Poor child nutrition casts dark cloud on Nigeria in global index

Nigeria’s poor child nutrition levels may have cast dark clouds on her progress on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), just released.

Despite the country’s improvement for the fifth consecutive period in the national hunger ratio in 1990 at 47.7%, coming down to 47.1, in 1995, 47.1%, year 2000; 41.0%, year 2005; 35.2%,and in 2015 it stood at 32.8%, the report says that the average Nigerian child remains poor.

Consequently, the report observes that children, who ought to grow into their formative years in good health and sound mind, are often impeded through malnutrition.

Also,  the number of undernourished people has been on a steady decline, showing periodic drops from 21.3% in 1990 – 1992, 12.7%; 1994 – 1996, 9.2%; 1999-2001, 7.2; 2004 – 2006, and 7.0% recorded for 2014 – 2016 (a projection expected to cover the present year).

The ranking which started in 1990, tracks human nutrition across the world, identifying countries excelling and those with challenges.

However, several reports show nutrition for the average Nigerian child remains poor as those who ought to grow into their formative years in good health and sound mind, are often impeded through malnutrition.

Human nutrition experts who spoke with BusinessDay have shown the irony is, many people aren’t even aware the nutrition for their children is poor.

Stunted growth is a condition that primarily affects people who suffer from malnutrition during childhood. The World Health Organization describes children who suffer from growth retardation as a result of poor diets or recurrent infections tend to be at greater risk for

illness and death. Stunting is the result of long-term nutritional deprivation and often results in delayed mental development, poor school performance and reduced intellectual capacity. This in turn affects economic productivity at national level.

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank stated in the  current Global Nutrition report for 2015  that “Food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition affecting millions of the poor and children are simply unacceptable.”

The GHI notes that despite the progress made in Nigeria and other countries, the level of hunger in the world remains unacceptably high, with 795 million people still going hungry, more than one in four children affected by stunting, and 9 percent of children affected by wasting.

Data for Nigeria shows the highest percentage of nutrition concerns was stunted growth in children under the age of 5. From 1998 – 1992, there was prevalence of stunting in 50.5% of children under the age of 5, 43.8% from 1993 – 1997, 39.7% from 1998 – 2002, 42.9%; 2003 – 2007, and 36.4% from 2010 – 2014. In addition, under-five mortality rate has also been on a decline from 21.3% in 1990 to 11.7% in 2013.

The main challenge as observed from the data published is stunted growth in children under the age of 5. New analysis on the part of Global Nutrition report shows that in Nigeria and a few other countries, the percentage of children under age 5 who are not stunted or wasted ranges between 43 and 48 percent. Children growing up healthy are in a minority.

Oluremi Keshiro, a professor of Human Nutrition while attributing poor nutrition of children to the rising cost of food, a report which has been previously covered by BusinessDay, noted this affects what parents will be able to give their children to eat.

Keshiro also described the cooking methods adopted by many Nigerians as a factor which contributes to poor nutrition. According to her, “some of the cooking methods handed down to us by our parents such as parboiling of vegetables and even adding potash which destroy a high amount of nutrients, especially ascorbic acid which is very important for children.”

Keshiro condemns taboos in some parts of the country where children are discouraged from eating eggs, a phenomenon she describes as “selfish taboo”. According to her “as small as an egg is, it contains all the nutrients that our body needs (and can easily absorb).” She also condemned the taboo preventing pregnant women from eating snails, one predicated on the uninformed assumption that children from such women “will salivate excessively.”

“We have a lot of taboos that surround our foods, particularly cooking foods that are good for our children. These taboos abound across different ethnic groups and place embargo on foods that are highly nutritious for children. This must stop.” She added.

Oladejo Adepoju, a doctor of human nutrition at the University of Ibadan explains there are windows of opportunities to prevent stunting  in children, these according to him “start from day zero of life, which means it starts from pregnancy. The woman must be in good nutritional status. She should have adequate diets containing all the essential nutrients for growth and development in the right proportion.”

According to Adepoju “a baby that is born with low-birth-weight is already facing challenges as it has suffered nutritional inadequacy during pregnancy.” Speaking further, he reiterates calls for exclusive breastfeeding of children for the six months after birth, dispelling the taboo of not giving children colustrum, a nutrient contained in the  the first yellowish milk that comes out within three days of birth.

Adepoju also added “it has been shown by research that growth stunting occurs between 6 and 23 months after birth when the baby is being transferred from exclusive breastfeeding to family diet or complimentary feeding.”

The submissions from nutritionists interviewed by BusinessDay indicate healthy growth and development of children starts from maternal feeding during gestation, as children born unhealthy are already at a disadvantage and at risk of growth anomalies.  As children grow, supplementary feeding should contain essential minerals and vitamins.

The major challenge is identified that most of the complimentary foods fed to children in Nigeria are inadequate; rich in energy but lacking in protein and other essential vitamins.

Caleb Ojewale