Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
ZIMBABWE is scaling up its national nutrition response through stronger policy coordination, increased domestic investment efforts and multi-sectoral partnerships aimed at tackling persistent child stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and rising obesity, even as the country records notable gains in food security and household incomes.
This is despite a continued burden of malnutrition affecting communities countrywide, where improvements in access to food and income have not yet fully translated into better dietary quality and nutrition outcomes.
Data presented at a High-Level Nutrition Advocacy Meeting in Harare yesterday showed that food insecurity had declined from 56,8 percent to 15,2 percent, while average household incomes rose from just above US$30 to US$136 over the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) period.
However, stunting remains above the global threshold of concern at 20 percent nationally, while only 47 percent of women of childbearing age are meeting their dietary requirements.
The data further showed that only 15,6 percent of rural women consume the recommended five food groups, with adolescent stunting reaching as high as 46 percent in some districts.
The meeting, convened by the Food and Nutrition Council with support from UNICEF, brought together Government ministries, development partners, academia, civil society organisations and the private sector under the theme “From Commitment to Investment: Advancing Multisectoral Nutrition Action for Human Capital, Economic Growth and National Development.”
The gathering marked a shift towards accelerating investment-driven nutrition action, with a strong focus on aligning financing, programming and accountability systems to improve outcomes.
In his keynote address, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet responsible for Social Services, Dr Paul Damasane, said Zimbabwe is strengthening a coordinated national response that places nutrition at the centre of development planning, supported by enhanced policy alignment and multisectoral collaboration.
“As we pursue solutions, we must remain guided by His Excellency President Dr E.D. Mnangagwa’s vision of leaving no one and no place behind. Vulnerable groups, particularly children, women, persons with disabilities and communities affected by recurring shocks and disasters, must remain at the centre of our interventions regardless of geography or socio-economic status,” he said.
Dr Damasane said the Government had reinforced coordination through the Food and Nutrition Council while aligning national efforts with global and regional frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.
He added that nutrition is increasingly being recognised as a core driver of human capital development rather than a standalone health issue.
“The causes and consequences of malnutrition are complex and interconnected, which is why no single sector can address it alone. This is why Zimbabwe is advancing a multi-systems approach that brings together health, agriculture, education, finance, social protection, water and sanitation, local government, the private sector, academia and communities,” he said. Dr Damasane said the Government was also prioritising stronger partnerships and innovative financing models to sustain progress and reduce reliance on external funding.
