The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) is in consultation with stakeholders to solicit structured input to inform the development and strengthening of the undergraduate Dietetics curriculum in readiness for the introduction of a Degree of Bachelor of Science in Dietetics (Honors).

Speaking at one of the consultation meetings in Lilongwe on Wednesday 15 April 2026, LUANAR’s Dean of the Faculty of Food and Human Sciences Dr Tinna Manani said the engagement aims to ensure that the curriculum is responsive to Malawi’s health, nutrition, and food system needs.

“As a university we want to produce competent and work-ready dietitians. We believe that this will be achieved by aligning our curriculum with requirements and standards of relevant regulatory bodies i.e. Medical Council of Malawi and National Council for Higher Education. In addition, LUANAR envision a curriculum which is future oriented, contextually relevant and complements existing dietetics training in Malawi,” she said.

Dr Manani, who is also the Deputy College Director for Bunda College and Chair of Deans, reminded participants that LUANAR is a founding institution in Malawi providing studies in dietetics at post graduate level and the introduction of a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics will ensure that the health system has enough well-trained personnel to facilitate quality service delivery.

“Introduction of the BSc programme will not only ensure that LUANAR increases the number of dietitian graduates, but that it will also offer an opportunity for generic men and women from Malawi and elsewhere to pursue a carrier in dietetics without a prerequisite bachelor's degree as is the current situation,” she added.

Speaking at the same event, Nitha Nayeja who is the Deputy Director in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation said it was very thoughtful of LUANAR to seek inputs from the industry experts so that curriculum is rich with content that will make graduates competitive and ready to serve communities in as far as diet and nutrition issues are concerned.

“Almost all stakeholders are here, and they have shared the practical industry scenarios, and it is our hope that LUANAR will take all the inputs into consideration when developing the curriculum that will be key in producing dedicated dietitians,” Nayeja said.

She added that dietitians are key in the fight against malnutrition and they should work hand in hand with nutritionists to ensure quality service delivery in the country’s hospitals.

“Government is committed to support dietitians and nutritionists by among others addressing their work needs. We need these sections to be visible in the health sector and work towards championing dietary diversity to fight chronic malnutrition,” she said.

The consultation was attended by high-level officers from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation headquarters, Malawi Police Service, Malawi Prison Service, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Kamuzu Central Hospital, Mzuzu Central Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Diabetes Association of Malawi, Malawi Kidney Foundation, and Civil Society Organization Nutrition Alliance (CSONA)....