Anemia is a health condition in which occurs when there is an insufficient amount of healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen through every organ of the body. The United Nations Children’s Funds, through its survey, has disclosed that about 67 percent of Nigerian women suffer from anemia. This nutrition deficiency, which is at an all-time high is so concerning as it affects the woman’s capacity to bear children alive, unless adequate measures are taken quickly to curb this deficiency. Mrs. Ngozi Onuora, UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist disclosed this during a five-day event “Community of Practice Workshop on Building Capacity of Mainstream Nutrition into the Investment Agenda”, lamenting of the effects of inadequate nutrition on the general well-being of the mother and child.
Indicating the goals of the workshop, Mrs. Onuora said that the challenge of malnutrition amongst women in Nigeria was a multilayered one. She also noted that the nutrition of mother and child in the first 1000 days of the baby’s life, from the first 9 months in the mother’s womb and the subsequent 2 years after birth were immensely important to the health status of both the mother and child. She thus emphasized the need for women, especially within childbearing ages to ensure an adequate nutrition for the healthy development of their babies, right from the fetus.
Nigeria ranked 2nd in global malnutrition burden, 1st in Africa.
Noting the huge percentage of anemic women in Nigeria, Mrs. Onuora indicated that there was a need for building up the blood level of women for the purpose of childbearing, else a slim tendency to survive pregnancy. She also raised concerns about the increased rate of malnutrition among children, stating that Nigeria was ranked first and second in Africa and the global scene respectively in the global malnutrition burden with over 17 million children’s victims of malnutrition. She however urged for more investment in the nutrition of babies and mothers to enhance child survival, growth and productivity.
Also, Professor Kola Anigo, the National Coordinator of Academic and Research Network stated that nutrition would always be a pivotal element of human development. He stated that other adult nutrition like diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer could also be linked to inadequate child nutrition that he attributed to household food insecurity, insufficient care and feeding practices, inadequate healthcare facilities and unhealthy development. He thus urged for an increased funding for adequate nutrition, as well as a state multi-sectoral paradigms to curbing this challenge.
The challenges of malnutrition must be curbed with scaled up nutrition.
Innocent Ifedilichukwu, the Advocacy, Campaign and Policy Manager of Save Your Child also asserted that the challenge of malnutrition must be salvaged with scaled up nutrition, for the country to ensure desired progress. Ifedilichukwu, after discussing the dangers that malnutrition poses to the general wellbeing of the country, stressed that interest was immensely pivotal for the actualization of the set objectives. He noted that the plausibility of overtly eradicating malnutrition in Nigeria was also dependent on the involvement of numerous stakeholders. He also pointed out the need to convince the bodies responsible for approving provisions to ensure the eradication of malnutrition in the country.
The Enugu State commissioner for Budget and Planning, Dr. David Ugwunta applauded the efforts of UNICEF towards spearheading the advocacy for child and maternal healthcare and advised the participants to key into the objectives of the workshop and implement it in their various states. The Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. George Ugwu on also commending UNICEF for its efforts, noted that the growing insecurity that has ravaged the country has had a devastating impact on malnutrition rates.
Benue state to improve resources in curbing malnutrition in the state.
Mr. David Leval, the Permanent Secretary of Benue State Planning Commission noted that through the efforts of UNICEF and other global organizations, the state is now determined more than ever to improve resources to eradicate malnutrition in the state, disclosing that food and nutrition would now be treated as a special priority in the state’s budget, in a bid to curb the menace of malnutrition in the state. Present at the workshop were also participants, government officials and nutrition specialists from across different states in the country.
Related Links
UNICEF: Website
World Bank: Website
