The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-fives and 145 women of child-bearing age, making Nigeria the second largest contributor to the under-five deaths and maternal mortality rate in the world. Also, UNICEF’s estimate showed that Nigeria has been adversely affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with the number of malnourished children put at 2,539,704.Considering the alarming data, UNICEF has called on governments at all levels, philanthropists, non-government organisations (NGOs) and indeed the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to brace up and rescue the children who are the future leaders of this country.
The world body stated that children die on a daily basis because of malnutrition. Worst hit in terms of the number of severe acute malnutrition of children from six months to 59 months in each of the six geopolitical zones are: Total North-West: 1,594,462 (First); Total North-East 695,998 (Second); Total South-South 86,304, (Third); Total South West 84,417(Fourth); Total North- Central 43635 (Fifth) and Total South- East 34,889 (Sixth).
Worst hit are the 12 Northern states that have about two million out of the total number of malnourished children in the country. Details of the data shows that the estimated burden of malnutrition in northern Nigeria in 2016 are: Adamawa 47, 815; Bauchi 169,339; Borno 244, 268’ Gombe 94,052; Jigawa 167,364; Kaduna 263,495; Kano 397,515; Katsina, 278,079; Kebbi 216,795; Sokoto 34,419; Yobe 106,105; and Zamfara 68,382. Total 2,087,628.
Source:MWN
