The Global Hunger Index has shown improvement in Nigeria for the fifth consecutive period. The ranking which started in 1990, tracks human nutrition across the world, identifying countries excelling and those with challenges.
The 2015 Global Hunger Index jointly published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Concern Worldwide, and Welthungerhilfe, shows that levels of hunger in the developing world have declined by more than one-quarter since 2000.
Results for Nigeria show the national hunger ratio in 1990 was 47.7%, in 1995, 47.1%, year 2000; 41.0%, year 2005; 35.2%, and in 2015 it stood at 32.8%. The number of undernourished people has also 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).
GHI notes 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.
Stunted growth is a condition that primarily affects people who suffer from malnutrition during childhood. The World Health Organisation 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.
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 BDSUNDAY, 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.”
She adds, many Nigerian households cook for a long period of time, during which a lot nutrients get burnt off before the meals are served. Foods she recommends should be given to children include eggs, and snails, especially for pregnant women, noting healthy nutrition starts from gestation.
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 in an interview with BDSUNDAY, noted: “It is better to prevent stunting rather than trying to cure because this may be difficult to achieve after the age of two.”
Adepoju 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.”
Pregnant women are advised to take above their individually required protein intake level (and nutrient rich meals) in order to have adequate supplies for the foetus to properly develop and avoid low-birth-weight.
According to Adepoju “a baby that is born with low-birth-weight is already facing challenges as it has suffered nutritional inadequacy during pregnancy.” He emphasises child nutrition is important in what is described as the first 1000 days of life; from the day of conception, to the end of 9-months when the baby is given birth to, up to the first 23 months of life. Speaking further, he reiterates calls for exclusive breastfeeding of children for the six months after birth.
“The child should be given colostrums. After one hour of birth, the baby should be introduced to breast milk. The first yellowish milk that comes out within three days of birth which mothers usually dispense away is very important for the baby.” He said.
This buttresses the position of Professor Keshiro who had earlier lamented taboos practised by mothers in nurturing infants. Colostrums as Adepoju explains is usually dispensed away as part of taboos held by some people that the yellowish milk should not be fed to infants. At the end of 6 months, infants should be introduced to food sources containing iron through supplementary feeding.
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 BDSUNDAY 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
