My contribution is on how to shape and to address pathways to healthy nutrition. In my country Zambia alot of programs have been put to combat healthy nutrition in health institutions with the help of government and non governmental organisations, despite all this we still see the levels of healthy nutrition not reaching the expected goals.
From my analysis the following should be taken into serious consideration only then shall we have reached the intended population with vital information concerning healthy nutrition.
1. Education: people have food, but how to prepare it and get the best of nutrients out of it they don't know. There is still alot to be done when it comes to educating people on the food composition and recommended dietry intake. People eat because they have not what they get out of the food. Here we have availability and qauntity. People eat to get satisfied or full and not what nutritional value is in the food.
Educating the grassroot with vital healthy nutrition will help improve the various leaders identify the people's nutrtional needs and work towards achieving optimum nutrition. The people will request for specific inputs from various government once they have been educated on the importance of healthy nutrition and not just waiting to be assisted when they have challenges.
Mobilisation of community nutrition care givers or educators will help in full dissemination of information concerning healthy nutrition starting from household level, community level and indeed nations at large. Crop growing among communities should be encouraged to enable each household have readily available fresh foods all the time. We need to educate communities out there on the benefits of having back yard gardens to cousion their meals instead of buying all the time.
Much can be done when the community and stakeholders are involved.
Malambo Bwale Choobe