Fatshimetrie
The situation of child malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a major challenge for which solutions are urgently needed
Child malnutrition in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a scourge that continues to rage, endangering the lives and future of millions of children in the country. Despite the natural resources available in the DRC, an alarming number of children suffer from acute malnutrition, compromising their health, education and future.
According to the latest alarming data, nearly 23.4 million people in the DRC are acutely food insecure, including nearly 4.5 million children under five and more than 3.7 million pregnant or breastfeeding women who will be at risk of acute malnutrition between July 2024 and June 2025. These figures are simply staggering, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the country.
Child malnutrition is not just a matter of hunger, but has profound implications for the health, education and productivity of an entire generation. Nearly half of all deaths of children under five in the DRC are linked to malnutrition, a figure that underscores the urgency of action to save innocent lives.
Indeed, malnourished children have higher rates of repeating grades in school, which compromises their educational path and their ability to succeed in life. On average, these children have 2.6 fewer years of schooling than well-nourished children, creating inequalities from an early age and perpetuating the cycle of poverty and insecurity.
To address this major challenge, it is imperative to adopt concrete measures to guarantee access to adequate food for all, without depending on external aid. The DRC has abundant natural resources that could be exploited to ensure the country’s food self-sufficiency, while promoting economic and social development.
The Congolese government is committed to modernizing the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors, in order to promote innovative and resilient agriculture, capable of guaranteeing the food and nutritional security of the population. International partners, such as the World Food Programme, also have a crucial role to play in the fight against child malnutrition in the DRC.
It is time to take bold and effective measures to end this scourge that hinders the development of the country and compromises the future of millions of Congolese children. Child malnutrition must not be inevitable, but a challenge to be taken up collectively to ensure a better future for the next generation.