The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned Nyabihu, the district with the highest stunting rates in Rwanda, against laxity in anti-malnutrition fight, underscoring that stunting does not have a pause.
The warning came after the management of the District blamed Covid-19 lockdown for the delay in the provision of support meant to improve nutrition among children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers from economically vulnerable families.
The District officials appeared before PAC on Thursday during public hearings in which they were answering queries related to asset mismanagement cases identified in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2019/2020.
According to the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2014-15 (2014-15 RDHS) by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, stunting level was the highest in Nyabihu District with 59 percent of its children being stunted as of 2015, when stunting at national level was at 38 percent.
Meanwhile, available estimates suggest that this stunting rate in Nyabihu dropped to 46 percent in 2019 and to 33 percent at national level.
The Auditor General’s report noted, among other issues, a delay to provide Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support (NSDS) to beneficiaries.
It indicated that Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support (NSDS) scheme has an objective to provide income support to poor and vulnerable pregnant women, new mothers and young children, allowing for adequate consumption and improved diet; and to incentivise uptake of key health and nutrition services and behavioural change.
According to the implementation guidelines for the nutrition sensitive direct support scheme issued and signed by LODA on December 28, 2018, payment must be made at the beginning of every quarter within the first 10 calendar days of that quarter i.e. by the beginning of July, September, January and March.
Contrary to the above, review of NSDS activities revealed a delay to pay beneficiaries of NSDS an amount of Rwf84.7 million for a period ranging from 56 days and 81 days from the expected payment date.
"We realise that it is such inattention and delay [in the provision of this support] that make beneficiaries continue to suffer from malnutrition,” he said PAC Chairperson, Valens Muhakwa.
The District officials told PAC that the issue was due to Covid-19 and the challenge faced by the district in using the IT systems of its partners in the initiative, namely the Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) to access beneficiaries.
The systems are Monitoring and Evaluation Information System (MEIS) that LODA uses to prepare the payroll in which funds are disbursed to all beneficiaries and HMIS Health Management Information System (HMIS) for RBC.
"The support would reach beneficiaries by use of the systems. The training that sought to provide skills to people who would use them was hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the lockdown,” said Sibo Mutwarangabo, director of social protection in Nyabihu District.
The Auditor General said in the report that delayed payment of direct support to beneficiaries may negatively affect their social welfare and the intended objectives may not be achieved as envisaged.
MP Germaine Mukabalisa said that the district, which is among those with highest malnutrition rates in the country, was lucky to get financing to tackle such a burden, but did not take advantage of it.
"Tell us whether malnutrition was paused or placed under lockdown,” she said, disapproving of the weakness which resulted in denying children the chance to get the anti-stunting assistance.
"In fact, such cases of food aid delay should not be reported in Nyabihu District, number one in malnutrition rates,” said PAC Vice Chairperson, Beline Uwineza.
The report noted, among other issues, weaknesses in implementation of Stunting Prevention and Reduction Project (SPRP) in Nyabihu District, whose activities include prevention of stunting at community and household levels, high impact health and nutrition services.
In execution of the project activities, Nyabihu district uses funds from different stakeholders.
The audit noted irregularities, including failure to fully use the available funds, where of about Rwf70 million it received in 2018/2019, Rwf15 million was not used.