The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | Nutritionists under the Allied Nutritionists Association Uganda have launched a mobile application that will guide professionals on best practices in the wake of high rates of nutrition-related misinformation especially on social media.
According to Michael Jemba, the association’s president, two digital apps have been developed: Nutrition 256, which provides general information, including daily nutritional references, and the CPD platform, which offers the latest research and practice updates.
This app comes when the media is awash with stories and recommendations on nutrition and nutritional supplements, which the nutritionists’ body warns could be dangerous as many are mainly motivated by financial gain by quack nutritionists. He says this app is meant to sanitize the industry and ensure reliable information is passed on promptly.
For the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) platform, for instance, Jemba says professionals will now be able to easily attend a course from their homes or workplaces which will easily facilitate renewal of their licenses.
Speaking at the launch, Joan Nakiyingi the Quality Assurance Officer in charge of Diagnostics at the Allied Health Professional Council said due to the challenge of quacks and professionals who don’t strive to better themselves, the council has become very keen on knowledge addition when renewing licenses considering how healthcare is revolving.
Meanwhile, Uganda is currently facing a double challenge of nutrition whereby problems of undernutrition such as stunting persist amidst a growing problem of over-nutrition where the number of obese people is on the increase.
According to figures by the Ministry of Health, over 268,000 children in Uganda suffer from malnutrition specifically wasting. 26% of women in the country are said to be either overweight or obese.
The Nutritionists Association says their new app will be able to track this data to guide policy and what specific nutrition-related interventions need to be given priority.
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