BENUE RANKS TOP 5 MALNOURISHED STATES IN NIGERIA
Kids suffering Malnutrition
Erdoo Due
Nutrition a critical part of human health and development is most often neglected in the society, leading to a condition known as Malnutrition; a direct or underlying cause of 45% of all deaths in children under five years of age. According to WHO and UNICEF, Nigeria has an estimated number of 2million children suffering acute malnutrition predominantly in the northern States of the country.
Speaking with THE TRANSMITTER, Shar Faustina, Chief Nutrition Officer, Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services said, “The importance of good nutrition cannot be over-emphasized as it forms an integral part of an individual. The general malnutrition status of the country is not good as there is high level of under nutrition among children and over nutrition among adults, resulting from factors such as crisis, ignorance, poor knowledge, poverty, ill health and infections like HIV/AIDS, worms and malaria.” On the issue of malnutrition among children of 0-5years she said, “Children and mothers are the most vulnerable groups and tend to suffer the worst effects of malnutrition attributed to ignorance. In Benue State, there is a major problem of good source of food for kids. Most children in the state are fed basically with excessive pap/akamu without fortification or enrichment with supplements like cray-fish, soya-beans and Tom-brown which are good sources of calcium, protein and iron required for healthy growth and development. Before 6 months, most children become malnourished, mothers who are advised to carry out exclusive breastfeeding for children of 0- 6months neglect the idea exposing their children to unhealthy and unhygienic feeding habits resulting in death or severe malnutrition.”
Other than poor diet, there are other causes of malnutrition in children she explained, “some children actually become malnourished through breastfeeding from infected or sick mothers, while others are born with illnesses. In such scenario, diet and feeding cannot correct the child’s health status, only proper ante-natal care can help. Stunting, yellowing of eyes, wrinkled skin, swelling of stomach and slacked buttocks are the major symptoms of malnutrition and should be reported to the nearest health care centre when observed in a child.”
According to Shar, as at 2019 Benue State recorded 23.9% Stunting, 2.9% acute malnutrition and 0.9% severe acute malnutrition in children of 0-5years indicating a serious decline as compared to the past 3years due to increased awareness, deworming, vitamin-A supplementation and free treatment of affected children.
Dr. Helen Teghtegh, Executive Director, Community Links and Human Empowerment said, “nutrition has been a silent and salient issue with little or no attention from the State government and many malnourished children emerging each day. To worsen it, Benue State has no data on malnutrition status, making it very difficult for interventions to be carried out even when organizations are ready to help. Currently, the state is one among the five most affected states in the country especially with the Herders/Farmers crisis which has thrown open a compromise in food quality and hygiene habits; increasing vulnerability among children and pregnant women as they feed on whatever is made available to them.”
Dr. Teghtegh called on the government to promote knowledge among farmers saying, “most farmers cultivate protein rich crops such as groundnut, soya beans, beans e.t.c required for healthy growth and development, but sell everything due to poverty, feeding basically on carbohydrates (yam &cassava) hence become undernourished as children and over nourished as adults. In caring for the internally displaced also, nutrition should be taken into consideration. UNAIDS, Community Links and some local and international NGOs have made available fortified foods for children to help harness the situation. Synergy is required from the State government, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and the Ministry of Health to tackle this problem and protect the lives of the young generation.
For emergency cases of malnutrition report to the nearest health care centre in your locality for free treatment by Ministry of Health or call Community Links and Human Empowerment on 07037724375,08033628350.
