Malnutrition remains a challenge among children under five in Baringo

Malnutrition continued to pose a threat to the growth of children in Baringo County.

The county's deputy governor, Felix Kipng’ok, regretted that two out of 10 children under the age of five years in the county are stunted.

This, he said, is a result of chronic undernutrition, which affects brain development, productivity, and learning ability.

“It’s not about eating food, but quality food that has all the supplements and can sustain health-wise,” he added.

He advised every homestead to have a balanced diet to combat malnutrition, which affects the growth of children at a tender age.

“For good health, I advise you, parents, to ensure that a fruit is part of the nutrition consumed every day to improve the immune system of our children,” he added.

Eating well and following the proper nutritional diet, as expected, will reduce malnutrition cases in Baringo.

He regretted that the highest number of malnutrition cases came from the Mogotio and Tiaty sub-counties.

He tasked women to spearhead the fight, stating they are the first carers who understand the repercussions and effects of malnutrition.

The county government, through Community Health Volunteers (CHV), he confirmed, will commence a programme in schools to sensitise and build the capacity of early childhood development and education teachers on malnutrition.

He added that CHV will also train community members to understand malnutrition.

“I would wish to advise CHVs that issues of malnutrition are supposed to be identified and tackled at the source, to avoid incidents where it is identified when it's too late,” he added.