Tanzania Horticultural Association raises appetite of dietary uptake to battle deficiencies

Manyara. There’s a crack of light shining through the dark clouds of Tanzania’s battle with poor nutrition and subsequent health issues, thanks to the horticultural industry champion’s spirited campaign.

The Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha) is currently working overtime to boost the consumption of fruits and vegetables in its bid to supplement the government’s effort to tackle malnutrition.

During a Nutrition Day event held in Laghangesh village, Yaeda Ampa ward of Mbulu District, Manyara region, Taha’s chief development manager, Anthony Chamanga, emphasised the critical link between diet and health outcomes.

“What you eat and don’t eat can reduce your risk of medical conditions such as heart disease and cancer and increase your life expectancy,” he noted.

This nationwide nutrition campaign collaboration between Taha and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has led to the formation of a specialised nutrition unit.

This unit coordinates educational initiatives and implements interventions aimed at addressing stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and non-communicable diseases.

So far, Taha's nutrition unit has made considerable strides, with over five million people receiving nutrition education through various media channels, social networks, and publications in 2023 alone.

Additionally, over 11,000 urban and rural residents gained practical and theoretical nutrition education.

Events like the Nane-Nane and Sabasaba agricultural shows, along with other Taha meetings, have helped disseminate vital nutritional information to more than 150,500 beneficiaries.

Significantly, Taha’s efforts have also reached 75,481 schoolchildren, educating them on nutrition and establishing vegetable gardens in schools.

Furthermore, the organisation has published 35 articles promoting a balanced diet rich in horticultural products.

The urgency of Taha's mission is underscored by stark statistics.

The 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey found that approximately 30 percent of children under five were stunted, 12 percent were underweight, 3 percent were thin, and 4 percent were overweight.

The 2018 Tanzania National Nutrition Survey revealed that 31.7 percent of women aged 15–49 in the Manyara region were overweight, 7.3 percent were underweight, 1.7 percent were emaciated, and 28.8 percent were anaemic.

In response to these alarming figures, TAHA's nutrition unit, in collaboration with regional and district nutrition offices, is conducting targeted interventions in Mbulu District to tackle malnutrition.

These efforts aim to identify high-risk areas and develop strategies to reduce malnutrition rates strategically.

Through its pervasive educational campaigns and on-ground initiatives, Taha is making significant strides in improving nutrition and health outcomes across Tanzania.

At the event, the Manyara Regional Commissioner, Ms Queen Sendiga, said that malnutrition has serious health and economic consequences for individuals, families, communities, and the nation as a whole.

“We have seen an escalation in non-communicable diseases in our society, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. This is sometimes due to a poor lifestyle that doesn't pay attention to healthy eating, especially forgetting the group of vegetables and fruits in our meals,” Ms Sendiga explained.

Studies have shown that poor nutrition can lead to anaemia, vitamin A deficiency, and folate deficiency.

The RC noted that poor nutrition also affects the physical and mental development of children, thus reducing the ability to do well in school and also reducing effectiveness in adult life; it can also lead to permanent health problems.