The Ministry of Health in Uganda has officially unveiled the Egg Powder Initiative for Child Nutrition (EPIC), which involves supplying sachets of egg powder to poor households to promote early childhood nutrition.
The EPIC program, which was launched in April 2025, targets over 25,000 children in the Tooro Kingdom.
According to Samalie Namukose, Acting Commissioner of Health Services in Charge of Nutrition, the initiative aims to reduce child stunting by up to 47% through daily servings of powdered eggs for children aged 6-23 months.
Research supports this approach, showing that feeding children an egg per day for six months can significantly improve their growth.
Laura Ahumuza Turinawe, Senior Nutritionist at the Ministry of Health notes that poor feeding practices are common among malnourished children over six months, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition during this critical period.
The urgency of these actions is underscored by the latest Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) of 2022, which revealed concerning statistics: child stunting at 16.5 percent, and a rise in overweight children less than five years from 3.9 percent to 6.3 percent. Adult overweight and obesity rates also increased for both men and women.
Furthermore, the UDHS data highlights significant regional disparities in malnutrition.
Teso was reported to have the lowest burden of stunting and underweight while Buganda was reported to have the lowest burden of wasting.
In contrast, the Karamoja sub-region was reported having the highest prevalence of stunting (43.9%), wasting (12.5%), and underweight (32.4%).
The Kigezi sub-region currently reflects the double burden of malnutrition with 41.5% stunting, 10.1% underweight, and 5.9% overweight.
By providing egg powder to vulnerable households, particularly in regions with high malnutrition rates, the Ministry hopes to improve nutrition and reduce stunting among young children.
By Ben Musanje
5th May 2025
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