The importance of a father in a child’s nutrition

MASERU – THE active presence of fathers in their children’s lives from the day of their conception can effectively reduce malnutrition, which leads to stunting.

Malefane Malope, a researcher and campaigner at the ’Mantsopa Institute, told MPs at the nutrition indaba last week that it is important for fathers to take their seat in the family.

The indaba was meant to build a case for nutrition investment to support family food security and to engage policymakers on domestic financing.

The purpose of the meeting was to mobilise male-led campaigns in maternal health and nutrition.

Malope elaborated more on integrated nutrition and HIV interventions through male-led campaigns.

He said men must be present and take an action on the first 1 000 days of conception of their children.

He said the project purpose is to develop and produce messages that encourage male involvement in food and nutrition issues, maternal and child nutrition.

“The journey of change won’t be seen within a night so changing the behavior of a man requires all the angles that will help us work hand-in-hand with the MPs because their voices will be heard more than other organisations below them,” Malope said.

Malope said they are already working in four districts of Maseru, Leribe, Mokhotlong, and Butha-Buthe.

A nutritionist at the Ministry of Health, Lisemelo Seheri, said a newly birthed mother should breastfeed her baby within the first hour of the baby’s life.

Seheri also said the mother should exclusively breastfeed her baby for six months, after that she can start feeding the baby other foods but not stopping breastfeeding for the next two years.

She said if a mother could breastfeed her baby within that period that would help to fight malnutrition.

Mokhothu Makhalanyane, chairperson for the parliamentary social cluster, said the most important issue is good nutrition and what worries him most is that Lesotho does not do well when it comes to producing original information of its own.

“We need to work hard to make a difference on this matter because it doesn’t feel right that His Majesty went to almost every part of Africa talking about the very same issue of nutrition but there is no such in his own country,” Makhalanyane said.

He pleaded with the MPs and other organisations working on nutrition to “take the issue seriously making sure that nutrition is taken into greater consideration”.

Limpho Mokhochane, director of ’Mantsopa Institute, said it is well known that men are the heads of families, so they should make sure that they support women during pregnancy to make sure children have a good upbringing.

Mpolai Makhetha & Relebohile Tšepe