NPL Reporter Bags CSONA Award
BY : DRAXON MALOYA
Civil Society Organizations Nutrition Alliance (CSONA) has crowned Nation Publication Limited (NPL) Zomba District-based corresponding journalist Holyce Kholowa as the 2022 Nutrition Champion of the year.
The award comes in the wake of the fight against the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years (0–59 months) which was at 47 percent in 2010 and reduced by 10 in 2015/16 according to the Malawi Demographic Health Survey (MDHS) conducted by the National Statistical Office.
According to CSONA office, and Kholowa wrote more stories in the areas of malnutrition, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and dietetics in both English and vernacular versions.
In an interview with Malawi Daily Telegraph Kholowa attributed the success to the training that CSONA rendered to journalists from both print and electronic media drawn from across the country in January 2022 and NPL’s platform in publishing the stories in all its outlets
“I invested in investigating the common causes of malnutrition and other dietary challenges people practice ignorantly daily and I wrote stories that could open their eyes to adopt correct eating habits vital in building their bodies,” he said.
Kholowa further stated that health is wealth and the food people eat has great impact on their lives citing an example that poor diets in children does not only malnourish their bodies but also their brains which has a negative impact in decision making either in education as well as socioeconomic development activities of the country.
“Malnourished children have poor sound judgement in understanding and interpretation of issues such that when they grow and become leaders their decisions are unbalanced as well,” he said.
Kholowa who envisions of becoming a nutritionist and dietetics expert believes that most of the diseases people are suffering from today are due to lack of dietary knowledge.
“The monies that the Government and other stakeholders including families use in treating malnutrition related diseases can be invested in other equally important projects if people eat well and wisely,” he said.
He further said journalists have a critical role to play in writing and broadcasting as well as where resources are available move out from the newsrooms and get engaged physically with the communities both in urban and rural areas advocating for healthy eating habits.
“Let us remember that development needs healthy people and as a country we shall be accountable to anything that will affect this country in the future if we fail to invest in nutrition now,” he said.
While saluting Kholowa for excelling in nutritional reporting CSONA’s Project Officer, Danstan Chimbaza bemoaned obesity as of particular concern for women in the highest income quintile pegged at 36 percent, with the highest education levels at 41 percent in urban areas according to NSO and the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) report of 2017.
“The rise in overweight or obesity can lead to increases in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions estimated to account for 32 percent of total deaths in Malawi with 10 percent attributed to cardiovascular conditions, ,” Chimbaza said.
The recent World Health Organization report of 2018, Malawi is among the developing countries experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, with high prevalence of both under-nutrition and overweight/obesity leading to increases in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions.
