Medical doctors under the auspices of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) have expressed concern over the rate of malnutrition and its devastating long-term effects among children in the country.
The president of the association, Dr Ekanem Ekure, expressed their worry while addressing a press conference yesterday in Gombe, ahead of the PAN’s 56th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference.
She highlighted that malnutrition is a significant contributor to childhood deaths and poor national productivity, stating that it directly or indirectly accounts for 45 per cent of childhood deaths in Nigeria.
“Statistics have also revealed that the stunting rate among under-five children rose to 40 per cent in 2023, the highest globally, compared to 37 per cent in 2018.
“This trend reflects a deepening economic crisis characterised by inflation, low wages and high fuel costs, leaving many families unable to afford adequate nutrition,” she said.
Dr Ekure added that two million Nigerian children suffered severe acute malnutrition in 2023, a life-threatening condition.
She explained that the prevalence of underweight children also surged from 22 per cent in 2018 to 27 per cent in 2023, adding that “the numbers are compounded by declining agricultural productivity due to climate challenge, flooding and insecurity, further straining food supplies.”
She pointed out that the exclusive breastfeeding rate remained stagnant at 29 per cent since 2018, in spite of its crucial role in early childhood nutrition.
The PAN president emphasised that economic pressures forcing mothers into the workforce contributed to the low figure, exacerbating infant malnutrition.
Akure, therefore, called for robust inter-sectoral collaborations to address the root causes of malnutrition and underlined the importance of implementing the Child Rights Act (2003), which guarantees children’s access to adequate nutrition, education and social protection.