Civil Society Organisations have urged Government of Uganda to fast-track the review of a harmonized Food and Nutrition Policy by passing Food and Nutrition Bill, and establish guidelines for local governments to coordinate planning and budgeting of nutrition activities in their jurisdictions.
“We call upon the government to put the school feeding policy into action and the minister of education should take charge of it, working in close coordination with other relevant ministries and stakeholders. The Minister should ensure that this policy is enforced in all learning institutions to guarantee that school children have access to safe, nutritious, and adequate meals while at school.
School feeding must therefore be understood not as charity, but as part of the realization of fundamental human rights, particularly the right to adequate food, the right to education, the right to health, and the rights of the child.
A hungry child cannot fully learn. A nourished child can thrive, participate, and contribute to national developmen,”they said in ajoint statement.
They argued that such a policy will protect public health by combating diet-related diseases, promoting well-being, and decreasing healthcare costs. This will address malnutrition, ensuring access to diverse foods while boosting food security through sustainable agriculture.
“School feeding should not remain dependent solely on parents and communities, especially in contexts of poverty, food insecurity, climate shocks, and rising living costs. A sustainable and equitable school feeding system requires clear government leadership, adequate financing, legal protection, accountability mechanisms, and multi-sectoral coordination,”they stressed.
The Civil Society Organizations including PELUM Uganda, FIAN Uganda, Action Against Hunger, Food Rights Alliance, Caritas Uganda, ESAAF, World Vision, Uganda Nutrition Society, among others join the Parliament of Uganda, through the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security to commemorate the World Nutrition Day.
They also called upon the Government of Uganda, in collaboration with local governments, schools, and communities to promote the establishment of school gardens, agroecology clubs, and nutrition education programmes as platforms for practical learning and behavior change. These initiatives will empower children with knowledge on healthy diets, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship, while complementing school feeding programmes.
Malnutrition Status and School Feeding In Uganda
According the CSOs,malnutrition remains a significant public health issue in Uganda, with alarming statistics reflecting its severity and its direct implications for education and human capital development. About 26% of children under five are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition that affects both physical growth and cognitive development, while 2.9% are wasted and 10.2% are underweight.
Micronutrient deficiencies are also widespread, with iron deficiency anemia affecting nearly 50% of women of reproductive age and vitamin A deficiency prevalent among young children, alongside about 12% of the population facing food insecurity.
According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2022, 24.4% of children under five are stunted, 3.2% are wasted, 9.7% are underweight, and 3.4% are overweight, while over 53% of women of reproductive age suffer from anemia. According to the Economic Policy Research Centre, globally, NCDs cause an estimated 41 million deaths annually, accounting for 71% of all deaths, with 77% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries; including Uganda. This due to among others poor diets and inactive life styles.
This situation persists despite the provisions of Objective XIV of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, which mandates the State to ensure that all Ugandans have access to food security as a fundamental right linked to social justice and economic development.
School Feeding
As Uganda prepares to mark its 5th Parliamentary Nutrition Week in Iganga, it is evident that school feeding remains fragmented, underfunded, and weakly supported by policy, with about 67% of children in Universal Primary Education schools attending without meals and only around 48,000 out of over 8.2 million learners benefiting from government-supported programs, largely dependent on donors.
These conditions weaken immune systems, increase absenteeism, and reduce concentration and learning outcomes, ultimately undermining the education system and limiting Uganda’s ability to develop a productive workforce. While school feeding has proven benefits in improving enrolment, attendance, retention, and academic performance—and yields high economic returns of up to nine dollars for every dollar invested—its reliance on parental contributions limits access for vulnerable children. Strengthening school feeding systems is therefore critical to addressing malnutrition, fulfilling Uganda’s constitutional commitment to food security, and advancing national goals such as the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger.
The Cost of Inaction
Malnutrition poses a major development challenge for governments including local governments in their efforts to realize the SDGs, most notably SDG 2 (zero hunger) but also other goals that will be impossible to achieve in contexts where hunger remains a factor.
Undernutrition also poses a threat to economic development: for example, undernutrition is estimated to lead to economic losses on the African continent that vary by country from 2 to 16 percent of GDP, particularly because of health and education costs and productivity losses.
