Youth Urged to Embrace Traditional Foods for Better Health

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has called on young people to embrace traditional foods as part of efforts to improve nutrition and prevent diet-related health problems.

 

Emily Ajiambo, the Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs, said young people’s eating habits have a lasting impact on their health, urging families to encourage them to consume traditional foods.

 

“I know that young people do not like traditional foods. I have young people in my own household, and I always encourage them to eat traditional foods,” Ajiambo said.

 

She was speaking on Thursday at the Second National High-Level Youth Dialogue on Nutrition, Food Systems and Climate-Resilient Health Programming at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.

 

Ajiambo said young people, who account for about half of Uganda’s population, should be actively involved in developing solutions to nutrition challenges, including through farming, entrepreneurship, research and advocacy.

 

She also called for stronger collaboration among the health, agriculture, education, gender and social protection sectors to improve nutrition outcomes.

 

UNICEF Country Representative Dr Robin Nandy warned that Uganda faces a triple burden of malnutrition, comprising undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies.

 

Nandy said an estimated 53 per cent of children aged six to 59 months are anaemic, while 12 per cent of children aged five to 19 years are overweight or obese.

 

He added that a 2024 analysis found that 24 per cent of young children in Uganda experience severe child food poverty, meaning they do not consume the diverse, nutrient-rich foods needed for healthy growth and brain development.

 

“What does child food poverty mean? It means that too many children are not consuming the diverse, nutrient-rich foods they need for healthy growth and brain development, and consequently, for learning,” Nandy said.

 

He called for increased investment in climate-smart agriculture, resilient food supply chains and healthy school food environments to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable.

 

“Increasing food production is necessary, but it is not sufficient. We need to ensure that nutritious food is accessible, affordable and routinely provided to young children,” he said.

 

The Country Director of SUNFOYAC-CSN called for greater youth participation in shaping nutrition policies and programmes, emphasising that young people should be decision-makers and partners in finding solutions rather than merely beneficiaries.

 

“At SUNFOYAC-CSN, we stand by one principle: ‘Nothing for youth, without youth,’” the director said.

 

The dialogue, held under the theme “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” was organised by SUNFOYAC-CSN in partnership with the Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Division to promote youth-led solutions to nutrition challenges, food systems and climate-resilient health programming.