NEWS:

17 Jul, 2015


Guest of Honour, Director of Nutrition appreciating some of the displays
Department of Nutrition HIV Aids, in the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) has urged Food and Human Sciences (FHS) Final Year students at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), to assist the government in addressing malnutrition which the country is currently facing.

Speaking on Friday, 17th July 2015 during 2015’ Faculty of Food and Human Sciences Students’ Symposium at Crossroads Hotel, the Director of Nutrition, Mr Felix Pensulo Phiri said although the country has made considerable gains in child survival and maternal health especially reduction of stunting from 53 percent in 2004 to 42.4 percent in 2014, the stunting levels are still very high above the WHO threshold.

He said the government is targeting to reduce stunting from 42.4 percent to 23 percent by 2025 saying to achieve this ambitious target requires skilled personnel like the FHS students who are about to join the industry.

“I would like to urge all prospective employers to look at these young graduates who have attained adequate skills to assist government combat malnutrition,” said Mr Pensulo Phiri.

The Director commended LUANAR through the Faculty of Food and Human Sciences for their effort in training students in nutrition, food science and family science saying their skills are greatly needed to the pool of implementers of the various nutrition interventions and programmes running across the country.

He further advised the students that they should demonstrate good character as they join the industry saying education without character is wasteful.

“There are some who never get mature, who maintain student behaviour into the work place. I plead with you to grow up and show that you can be entrusted with responsibilities to develop our country,” he said.

According to Head of the Department of Human Nutrition and Health, Dr Alexander Kalimbira, the Faculty supported this students’ initiative to showcase knowledge and skills attained during their four years of study so that the country should be aware that there are these human resources.


Representing the students, Chairperson of the Symposium Organising Committee, Joseph Kimangira said they have put much effort during their four years of study and that they are ready to display the skills and knowledge attained once they join the industry.

He said they are fully aware of a two way interaction between nutrition and economic development and that they are ready to solve nutrition problems that are currently faced.

As part of this, the students displayed products they developed, recipes for people who are overweight, an innovative idea on how to scale up growth monitoring and promotion using Early Childhood Development, different attires made under Family Science among other.

Written By: Patricia Nkhoma Ngwale