BY CHIBUZOR ISICHEI
NOTHING gladdens a parent’s heart more than seeing his or her children in good health. This means eating well and being healthy. It also gives credence to what health experts say, that it is not the quantity of food one eats that matters, but the quality.
A recent report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) that at least 469 children died from malnutrition in Kano State between January and July 2025, while more than half of the state’s children are reported to be stunted, lends credence to this mind-boggling report. This translates to mean that 269 children died of malnutrition in six months. This is, by all standards, too high.
Prof Ruquyya Aliyu Yusuf of Bayero University, Kano, presenting a paper titled “Understanding change in basics of behavioural change towards improving malnutrition in Kano State’’, disclosed that 51.9 per cent of children in Kano are stunted compared with a national under-five stunting estimate of 40 per cent.
She said that malnutrition and peer dietary practice are the state’s most significant public health challenges and pointed out that poverty, food insecurity and weak health are the major drivers. According to her, “The burden of malnutrition is driven by poverty, food insecurity, peer dietary habits and inadequate health alerts.
The professor warned that high stunting and child deaths reflect chronic under-nutrition that undermines children’s growth, leading to long-term health hazards. She urged journalists and the Civil Society to amplify nutrition and to hold authorities responsible for targeted interventions in high-risk communities.
Some experts highlighted Vitamin A deficiency as a major concern, noting its link to childhood blindness and the increased severity of common infections such as measles and diarrhoea.
According to medical experts, malnutrition refers to a condition where the body does not receive the necessary nutrients it needs to function properly. This, they said, can occur due to a lack of essential nutrients, an imbalance of nutrients or the inability to absorb nutrients effectively.
The experts listed causes of malnutrition to include inadequate diet, food insecurity, poor health and generally social and economic factors. The consequences are impaired growth, increased risk of infections and poor health outcomes. In fact, it is said that it is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria.
Yes, Nigeria has struggled with high rates of malnutrition, particularly among children under five years old. According to records, as of 2023, approximately 35.1 million children in Nigeria under the age of five years suffered from malnutrition, with 12.1million children experiencing stunted growth and three million suffering rapid and excessive weight loss.
The report, however, continued that between 2000 and 2023, Nigeria showed a decline in child mortality rates and child stunting through the efforts of the Federal Government, including the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
However, the number of malnourished children has been rising over time from 8.8 per cent in 2000 to 15.9 per cent in 2023, and malnutrition is more prevalent in the Northern regions of Nigeria, where poverty, limited access to healthcare and inadequate nutrition are more common.
Bad as the situation may seem, malnutrition can be treated and cured with proper nutrition, care and support. Experts say the goal of treatment is to restore natural balance, promote weight gain and improve overall health.
Studies have shown that many mothers in Nigeria are now aware of malnutrition and its causes, but may not have the necessary knowledge to prevent it. This is where the issue of education and literacy comes in: the issue of treatment and prevention of malnutrition.
One man, a business tycoon, living in Asaba, Sule Mohammed, who supplies beans, rice, onions among other things, said the issue is between the rich and poor, adding that while the rich surviving is because they have the resources and money to take care of the children, the poor have no money and, “so they die because of the case you are talking about”
He said poverty, weak healthcare, and food insecurity are largely the causes of malnutrition and affect the poor, so they cannot take care of themselves, their families, adding ‘’before you know it, their children die.’’
Another respondent, a civil servant, said Please note that nutrition is not exclusive to children alone. It can affect individuals of all ages, including adults and the elderly. While children are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, adults can also experience malnutrition due to the same factors of poverty and limited access to nutritional foods.’’
He said that a critical look at the causative factors of malnutrition might make it difficult to solve the problem because the poverty level in the country is too high, and the gap between the rich and poor keeps widening.
He therefore urged the government to have a review of the policies and funding, with special focus on food and general health care. He said this includes improving access to nutritious foods, strengthening the health care system, promoting breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding practices and increasing funding for nutrition programmes. He concluded by saying, “God will intervene”
Although malnutrition is ravaging some parts of Northern Nigeria for now, we fear that it will soon spread to most parts of Nigeria. Hence, the need for caution as diseases or sicknesses know no boundary.
