Food scarcity: Children at risk of chronic diseases, stunted growth, experts warn

Following a recent report from the United Nations Children’s Fund, which pegged severe child food poverty in Nigeria at 32 per cent, paediatricians and nutritionists have warned that many children in the country face increased risk of chronic diseases and stunted growth in months and years ahead.

They noted that the economic situation could cause a surge in childhood malnutrition, resulting in an increased rate of underweight children, wasting and suffering from low intelligence quotients.

The UNICEF report reveals that 65 per cent of children out of the 181 million facing food poverty are from Nigeria and 19 from other countries.

It further pegged severe child food poverty in Nigeria at 32 per cent.

However, this figure, when compared to the 45 per cent reported in 2012, reflects a steady decline in the food poverty rate in the country.

Meanwhile, previous reports stated that Nigeria holds the second highest burden of stunted children globally, with 12 million out of the 35 million children under the age of five experiencing stunting due to malnutrition.

UNICEF defines child food poverty as the inability of children to access and consume nutritious and diverse diets in early childhood.

The report added that child food poverty was particularly damaging in early childhood as insufficient dietary intake of essential nutrients impacts child survival, physical growth and cognitive development.

UNICEF also warns that child food poverty is driving child undernutrition and would increase the prevalence of child stunting.

The World Health Organisation noted that stunting is when a child, due to chronic or recurrent malnutrition, is too short for his or her age.

It added that stunting contributes to child mortality and reduced physical and cognitive growth and development.

On Thursday, the National Bureau of Statistics, in its Cost of Healthy Diet report for May 2024, disclosed that the cost of a healthy diet rose by 32 per cent per adult.

It noted that this rise was due to the rising inflation in the country, stating that the cost of a healthy diet, which was N786 in December 2023, rose to N1,041 per adult in May 2024.

The report further revealed an increase in the prices of starchy staples, legumes, nuts and seeds and animal-source feeds.

PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported the concerns of nutritionists over the alarming rate of hunger in the country, stating that many children under five years were going to school on empty stomachs.

They warned that such children were at risk of impaired cognitive development and poor academic performance, urging the government to urgently address the issue of hunger.

Speaking on the issue, a Paediatrician, Professor Omotayo Adesiyun, said children experiencing hunger and food poverty would not grow and develop properly.

She emphasised that females could experience issues with their pelvic bones, leading to complications during childbirth later in life.

“Stunted people are shorter than expected, if they are female, their pelvic bones can be affected leading to complications during childbirth in the future.

“Malnourished children are at risk of other childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and infections and are more likely to die from these illnesses. What I mean is if two children have measles, one is well nourished and the other malnourished, the malnourished one is more likely to die,” the don stated.

The paediatrician asserted that proper nutrition is important for brain growth and sight and that malnourished children suffer from learning disabilities.

Adesiyun added, “When we talk about food poverty, it’s important to remember that it is not just the macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fats that are important but also the micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals that are very important to growth. So it’s important to always remember that it’s not just quantity of food that is important but also quality.”

She noted that malnourished and stunted children stand the risk of not reaching their full potential in adulthood and experiencing chronic health challenges.

“Clinically, we are seeing many children being sick as a result of food poverty. The cases are much more in certain geopolitical areas of Nigeria, especially in areas where there are still very large family sizes,” Adesiyun said.

A Chief Dietitian Nutritionist, Olufunmilola Ogunmiluyi, noted that malnutrition is an underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children.

She pointed out that data from the health organisation estimates that about 4.4 million children aged 0–59 months suffer and will likely continue to suffer from acute malnutrition from May 2023–April 2024 in the Northwest and Northeastern parts of the country.

The nutritionist further said that the children with inadequate access to healthy food were at risk of hunger, being undernourished, in poor health and with a high rate of diseases and other nutrition-related health problems.

“Stunting, in addition to an increased risk of death, is also linked to poor cognitive development, a lowered performance in education and low productivity in adulthood – all contributing to economic losses estimated to account for as much as 11 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

“Hunger has many impacts and reflects in high rates of diseases and mortality, limited neurological development and low productivity among current and future generations. It is also a major constraint to a country’s ability to develop economically, socially, and politically,” she stated.

The dietitian-nutritionist further explained that food poverty and hunger cause all forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, wasting, stunting, underweight, inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, obesity, and results in diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Ogunmiluyi said that for some time now, the percentage of malnutrition in children recorded clinically had reduced drastically.

She, however, expressed worry that the current economic situation in the country which has led to an increase in prices of foodstuffs, could reverse the progress being made, consequently leading to increased malnutrition.

On his part, a Registered Nutritionist Dietitician, Charles Oguikpe, observed that the food poverty rate raised serious concerns about the future health of children in the country.

He noted that children currently experiencing food poverty had micronutrient deficiencies and were predisposed to wasting.

The dietician warned that poor dieting and nutrient intake increase the risk of obesity, early onset of diabetes and hypertension.

“The statistics provided have clearly stated that Nigerian children are at higher risk of micronutrient deficiencies and protein energy malnutrition. The health implication of this food poverty is that it predisposes these children to waste, which hinders them from attaining optimal development in early childhood and beyond. This involves their cognitive and physical development, and this impacts their functionality as a child.

“Another health implication is the onset of early obesity, diabetes and hypertension as seen in the clinics and it is as a result of the cheap poor nutrient and unhealthy ultra-processed foods, sugars and sweetened beverages which are aggressively being marketed to parents in the Nigerian markets,” Oguikpe lamented.

He alluded to data from recent research that 11 million children in Nigeria, representing one in every three children under five years old are experiencing severe child food poverty.

He said as a result, the children have a 50 per cent risk of experiencing wasting, which is a life-threatening form of malnutrition and an ongoing menace.

The Clinical and Community Nutrition expert further warned that this situation could hinder future economic growth.

He added, “The economic impact of food poverty in Nigeria affects not just the child alone, it affects the country in general. It decreases economic growth by bringing a lot of malnutrition issues, giving a lot of workload to the healthcare system to ensure that the children are managed and that the malnutrition rate is being eradicated or alleviated in the country.

“There will be a limitation of human capital development, reduced labour productivity and reduced life expectancy. It is a global issue but in a country like Nigeria, it is an emergency.”

Oguikpe, who is the Public Relations Officer, Association of Nigerian Dietitians, Lagos State Chapter, called on the Federal Government to collaborate closely with healthcare professionals to implement measures ensuring the safety and quality of children’s food sold in the market.

He further advocated for the implementation of policies to ensure adequate food sector security and to empower healthcare professionals for increased job effectiveness.