Churches Want Nutrition to Be Included and Examined in National Exams
In an effort to prevent non-communicable illnesses in the nation, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has pushed for the inclusion of nutrition in the curriculum.
The NCCK stated in a statement on Wednesday, April 9, that the topic should be introduced and tested to students by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
“We urge the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development, the Kenya National Examinations Council, and all other education standards and examining institutions to incorporate nutrition into their curriculum,” it stated.
“Creating a nutrition-competent country will be really beneficial since it will reduce more than half of the household and national health care spending,” it continued.
Additionally, the council claims that churches around the nation will establish informative forums to teach congregations and the general public about healthy eating practices.
Additionally, NCCK has called for the government to control the marketing of harmful foods, particularly those high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats, which are primarily aimed at children.
The advertisement of these specific food products employing childlike characters should be prohibited, according to the NCCK.
Additionally, the council has stressed that the promotion of these “unhealthy products” should not be broadcast during watershed hours, when kids are most likely to be using the media.
“Let us all protect children from the lifelong effects of Non-Communicable Diseases, the main risk factor for which is diet,” it stated.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) data, NCDs account for more than 50% of hospital admissions and 31% of all fatalities in Kenya.
“The delegates, who were drawn from Embu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Nyandarua counties, observed that it costs a patient close to KSh 150,000 per year to manage a Non-Communicable Disease in outpatient care,” it stated.
The council has requested that the Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, think about pronouncing NCDs a national emergency and put in place measures to shield Kenyans from these illnesses.
In addition, NCCK has pushed food producers to include front-of-pack warning labels on factory-processed foods in order to inform consumers about foods that include harmful components.
“Similarly, we call upon the Ministry of Health to recognize that a prevalence rate of 27% indicates that NCDs deserve urgent attention. The strain that NCDs are placing on household and national healthcare is immense and needs to be addressed,” the statement said.
