Nigeria has been identified as the country with the second-highest number of malnourished children worldwide, following only India, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.
Chief of Nutrition for UNICEF Nigeria, Nemat Hajeebhoy, disclosed the data during a recent collaborative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and state nutrition managers.
She noted that approximately 35 to 45 million children under five years old in the country are affected by malnutrition in various forms, including stunting, wasting, and anemia. These conditions, she said, have severe adverse effects on their physical and cognitive development.
UNICEF however, reported a significant achievement during the recent maternal, newborn, and child health week campaigns where over 43 million Nigerian children received vitamin A supplements.
“We ensured that about 19 million children were reached with deworming tablets Additionally, over two million pregnant women received supplements of either iron and folic acid or a multiple micronutrient tablet, and this is very important to enable them to be healthy and for the growth of their children,” she added.
She expressed optimism that the next round of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNC) Week, scheduled between mid-November and mid-December, would receive support from states, families, and communities. This, she said, would help them deliver impactful results not only for Nigeria but for the West African region, the continent, and the global health community.
In her remarks, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, noted that the government is currently working to coordinate stakeholders, strengthen capacity-building, and prioritize nutrition interventions.
“Nigeria has the highest burden in Africa and the second highest in the world but the government is collaborating with other stakeholders to change that narrative, and we have put in place quite several strategies.
“We have a coordination team through which we interact with stakeholders every quarter to find out what everyone is doing, and the challenges. We are also ensuring that this coordination that is being strengthened at the federal level, it’s also being strengthened at the state level,” she stated.
Dr. Ogechi Akalonu, Deputy Director of Nutrition at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), emphasized the urgent need to develop effective strategies to enhance nutritional status across the country.
According to her, the ongoing discussions are essential in ensuring that nutrition remains a visible priority and at the forefront of the national agenda.
She further stressed the importance of collaboration, stating, “We must come together to strategize on the best ways to improve the nutritional status of women and children.”
In his address, Dr. Osita Okonkwo, the Country Director for Nutrition International, highlighted the critical need for increased funding to facilitate the successful implementation of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) campaigns.
Represented by Junaidu Sani, the Programme Officer for Child Health and Nutrition, Okonkwo reaffirmed his organization’s dedication to partnering with the government in ensuring the effective execution of these crucial health initiatives.
He underlined the importance of sustained financial investment to drive the success of the MNCH programmes.