The Sunday Mail
Poor child feeding practices and poor maternal health are the leading causes to malnutrition and yet child hunger often goes unnoticed in most communities.
According to Unicef, an estimated 161 105 children die every year before their fifth birthday due to the condition.
Research shows that globally, an estimated 25 percent of child deaths are attributable to nutritional deficiencies.
In Zimbabwe, one in three children suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The condition hampers the child’s growth and development.
Malnutrition also increases the likelihood of acquiring non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later on in life.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s director for family health, Dr Bernard Madzima, said poor infant feeding practices, illnesses and poor maternal health cause stunted growth.
“Stunting does not happen overnight, it happens over time. A child would have endured a painful and unbearable cycle of illnesses, depressed appetite, insufficient food and inadequate care,” he said.
“This vicious cycle could be a result of poverty and the consequent inability of families to adequately care for their children.
“Lack of a clean water supply or long distances to health care facilities also affects the level of care that can be given to a child,” Dr Madzima said.
Malnutrition presents itself in three ways — stunting (shorter than average height), wasting (having a low weight for one’s height) and being underweight (having a low weight for one’s age).
According to Dr Madzima, if these infirmities are not addressed within the first two years of life, stunting is irreversible.
The micro-nutrient survey (2012) indicated that stunting stands at 30 percent, Vitamin A deficiency at 21 percent, iron deficiency at 72 percent and anaemia at 31 percent in children under five years of age.
These deficiencies are more rampant in rural areas.
United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) acting country representative, Dr Jane Muita, said micro-nutrient deficiencies result in increased morbidity, child and maternal mortality.
“Vitamin A deficiency results in blindness and increased childhood mortality. Iron deficiency results in poor cognitive development and impacts on future productivity while folic acid deficiency results in birth defects, disability and increased health care costs,” she explained.
Exclusive breastfeeding remains a challenge in Zimbabwe, thereby resulting in a significant number of malnourished children and a high child mortality rate.
Most lactating mothers often mix breastfeeding with other foods and water during the first six months.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (2014), only 41 percent of Zimbabwean women practice exclusive breastfeeding in their babies’ first six months of life as recommended.
The survey goes on to note that approximately 1,3 million children’s deaths could be prevented each year if exclusive breastfeeding rates are increased to 90 percent.
Breastfeeding supports the infants’ immune systems and helps protect them from chronic conditions later on in life.
Food and Nutrition Council director, Mr George Kembo, said malnutrition leads to a significant loss in human and economic potential.
“The performance of a country’s socio-economic sector is a reflection of the population’s nutritional well-being,” said Mr Kembo.
“Children who are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases that prolong their under-nutrition and further hinder their full cognitive and behavioural development. As a result, under-nourished children have reduced ability to learn and concentrate at school, ending up with fewer opportunities to access jobs. “In the end, the country suffers immense losses in productivity and incurs increased societal costs in education and health care.”
Following recommendations from the Paediatric Association of Zimbabwe, the World Health Organisation and Unicef, among other organisations, Government introduced micro-nutrient powders in 2015 as a measure to curb malnutrition amongst infants who are between the ages of six months and two years.
The micro-nutrient powders contain zinc, Vitamin A, iron and other relevant micro-nutrients and are mixed with porridge or soup to feed the children.
Government has also developed a food fortification programme to address micro-nutrient deficiencies.
The foods that are being fortified include maize-meal, wheat-meal, cooking oil and salt.
Micro-nutrients that are being added include Vitamin A, zinc, iodine, iron and folate.
“Vitamin A supplement is being administered to children between six and 59 months, iron and folic acid is for pregnant women and zinc is for diarrhoeal diseases,” Dr Muita said.
In 2011, the WHO issued guidelines on the usage of micro-nutrient powders in children.
“Iodine test kits are also being distributed to monitor the universal salt iodisation to ensure that the Zimbabwean population has access to iodised salt,” she added.
Government is committed to ensuring that the National Nutrition Strategy (2014-2018) is implemented on evidence-based nutrition interventions that are integrated within a broad public health framework, including health services, water and sanitation.
Unicef is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care in carrying out a mass screening exercise for malnutrition in children under five years of age, especially in the country’s 10 districts that were most affected by drought.
The exercise is in response to a recent Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC) report which revealed that 2,8 million people; of which 1,4 million of that number are children who urgently need food assistance.
