Fatshimetrie: Diving into the reality of childhood malnutrition
In a world where access to adequate food should be a fundamental right for every child, the reality of severe malnutrition among children under five is alarming. Around 181 million children worldwide, or one in four, suffer from severe child food poverty, according to a new UNICEF report.
Entitled “Childhood Malnutrition: Nutritional Deprivation at Early Ages”, this report highlights the impacts and causes of food deprivation among the youngest in nearly 100 countries, regardless of their income group. It highlights that millions of children under the age of five fail to access nutritious and diverse diets to ensure optimal growth and development in infancy and beyond.
Indeed, children considered to be severely malnourished generally consume only two of the eight defined food groups, often limiting themselves to breast milk, cereals or starchy foods such as rice, corn or wheat. This puts them at increased risk of suffering from wasting, a potentially fatal form of malnutrition.
It is clear that the current crisis is fueled by growing inequality, conflict and the climate crisis, which have led to record increases in food prices and the cost of living. Nearly half of cases of severe malnutrition among children are found among disadvantaged households, where income poverty is often a determining factor.
Additionally, food systems fail to provide nutritious, safe and accessible options for children, and many families cannot afford to purchase nutritious foods. In many cases, cheap and harmful junk food is aggressively promoted to parents, replacing healthy and nutritious foods in children’s daily diets.
Faced with this alarming situation, UNICEF is calling on governments, development organizations, donors, civil society and the agri-food industry to take urgent action to end child malnutrition. It is imperative to transform food systems so that nutritious, diverse and healthy foods become the most accessible, affordable and attractive option for parents.
It is also crucial to use health systems to provide essential nutritional services to prevent and treat malnutrition in young children, while activating social protection mechanisms to combat income poverty in a manner tailored to dietary needs. and nutrition of children and their families.
Ultimately, it is essential to raise public awareness of the importance of children’s nutrition and promote healthy eating practices, so that every child can have access to quality nutrition to ensure their growth, development and his future.
In a world where children are the future, it is our collective duty to end childhood malnutrition and guarantee every child the right to a healthy and balanced diet. It is time to act together to prevent a food crisis that threatens the health and well-being of future generations.