Otuke hub reduces child malnutrition in Uganda
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In Otuke District, Uganda, Margaret Omara runs a community nutrition center that helps families address child malnutrition.
Since 2023, mothers from six villages have travelled to the center to receive support, learn about healthy meals, and have their children’s nutritional status assessed. Village Health Team coordinator Wilfred Olap weighs and measures children, categorizing them based on their mid-upper arm circumference to determine the level of support needed.
The center provides fortified flour to moderately malnourished children, while those with severe acute malnutrition are sent to health facilities. St. Mary’s Onottam Nursery School sends pupils to the center for supplemental porridge, which the children prefer over the school’s own meals. Ms. Omara also trains families in balanced diets, gardening, and food preservation, helping them create nutritious meals from locally available ingredients.
The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) Uganda helped establish the model home by providing equipment and training to Ms. Omara, and the program has expanded to neighboring districts like Karamoja and Lira. While Uganda has made progress in reducing child stunting, from 45 percent in 2001 to 23.4 percent in 2022, officials acknowledge that the country still needs to accelerate its efforts to meet global nutrition goals, as more than 268,000 Ugandan children experienced acute malnutrition in 2023.
