By Doris Obinna
The rate of hunger, malnutrition and lack of nutrients that aid growth, mentally and physically, among the citizenry, especially children under five and the workforce in the country, is worrisome.
The growing prevalence of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency in Nigeria has become a matter of pressing concern as it is currently considered alarming.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2015, classified micronutrient deficiency as severe. In 2016, anemia prevalence in Nigeria was 68.3 per cent, 48.8 per cent and 57.8 per cent among children under five years, non-pregnant women 15 to 49 years, and pregnant women 15 to 49 years of age, respectively.
WHO further disclosed that a third of the anemia cases in Nigeria is attributable to iron deficiency and that about 42 per cent of children between six and 59 months are vitamin A deficient.
The chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said wasting is the most common in children. “About 35 per cent of children under- five are malnourished. Six million children are malnourished in Nigeria while two million are severely acute malnourished, four million is moderately malnourished. Either of them are mostly wasting and stunting with complication.”
According to him, with severe acute malnutrition, children are wasted, moribund and have superior test complications. “What this means is that even if they survive from complications, they are not likely to develop enough brains to become productive or achieve their potential.”
Oloriegbe who spoke at a campaign launch and media roundtable with the theme: “Fortifying Nigeria’s Future: Promoting fortification compliance and workforce nutrition in Nigeria,” said, Nigeria lacks laws mandating companies to ensure their employees are nourished.
The campaign launch, which was ogranised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and e-Health Africa, aimed at creating awareness as well as charging the Federal Government to enforce the legislation of food fortification policy already in existence.
“The country lacks laws mandating companies to ensure their employees are nourished. Workplace nutrition should not be optional, the law is needed.
“When we talk about advocacy that means we target the government to institute policies that would promote food fortification and companies’ compliance with it. And we have companies adopting workforce nutrition.
“We do not have a law yet that says employers must provide good nutrition for their workers, it is just optional now. But we do need it if we want to have productive workers and a booming economy,” Oloriegbe stated.
Food fortification
President/CEO, Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI), Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, explained that food fortification is the addition of micronutrients to food at higher levels than what the food can provide naturally for micronutrient deficiency control. “Examples include vitamin A in flour, sugar and vegetable oils, folic acid in flour, Iodine in salt, Iron in bouillon cubes.
According to him, the Codex Alimentarius Commission defines food fortification as the addition of one or more essential nutrients to a food, whether or not it is normally contained in the food, for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency of one or more nutrients in the population or specific population groups.
“Fortification has been used as a strategy to achieve a rapid improvement in the micronutrient status of various populations at reasonably low and affordable costs.
“Globally, poverty, hunger, and malnutrition remain a nightmare both to the government and the vulnerable community usually made up of mostly children and youths especially in developing countries like Nigeria besides, an idle hand is the devil’s workshop that’s why food and nutrition programs aimed at curbing unemployment must always be taken seriously.”
Importance, benefit of food fortification
Experts at the roundtable agreed that fortification is widely recognized as a preventive, effective, proven and cost effective public health strategy for ensuring optimal nutrition by reducing health costs in the long term.
Head, corporate affairs and affairs and stakeholder management, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mrs Ogechi Obiorah, stated that the increasing prevalence of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria is a pressing concern, with dire consequences for the nation’s workforce and economic development.
“Fortification of staple foods with essential micronutrients has been identified as a viable and cost-effective strategy to combat malnutrition. However, compliance with fortification standards remains a challenge in the country.
“Deficiencies in one or more micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin A are widespread in low- and middle- income countries and compromise the physical and cognitive capacity of millions of people. Food fortification is a cost-effective strategy with demonstrated health, economic and social benefits.”
Nutrition crisis
On his part, executive director, CISLAC Auwal Rafsanjani, said Nigeria is facing a serious nutrition crisis. “Millions of Nigerians are undernourished, and many more are overweight or obese. This has a devastating impact on health, productivity, and economic development.”
“The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022, shows that 44.1 per cent of children under the age of five in Nigeria are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age. This is a decrease from 46.0 per cent in 2018, but it is still a high number. Stunting is a sign of chronic malnutrition and can have long-term consequences for health and development.
“The NDHS found that 20.3 per cent of children under the age of five in Nigeria are wasted, meaning they are too thin for their height. This is an increase from 19.9 per cent in 2018. Wasting is a sign of acute malnutrition and can be a life-threatening condition.
“The NDHS also found that 18.7 per cent of adults in Nigeria are overweight and 4.4 per cent are obese. This is an increase from 17.4 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively, in 2018. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.”
Explaining further, he said food fortification is a proven way to improve nutrition and health. “It is a simple, cost-effective intervention that can be used to add essential nutrients to foods that are commonly consumed by large populations.
“Fortified foods can help to prevent micronutrient deficiencies, such as anemia, vitamin A deficiency, and iodine deficiency. These deficiencies can lead to a range of health problems, including impaired cognitive development, stunted growth, and increased risk of infection.
“Fortified foods can also help to address the problem of overweight and obesity. By adding Micronutrients, Vitamins, fiber and protein to food vehicles during production can make them more filling and help people to eat healthier diets.
“Although adults spend more than half of their active hours of the day at work, the workforce is particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Workers who are not getting the nutrients they need are more likely to be sick, less productive, and more likely to have accidents. This can have a significant impact on the economy.”
Formulation and
implementation
The group, while charging the journalist to hold governments accountable for their commitments to nutrition, urged them to track the progress of governments in implementing nutrition policies.
“Also, organisations across the country must take the issues of workforce nutrition more seriously to improve the productivity of their employees by implementing measures such as; provide healthy food options in the workplace.
“This could include offering fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the cafeteria or vending machines. Organisations could also provide cooking classes or nutrition education to help employees make healthy food choices.
“Encourage employees to be physically active. This could be done by providing on-site fitness facilities or subsidising gym memberships. Organizations could also encourage employees to take walking breaks or participate in company-sponsored sports teams.
“Create a healthy work environment as well as support employees who are trying to lose weight or improve their overall health. This could be done by providing access to weight loss programs or subsidising healthy food purchases,” Rafsanjani added.
