UN drafts plan to improve maternal and child health through better nutrition

… Task countries to scale up effective actions to combat nutrition problems

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has drafted a plan committing member states and development partners to implement priority nutrition interventions and policies on health care, education and agriculture to improve the health of mothers and children.

The measures, which was included in a WHO report entitled “Maternal, infant and young child nutrition: implementation plan,” at the just concluded 64th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland outlined priorities to confront child under-nutrition, low birth weight, growing rates of child overweight, both maternal under-nutrition and overweight, and the consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies for mothers and children.

Sadly, recent figures from the global health body reveal that more than 100 million children under the age of five were underweight in 2010, and at least 170 million were stunted. The report further stated that micronutrient deficiencies, including anaemia and vitamin A, are of increasing concern globally. Malnutrition, which is one of the most significant causes of infant and under-five mortalities in Nigeria, accounts for series of childhood deaths annually (i.e. before their fifth birthday).

In view of these preventable deaths, calls have been made for countries to scale up effective actions to combat nutrition problems even as education of the populace will further reduce the incidence of malnutrition in the country.

In a recent interview with newsmen, Ignatius Onimawo, president, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, described malnutrition as a major silent killer in Nigeria, which is responsible for over 60 percent avoidable maternal and infant mortality, especially those under-five.

Onimawo stated that this figure makes Nigeria one of the countries in the world with the worst maternal and infant morbidity rate recorded among the comity of nations. He, however, called for the review of the current national food and nutrition policy to accommodate the emergence of severe to moderate acute malnutrition as well as upsurge of metabolic syndromes which was not envisaged in the current policy.

According to him “Issues of nutrition will continue to be of great concern to every well-meaning Nigerian considering the abysmal statistics of infants, under-five and maternal mortality rates in Nigeria. It has been proven and demonstrated that malnutrition contributes approximately 60 percent of the underlying causes of these avoidable deaths that paint Nigeria in bad light among comity of nations. Food manufacturers in Nigeria should become nutrition-conscious in order to minimise the current upsurge of metabolic syndrome.”

For his part, George Ekeh, Chief Executive Officer, Justy Food Confectionaries, malnutrition, in all its forms, impairs health, cognitive and physical development, reproductive health and immune systems. Ekeh noted that this anomaly not only threatens child and infant survival, it also leads to growing rates of overweight.

“Our traditional foods are rich in all the required nutrients and can contribute over 90 percent of energy, protein, thiamin, niacin and ascorbic acid if they are well prepared and taken adequately. There is the need to improve on nutrition education on consumption patterns. This will go a long way in improving our nutritional needs,” Ekeh stated.

It will be recalled that Nigeria launched its National Policy on Food and Nutrition in 2002, with the overall goal of improving the nutritional status of all Nigerians. With the policy setting specific targets, such as reducing severe and moderate malnutrition among children under five by 30 percent and reduction of micronutrient deficiencies (principally of vitamin A, iodine and iron) by 50 percent by 2010, it is expected that cases of malnutrition among children in the country will nosedive.

Even as different development partners have different mandates, competences and resources required, a strategic partnership is required to harness these resources for effective actualisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While Nigeria still faces many challenges in its efforts at improving the nutrition situation of under-five children despite the availability of a National Food and Nutrition Policy and a National Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition in the Country, there is the need to implement high-impact low-cost and effective interventions like early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breast feeding and appropriate complementary feeding in addressing nutrition insecurity among children. This, no doubt, would halt the unacceptable infant and under-five mortalities in the country.

To various stakeholders in the health industry, it is obvious that education remains the key to any progress in the fight against malnutrition. It was also established that all stakeholders must enter a strategic partnership to make a success of any attempt to properly educate the populace on malnutrition. With the right campaigns, awareness would be created which will not only lead to better nutrition practices but also lead to the much desired nutrition security.

It wail be recalled that at the 63rd World Health Assembly which held last year, member states were called upon to increase their political commitment to better nutrition even as the world health body provide countries with support and strategic advice.

The draft implementation plan for maternal, young child and infant nutrition was presented to member States for their comments at the just concluded Assembly as part of a two-year consultative process to finalise the measures.