One in five Africans faces malnutrition, MPs warn ahead of global summit
Mandera West MP Adan Yusuf Haji, who chairs the Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, said governments must prioritise food production and allocate adequate resources towards tackling malnutrition.
NAIROBI, Kenya - Members of parliament from across Africa have expressed concern over the high prevalence of malnutrition on the continent and urged for increased investment in local food production and traditional farming systems. The lawmakers insist that promoting indigenous crops and improving access to balanced diets can help reverse poor nutrition outcomes and bolster countries' ability to feed their populations.
Mandera West MP Adan Yusuf Haji, the chair of the Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, emphasized the need for governments to prioritize food production and allocate sufficient resources to combat malnutrition. Speaking ahead of the Third Global Parliamentary Summit on Hunger and Malnutrition, set to take place on November 16 and 17 in Nairobi, Haji highlighted the urgency of addressing the issue, citing estimates that 700 million people worldwide are malnourished and one in five Africans faces malnutrition.
He said the summit would serve as a forum for lawmakers to share experiences, enhance collaborations, and pinpoint key areas for parliamentary intervention. Haji stressed that food security should be regarded as a national development priority, arguing that countries must first ensure their capacity to feed their populations. The summit, being hosted in Africa for the first time, aims to gather parliamentarians and other stakeholders to deliberate on legislative and policy solutions to hunger and malnutrition.
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