BUSIA COUNTY TAKES STEPS TOWARDS ACHIEVING NUTRITION SECURITY WITH LAUNCH OF CNAP II & CANIS I POLICY DOCUMENTS
County Government of Busia yesterday officially launched its second-generation County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP II) and the inaugural County Agri-Nutrition Implementation Strategy (CANIS) for the period 2023/2024 to 2027/2028. These five-year policy documents represent a comprehensive approach to preventing and ending all forms of malnutrition while building a healthier, stronger, and more productive county.
The launch marks a great milestone in the county's commitment to addressing nutrition challenges that affect the most vulnerable populations. Nutrition serves as the foundation of health and development, determining whether children survive their first five years, whether young girls grow into healthy women, and whether adults remain productive throughout their lives.
Busia County has already demonstrated remarkable progress in combating malnutrition through multi-sectoral collaboration across various coordination structures. The county has successfully reduced stunting levels from 22.2% in 2014 to 15%, performing better than the national average of 18%. With the implementation of CNAP II, county officials are optimistic about reducing the prevalence to less than 10% within the next five years.
The second-generation County Nutrition Action Plan builds upon the achievements of its predecessor, which recorded noticeable improvements in stunting rates, Vitamin A supplementation, school nutrition programs, and budgetary allocations for nutrition interventions. CNAP II introduces 14 key result areas that will integrate nutrition considerations into maternal and child health services, school meal programs, agri-nutrition initiatives, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, and disaster preparedness strategies.
A key innovation in CNAP II is its emphasis on maintaining nutrition services during emergencies. The plan ensures that during floods, droughts, or pandemics, nutrition services are not suspended but rather sustained and scaled up to meet increased demand during crisis periods.
The County Agri-Nutrition Implementation Strategy (CANIS) complements CNAP II by focusing on the agricultural value chain to improve nutrition outcomes. This strategy prioritizes the production of nutritious crops and value chains that will enhance the nutrition status of Busia's population, particularly vulnerable groups including children under five years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescents. The strategy recognizes adolescence as a critical second opportunity window to improve nutrition and health outcomes for the county's population.
Both CNAP II and CANIS are designed to reinforce the county's commitment to establishing Busia as a model of Smart Agriculture and Smart Nutrition. The documents align with national development frameworks including Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan, and the Kenya Agri-Nutrition Implementation Strategy (KANIS).
The launch was officiated by Dr. George Mukok, the CECM for the Department of Agriculture in the company of Dr. Susan Outa(Chief Officer Health), Partners, technical working groups, farmers, school children's and their teachers.