By: Nyima Sillah
Dr Amat Bah, executive director of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), has urged the government to invest more in nutrition.
Speaking at a press conference held at NaNA Hall, he said: “there is a need for the government to invest more on nutrition to ensure the Gambia meets World Health Organization and SDGs targets. The malnutrition rate is still unacceptably high in the Gambia and we need to invest more to make sure we meet the World Health Organization and the SDGs targets.”
He added “There have been some levels of investments and over the years, we have seen that some of the nutritional challenges subsided. From our data, we recorded an encouraging reduction in stunting and wasting, as well as a decrease in children and women anemia.
“In the Gambia, malnutrition is a major health issue. In four of the seven regions of the country (Basse, Janjangbure, Kuntaur and Mansa Konko), eight percent of the population are food insecure or highly vulnerable to food insecurity, with the most vulnerable groups being women and children,” he explained.
According to him, S\statistics indicate that food insecurity increased from 8 percent in 2016 to 13.4 percent in 2021. It disproportionately affects rural households (23.9 percent) more than urban ones (10.8 percent).
“Food insecurity was highest in Central River Region (CRR) ranging between 24.1 and 29.8 percent, followed by Lower River Region (LRR) and West Coast Region (WCR) at 15.8 percent each and the locally produced food in those areas does not last more than six months. Since the Gambia is largely dependent on rainfall with only five percent of land under cultivation equipped with irrigation, most rural poor households must face a two-to-four-month lean period during the rainy season, when supplies must be obtained on a cash basis or by barter,” he said.
Dr Bah also expressed optimism that with the right investment at the right time and with the use of the right tools the country should be able to achieve some progress on the nutrition front.
“This investment is very important, and for the European Union and other partners to continue supporting the Gambia to make sure there are appropriate nutritional interventions,” he said.