Tayo Elegbede
Majority of the Nigerian populace have been described as malnourished, with the Northern part of the country leading in this demography.
The Head, Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwu disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the on-going Second Shared Value Media (CSV) Workshop organised by Nestle Nigeria Plc in Lagos.
According to Isokpunwu it is really unfortunate that despite the fact that most of the food being consumed in Nigeria are being produced in from northern Nigeria, yet the region has highest number of malnourished children in the country.
"The FAO has said that there is enough food that can feed the seven billion world population, yet over one billion people are still suffering from malnutrition. In Nigeria, most of the food we consume are produced from the northern part of the country, yet the region has highest number of malnourished children under the age of five. For instance, the South-western Nigeria has 38 percent case of malnutrition while the North-West has 53 percent," Isokpunwu said.
The Nutrition expert also added that about 41 percent of Nigerian children under the age of five are suffering from stunted growth, 14 percent suffer from wasting while 23 percent are suffering from underweight. He added that the problem of malnutrition has been less noticed because when doctors write their post-death reports, they hardly attribute it to malnutrition.
"When doctors write their reports after a child's death they fail to attribute it to malnutrition but will only indicate missiles, malaria, pneumonia as sources of death. This continues to undermine the ravaging effect of malnutrition which often gives birth to some of these stories," Isokpunwu said.
This year's Nestle Creating Shared Value Media Workshop is a 2-Day event with over 100 Journalists exploring the theme "Nutrition, Water and Rural Development".
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Majority of the Nigerian populace have been described as malnourished, with the Northern part of the country leading in this demography.
The Head, Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Isokpunwu disclosed this while delivering a keynote address at the on-going Second Shared Value Media (CSV) Workshop organised by Nestle Nigeria Plc in Lagos.
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| Cross-section of workshop participants |
"The FAO has said that there is enough food that can feed the seven billion world population, yet over one billion people are still suffering from malnutrition. In Nigeria, most of the food we consume are produced from the northern part of the country, yet the region has highest number of malnourished children under the age of five. For instance, the South-western Nigeria has 38 percent case of malnutrition while the North-West has 53 percent," Isokpunwu said.
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| Malnutrition Map Of Nigeria By The Ministry of Health |
"When doctors write their reports after a child's death they fail to attribute it to malnutrition but will only indicate missiles, malaria, pneumonia as sources of death. This continues to undermine the ravaging effect of malnutrition which often gives birth to some of these stories," Isokpunwu said.
This year's Nestle Creating Shared Value Media Workshop is a 2-Day event with over 100 Journalists exploring the theme "Nutrition, Water and Rural Development".
--
Tayo Elegbede is a Freelance Journalist with Local and International News Firms
