Nestlé Cameroon reaffirms its commitment to nutrition education
On 2nd March, Nestlé Cameroon supported the graduation ceremony of the Efficient Nutrition Education ACTiOn (ENACT) programme at the University of Dschang. ENACT was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to strengthen student’s capacities to plan, conduct and evaluate nutrition education interventions.
Nestlé’s sponsorship reaffirms the company’s support to public health authorities in addressing the challenge of the double burden of malnutrition through its focus on nutrition, health and wellness. Globally, the company has made commitments to be part of the solution to nutritional challenges through the provision of high quality, nutritious and safe foods and beverages, the promotion of healthy diets and regular physical activity, and the building of collective nutrition knowledge.
"We believe that nutrition education can drive behaviour change towards healthier diets and lifestyles. By partnering with this FAO-led initiative, Nestlé Cameroon demonstrates its commitment to collective action that will lead to improving the wellbeing of the country’s population. We congratulate the students enrolled in this programme, and expect that they will carry out effective action on the ground, "said Richard Dongue, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Cameroon.
In Cameroon, 33% of children aged 0 to 59 months are malnourished and 61% of them suffer from anemia. The prevalence of obesity is constantly evolving and affects 6.7% children under 5 years. Only collective action by governments, international organizations, private sector, civil society and NGOs in the field of nutrition and health will help to reverse these negative trends that affect the development of the country.
“Nutrition education is a fast evolving area which will become more and more important,” said Prof. Mpoemi Mbida, representing the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dschang. “Surveys have shown that nutrition education can help solve malnutrition. Through partnerships with organisations like the FAO and companies like Nestlé, we will eradicate malnutrition”, he added.
The 28 students in Nutrition and food security, Public health, Nursing, Standards and quality control, and Agronomy will work in Cameroon and Chad with the mission to positively impact their communities.
