Malnutrition: 2,300 Nigerian children die daily – FG
The Federal Government has said that Nigeria loses About 2,300 under-five children die of malnutrition daily in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.
About 145 women of child-bearing age also die of iron deficiency daily, it added.
This is contained in a statement by the Communication Specialist of United Nations Children’s Fund (Media and External Relations), Mr. Geoffrey Njoku.
According to the statement, the Head (Nutrition), Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, gave the figure in Owerri, the Imo State capital, during the just-concluded media dialogue on child malnutrition, with the theme, “Good nutrition: An investment for the future.”
Presenting a paper entitled, “The nutrition situation in Nigeria: An overview of malnutrition and its impact on children”, Isokpunwu defined the disease as “a pathological condition brought about by the inadequacy of one or more of the nutrients essential for survival, growth, development, reproduction and capacity to learn and function in the society.”
“Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of child-bearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortality rate in the world,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication (Nigeria), Ms. Doune Porter, said about 400,000 children received community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition services, which is currently being implemented in 12 states in Nigeria.
She said, “The community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition services is currently being implemented in 12 states in Nigeria. Already, 77,000 lives were saved by the exercise in 2015.
“Presently, about 2.5 million Nigerian children are affected by severe acute malnutrition. A child with severe acute malnutrition is nine times more likely to die from another illness; they are very vulnerable. So, the number of children who are malnourished are more.”
According to Porter, severe acute malnutrition could be prevented in Nigeria by avoiding giving children between the ages of zero to six months water during exclusive breastfeeding..
