By Lekereni Chinkhota

Salima, June 1, Mana: Salima District Council has developed a Community Led Action against Malnutrition (COLAAM) strategy to combat the rising cases of malnutrition the district is facing.

Speaking during a District Nutrition Coordination Committee meeting with various partners implementing nutrition interventions in the district, Acting Director for Community and Social Services, Chifundo Manong’a, highlighted the importance of the strategy in addressing acute malnutrition.

He expressed optimism that the strategy will be adopted and implemented by all stakeholders to deal with nutritional challenges the country is facing.

“We have been monitoring indicators like death rate for children admitted with acute to severe malnutrition. Unfortunately, numbers are increasing amidst partners and government frontline workers implementing interventions,” he said. 

Manong’a emphasized that the strategy will bridge the knowledge gap that exists in communities by ensuring that households are utilizing the same knowledge disseminated at a community level.

“Most of nutrition interventions are displayed at community level but there is no adoption at household level. This strategy will make communities aware of malnutrition because there is poor understanding concerning malnutrition and poor health seeking behaviors amongst communities to act on malnutrition,” he said.

Chairperson for Civil Society Nutrition Alliance (CSONA) Salima Chapter, Joseph Kandiyesa, said prioritizing nutrition will assist in combating malnutrition effectively in the district.

"We have to change our mindset about nutritional issues, we have to take nutrition seriously by allocating sufficient resources to address this critical issue," he said.

In their 2024 Nutrition Budget Research Brief, CSONA indicated that there is an increase in the rate of nutritional related deaths due to acute malnutrition which is at 18 percent on average.

“In order to combat the numbers, the district council should prioritize and allocate more funds to the nutrition sector and the health sector should develop and implement new strategies in combating acute malnutrition at community level,” said Kandiyesa.

The nutrition unit, in collaboration with partners, analyzes data they collect and brings it back to communities for them to appreciate the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition and those who have died of it for their own actions.

COLAAM, which is action pact strategy, has been nodded in favor of its implementation by various stakeholders and partners as such CSONA, Feed the Children, Care Malawi, Hunger Project, World Vision, GIZ, frontline workers and community leaders to influence mindset change for the communities to adopt.