In a bid to better follow up and address issues of malnutrition in the country, a workshop was organized during the March session of parliament, to sensitize MPs on the creation of Cameroon’s Parliamentary Alliance for food and Nutrition Security (APCAMSAN).
There are food and nutrition stakes in Africa in general and Cameroon in particular. This is why the government and partners have been working to improve malnutrition and the availability of nutritious diets in the country. Despite several projects to combat child malnutrition, it still poses a major public health problem. This explains the concern of the parliamentarians who want to throw in their weight in treating the underlying causes.
As the people’s representatives, Parliamentarians want to be at the fore to roll back malnutrition, and what better way than through a network. According to Hon. Douvaouissa Hamadi, president of APCAMSAN, “it is no secret that malnutrition is one of Cameroon’s numerous worries and a major public health problem. Caused by insufficient feeding, malnutrition negatively impacts human capital and consequently economic productivity.” Cognizant that malnutrition largely affects children who are the country’s future, government with the support of partners has undertaken diverse actions towards its eradication. Actions hinged on orienting strategies to guarantee food security and which according to Hon. Douvaouissa are quite laudable but the problem still lingers. And so to him, the involvement of MPs will hence provide a new perspective to the fight undertaken by government. “Not only are we the people’s representatives but we are also custodians of their wellbeing. I thus laud the creation of the parliamentary alliance that will be a forum for information on the stakes of food and nutrition and also the melting pot of actions, mobilise resources and an arm to support the setting up of an appropriate and efficient legal framework.”
The president of APCAMSAN thus urged members to get acquainted with all the actions that have this far been undertaken in the fight, citing the Malabo declaration on the fight against malnutrition as it would help them play a determinant role in the struggle to guarantee food security. The first, second and third sustainable development goals of the United Nations are no poverty, zero hunger and good health and wellbeing which amongst others are designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. To Hon. Douvaouissa ending poverty, achieving food security and improving nutrition are of the essence, reason why their quota towards this fight is a must.
Claudette CHIN
