Ministry of Health launches egg powder campaign to fight malnutrition

Kamwenge , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched a new campaign to curb malnutrition by distributing egg powder to young children in selected districts. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Dr. Laura Ahumuza, a Senior Nutritionist at the Ministry, said the campaign aims to reach over 25,000 children aged between six and twenty-three months. Each child will be given a sachet of egg powder per day for a period of six months.

The campaign will start in Kamwenge district, which currently has the highest stunting levels in the country, before expanding to Kyenjojo and Kasese districts. Ahumuza explained that Village Health Teams will be responsible for distributing the sachets to households with young children.

Experts note that egg powder — produced by pasteurizing and dehydrating eggs — provides the nutritional equivalent of one medium-sized egg. Dr. Ahumuza emphasized that this daily intake can meet or exceed children’s dietary requirements for essential amino acids and significantly contribute to vitamin and mineral intake, yet is largely overlooked, especially in the Tooro sub-region.

On his part, Kaggwa Ssekisambu, a Social Behavioral Change Expert in the Ministry’s Nutrition division, said the campaign also aims to collect evidence to help address major gaps in nutrition. He noted that it is paradoxical that the Tooro region, a major food supplier even to urban areas like Kampala, has some of the highest child malnutrition rates. Researchers will review the approach at various intervals during the six-month campaign to monitor its effectiveness. Ssekisambu cited successes from Kenya and Ethiopia, where similar egg powder initiatives helped reduce stunting.

Baseline studies conducted by the Ministry revealed that cultural myths, such as beliefs that women and children under one year should not eat eggs, contribute to poor dietary habits. For this reason, Ahumuza said, the powder format offers a practical solution. The egg powder can be easily stirred into porridge, added to meals like rice and beans, or cooked into simple omelettes.

Looking ahead, Ahumuza said that if the pilot proves effective, egg powder could be rolled out for broader use, including through private purchase for those who can afford it.

Currently, general malnutrition levels remain high. The 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey shows that 26% of children under five are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age. Uganda had initially set a target to reduce stunting to 12.5% by 2030, a goal that is increasingly unlikely to be achieved unless significant interventions like this one succeed.

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