Nutrition Progress

Did you know stunting affects about 165 million children across the world? Until I read an article on AllAfrica I did not realize how many children are stunted. Good news is that according to a new nutrition report from the United Nations is that progress has been made in addressing the issue of stunting. Anthony Lake the Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says, “Stunting can kill opportunities in life for a child and kill opportunities for development of a nation. Our evidence of the progress that is being achieved shows that now is the time to accelerate it.”

Chronic under-nutrition at crucial growth periods, first two years of life, is the result of one in four children less than five years of age being stunted. There is a lot of damage done to a child’s body and brain when stunted and is irreversible. The child will have difficulty in school and work and also have a higher risk of dying from infectious diseases.

The focus on preventing stunting is the pregnancy and the first two years of life, because these are the crucial growth periods. Stunting has been proved to be reduced by improving women’s nutrition, early and exclusive breastfeeding, providing additional vitamins and minerals along with appropriate food. Eighty percent of the world’s stunted children live in 14 countries. In Ethiopia stunting went from 57% to 44% from 2000 to 2011. The reduced numbers was due to implementing a national nutrition program.

I found this article very interesting as a Health Promotions major, and being very concern for children’s nutrition all over the world. Even though stunting is a big issue and affects millions of children around the world, it was not a problem that I had considered before. I am glad there are efforts being put toward this issue and strides are being made. Nutrition is an essential part of a child’s life and it should be a big focus, especially when there are major consequences when it is ignored.  

Logo from Africa Young Voices (http://africayoungvoices.com/2013/03/unicef-provides-supplies-worth-us-145820-to-mswgca-to-support-the-decentralization-process/unicef-logo/)

Link to article here.