Available statistics indicate that over
two billion people in the world suffer from various forms of
malnutrition. It is also an underlying cause of death of 2.6 million
children each year, approximating to a third of child deaths globally.
And in developing countries like Nigeria, stunting rate, a condition
where bodies fail to develop fully as a result of malnutrition, in
children is as high as one in three. Nigeria is home to the highest
number of stunted children on the continent and ranks third globally
with more than 10 million children. Malnutrition is a major silent
crisis in Nigeria as it contributes over one-third of deaths in
children, half of all child deaths worldwide, particularly in the first
1,000 days of life. According to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey,
the North-East and North-West zones, where most foods consumed in the
country are produced, have the highest number of cases compared to other
zones.
The basic causes of malnutrition are
inadequacies of dietary intake and access to food and care for mother
and children. The aforementioned key predisposing factors manifest as a
result of poverty, food insecurity, crises and inadequate information by
parents and caregivers on the correct combinations of food for children
consumption. It is essential to note that this intergenerational cycle
of growth failure starts with the woman. This is due to the fact that
the woman bears the major impact of the predisposing factors of
malnutrition mentioned above.
Approximately, 39 per cent of Nigerians
live below poverty line and invariably children from these poor homes
have been shown to be four times more likely to be malnourished than
those from rich homes, even though the latter can also be malnourished
if the right type of food is not adequately combined. In addition, lack
of food security is closely linked to hunger and malnutrition.
The country’s agricultural production
has remained on a small scale and largely dependent on rainfall which at
most times is not predictable. Furthermore, the food distribution
system in the country is mostly inefficient due to factors such as crop
seasonality, inadequate storage technology and facilities, inadequate
transport and distribution systems. All of these result in considerable
variation in food production and availability and consequently
malnutrition, mostly in children, particularly the under fives.
As earlier outlined, the activities of
the insurgents in the North-East and North-West zones as well as those
of the militants in the Niger Delta have contributed immensely to the
high rate of malnutrition in the country. This is largely due to the
halt in agricultural activities in these zones. The residents are now
being confined to internally displaced camps and made to grapple with
insufficient rations of food. There is a lack of access to produce, sell
and buy food. Women and children under five and the elderly make up the
largest percentage of vulnerable population made to bear the burden.
Also, where these foods are available,
most times illiterate parents and caregivers do not have adequate
information on how to properly combine them to achieve optimal results.
In addition, family beliefs and community practices affect the type of
food a pregnant woman or her child can consume. As a result of this, the
mother can suffer from anaemia, while the child undergoes brain damage
due to inadequate blood supply, which affects his intellectual
capabilities later in life.
For instance, it is a taboo in some
communities for a pregnant woman to eat snail and the nutritional values
of snail consumption include the provision of strong bones as well as
boosting of the immune system among others. Consequently, if the child
resulting from the pregnancy suffers from brittle bones or falls sick
from minor ailments, he is said to be afflicted with a spell cast by an
enemy or the handiwork of evil spirits.
Although Exclusive Breast Feeding is
fast becoming the fad among mothers, particularly in the first six
months of life, complementary foods are not introduced at the
appropriate time as statistics indicate that 35 per cent of infants in
Nigeria are introduced to supplementary feeding too early and these are
often of poor nutritional value. Furthermore, the World Health
Organisation recommends that children must be fed with a variety of
foods, but surveys show that infants are majorly fed with staple foods
like cassava and rice, which subsequently result in malnutrition.
It is a well-known fact that,
nutritional well-being of all people is a pre-condition for development
and a key indicator of progress in human development. Malnutrition not
only slows down development, but also directly leads to suffering and
death. Therefore, reduction and subsequent eradication of malnutrition
are important goals a community, albeit a nation should aspire to
achieve. Therefore, in order to tackle these factors engendering
malnutrition, and also the close relationship that exists between
malnutrition and underdevelopment, government at all levels should
mobilise additional resources as well as create explicit budgets for
this purpose.
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