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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has released a scalding report, stating that 100 children under the age of 5 die every hour as a result of malnutrition.
It added that children with acute malnutrition are nearly 12 times most likely to die than a healthy child if untreated.
UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition in Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy, stated this at a meeting with media executives yesterday in Abuja.
According to Hajeebhoy, 1 out of 19 Nigerians suffer from acute food insecurity, adding that prices of foodstuffs now 23% higher this year.
In her presentation, she said: ” Every hour, almost 100 children under the age of 5 die in Nigeria.
“Left untreated, children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are nearly 12 times most likely to die than a healthy child.
Corroborated the devastating effect of malnutrition, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Nutrition, Office of the Vice President, Adesanmi Abimbola, revealed that over 2 million children suffer from malnutrition.
Abimbola added that Nigeria ranked second in terms stunted children worldwide.
She said: “Malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths of under-five children.
“Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of percent of children under five.
“The prevalence of wasting in children below 5 years of age is 11.6 percent; translating into over 4.4 million wasted children under-five.
“An estimated 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), but only two out of every 10 children affected are currently reached with treatment.
“It is also estimated that 25.3% of Nigerians are underweight and 1.5% are overweight.
According to her, “all forms of malnutrition cost the global economy an estimated $3.5 trillion per year and or $500 per individual.
“Productivity foregone due to undernutrition in low-income countries is 10% or more of lifetime earnings. This results in economic growth foregone and lost investments in human capital.”
Abimbola reminded participants that lack of nutrition leads to impaired brain development and lower intelligent quotient, premature death, low birth weight, lost of productivity and increased healthcare costs.
She, however, reiterated the government’s committed to achieving the 2015-2030 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She added: “The National council on Nutrition (NCN) as the highest decision- making body for Nutrition in the country, in line with SDG 2 goal of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, have ensured that national indicators are aligned with global targets through national policies, strategies, and guidelines.
“On the policy front, the National multi-sectoral plan of action for food and nutrition in Nigeria (2019-2023), National Policy on Food and Nutrition in Nigeria 2016-2025, and Agricultural Promotion Policy 2016-2020 among others have been developed by the government with technical and financial support from development partners and stakeholders in line with national development plans and the attainment of the SDGs.
“The NCN Delivery Unit was set up to ensure results-oriented nutrition policy development and program implementation by relevant sectors at the Federal and State levels.
“Using the unique position within the National Council on Nutrition, the DU facilitates the prioritization of designed nutrition interventions in a manner that responds to and surmounts complex underlying systems and processes.”
According to her, the media executive engagement was to highlight the Role of Nutrition in Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Development, sensitize the media on the need to promote and convey messages on the role of Nutrition in the national development plans and to engage political players on the inclusion of Nutrition in the mandate and plans
