Malnutrition: The silent threat behind the daily loss of millions of children's lives

By Veronica Mrema - Dar es Salaam

Every day around the world, millions of children under the age of five lose their dreams and lives. Statistics show that more than 45% of these deaths are linked to malnutrition.

Malnutrition is an invisible enemy silently destroying a large number of children globally each day.

Tanzania, located in the East African region, continues to witness high rates of stunting among children.

Despite significant efforts by the Government through the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC), in collaboration with it's various development partners, the issue remains a major challenge.

Malnutrition is still a major health and economic problem, and a call is being made for greater efforts and multi-sectoral collaboration to save the next generation.

“The media is among the key stakeholders needed in this collaboration to help educate the public and raise awareness on nutrition as a whole.”

These were the remarks of Geoffrey Chiduo, an Economist and Research Officer at TFNC, during a special workshop for journalists from various media houses in the country.

The workshop, recently organized by TFNC and the Partnership for Nutrition in Tanzania (PANITA), aimed to increase understanding of the challenges, progress, and national strategies in addressing malnutrition.

Malnutrition is a cross-cutting issue not only related to food scarcity but also influenced by cultural practices, education, family economic status, and access to quality health services and clean water.

Nutrition experts say that some effects of malnutrition such as stunting can have lifelong consequences.

“The government has taken several measures, including the establishment of TFNC in 1973 by an Act of Parliament,” Chiduo said.

He also noted that the government joined the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement in 2010, a global platform focusing on nutrition.

“There is an ongoing implementation of a comprehensive national nutrition plan that includes multiple sectors such as health, agriculture, education, water, and social protection,” he added.

Tanzania was among the first African countries to employ Nutrition Officers in all regions and local councils and to establish nutrition desks in 11 ministries.

This effort is coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office. “There is also political will; in 2013, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania launched a national nutrition campaign,” said Chiduo.

The campaign carried the slogan “Good nutrition is the foundation of sustainable development play your part.

VITAMIN A DROPS...

TFNC also highlighted the implementation of specific programs such as the provision of Vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets for children under five.

Other interventions include “iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women, food fortification with essential nutrients in flour and cooking oil, nutritional support for people living with HIV/AIDS,”

“…as well as adolescent nutrition development programs,” Chiduo emphasized, adding...

“TFNC stresses the importance of stakeholder collaboration including journalists, the private sector, religious leaders, artists, and civil society organizations to ensure the public is educated, encouraged, and reminded about proper nutrition. That is why we are here in this seminar.”

A GLOBAL ISSUE

Malnutrition remains a serious global concern, with many countries facing more than one form of the problem.

“Statistics show that more than two billion people worldwide are either underweight or overweight.

“Additionally, over 150 million children are stunted, with 58.7 million of them living in Africa,” said Tumaini Mikindo, Executive Director of PANITA.

Tanzania is among the countries significantly affected, with more than 30% of children under the age of five stunted.

This rate places the country among those with the highest levels of stunting globally.

According to the SUN Civil Society Alliance in Tanzania, by 2022, over 3 million children were stunted up from 2.7 million in 2014.

This reflects an increase of about 300,000 children over an eight-year period.

THE REALITY IN TANZANIA

According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS 2022), 30% of children are stunted, 3.3% are underweight, and 4% are overweight.

The survey also reveals that 59% of children under five suffer from anemia in Tanzania.

While some regions have reduced stunting rates by more than 10%, there are still six regions where the situation has worsened.

The regions of Iringa, Njombe, and Rukwa continue to top the national stunting rankings.

According to SUN Alliance, malnutrition affects not only the child’s health but also the nation's development as a whole.

“The main effects include impaired cognitive and physical development, weakened immune systems, and increased child mortality,” said Jane Msagati, Project Manager at PANITA.

She added: “[Other consequences include] high medical costs for communities, decreased labor productivity, and lower national output, with GDP losses reaching up to 2.56%.”

... MAJOR BARRIER

The SUN Alliance report highlights that one of the main causes of the problem is low awareness of proper nutrition.

There is also limited consumption of diversified diets, despite the country’s high agricultural production capacity, and a lack of trained nutrition professionals, especially at the village and ward levels.

The report also mentions limited funding for implementing nutrition interventions.

“SUN Alliance urges the Government and stakeholders to increase investment in nutrition programs and provide ongoing education on good nutrition,” said Mikindo.

The international organization also emphasizes the need for countries to employ nutritionists at the grassroots level and establish strong policies to prevent and treat malnutrition early.

Since nutrition is the foundation of health, education, and economic development, swift and inclusive action is required to save the next generation from this silently growing national crisis.