aids in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr. Mary Shawa will also have the opportunity to highlight their country’s success story in fighting malnutrition, achieving an impressive reduction and being among the few countries in line with the MDGs targets.
“At the heart of the African First Ladies Summit, hosted by GAIN, is promoting effective solutions to reach maternal health goals (MDG 5) and prevent child deaths (MDG 4). Food fortification has been identified as the most effective and cost-efficient remedy, delivering development goals and reaching the poorest people most in need on a mass scale,” Mirkos states.
On why the organization settled for wives to the presidents, the alliance justifies, saying First Ladies are part of a new breed who see their role as crucial in helping to solve the problems of their nations. Mirkos explains that as professional women in their own right (teachers, nurses, midwives and business leaders), they could play a crucial role in fast-tracking ideas for reaching the most disadvantaged of their country’s people.
According to GAIN, only 19 of the 68 countdown countries are on track to meet the UN targets and with aid budgets under pressure, proven remedies must be embraced. Nutrition is crucially important to MDGs 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Currently, malnutrition is said to be affecting 2 billion people worldwide, with 1 in 4 children in Africa physically and mentally stunted as a result. Malnutrition is particularly hazardous for mothers and their unborn children. Zinc deficiencies mean that women are more likely to bleed to death in childbirth and a newborn has a window of just 1000 days to get the vitamins and minerals they need to become healthy, productive citizens in later life.
First ladies attending the summit include: Lady Ida Odinga (Kenya); Viviane Wade (Senegal); Sarah Mosisili (Lesotho), Penehupifo Pohamba (Namibia); Sia Nyama Koroma (Sierra Leone) and Callista Mutharika (Malawi).
Other notable dignitaries attending will be World Food Programme (WFP) Chief Executive Josette Sheeran and Dr. Mary Shawa, Malawi’s “indomitable Secretary of Nutrition”.
GAIN is an organization that develops large scale food fortification programmes which have been shown to be the most cost-effective way of addressing malnutrition and delivering on development goals.
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