On-going partnerships vital in fight against malnutrition in Namibia: prime minister

Namibia's Prime Minister, Dr Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that Namibia's successes in child survival and in the fight against malnutrition, are a result of the ongoing partnerships the country enjoys with UN Agencies and civil society players.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said this in a statement on Wednesday during a courtesy meeting with Global Child Rights Advocate, Graca Machel and UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Leila Pakkala, who are in the country on a 3-day visit.

"This visit by the two is therefore a welcome reinforcement of the government's on-going efforts to reduce the harmful impact of under-nutrition on the health and social development of Namibia's children and to find common solutions to the challenge," she added.

Malnutrition causes irreversible damage to the physical and mental development of the child and a child affected by malnutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days of life, will not reach their full physical and intellectual potential in future, she said.

According to her, commendable strides have been made in Namibia to reduce deaths and illness associated with malnutrition.

"Under-5 deaths have been brought down from 4,200 per year in 1990 to less than 3,000 in 2013, while maternal mortality ratio has declined from 449 per 100,000 live births to 385 per 100,000 live births over the same period," she added.

Meanwhile, Machel said, many children, particularly those in rural and drought prone areas, those affected by HIV continue to bear the brunt of malnutrition, a condition which can be prevented and managed.

The visit by Machel and Pakkala is a follow-up to a previous visit in 2012 by Machel, whereby the Namibian government reiterated willingness and commitment to heighten cooperation and partnership to fight malnutrition. Endit