Nutrition, Mortality And The Nigerian Child

Statistics over time have shown that about 53% of children in Nigeria are malnourished with the highest percentage present in the north east and north west.

However, the high rate of malnutrition in these two areas can be traced to inadequate exclusive breast feeding in new born.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exclusive breastfeeding means “the infant receives breast milk only”. No other liquids or solids are given to the infant, (not even water) for the first six months after their birth while malnutrition on the other hand refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy or nutrients.

The issue of malnutrition was extensively addressed at a symposium organized by Yellow Jerrycan Save A Child Foundation, to commemorate Children’s Day celebrations and also to discuss the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in Nigeria.

Speaking at the dialogue on “ways to tackle infant mortality”, initiator of the NGO, Ms. Adaora Onyechere, linked mortality rate especially at the internally displaced people’s (IDP) camp to the lack of adequate supervision.

“If a woman or child is exposed to rape in the IDPs camp, most times, you find out is in the exchange of food, sleeping space, comfort etc and that is because there is inadequate supervision,” she said.

“The entry and exit protocols of the camp are not supervised; anybody can walk into the IDPs camp under the guise of bringing some sort of help.

“I think a better security at the camp will help reduce mortality, because when there is a structured and reviewed check on the visitors to the camp, it will be easy to trace the level and state of lives of the women and children in the camp.’’

Highlighting part of what the dialogue is focused on, Onyechere, who is a broadcaster with AIT, said the event is aimed at bringing stakeholders – Ministry of Health, UBEC, schools, women development centre, and the National Control for Malaria Systems – together in order to address the relation between malnutrition, exposure to immunity and high level of malaria especially in rural areas.

Speaking earlier, Dr. A.R. Adeniro, representing the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that exclusive breast feeding remains a key player in the battle against high mortality in children under the age of 5.

“Evidence has shown that nutrition of a child must start from conception. Hence, for good health status, nutrition from conception to the first five year of a child is a vital key.”

She further stated that the health ministry is committed to the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding to ensure ‘’survival of the new born’’ as it protects against diarrhoea and other common childhood illnesses such as pneumonia and provides long-term health benefits for the mother and child, such as reducing the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence.

Moving forward, Ms. Onyechere said the foundation will hold the mantle to tackle high level of sexual violence against women, with emphasis on rape and forced intercourse.

“A lot of them (women) at the camp do not have orientation on when to say no and what to say no to, because there is no sex education and there is also lack of implementation of skill empowerment.

“Thus, you get to see some of them who have been empowered with skills, lacking the avenue to put it into practice. Hence, we are engaging platforms in partnership with the Nigerian Police, NAPTIP and the Ministry of Education to address safe learning and structure a hub where the women have an outlet to call and report any unsure actions in the camp,” she stressed.

According to the organizer of the event, it was time for a high level dialogue at the National Assembly level to address the rate of rape and other abuses at the IDPs camps.

In attendance was the Chief of Army staff, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, House of Representative Committee Chairman on Health, Hon. Okafor Chike John, representative of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and about 11 primary schools.