Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Health Buzz
For decades, malnutrition in Zimbabwe was largely viewed through the narrow lens of hunger and food shortages.
Today, however, health experts warn that the country’s nutrition challenge is far more complex, requiring a fundamental shift in how nutrition is understood and addressed.
This reality has prompted Government, through the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) and its partners, to develop the National Common Narrative on Nutrition, a comprehensive framework aimed at aligning national efforts towards improving nutrition outcomes and achieving Vision 2030.
The first pillar of the narrative, Health and Nutrition, places nutrition at the heart of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, recognising that a healthy nation cannot be built without addressing the nutritional challenges that affect people throughout their lives.
The approach comes at a critical time as Zimbabwe continues to battle what experts describe as the “triple burden of malnutrition”; undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and a growing burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Despite significant progress in recent years, the statistics remain concerning.
Data shows that one in every three Zimbabwean children is stunted, a condition caused by chronic undernutrition that impairs physical growth and cognitive development.
Nearly 29 percent of women of reproductive age suffer from anaemia, while only 41.9 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life.
Even more alarming is that less than 5 percent of children receive what nutrition experts classify as a Minimum Acceptable Diet, meaning the vast majority of young children are not receiving the diversity and frequency of foods needed for healthy growth and development.
At the same time, health facilities are recording increasing numbers of patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers linked to poor dietary habits and unhealthy lifestyles.
These trends demonstrate that nutrition is no longer merely a food issue but a public health issue that affects every stage of life.
The National Common Narrative therefore seeks to reposition nutrition as a central component of healthcare delivery rather than a standalone intervention.
Under Pillar One, Government and its partners are advocating for stronger integration of nutrition services into the country’s healthcare system using a primary healthcare approach.
The objective is to ensure that nutrition services are available across the life cycle, from pregnancy and infancy to adulthood and old age.
This means every contact with the healthcare system should become an opportunity to promote better nutrition.
Pregnant women should receive nutrition counselling and micronutrient supplementation. Children should be monitored for growth and development. Adolescents should receive nutrition education, while adults should be screened and counselled on diet-related diseases.
Nutrition experts argue that this integrated approach is essential if Zimbabwe is to reduce preventable illnesses and improve overall health outcomes.
The strategy also recognises that strengthening healthcare systems is critical to improving nutrition.
Many health institutions continue to face shortages of specialised nutrition personnel, equipment and commodities needed to provide effective clinical nutrition services.
As cases of diet-related non-communicable diseases continue to rise, health facilities are increasingly required to provide specialised dietary management for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and obesity.
The National Common Narrative therefore calls for increased investment in health worker training, nutrition commodities and health infrastructure to ensure quality nutrition services are available across the country.
This approach aligns closely with the National Development Strategy 1, which identified human capital development as a key pillar for national growth and prosperity.
Under NDS1, Government committed itself to improving health outcomes, reducing stunting and strengthening nutrition interventions as part of efforts to build a productive and healthy population.
Nutrition is increasingly being recognised as an economic issue because poor nutrition undermines educational attainment, labour productivity and national development.
Research has consistently shown that children who are stunted during their early years often perform poorly in school, earn lower incomes in adulthood and are more susceptible to chronic illnesses later in life.
The economic cost of malnutrition is therefore felt not only by affected households but also by the nation as a whole.
One of the most innovative aspects of Pillar One is its focus on what the narrative describes as “reclaiming the Zimbabwean palate.”
The concept seeks to encourage Zimbabweans to embrace healthy, locally available and culturally appropriate foods rather than increasingly relying on highly processed foods that have become common in many urban households.
Nutritionists argue that Zimbabwe possesses a rich diversity of nutritious indigenous foods that have gradually been displaced by western dietary influences.
Traditional grains such as sorghum, millet and rapoko, along with indigenous vegetables, legumes and fruits, offer significant nutritional benefits and are often better adapted to local climatic conditions.
The narrative proposes a coordinated effort involving multiple sectors to promote healthier food choices and improve dietary diversity.
The responsibility for promoting healthy diets is no longer being placed solely on the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Instead, Government is advocating for a multisectoral approach involving education institutions, agriculture, local authorities, civil society organisations, development partners and the private sector.
Behaviour change communication is expected to play a major role in this process.
Through mass media campaigns, community outreach programmes, schools and digital platforms, stakeholders hope to increase public awareness about healthy eating and empower citizens to make informed dietary choices.
The narrative also highlights the importance of active lifestyles in improving nutrition and health outcomes.
Physical inactivity has emerged as a significant contributor to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly in urban areas where sedentary lifestyles are becoming increasingly common.
To address this challenge, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is expected to advocate for policies that encourage employers to implement workplace wellness programmes that incorporate nutrition education and physical activity.
Such programmes are seen as critical for reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases while improving overall employee well-being and productivity.
Another key feature of Pillar One is the adoption of the One Health approach.
This concept recognises that the health of humans, animals and the environment are interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation.
Within the nutrition context, One Health seeks to strengthen food safety, sustainable food production and environmental stewardship while responding to emerging challenges such as climate change.
Food safety is a central component of this approach.
Unsafe food can undermine nutrition gains by exposing populations to food-borne diseases and reducing the nutritional value of foods consumed.
The narrative therefore calls for stronger enforcement of food safety standards throughout the food value chain, from production and processing to distribution and consumption.
Government ministries, departments and agencies are expected to work together to improve compliance with food safety regulations while strengthening surveillance systems for animal diseases that may threaten food security and public health.
This integrated approach is particularly important as climate change continues to affect agricultural production and increase the risk of food insecurity across many parts of Zimbabwe.
The National Common Narrative on Nutrition acknowledges that achieving meaningful improvements in nutrition will require more than technical interventions.
It will also require stronger governance, improved policy coordination and increased financing for nutrition programmes.
The document identifies the need for dedicated nutrition budget lines across sectors and stronger accountability mechanisms that recognise nutrition as a key indicator of national development
Ultimately, the Health and Nutrition pillar reflects a growing understanding that nutrition is the foundation upon which human development is built.
For Government and its partners, the message is clear. Nutrition can no longer be treated as a peripheral issue. It must become an integral part of healthcare, education, agriculture and national development planning.
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