Local Solutions, Lasting Change: World Vision’s Approach to Tackle Malnutrition Sparks Government Interest in Nampula

The International Conference on Malnutrition and Agrobusiness is already yielding the very results it was designed to achieve—providing a platform for exchanging experiences that can replicate best practices and help transform Mozambique’s troubling narrative of high malnutrition rates.

One clear example is the commitment shown by World Vision Mozambique (WV-Moz) to address the root causes of chronic malnutrition through sustainable models, which is now inspiring government authorities in Nampula province to lead the way in adopting and scaling proven interventions across communities.

This was underscored by Morchido Momade, District Administrator of Nacala-Porto, who spoke of the anticipated impact of the “ENOUGH” Campaign (“JÁ CHEGA” in Portuguese). This global initiative aims to significantly reduce chronic malnutrition rates over the next three years.

“In Mozambique, World Vision has proven the ability to create capacity within the communities for long-lasting results. This is what creates the conditions for ownership of interventions and for the passing of this knowledge through generations”, said the district administrator of Nacala-Porto.

Although WV-Moz currently does not have operations in Nacala-Porto, the District Administrator wants to replicate the models developed by the organization that have been functional in other contexts within Nampula province.

“We want to adopt some of the models developed by WV-Moz in our communities, like maximizing our available resources. If we invest in the child's wellbeing from the early days, combined with an improved diet based on locally grown crops, we can fight chronic malnutrition”, he added.

Improved health and nutrition for every child is at the core of WV-Moz's promise to contribute to the well-being of nearly 4 million of the most vulnerable children in the country by the end of 2025.

Mário Ernesto, who is WV-Moz Health and Nutrition Technical Manager, explained that the model the administrator is willing to replicate in his district is a strategy combining advocacy for behavior change while also working with faith leaders, community-based groups such as Health Committees and Health volunteers to increase access to interventions.

“This multisectoral group is promoting different options, like nutritional rehabilitation, which are cost-effective and can be perpetuated even in the absence of World Vision projects,” he explained.

Such combined efforts of public authorities, civil society, and humanitarian organizations are critically needed in Nampula province, where official statistics reveal that 46.7% of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition, 2.9% of children have low birth weight, and 9.1% experience acute malnutrition.

Together, these partnerships and locally driven initiatives offer renewed hope for lasting change in communities that have long been burdened by hunger and undernutrition.