County To Implement Nutrition Action Plan

Bomet County Government has launched the County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) 2023-2025, to address numerous nutrition issues in the county. The CNAP is a framework that spells out the investment required for Kenya to address malnutrition with a special emphasis on children and pregnant women in all forms and of all ages. It adopts a multispectral approach and promotes collaboration to address the social determinants of malnutrition sustainably. Speaking during the launch at Brevan Hotel in Bomet County, the Director of Nutrition Carolyn Terer, noted that the poor diet has contributed to the country’s poor nutrition standards. She added that other cultural and economic aspects have directly or indirectly affected the nutritional status of communities in the region. ‘Malnutrition in Rift Valley region especially in Bomet County is manifested by being underweight, micronutrients and diet-related non-communicable diseases. In addition, prolonged drought, floods, and especially children and women have a great impact on household food insecurity,’ Mrs Terer said. Reports from the Health and Nutrition Survey of 2014 to 2022, the percentage of children under five years who are attending the Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) for monitoring for the first time during the calendar year stood at 19 percent. Mrs. Terer stated that the CNAP provided a clear direction in accelerating and scaling up efforts toward the elimination of malnutrition as a public health problem in the county. ‘Malnutrition can have serious life-threatening repercussions most especially children and even adults, thus becoming a critical cause of underperformance in social and economic development to the county,’ she further stated. Chepalungu Sub-County has been the most affected region in the county due to its nature as a semi-arid region, with most cases of malnutrition emanating from the area. The Bomet County CNAP is in line with the national goals of attaining optimal nutrition for better health and better quality of life, as well as improved productivity for the county’s accelerated social and economic growth.

SOURCE: KENYA NEWS AGENCY