The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
More than 50,000 infants, mothers and pregnant women in Karamoja are set to benefit from a $2.5 million (about Shs 6 billion) contribution from the government of Japan.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Acting Country Director Mike Sackett commended Japan for the support saying it would go a long way towards ensuring the survival of tens of thousands of infants in Karamoja where about 40% of children are stunted due to poor diet. He added that Uganda loses 5.6% its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year due to the effects of childhood under nutrition.
He added that the grant would be a big boost to WFP’s motherand-child initiative, which was designed to address stunting in Karamoja but has been chronically underfunded.
WFP will use the Japanese contribution to purchase 1,700 metric tons of specialised foods, sugar and fortified vegetable oil for children aged 6-23 months and for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Official statistics show that Uganda looses Shs 1.8 trillion annually due to the effects of poor child nutrition.
