The Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition (CSO-SUN) has observed that there is no change in provision to direct nutrition interventions in the 2014 national budget.
CSO-SUN National Cordinator William Chilufya observed that direct nutrition interventionsin the 2014 national budget still stands at 0.03% as a share of the national budget.
Mr Chilufya said his organisation has calculated that the Zambian government is spending an average of K 3 per child under two years old on nutrition interventions.
He said this compares unfavorably with the estimated K190 per child as prescribed by the World Bank.
Mr Chilufya was speaking at Parlaiment when he made a presentation to the Parlaimentary Expanded Estimates Commitee on nutrition in the 2014 national budget.
He said the state of Malnutrition is in crisis in Zambia today adding that poor nutrition affects overall growth in childhood and limits the development of full intellectual and physical potential of children.
„In effect, it devalues the country‘s human capital. We commend the Goverment for beginning to meet, in part, some of the commitments made during the Nutrition for Growth in London.In as much as we note budget line increase, allocations on direct nutrition intervention remain very low. Government has not increased allocation on direct Nutrition interventions by 20% as committed. Instead, in light of the overal increase in the size of the National Budget,“ Mr Chilufya said.
Mr Chilufya also noted that the focus on livestock seems to be limited to cattle restocking and fighting cattle diseases.
“We would recommend that government begin to support small livestock farming, such us Goats, pigs, sheep etc. These play an important role when seeking to improve the nutrition status of the people.”
He however said his organisation is happy with government’s focus on fisheries.
“But again we reiterate that the focus should not only be about the economic gains through exports but also strongly focus on improving the diet of the people.”
Mr Chilufya added, “We congratulate the government for prioritization social protection, as a very important indirect intervention of fighting malnutrition. However, a major concern is that a huge portion of the funds is going to pensions (K754.2 Million out of K1.18 Billion) the money that Government owes to former employees. Very little is remaining for fighting poverty among vulnerable households.”
He further observed that deferring new recruitment is a blow to Zambia’s ambitions of resolving the human resource for nutrition, where Zambia is in a crisis stage.
“Moreover, Government committed itself to resolving the human resource gaps in the five key line ministries during the nutrition for growth summit in London. We asko MPs to contribute to nutrition development through to holding Government to account on the 1000 days program and commitments made thereof (the NFNC Strategic Plan), he said.
He said MPs should be raising Nutrition issues in Parliament and ensuring that the Minister of Finance presents Social-Economic indicators in the next Budget.
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