By Sherine Atieno and Ogega Ondari .
Kisumu County is taking action to prevent malnutrition through Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI), which aims to promote nutrition resilience and recovery for crisis-affected households.
This initiative aligns with global policy frameworks, including Kenya’s National Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Policy and international guidelines from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure that every child in Kisumu has the opportunity to be well-nourished and thrive. The county’s commitment to adopting BFCI reflects a broader vision to make Kisumu a malnutrition-free zone by tackling the core The prevalence of malnutrition in Kisumu remains a major concern.
Local statistics show that out of 183,116 children in Kisumu, around 5,493 (3%) are wasted, 16,663 (9.1%) are stunted, and 6,409 (3.5%) are underweight. These frightening statistics show that a large proportion of children are not getting enough nourishment, which can lead to long-term developmental and health issues.
Malnutrition in early childhood is associated with poor cognitive development, reduced educational performance, and an increased vulnerability to disease. Malnutrition is primarily caused by poor maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN), food instability, and a lack of access to appropriate healthcare.
In response to these challenges, Kisumu County’s health department implemented the BFCI program in Nyando Sub-County, gradually expanding to other areas. This project acts as a vital link between healthcare facilities and the community, encouraging collaboration and offering necessary nutrition services.
BFCI promotes maternal and child nutrition, pushing for exclusive breastfeeding, better complementary feeding practices, and stronger community support systems. By focusing on these critical areas, the project hopes to lower malnutrition rates and improve overall health outcomes for children and mothers.
Kisumu County’s BFCI implementation is consistent with global policy frameworks, including Kenya’s National MIYCN Policy, which is based on worldwide best practices and WHO guidelines. This strategy stresses exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continuous breastfeeding combined with appropriate supplemental feeding.
These efforts are further supported by the Breast Milk Substitutes (Regulation and Control) Act of 2012, which regulates the marketing of infant formula and promotes breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for infants. Through these national and international policy frameworks, the government is strengthening its commitment to reducing malnutrition and improving maternal and child health. Additionally, school feeding programs that provide wholesome meals, including Nyota beans, a local variety rich in iron, to combat anaemia and other deficiencies among school-aged children, also complement these efforts. Kisumu County’s BFCI rollout plan for the future places a strong emphasis on expanding the program throughout all sub-counties and bolsters multi-sectoral collaboration.
Looking ahead, Kisumu County’s BFCI rollout strategy involves expanding the project to all sub-counties and enhancing multi-sector collaboration. This entails collaborating with stakeholders from education, agriculture, and healthcare to provide comprehensive nutrition interventions
