By: Mariama Njie
We are losing annually D3.96 billion dalasi because of child under nutrition on health and productivity, vice president Dr Isatou Touray said on Monday at the launch of cost of hunger in Africa report held at Kairaba hotel.
She described it as a “leaking bucket” saying “it must be prevented from continuing, adding challenges of under nutrition are not difficult to address if adequate evidence is presented to policy and decision makers.
The cost of hunger in Africa study is an African union initiative that receives endorsement at the highest level from the African head of states and government. This is a clear demonstration of both my government and African union, commits to address malnutrition, she said.
She said The Gambia is grabbling with multiple challenges that cannot to ignore the development, and emphasis on human capital, saying which is the country driving force to achieving the national development plan.
“And we are indeed very pleased to participated in this study, as it represents the unique and timely contribution to help us understand the impact of child nutrition in our country social economic development”, she added.
She commended the study to be in line to promote food and nutrition security, as enshrine in the national development plan, adding we are humble in acknowledging with pride to improve nutritional status of the Gambian, she said.
According to her, The Gambia is among 26 countries globally to validate the Cost of Hunger in Africa findings which about 20 of does country been in Africa.