BUJUMBURA, October 29th (ABP) – People must be well nourished and eat whole foods composed of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, in order not to catch diseases due to malnutrition, said the secretary of the provincial platform for food security and nutrition, Mr. Symphorien Banciriminsi, on Friday, October 25, 2024, in Mageyo County, Mubimbi district, in a meeting with members of the communal platform for food security and nutrition.
Scientists have already proven that the intelligence of well-nourished children in the first 200 days, develops with a good branching of neurons in the brain and the child will have facilities to assimilate the material in class more than the malnourished, reason why mothers are called upon to feed children well and take care of them at this age, according to Mr. Banciriminsi.
“The country needs healthy sons and daughters capable of producing on a daily basis, so that it develops, but sometimes, we observe the opposite. For example, the province of Bujumbura (west) produces all varieties of food, but they are sold on the market in order to buy meat or Ndagala and cassava paste. Cereals and vegetables are little consumed especially in Kanyosha, Mutimbuzi, Kabezi districts and part of Isare district which are full of poorly nourished households, he deplored.
With the establishment of food security and nutrition platforms, the latter are called upon to raise awareness among the population, with a view to changing eating habits. In Mubimbi district, people testify that in large families, mentalities are changing and they feed their children corn dough, whereas they fed them exclusively cassava dough before.
According to Mr. Banciriminsi, the district platforms must target children who suffer from mild malnutrition, severe malnutrition and chronic malnutrition so that the last two cases are referred to health facilities and treated.