Empower women to break cycle of malnutrition in Nigeria, say experts

Experts say that the nutritional status of mothers had not received adequate attention in the equation and that what is most important to preventing and breaking the cycle of malnutrition is putting women’s empowerment and gender equity at the center of strategy.

In spite of the fact that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life offers a unique window of opportunity for preventing under-nutrition and its consequences, many Nigerian mothers are not empowered to break the vicious cycle of malnutrition.

According to UNICEF, an estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition and it’s the underlying cause of 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children.

More also, 7 percent of women of childbearing age in the country suffer from acute malnutrition even as studies show that 10-20 percent of Nigerian women are undernourished.

The cycle doesn’t stop with mothers giving birth to smaller babies.

The impact of malnutrition is more profound. Nutrition experts speaking during the 3rd series Protein Challenge webinar tagged: “Empowering Women to Break the Cycle of Malnutrition in Nigeria: Reduce malnutrition, Underweight and Hunger.” outlined some of the lifelong consequences of undernutrition and overnutrition.

Ibiyemi Olayiwola, professor of Human Nutrition at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said malnutrition has become a pandemic in Nigeria and anyone can be affected at any time irrespective of age or gender.

According to her, without appropriate care, malnutrition could lead to different illnesses.“You may have immunity for many conditions but not for malnutrition. If your nutrition is bad, there will be a problem of undernutrition and overnutrition.”

Olayiwola said malnutrition starts even before a woman conceives if she is not empowered to take in adequate nutritious foods.