‘Critical 1000 days’

THE first 1000 days of a child’s life is the most critical because it could determine, to some extent, their healthy future, says United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative for Pacific island countries Jonathan Veitch.

During an informal meeting with the media recently where he outlined UNICEF’s MultiCountry Programme (MCP) plan for 2023–2027, Mr Veitch said apart from ensuring pregnant mums and newborn infants had access to healthy food, they must also live in a healthy environment where they feel loved.

“We’re not looking at the treatment of NCDs (non communicable diseases) so much, but we’re looking at the health of mothers, pregnant mothers, and then we’re looking at the first 1000 days,” he said.

“The most important period of a child’s life is the first 1000 days.

“And if you get that right, they’re likely to be fit and healthy for the rest of their lives,” Mr Veitch said.

“So if you get a child well immunised and well nourished, breast-fed and loved and nurtured properly, they’re much more likely to be successful in the future.”

According to data from the Fiji Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) carried out in 2021 by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics and other government ministries, 4.6 per cent of Fijian children under the age of five years surveyed were underweight, 7.2 per cent were stunted, 4.6 per cent were wasted and 7.7 per cent were overweight.

Stunting, or chronic malnutrition, is the result of failure to receive adequate nutrition in early life over an extended period and/ or recurrent or chronic illness.

Wasting is usually the result of poor nutrient intake or disease.

In terms of healthy environment, the UN Pacific Socioeconomic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 in Fiji revealed that 40 per cent of women who experience domestic violence in the country had witnessed their mother being abused as a child.