Tanzania plans to provide free milk to schools

A Tanzanian government senior official said Tuesday plans were in the final stages to roll out a program aimed at providing free milk to schools to improve students’ health.

Riziki Shemdoe, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, said the government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was working on the program.

He told a meeting that reviewed progress on the preparations for the program in the national capital of Dodoma that the government is also engaging stakeholders in the dairy industry to support the program.

Shemdoe said the World Health Organization (WHO) and the FAO recommend milk consumption of 200 liters per individual annually but the consumption in Tanzania remained at 64 liters per individual annually.

Patrick Codjia, UNICEF chief of Nutrition in Tanzania, said the program is aimed at helping improve students’ health and academic performance. Enditem