At a time when world leaders are deeply concerned about the economic crises, malnutrition and famine are gaining ground in Africa. Today, millions of children are affected by this phenomenon. In this article, we will return with Life ONG on the phenomenon of malnutrition in Africa and its consequences.
The consequences of malnutrition
Every hour of every day, 300 children die from starvation and malnutrition. Every year, this phenomenon causes 2.6 million deaths in this segment of the population.
However, a set of global trends accentuate this situation, such as: climate change, purchasing power, demographic changes, economic uncertainty and demographic developments. Action must therefore be taken today to combat this crisis before future generations suffer the serious consequences.
In the long term, malnutrition can have harmful and irreversible effects, even among survivors. These consequences include infections and diseases that hinder the development of children’s bodies and brains. Currently, more than 170 million children are stunted.
This not only means that they are too small compared to other children of the same age, but they are also likely to enrol in school later. For example, iodine deficiency can cause a loss of 15 IQ points.
If these trends continue, over the next 15 years, stunting will endanger the lives of 450 million children worldwide.
The fight against malnutrition
The situation of malnutrition in the world is alarming; it is hitting societies, affecting the most vulnerable populations. Moreover, Africa seems to be the continent most affected and the one that suffers the most from the consequences of malnutrition.
This means that it is imperative to raise awareness among the international community and Heads of State in order to encourage them to make the issue of malnutrition an international priority and to understand what is at stake.
As a result, several urgent measures must be taken. Life ONG recommends to world leaders to allocate the necessary resources and time to put an end to this crisis.
Second, non-governmental organizations such as Life ONG must adopt coherent strategies to improve nutrition. By implementing effective strategies millions of lives will be saved.
In conclusion, it was incumbent on the Governments of rich countries to give the issue of malnutrition the support it deserved, by allocating funds to nutrition or launching social protection programmes.
