The former Mayor of Nguelemendouka in the East region who doubles as a nutrition ambassador in Cameroon has urged municipal authorities and nutrition stakeholders to play an active role in the fight against malnutrition.
L-R: Prof Julius Oben, J&A Co-founder and Jean Marie Nguele, Nutrition Ambassador
Jean Marie Nguele made the call Monday 22 February 2021 during a Scaling Up Nutrition, SUN, press briefing at the J&A Oben Foundation – a centre that operates a professional school of dietetics and functional foods, nutrition and dietetics research and wellness centres to guide people towards a healthier lifestyle. Nguele used the briefing which aimed at disclosing his plan of action as a nutrition ambassador to particularly call on Mayors to involve nutrition related issues as part of their priority areas in councils.
“As former Mayor, I understand the functioning of local councils and how they can play a major role in fighting against malnutrition. I intend to sensitize all councils on the need to make nutrition an important aspect of their programs,” Nguele disclosed, adding, that such sensitizations would be of great help in the development of human capital as well as development of the wellbeing of Cameroonians.
He reiterated the need for all nutrition stakeholders to federate forces with him as a nutrition ambassador to achieve his plan and sole objective. “I am relying on stakeholders to attain my objective of eliminating malnutrition in Cameroon,” Nguele said.
While underscoring the importance of nutrition, and healthy living, Nguele, promised to through role ambassador sensitize on the need to prioritize consumption of Cameroonian dishes.
This he said would begin with the need for creation of gardens in school campuses as part of a project to inculcate the love for local produce in kids. He noted withis approach, there will be reduction in over importation and correction the country’s balance of payment.
He said the a major said back to the fight to eliminate malnutrition in the country is the lack of adequate finances especially as many government sectors including councils fail to include the sector in their role maps and annual budgets.
Prof. Juius Oben, co-founder of the J&A Oben Foundation who participated in the briefing reiterated the need for all hands to be brought on deck to fight and kill the phenomenon of malnutrition.
He said it is worrying that 60 years after independence Cameroon is still talking of malnutrition. To recall is the fact that Prof. Oben recently appealed to government to officialize the long-awaited national policy on nutrition which he said will be a major boost in the direction.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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