Nigeria’s alarming malnutrition figures

THE recent revelation by some health experts in Bauchi that 800,000 under-five children die every year in the country as a result of malnutrition is alarming. If something is not done urgently to remedy the situation, about eight million Nigerian children would likely die in the next ten years. Although the figure is high, there is even fear that it might even be higher than what is stated.

GIVEN our abundant human and material resources, we should have no business with malnutrition in the first place. Unfortunately, this is our lot today due to ignorance and poverty. It is a matter of great regret that we have, at times, misplaced our priorities and treat our very critical future generations with contempt.

This is a trend we must do everything humanly possible to reverse, if we are to be taken seriously among the comity of progressive nations that are determined to secure the future of their children.

No doubt, the under-five children’s malnutrition has a national spread, but it is likely to be more in the North than in the South. The national average of 800,000 for our overall population of 170 million is indeed alarming.

It is a sad reflection of the state of our economy, the poverty level in the country and in- deed, the state of our primary healthcare delivery system. The present raging insurgency in the North-East makes the situation more precarious.

Since most Nigeria’s staples are very high in carbohydrates, efforts should be made to ensure that our children’s diets are balanced to enhance their overall health and wellbeing.

There is nothing wrong with our local foods, but for the meals to be balanced, they should be mixed with adequate proportion of proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Unfortunately, the latter components are in short supply most times in many Nigerian diets due to low literacy level.

Due to ignorance, negligence and poor planning, we have, inadvertently, denied our children these vital elements of nourish- ment they need to develop and grow as healthy individuals. We have enough arable land to grow all kinds of food crops, grains, fruits and vegetables as well as poultry keeping, and animal hus- bandry.Wehaveenoughbodyof waters to engage in fishing as well.

Therefore, we have every food resource to ensure that our children, including the under-five, are given balanced and adequate nutrition. They should, indeed, have no pact with malnutrition whatsoever. Therefore, government at all levels should step in and halt the alarming rate of malnutrition in the country.

There is a lot we can do to remedy the ugly situation, including getting our priorities right. Government must take the lead in giving the public the right education and information for adequate nutrition for children and other members of the family.

Most of our rural populations do not have the right information about balanced diets and how to mix the local foods to achieve it.

The Federal Ministry of Information and its state and local government equivalents must take the lead in this vital public enlightenment campaign.

We also appeal to members of the civil societies and non-governmental organizations to use their reach and advocacy tools to focus on this problem and help correct the imbalance in our children’s diets.

We think that with adequate information and enlightenment, Nigerian mothers can feed their under-five children and curb, considerably, the scourge of malnutrition in the country.