REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA 26%. Between 2002 and 2013, the percentage of households that experienced hunger decreased from 29,3% to 13,4% while the percentage of individuals who experienced hunger decreased from 23,8% to 11,4%.184 184 309. The Department of Health has implemented various nutrition interventions. Some programmes are included in health lifestyles programmes and various information and communication programmes on Nutrition. Other initiatives include the fortification of staple food with selected vitamins and minerals to address micronutrient deficiencies in the South African population. Addressing challenges of malnutrition and stunting amongst children require a concerted effort and partnership with other government departments, civil society and development partners. To this end, among the key evidence based interventions to improve child survival is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and the provision of Vitamin A to children under the age of five. Further, the Department has re-committed itself in promoting, protection and support of breastfeeding with an aim to secure the health of infants and prevent under-nutrition. 310. The issue of food security has been critical in many parts of the world, including South Africa. In South Africa, food security received much attention after 1994 when South Africa became a democratic country. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was mandated to develop agricultural policies and support programmes to ensure that all are given agricultural opportunities that will enable them to meet their basic food needs. In the 2010/2011 financial year food security was re-prioritised as one of the top priorities for South African government. This is in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal, which aims to halve the proportion of people who go hungry by 2015. 311. As mentioned, the DAFF’s major role is, among others, to ensure that opportunities are created to encourage South African citizens to participate in agriculture and produce to reduce food insecurity in the country. The Department has since initiated a number of programmes that are meant to contribute positively to food security in the country. The Department prioritized the development of appropriate agricultural skills among those previously excluded to ensure equitable participation in the agricultural sector. In this regard, a dedicated unit in the Department for the promotion of appropriate agricultural skills was established. This unit came to be known as Education, Training and Extension Services (DETES). The purpose of the DETES is to ensure that farmers and other Stakeholders access appropriate agricultural skills for the development of agriculture as an industry. 312. The DAFF, in conjunction with the District Municipalities and the municipal health services, have held Pesticides Safety Awareness campaigns at various primary schools nationwide. The campaign is part of the Department’s drive to increase the level of awareness among people after some communities have experienced sporadic incidents of children becoming ill because of a lack of knowledge of pesticides. The Department’s General Household Survey 2013 90