As a measure to mitigate rising concern of stunted growth resulting from malnutrition which has been the main contributor to 38 % absenteeism among learners under 5 years in Busia, the County Government of Busia has affirmed its commitment to support the ongoing school feeding program which was rolled out last year to provide a hot nutritious meal at school for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners.
This programme was launched following the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) statistical report, which had revealed that 15 percent of children under 5 years in Busia County are facing the challenge of stunted growth due to malnutrition as a result of food insecurity.
According to UNICEF report, a significant percentage of children under 5 are stunted and underweight a clear indication of inadequate nutrition.
The school feeding programme aims at providing an opportunity for most children to access at least a single meal in a day, which is healthy enough to meet their daily nutritional requirement.
