By Chioma Umeha
An estimated 2.3 million Nigerian children under
five (U5) years die every day.
This not only makes the country one of the highest contributors to the
under-five mortality in the world, but also results in massive cost for the
nation. More than a half of these deaths are related to malnutrition causes.
Those who survive often become stunted.
Six-year-old Chilotaram Mba appeared skinny and
sickly. Her height is a sharp contrast to her age as anyone could easily
mistake her for a child half her age.
Her four-year-old sister, Princess Mba, is also in
the same condition.
Their aunt, Agatha Mba, who translates on behalf
of their mother (because she does not speak English), told Independent that the
doctors had diagnosed her two nieces as being malnourished and in need of
treatment.
Chilotaram and Princess represent over 11 million
Nigerian children who are under five (U5) years afflicted with stunted growth,
making Nigeria to rank second only to India in the global list.
The country also accounts for one-tenth of the
global burden of severe acute under-five malnutrition (SAM).
According to experts, there are multiple
dimensions of child malnutrition that can coexist in individuals, households
and populations which could manifest in form of stunting, wasting,
micronutrient deficiencies and overweight/obesity.
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) reports
another sad statistics of 37 per cent of the U5 children who are stunted, while
29 per cent are underweight, just as 18 per cent get wasted.
Stunting is the major indicator used to measure
childhood malnutrition.
Stunting compares the height with the age of a
child -too short for age due to inadequate intake of the required nutrients
over a period of time.
Research has shown that poor physical growth and
brain development resulting from poor nutrition in children make them not to
thrive and live to their full potential.
About 30 per cent of Nigerian children are
underweight (don’t weigh enough for their age), more than double the proportion
of underweight Ghanaian children.
The 2015 World Health Organisation (WHO), National
Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHS) Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of
Relief and Transition (SMART) indices showed a gory picture of malnourished
Nigerian child.
It stated that 33 per cent of Nigerian children
were stunted, while seven per cent suffered wasting, 19 per cent were
underweight, even as 25 per cent benefitted from exclusive breastfeeding (EBF).
Lamenting the situation, Dr Chris Osa Isokpunwu,
Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in his presentation at a
two-day media dialogue on “Leveraging Resources for Child Malnutrition in
Nigeria,” noted that the two immediate causes of malnutrition are inadequate
dietary intake and diseases.
During the meeting which was organised by the
United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF) in collaboration with the Child Right
Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Isokpunwu further
observed that malnutrition leads to integrational cycle of growth failure as
nutrition affects all stages of the lifecycle.
It also causes child growth failure, low birth
weight baby and low weight and height in adolescents, he also said.
According to him, adequate nutrition during the
first 1,000 days (from the start of a woman’s pregnancy until her child’s
second birthday) can avert malnutrition ensuring that children have the best
possible opportunity to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty.
Effects of malnutrition are often irreversible
after this period, he stressed.
Malnutrition occurs when a person does not receive
adequate nutrients from diet. This causes damage to the vital organs and
functions of the body, the Head of Nutrition said.
Certain illnesses and infections, such as
tuberculosis, measles, and diarrhoea are directly linked to acute malnutrition,
he added.
Quoting the 2014 WHO, NNHS and SMART indices, he
also said that 21.6 per cent of Nigerian infants between six and 11 months
suffered stunting, 13.9 per cent of them wasting, while 22.7 per cent were
underweight.
Similarly, Isokpunwu said, in 2015 WHO, NNHS and
SMART indices, 35.4 per cent of infants between 12 and 23 months were stunted.
Those who suffered wasting were 12.9 per cent,
while 25.7 per cent were under-weight according to nutritional indices by age.
The trend is in contrast with the sustainable
development goals (SDGs) 2 is to
achieve ‘Zero Hunger.’
It targets to “End hunger, achieve food security
and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”
The SDGs 2 further aims at ending all forms of
malnutrition by 2030, including
achieving by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting
in children under five years of age.
In line with the SDGs, the overall goal of
National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition 2014 to 2019 is to improve the
nutritional status throughout the lifecycle of Nigerians, with a particular
focus on vulnerable groups, especially children under five years of age.
Also, the National Strategic Plan of Action for
Nutrition from 2014 to 2019 specifically aims at reducing the number of
under-five children who are stunted by 20 per cent by 2019.
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