100 children die every 60 minutes from malnutrition in Nigeria – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday at least 100 children under the age of five die every hour from malnutrition in Nigeria.

UNICEF’s Chief Nutritionist, Nemat Hajeebhoy, stated this at a media roundtable organised by the National Council of Nutrition in Abuja.

She cited poor diets as the cause of bad health and stunted growth for children.

The UNICEF official stressed that malnutrition threatens the survival and growth of Nigerian children.

Hajeebhoy said: “Left untreated, children with severe acute malnutrition are nearly 12 times more likely to die than a healthy child.

READ ALSO: 2.4m Nigerians, 1.5m children, 34 states affected by flood —UNICEF

“Without urgent action, UNICEF estimates that 14.7 million children under five will suffer from moderate and severe acute malnutrition (wasting) this year.

“At least 13 million children will suffer from moderate acute malnutrition and 1.7 million children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

“Food insecurity is a major threat to Nigeria’s future and one in three households cannot afford the lowest cost nutritious diet.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now