The Director of Nutrition Department in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, has revealed a shocking statistic showing that Malnutrition affects approximately four million children in the Northeast and Northwest. This was disclosed during a five-day conference with nutrition experts and stakeholders in Keffi local government area, Nasarawa state. According to reports, the gathering on a strategic advocacy policy for nutrition in Nigeria is being held by the ministry in collaboration with Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) and other nutrition partners. The summit is set to conclude on August 24th, having begun on August 20th.
In attendant at the gathering are nutritional experts, academics, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). During her opening speech, Bako-Aiyegbusi stated that the purpose of the gathering was to discuss policy guidelines for coordinated result focus advocating on nutritional challenges in Nigeria. She continued by saying that there is a serious threefold burden of malnutrition crisis in Nigeria currently, which has a substantial negative influence on social and Economic Growth and Public Health due to widespread macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition, and overnutrition.
Stakeholders to create a strategy to advance advocacy.
She made the point that advocacy has been widely recognized to be an effective means of advancing the interests of people or circumstances, particularly when it is supported by evidence, as in the case of nutrition. The focus of the event, according to Bako-Aiyegbusi, is for stakeholders to consider how to create a strategic document that will effectively advance nutrition advocacy in Nigeria, taking into account every aspect of nutrition throughout the life cycle, including multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS), so that no one is left behind.
Moreover, the National Advocacy Strategic approach is anticipated to improve capacity building, integration, collaboration, and the creation of an Investment case for nutrition-related issues in the health sector. Speaking, Mr. Kunle Ishola, Program Officer at CS-SUNN, stated that advocacy engagement needs to be buttressed by certain steps to ensure its effectiveness. The National Nutrition Technical Working Group’s Vice Chairman, Prof. Salisu Abubakar, who was also present at the event, mentioned that the document will serve as a guide for nutrition advocates on how to effectively incorporate advocacy and enhance collaboration in order to improve funding and service delivery.
Wasting affects 15 percent of children in the regions.
About 40% of children under five in these areas are stunted as of 2024, implying that child malnutrition is still a problem. Due to their protracted starvation, these youngsters are noticeably shorter than typical for their age, which is indicative of chronic malnutrition. There is a high prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) and stunting (low height for age), which represent acute and chronic malnutrition, respectively. In the Northeast and Northwest, wasting—a disorder in which a child’s weight is low relative to their height—affects about 15% of children.
This shows a serious acute malnutrition, which frequently happens as a result of an illness or a recent, substantial reduction in food consumption. Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is a potentially fatal illness that affects around one million children in the Northeast and Northwest. Urgent medical attention and nutritional support are necessary for addressing SAM. A combination of acute and chronic malnutrition is seen in these regions, where 30% of children are underweight (low weight for age). These areas also have high rates of child mortality, with hunger playing a major role. Compared to their classmates who eat adequately, children who suffer from severe malnutrition have a nine-fold increased risk of death.
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These areas have a 15 percent wasting rate, which is indicative of severe acute malnutrition. Roughly a million kids in these areas suffer from SAM, necessitating immediate dietary assistance and medical attention. In order to effectively combat child malnutrition in Nigeria’s Northeast and Northwest, ongoing efforts are needed to improve food security, expand access to healthcare, and strengthen the resilience of impacted communities. For child nutrition to improve over time, long-term solutions must also address the root causes of Poverty and war.