“UNICEF Urges Nigeria To Allocate N3b To Save 3m Children From Malnutrition”
Written by Comrade Victor Ojei popularly called Wong Box (Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Delta State on Civil Societies and NGOs) Feel Free to contact us via Whatsapp on +234 803 878 5262
UNICEF is advocating for an increased nutrition budget in Nigeria, emphasizing that prevention is more cost-effective than treatment.
In Nigeria, many children endure a challenging childhood marked by adversity and poverty due to limited access to proper nutrition and healthcare. Meet Kabiru, a child born with dreams, who faced insecurity and hardship from the very beginning. Despite the hope for a healthy and robust future, Kabiru’s growing body and developing brain demanded essential nutrients, underscoring the critical need for improved nutrition and healthcare access for children like him.????????
Expectant mothers prioritize their unborn children by ensuring they receive essential minerals such as iron and calcium. However, when these mothers have insufficient food or nutrition, they have less to pass on to their babies. In Nigeria, a staggering 7.8 million pregnant women suffer from anemia, while three million malnourished children rank among the nation’s top concerns. UNICEF asserts that malnutrition is an unacceptable global issue, one that no country can afford to ignore.????????
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that malnutrition escalates healthcare costs, diminishes productivity, and hampers economic growth, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty and ill-health. In Nigeria, malnutrition is a severe problem, affecting 35 million children under the age of five. Among them, 12 million are stunted, three million wasted, and 23.5 million anemic. The 2023 Cadre Report disclosed that 17.7 million people are hungry, with one million experiencing acute food insecurity. Progress in reducing stunting is slow, averaging only 1.4% per year. However, for just N11,000 (approximately $14,00), Nigeria can secure its future through impactful preventive measures.????????
Former President of Ghana, John A. Kufour, wisely remarked, “The socio-economic benefits of investing in nutrition are substantial and enduring. Shouldn’t we do everything in our power to create a healthier future for our children?” ????
UNICEF’s Nutrition Officer, Nkeiru Enwelum, emphasizes the urgent need for investments and funding in nutrition to combat malnutrition and enhance the quality of diets. Enwelum stresses that failing to prevent malnutrition in children, including stunting, wasting, and underweight, results in long-term, irreversible consequences for cognitive and physical growth. Nigeria’s 2023 GDP is N506.6 billion, and neglecting to prevent malnutrition incurs a loss of N76 billion, equivalent to 15 percent of the GDP.* ????????
Enwelum estimates that meeting a child’s nutritional needs currently costs around N11,000, approximately five dollars per child per year. In contrast, the cost of treatment is nearly ten times higher, with vitamin A supplementation alone costing 0.44 dollars. With N11,000, Nigerian children can access crucial supplements like zinc, vitamin A, and ORS for diarrhea, featuring an updated ORS supplement providing electrolytes. Additional supplements such as multi-micronutrient powder, deworming, folic supplementation, iron fortification, and salt iodization are essential for preventing malnutrition in children. ????????????
In Enwelum’s words, “If you are making an investment case, it is better to prevent than to treat. These are interventions that are delivered through the health system, and they are run through the agricultural sector, which includes iron fortification and salt iodization.”
“Imagine that if you don’t prevent malnutrition in one child and you spend N100,000, that money can save the lives of 10 children from malnutrition.”* ????????
*©UNICEF* ????????