The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, has called for an intensified fight against alcoholism, highlighting its contribution to increased cases of hunger and malnutrition in Uganda, particularly affecting children.
He made these remarks during the 2nd National Children’s Parliament held at Parliament on 26th July 2024. The event, organized under the theme “A Call to End Child Hunger and Malnutrition,” brought together children from various schools across the country to debate and share their experiences about the challenges of hunger and malnutrition in their homes and schools.
“We must combat drunkenness and backwardness in our families deliberately. If you are waking up every morning to go to the bar, what contribution are you making to national development? Aren’t you a nuisance and a burden to society? Children, forgive us your parents for the sins we have committed against you, from torture to neglect,” remarked Tayebwa.
His concerns come as the World Health Organisation (WHO) Statistics 2023 Report ranks Uganda among the leading alcohol consumers globally. Ugandans consume 12.2 liters of alcohol per person annually, double the African region average of 6.3 liters and the global average of 6.18 liters per person per year. Regionally, Uganda tops East Africa with an alcohol per capita consumption of 9.5 liters per year.
The Deputy Speaker noted that while hunger and malnutrition are caused by many factors, poverty and certain cultural practices are significant contributors. He cited examples from Mitooma district where men consume meat exclusively while their wives and children are left to eat beans and vegetables.
“In Ruhinda North, some men only eat meat, leaving their families to subsist on dodo and beans. At distillation points, men trade meat for local brew, often signing away family resources in the process,” Tayebwa explained. “Meanwhile, women struggle to support their families, knowing their husbands are squandering what little they have.”
Ritah Nakavuma, a student at Kasubi Secondary School, lamented the exclusion of children’s views in the formulation of laws and policies that affect them, despite children making up the majority of Uganda’s population. “While we make up over 51% of the population, our views are rarely sought or incorporated into government decisions. We lack recognized, government-funded spaces to continuously express ourselves,” Nakavuma said.
Margaret Makokha (Namayingo DWR) called for the swift enactment of the Food and Nutrition Bill to address hunger and malnutrition. “Some parents are unaware of proper nutrition, and policies often go unenforced. We need to ensure our policies are functional and impactful,” said Makokha. “The Food and Nutrition Bill will help address many of these issues and support Ugandan children’s well-being.”
Paul Mwirichia, Response Director at World Vision, urged stakeholders to take children’s concerns seriously. He announced World Vision’s new campaign, “ENOUGH,” aimed at mobilizing communities to end child hunger and malnutrition, with a target of reaching about 5 million people in Uganda. “The National Children’s Parliament is an opportunity to listen to children and create tailored solutions for issues like hunger and malnutrition,” Mwirichia said.
According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children Report 2019, more than one-third of young children in Uganda are stunted, and half of children under five, as well as a quarter of women of childbearing age, are anemic. Undernutrition is responsible for four in ten deaths of children under five. The 2012 study, Cost of Hunger in Uganda, estimated that undernutrition costs the country UGX 1.8 trillion annually, equivalent to 5.6% of its GDP.
Source: Parliament Watch