Africa-Press – Lesotho. King Letsie III who is also the African Union’s Nutrition Champion has underscored the impact of malnutrition on children particularly in relation to their education and overall well-being. This he said last week while addressing the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) which was held in Paris, France.
Launched in 2013, the N4G mobilises the stakeholders to make concrete political and financial commitments on nutrition.
According to the reports, nearly half of all deaths under five are attributed to malnutrition. Data also show that in 2022, about 149 million children under five were estimated to be stunted and 45 million were estimated to be wasted.
In Lesotho, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that the country is grappling with “a triple burden of malnutrition” encompassing undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. Stunting, which reflects impaired development due to malnutrition, reportedly affects 36% of children under the age of five.
His Majesty told the Summit that when the children don’t get the right nutrition, their brains don’t develop properly and are ill-equipped for learning.
He added: “Malnourished children are less likely to enroll in school and those who do are more likely to enroll late. Stunted children tend to achieve lower grades than their peers and are less likely to read or be able to write a basic sentence.
“They drop out of school earlier, are less successful in the job market, and earn lower incomes contributing less to national economies.”
Calling for action, the AU Nutrition Champion pointed out that stunting is not the only form of malnutrition that threatens futures every year in Africa. He highlighted that an estimated 60 millions of adolescent girls across Africa suffer from anaemia, a condition that significantly impairs cognitive function, concentration, and learning ability.
This nutritional deficiency is also feared to not only affect school performance but also contributes to high dropout rates, limiting children’s opportunities for future success.
The World Bank reports that every US$1 invested in nutrition intervention unlocks at least US$23.
French President Emmanuel Macron showed that malnutrition and all its forms affects societies, slows down economic growth and poses a burden for future generations. “This is also a planetary issue, which is why I have pushed for France to support a global vision where strong agriculture and healthy nutrition are two pillars of our collective health have often called this ‘nutritional sovereignty’ in other words, the ability for a country to meet the needs of its people and especially its children.”
About US$28 billion funding was announced at a Summit to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot pointed out that acting on food security and nutrition is a “moral imperative”.
Barrot said poor nutrition makes the population fragile.
“A malnourished child is 11 times more likely to die than a well-nourished one. On a national level, nutritional insecurity fuels social tensions, intensifies forced displacement and slows economic development. Access to high quality food is also a cause of many conflicts, with malnutrition both a cause and consequence.
“Nutrition must therefore be integrated into crisis prevention and management strategies. Guaranteeing resilient food systems and universal access to quality nutrition and supporting local agriculture is critical to ensuring countries can mitigate [the] crises.”
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
