The government has been asked to expedite efforts to fight child hunger and malnutrition among children, as it continues to affect children's education, health and development.
Stakeholders say that despite significant progress, many children still face challenges of hunger, malnutrition and abuse, threatening their survival, especially among children under five years.
Speaking to this publication on Friday, Ms Catherine Naluggya, Advocacy and Campaigns Officer at World Vision Uganda, asked the government to speed up the implementation of the school feeding policy to improve food security, nutrition and resilience among children.
She said many children are at risk of malnutrition, school absenteeism and poor academic performance, especially in rural areas, as a result of going to school on an empty stomach.
"Well-fed children are more attentive and perform better in school. School administrators need to coordinate with parents and local authorities on contextualised school feeding programmes for the learners," she said.
"Many schools lack adequate facilities for preparing and serving meals. Approximately 70 percent of pupils go hungry at school, especially in rural areas where fewer children receive school meals compared to urban areas," she added.
Ms Naluggya said that although the Uganda Education Act of 2008 places the responsibility of feeding children on parents and guardians, many families are unable to provide enough food because of poverty.
Similarly, World Vision Uganda National Director, Mr Jeremiah Nyagah, said that many children under five continue to face malnutrition and other preventable diseases, which affect their development.
Mr Nyagah urged the government to strengthen enforcement against offenders who abuse children's rights, noting that stronger protection measures are needed to ensure that children grow up in safe homes and communities.
To avert the trend, he said the body will front more food security initiatives, education, health, and social cohesion in the West Nile and southwestern Uganda, Acholi, Busoga, Bukedi sub-regions, and Karamoja, among others, for livelihood development.
The Prime Minister of Uganda, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, commended World Vision for policies to combat child sacrifices, child labour, and child marriages in Uganda and among refugees.
Ms Nabbanja pledged government support for vulnerable communities' socio-economic transformation.
Malnutrition remains one of Uganda's challenges affecting children, especially those under five years old.
According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition 2023 report, 76 percent of malnourished children live in rural areas, where many families depend on low-productivity subsistence farming, stunting affecting an estimated 22.3 percent, or 148 million, children under five globally in 2022.
UNICEF data further reveals that about 26 percent of children under five are stunted and about 43.7 percent are experiencing anaemia in Uganda, hence the need for a sustainable solution.
According to the World Vision Uganda 2023 Most Vulnerable Children Assessment Report, 52.7 percent of children live in poor households, while five in 10 families are unable to meet their children's basic needs without external support.
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