2.5 million Under 5 children are malnourished yearly in Nigeria ― Moji Makanjuola

IT has been discovered that about 2.5 million Under 5 Children in Nigeria are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) yearly out of which about 420,000 die.

The disclosure was made on Thursday  by the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of an NGO, International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH), Mrs Moji Makanjuola, during a one-day meeting organized for  Journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) held at the Oriflame Conference hall, Re-insurance building, Bauchi.

Moji Makanjuola disclosed that the statistics are contained in UNICEF findings on issues of malnutrition in the country describing the situation as an alarming and unacceptable as it exposes the children an extremely dangerous condition that makes the children most likely to die from common childhood illness.

She further said that illnesses such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria are some of the childhood illness that have taken the lives of many innocent children noting that SAM was widespread in the Northern part of the country, though all other states of the country are also affected.

While regretting that over N21,350 was needed to cure a child suffering from SAM, Moji Makanjuola lamented that the lack of political will on the side of government is not there, therefore, making the children susceptible.

The ISMPH Founder also said that there was a need to increase investment in child health and nutrition considering the fact that health is recognised as a fundamental human right.

“Right to healthy living is still a far cry for the Nigerian citizens because the nexus with right to life was still not practicable. I urge journalists and CSOs to, through their reportage and advocacy, prevail on governments and philanthropists to assist” she added.

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While presenting a situation report of SAM in Bauchi State,  a Nutritionist with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, Dr Faruq Bashir, disclosed that all cases of malnutrition that reaches the hospitals were the tip of the iceberg.

He observed that many of such cases especially in the rural areas and hinterlands were not reported or taken to hospitals or nutritional centres stating that “A malnourished girl if not treated early will give birth to malnourished child and the cycle will continue if not abetted as it is replicated in subsequent births”.

He declared that unless the cycle was corrected along the chain through artificial nutrients especially within the first two years of childbirth it will damage the brain of the newborn particularly the female in the future considering their nature.

While lamenting lack proper tracking of nutrition-related interventions by CSOs the medical expert, however, said that the ATBUTH has a kitchen within the hospital to teach mothers who bring in their children for treatment to learn how to use local food supplements to treat SAM.

He also pointed out that the media and CSOs need to team up and work on how to save children U-5 years from dying due to malnutrition.

The meeting was attended by Media practitioners and CSOs working in the health sector with the NUJ Council Chairman, Ibrahim Mallam Goje assuring that Journalists in the state will be more involved in sensitisation of the general public of adverse effects of malnutrition among children.