Children Leave Classrooms Straight Into A World Of Cheap Junk Food - Brenda Chitindi

The Zambia Heart and Stroke Foundation has raised concerns over the growing availability of cheap, heavily marketed processed foods and sugary drinks around schools, warning that unhealthy food environments are contributing to rising obesity and other health risks among Zambians.

Speaking at the Global Obesity Forum 2026 in Madrid, Spain, Foundation Executive Secretary Brenda Chitindi said children in cities such as Lusaka are increasingly exposed to ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages immediately outside their classrooms. She argued that families and schools cannot be expected to promote healthy eating when less nutritious products are often the cheapest and most accessible options.

Chitindi also questioned whether Zambia’s expanding School Feeding Programme is adequately funded to provide balanced meals. Although the programme has extended to all 116 districts, she said the 2026 budget allocation of more than K542 million translates to approximately K82 per child annually, which she argued is insufficient to provide meals containing adequate protein, fresh produce and other essential nutrients.

The Foundation is calling for stronger regulation of food vendors around schools, improved nutritional standards in school meals and greater accountability for companies marketing unhealthy products. Chitindi warned that tackling obesity requires more than encouraging individuals to change their diets, arguing that government policies must also address the environments influencing what Zambians eat every day.