ABSTRACT
The nutrition status of Uganda; particularly children and pregnant/lactating women and the poor is inadequate; despite having a relatively high per capita availability of food. There are nutrition and agricultural institutions; policies and plans in different Ministries. There is also a national food and nutrition council; which is a multi-sectoral body that advises Government on matters pertaining to food and nutrition policy; a Uganda national Plan of Action for Nutrition; the Uganda National Plan for Action for Children; and Uganda was a signatory to the World Declaration and the Plan for Action for Nutrition at the Rome 1992 International Conference on Nutrition. In spite of all these; previous efforts to fight the nutrition problem seem not to be effective. 38of the Under-5's are stunted (UDHS; 1995); and; it is estimated; based on UNICEF (2000) and UDHS (1995) and 153 children die each hour from malnutrition related causes. Malnutrition is a multi-sectoral problem; and the multiple linkages have to be taken into consideration if a suitable and sustainable impact is to be made. There was therefore a need to critically review the institutional framework; policies and plans related to nutrition and food; and propose how these can be improved to reverse the poor nutrition situation in the country. As a (JSI) to carry out an assessment of the current nutrition status and programs in Uganda and recommend a national nutrition policy and stragegy that will reduce the high levels of malnutrition. The objectives of the exercise were to: - Define and quantify the malnutrition burden in the country through review of available information and identify main causes; - Evaluate existing policies; strategies and interventions in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. Propose a national strategy and interventions for addressing the malnutrition burden in Uganda. This should include recommendations on an essential package of nutrition services which cover clinical and public health interventions for use at health facilities. - Review the institutional framework and mechanisms for nutrition interventions; as well as the linkages with other sectors; institutions or agencies concerned with nutrition and make recommendations as to how these can be strengthened. - Suggest a sustainable mechnanism for the acquisition and utilisation of resources necessary to implement the proposed nutrition intervention plan. - Draft a costed short term and long term nutrition intervention plan of action. - Impact basic skills to counterparts and key officials in the Ministry of Health