23 January 2013: The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is supporting the MANA party’s Bill which aims to set up breakfast and lunch programmes in all decile 1 and 2 schools.

“Child poverty must be tackled’, said NZNO Nursing policy adviser/researcher Dr Jill Clendon. “Malnourished, hungry children can’t learn; if they can’t learn then there is no chance of them being successful at school.”

Our organisation is committed to examining and addressing the social determinants of health (poverty, education, housing). The poverty cycle - the reason  kids are hungry in the first place - can only be broken though leadership from all sectors, particularly parliament.

Nurses see the health impact on children who have poor diets every day –they can’t concentrate in the classroom, are more prone to infections and dietary disorders, have decayed teeth, and are tired and lethargic. Ensuring children from our poorest communities have the food they need at school is one step towards the goal of addressing child hunger and helping families raise healthy kids.