BALANCED DIET KEY TO COVID-19 PREVENTION
AS the weather has kept on dropping in terms of temperature,a number of airborne disease outbreaks has shot up in Zambia including cases of Covid- 19 and the toll death .
And in his Covid-19 update, Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya alluded to the fact that ellency the Republican President Edgar Lungu has expressed concern with a sharp rise in the cases of Covid-19 that has seen a big number of people getting infected with the virus.
Dr. Chilufya stressed that apart from the health guidelines such as regular hand washing, masking up, social distancing whose compliance level has gone down said it is still an offence to default from statutory instrument 21 and 22 of 2020.
Indeed it has been observed with dismay that the general public has not taken Covid- 19 cases seriously.
Suprisingly, even well learned and mature people have failed to comply to the guidelines but put on masks to cover the wrong parts of the faces.
The Health Minister also cautioned the general public to be sensitive with the diet
by ensuring that they adhere to good diet to reduce on non-communicable diseases that are also causing some underlying factors that may compromise the immunity to those who maybe infected with Covid- 19.
It is justifiable that the current food utilisation has become a source of worry as it is leading to malnutrition, chronical diabetes, hypertension and cardiac to mention but a few.
Obesity has become another Underly factor due to poor diet as many people have developed health complications that have led to deaths.
And National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) Director, Fred Mubanga said government has prioritised good Nutrition as key to preventing non communicable disease and boost the immune system of people.
Mr Mubanga was speaking in an interview recently.
He said if an individual health is compromised, due to poor food utilisation and diet, such people are prone to be infected with Covid-19.
He advised the general public to ensure that indegenous foods that are locally produced should be preserved and dried to ensure food security at household level is available at all times.
"The National Food and Nutrition Commission has embarked on a roburst campaign to sensitise people on the need to have green leafy vegetables at each household back yard garden, store the legumes, carbohydrates and proteins both in livestock and grains"
says Mr. Mubanga as he announced the partnership with UNICEF to support Nutrition in Muchinga Province.
The issue of food utilisation has been a serious issue in Zambia as most households have been selling the crops to briefcase buyers which leaves them without anything to eat for the whole year.
Government must be recommended through the Nutrition Commission to realise the need to reduce non communicable disease and stunting levels in Zambia under two years children.
The situation of hunger at household level need to be eliminated at all cost as this may lead to other outbreaks in future due to the fact that people have compromised immune systems which habors non communicable diseases.
Government initiative of empowering both youths and women should be supported especially the programs aimed at livelihood which is the pillar to ending malnutrition in both children and elderly people who are prone to Covid-19.
Muchinga Province has the potential to become a green province rich and capable of producing all varieties of crops ranging from legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables and what is needed is supporting and massive campaign against non communicable disease to good and diverse diet.
Sensitisation coupled with right skills and empowerment need to be done hence the need for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Fisheries and Livestock to support government policies that aims at improving livelihood.