Grant of €950.000 for a MUNDO project in Mozambique
Maastricht University has been awarded a grant of €950.000 by Nuffic for an Orange Knowledge Programme project in Mozambique. The Maastricht University Centre for International Cooperation in Academic Development (Mundo) developed the project proposal for international cooperation together with Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and the Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation.
A Problem-Based Learning based master’s programme in nutrition
The Dutch partners will support Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique with the development of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) based multidisciplinary master’s programme in nutrition. Graduates of the programme will have acquired a complete set of competencies required to combat the problem of malnutrition in Mozambique effectively. In addition to knowledge in the science of nutrition, the competencies will also include knowledge and skills to engage in dialogue with farmers, to influence the behaviour of consumers and to influence effectively decision makers in the private and public sector.
43% of children in Mozambique are chronically malnourished
The project is important for Mozambique where 43% of the children are chronically malnourished and suffer from stunted growth. This will seriously affect their future health and wellbeing, and it limits their capacity to contribute to the further development of the country. In many cases, the cause is not the primarily inadequate supply of food. A key factor causing inadequate nutrition resides on the consumer side of the value chain.
No experts in Mozambique to address malnutrition
People in the rural as well as the urban areas, lack awareness of what a healthy and balanced diet consists of. This is exacerbated by cultural beliefs that restrain people from changing their behaviours towards improved nutrition. Mozambique lacks experts with the mix of competencies required to develop and implement policies and programmes to address malnutrition effectively. A multidisciplinary master programme in nutrition will address this gap.
UM homepage photo: ILRI/Mann | Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
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