Churches Seek Nutrition to be Incorporated and Evaluated in National Exams
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has requested the incorporation of nutrition into the nation’s educational curriculum as a measure to combat non-communicable diseases in the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, April 9, NCCK remarked that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) should integrate and test students on this subject matter.
“We urge the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development, the Kenya National Examinations Council, and all other education standards and evaluation entities to add nutrition to their curriculum,” it mentioned.
“It would be extremely beneficial if we cultivate a nutrition-informed nation, as this could reduce over half of the healthcare costs for households and the nation,” it continued.
According to the council, churches nationwide will also establish educational platforms aimed at raising awareness and informing congregants and the broader community about healthy nutrition practices.
Moreover, NCCK has called on the government to regulate the marketing of unhealthy foods, particularly those high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats, which are predominantly aimed at children.
NCCK indicated that marketing these specific food products using child-friendly characters should be prohibited.
Additionally, the council has highlighted that ads promoting these ‘unhealthy products’ should not be broadcast during peak hours when children are most likely to access media.
“Let us collectively safeguard children from the long-lasting impacts of Non-Communicable Diseases, whose primary risk factor is diet,” it expressed.
In Kenya, based on data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), NCDs account for 31% of all fatalities and over 50% of hospital admissions.
“The delegates, who were from Embu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Nyandarua counties, noted that it costs a patient nearly KSh 150,000 annually to manage a Non-Communicable Disease in outpatient care,” it mentioned.
The council has appealed to the Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, to contemplate declaring NCDs a national disaster and to implement strategies to safeguard Kenyans against these illnesses.
Additionally, NCCK has further called upon food producers to implement front-of-pack warning labels on processed food items, ensuring that consumers are adequately informed about foods containing unhealthy components.
“In the same vein, we urge the Ministry of Health to acknowledge that with a prevalence rate of 27%, NCDs warrant urgent attention. The burden NCDs are placing on household and national healthcare is substantial and needs to be tackled,” it stated.