Africa Public Service Day to 2022 Focus on strengthening fight against Malnutrition

South Africa will join the rest of the African continent on Thursday 23, June 2022 to commemorate Africa Public Service Day (APSD) as part of its annual celebrations.

The country will host a hybrid national event in Tzaneen, Mopani District Municipality in Limpopo.

This year’s APSD commemorations are being held under the theme: 'Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development' while zooming onto the sub-theme: ‘the fight against malnutrition- strengthening social protection/ food security systems, and creating healthy lifestyles’.

The focus of the continental theme is to dedicate the year to strengthening the fight against malnutrition in all its forms, drawing on the potential of its populations who are key contributors to social and economic development.

Malnutrition in Africa is considered high in comparison with the rest of the world, at the same time, overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases related to the quality of diets are increasing rapidly, worsening morbidity and mortality rates.

The day will start with a walk-about at various food gardening sites in the local town to encourage communities to plant food for their consumption in order to fight undernourishment in homes.

Various speakers will engage on topics not limited to the Government’s all-inclusive National plan for food and nutrition security; the New Growth Path (NGP); food gardens; the school nutrition programme and; understanding the impact of undernutrition on the cognitive and physical development of children, non-communicable diseases and morbidity; as well as other issues in response to the fight against malnutrition and healthy living in the country and the continent.

Source: Government of South Africa