Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance CSO-SUN has described the 2022 national budget as a death sentence to over 16,000 children who are projected to die in 2022 as a result of failure by the government to increase resource allocation to the nutritional sector.
Speaking during the press briefing held in Lusaka, CSO-SUN country coordinator Mathews Mhuru is worried that the 2022 national budget is silent on matters related to food safety.
Mr. Mhuru says this could mean that institutions mandated to enforce the food safety act of 2019, which include the ministry of health and local government will be unable to protect the public as far as food safety is concerned.
He says the inadequate resources to food safety, which has led to increased cases of unsafe food being sold to unsuspecting citizens which has also led to increased cases of unethical practices and falsehood in the marketing of food products which is against the provisions of the food safety act.
Mr. Mhuru has recommended to government to priorities the fight against malnutrition by increasing the funding allocation to both nutrition related needs among others.