Nigeria ranks second in highest nations with malnourished children, says director

The federal government has disclosed that Nigeria is ranked second with the highest burden of malnourished children in the world and ranks first on the same index in Africa.

The director of family health, federal ministry of health, Dr Salma Anas stated this at a media parley organised by the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) in conjunction with the European Union and the British Council in Abuja.

Anas said the challenge of malnutrition presents as either very low weight about the height of children or as overweight (obese) in relation to height and age. She lamented that the challenge of malnutrition has been made worse following the over-a-decade-long insurgency in parts of the country and its impact on food security.

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• Nigeria ranks second in highest nations with malnourished children, says director
• Nigeria ranks second in highest nations with malnourished children, says director

According to her, malnutrition has long-term impacts on the brain development of children as any child denied adequate nutrition in the first two years of life will end up not just with stunted growth but a poorly developed brain bereft of the capacity needed for critical thinking and analysis on issues.

Anas, therefore, called for a multi-sectoral approach involving relevant ministries of the federal and state governments as well as community and religious leaders in tackling the challenge.

Executive director, ISMPH, Moji Makanjuola said statistics made available by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicate that an estimated two million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five years of age. However, only two out of every ten (10) children affected are currently reached with treatment.

Manajuola said malnutrition is a direct cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of children under the age of five in Nigeria, just as seven per cent of women of child bearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition.

“ISMPH has undertaken to work specifically to combat this epidemic in Northern Nigeria. Under the project funded by the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), ISMPH utilised the media to emphasise the budgetary inadequacies in nutrition and to demand accountability from duty bearers.”